From the Front: 04/11/2008

News and Personal dispatches from the front lines.

In their own words:
Navy Gal: I have arrived - I finally made it to this lovely country called Iraq. It's, how should I say it......interesting. Ok, that's not the most descriptive portrayal, but right now I'm tired so just bear with me. I have been here for about 5 days and it's been the most surreal experience of my life. I will save the story of my flight up here and my bags being left behind for another day. I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm here, I'm alive and Hadji has been pretty active the past couple of days around here. Well, I'm off to work (nights) so this post will be short and sweet. I still can't get my mind around the fact that Dude, I'm in Iraq! (READ MORE)

Sergeant Grumpy: What your not hearing - As I said in an earlier post, things here are both better and worse than what is being reported. I say that because, while things were/are, in my opinion much worse in Basrah than the media reports (probably because they won't go down there and don't know.), things in other parts of southern Iraq are better than reported. If they are reported at all. In several other southern Iraqi cities, the Iraqi Army, and the lesser known ISWAT units, kicked JAM's ass. In at least one town they pretty much eradicated JAM and destroyed the OMS office (the political front for JAM) where weapons were cached. That success is due to the dedicated training provided these forces by their US counterparts. I know our guys did a great job, and our "top ten" board was almost cleaned off. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: The Surreal Deal - WaPo's Eugene Robinson says today that the debate over Iraq becomes more surreal as the occupation drags on. "Our presence in Iraq is an occupation, pure and simple," he writes. "As in any occupation, the 'enemy' consists of people who don't want the occupying troops in their country -- and also people who do want the occupying troops in their country, as long as they see some political advantage in having those troops there to attack." Okay, we know the argument that the media want the U.S. forces to leave. And Iraq's ambassador to Washington said about the U.S. troops, "I think they have to leave in a responsible manner." (READ MORE)

Yellowhammering Afghanistan: Afghani-Stan - He stands less than seven inches tall and is paper thin, but Flat Stanley has left quite an impression in Ghazni, Afghanistan. Stanley found himself into my life via Theresa Hardin, the oldest daughter of my good friends John and Ann Hardin. Theresa is in Mrs. Thomas' second grade class at South Shades Crest Elementary School in Hoover. For a class project, they read the story of "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown and then followed that up with a project to see where their own Flat Stanley could go. The idea is to write down where Stanley reached, send a letter or postcard to the student at the school and then mail him on to someone else. But Stanley happened to arrive to me just as I was starting a tour of 13 districts around Ghazni Province. So, I took Stanley along for the ride. (READ MORE)

LT Nixon: Anti-Militarism Saves America! - MADD Founder Saves America: I've discussed before why the drinking age for military personnel should be lowered to 18, but the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving ain't buying it (h/t to Brian from work): “But Lightner was disgusted that our fighting men and women would have the audacity to imbibe. She ranted that 18-year-olds haven't ‘developed, and that's exactly why the draft age is 18, because these kids are malleable.’ She added: ‘They will follow the leader, they don't think for themselves, and they are the last ones I want to say, 'Here's a gun, and here's a beer.' They are not adult—that's why they're in the military. They are not adults.’” I guess if you just hung around this milblog she could get the impression that all military people are naive youngsters. Joke's on her that I am well above the legal limit for drinking. (READ MORE)

Fearless 1st Marines’ blog: “America’s Battalion” Capitalizes on Ramadi’s Security - RAMADI, Iraq (April 10, 2008) – Processions of armored vehicles clamoring down the now busy streets of Ramadi, Iraq, have come to be quite a familiar sight, but for the Marines of Headquarters and Support Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, running re-supply missions during daylight hours is a stark difference from their last deployment. “We couldn’t so much as leave the wire last year without getting into some sort of fire-fight,” said Cpl. Pirtus Esperience, a rifleman attached to H&S Co., 2nd Bn., 8th Marines. “Now we’re running supply convoys out to the companies in the city during the daylight hours pretty much without incident.” (READ MORE)


News from the Front:
Iraq:
UAV destroys mortar position, kills 6 - BASRA – A Coalition forces unmanned aerial vehicle engaged a group of criminals firing mortars at Iraqi Security Forces at around 2:30 a.m. on April 11 killing six and injuring one. The criminals were observed in the Hyanniyah district of Basra by a Coalition aircraft and positively identified as an active mortar team. An air strike was called in to attack their position and neutralize the weapon. (READ MORE)

Civilian contractor Article 32 Hearing rescheduled - BAGHDAD – Multi-National Corps – The Article 32 hearing for Alaa “Alex” Mohammad Ali has been rescheduled for April 15, 2008 at 9 a.m.on Camp Victory, Iraq. Ali, a civilian contractor accompanying the force, has been charged with aggravated assault under military law. He is the first contractor to be charged under a 2006 amendment to the Uniform Code of Military Justice – Section 552 of the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2007 (October 17, 2006). (READ MORE)

AQI mortar attack wounds 11 local Iraqis in Mosul - TIKRIT, Iraq – Al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists fired an indirect fire attack against Iraqi Army soldiers at a combat outpost in Mosul, Iraq, April 10. The mortar rounds hit a local home wounding 11. Four of the wounded were females and all of the injured were taken to a local hospital. (READ MORE)

UAV kills 6 heavily armed criminals - BAGHDAD – Coalition forces from Multi-National Division – Baghdad operating an unmanned aerial vehicle observed a large group of criminals with rocket-propelled grenade launchers and a mortar tube in northeast Baghdad at approximately 9:30 p.m. April 10. The UAV fired a Hellfire missile killing six heavily armed criminals at approximately 9:45 p.m. (READ MORE)

MND-C Soldiers find weapons cache in Janabi - CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – MND-C Soldiers with 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), found a weapons cache in Janabi April 10. The cache contained more than 1,000 7.62 mm rounds, approximately 200 .50 cal rounds, 55 mm rounds, about 10 rockets, 120 mm rounds, 106 mm rounds, one 125 mm round, five 155 mm illumination rounds, 10 pounds of propellant, fuses, a hand grenade, TNT and other bomb-making materials. (READ MORE)

Iraqi Army soldiers find weapons caches, detain 2 in separate operations - CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 25th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division discovered a weapons cache and detained two suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq members during a dismounted patrol in Said Abdullah Corridor April 8. The cache included 19 improvised explosive devices, 22 60 mm mortar rounds, a mortar tube, two rocket-propelled grenades, six RPG rounds and two Katusha rockets. (READ MORE)

Iraqi Army discovers a year-old mass grave in Mahmudiyah - BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army soldiers discovered more than 30 bodies in a mass grave at a house in Mahmudiyah, Iraq April 10. Initial reports indicate the remains have been buried for more than a year. IA has declared the entire house a grave site. They are excavating the entire area. (READ MORE)


Afghanistan:
101st Airborne takes over for 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan - BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – On the 101st day of 2008, the headquarters of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) officially became Combined Joint Task Force - 101 and took command of the Regional Command – East sector of Afghanistan from the 82nd Airborne Division in a transfer of authority ceremony here today. Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, commander of the 101st Airborne and CJTF-101, praised the 82nd Airborne for their effective service over the past 15 months to improve the lives of the Afghan people, and promised to continue in that mission. (READ MORE)

Freedom Watch Afghanistan - CJTF82 Mission: In conjunction with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IRoA), joint, interagency, and multinational forces, CJTF82 conducts full spectrum operations to disrupt insurgent forces in the combined joint operations area, develops Afghanistan national security capability and supports the growth of governance and development in order to build a stable Afghanistan. (READ MORE)