News and Personal dispatches from the front lines.
In their own words:
Iraq: The Purgatorium: Free Bird Part One - We packed the last of our shit up and tossed duffels and rucksacks into the backs of five ton trucks and played the waiting game on the gravel. Sprawled out at the airfield and shot the shit til the sun went down, and soon the helicopters touched down in shifts, loading us up. The wind from the rotors damn near knocked me over, same as it always does, and we squeezed inside. I found myself staring at a wall of duffel bags, thinking about how bad it would suck if it all avalanched on me. The bird began to lift off and I flipped the bird towards the back ramp and shouted, "FUCK YOU, WARHORSE, FUUUUUCK YOOOOOU!", barely audible over the roar of the helo. Warhorse disappeared underneath us and dropped us off at our next transient destination. (READ MORE)
LT Nixon: Remembering LT Ammon - Former colleague and partner in crime, Olegreydog7, brings us some sad news. A Navy Individual Augmentee and submariner has died in Afghanistan on 20 May from an IED. The submarine JO community is small, and while I didn't personally know LT Ammon, Olegreydog knew him well and served with him on the USS Alabama. He had this to say: “He was a friend of mine from the Bama. Awesome guy. I'm headed to Bangor next week for his memorial. He pinned on my boomer pin, JG bars, dolphins. He would have pinned me an LT, but he was in Thailand, a trip he stole from me. He had seen quite a bit of direct combat. A number of people from his PRT had been killed. He put out the fire that burned down the DFAC and Gym. They lived in tents and plywood buildings. Sometimes they slept on the Humvees. Extended for a year, had till the end of October left. He would only do that if he was making a difference. I think he was.” (READ MORE)
LT Nixon: Iraq News (28 May) - The Good The Sarafiyah bridge in Baghdad has been reopened after a suicide truck bomber destroyed it in April 2007. The Jordanian King has called for more economic and political support in dealing with Iraqis. Some Arabic nations have been hesitant to have strong diplomatic ties with the Shi'ite-dominated Iraqi government. An oil smuggling gang in Basra has been detained. The Bad Former U.S. counter terrorism czar, Richard Clarke, has said that having U.S. forces in Iraq "helps Al-Qaeda". I would agree with him that a long-term presence is not beneficial to counter-terrorism, but U.S. forces have been instrumental in crushing extremist elements in Iraq by utilizing COIN strategy. The Iraqi Accordance Front was supposed to end its boycott of nearly one year, but they have suspended negotiations. While security improvements have been tremendous in the last month, political progress has seriously lagged. (READ MORE)
IraqPundit: I'll drink to that - After re-opening the Sarafiya bridge in Baghdad, Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki is heading to Stockholm to attend an international conference [Arabic] on Iraq. The meeting is described as an important attempt to solve Iraq's political problems. Let's hope they at least make some progress. All I can tell you is that Iraqis are frustrated with the leadership, but are very happy that the liquor [Arabic] stores are open again. The shops had been bombed shut by both Sunni and Shiite extremists. Now they're back. Nothing says normal to an Iraqi like a cold beer on a hot day. (READ MORE)
David Wood: Afghanistan: Marine operations extended - Despite its short-lived nature, the Marine operation in southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province, code-named Asada Wosa, made measurable progress against Taliban insurgents, according to a story by Carlotta Gall in the New York Times. The commander of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Col. Peter Petronzio, had acknowledged soon after the Marines arrived in late March that planned combat operations would shift and change as the enemy reacted. Sure enough, their first mission into Garmsir, an insurgent stronghold in southern Helmand Province, was extended from a planned four-day operation. But the decision to stay engaged -- a central principle of any counter-insurgency campaign -- seems to have paid off. (READ MORE)
From the 'Stan: Working with the locals - The Afghan locals have been assisting the Marines as they patrol and complete operations, according to a 24th MEU press release I received today. “The Afghan citizens are quick to approach the Marines when they see them and are welcoming of their presence,” the press release reads. “They are also quick to point out insurgent acts of violence to include: damaging foot bridges in their village, occupying their houses without permission, putting explosives in their fields and stealing their food and possessions.” Col. Pete Petronzio, commanding officer of the 24th MEU, said the Afghans know how the insurgents operate. "The insurgents don’t have the means to fight their own war and so they steal and intimidate the Afghan citizens they would have believe they are there to help,” he said. (READ MORE)
News from the Front:
Iraq:
As Close as Any Brother - BAGHDAD — That day, my sister rushed up to me and said, “Can I use the PC, I want to chat with my friend, please,” and I answered as usual by saying, “No, I want to finish this match of Unreal 3.” This kind of fight may be considered normal or childish. But the reality is, people in Iraq have developed this relationship with computers, to the level that they become a real family member. You can see it in any house, even people who don’t have cars, you can see they bought a PC. If anyone wants to analyze this PC need, it’s easy. Iraq has a long hot summer; people tend to stay at home from the morning till sunset, except those who have work. Plus a very tough security situation makes it easy for anyone to decide his mind and buy a PC, to use it as a substitute for going out. (READ MORE)
Iraqis losing patience with militiamen - BAGHDAD -- Four summers ago, when militiamen loyal to hard-line Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr were battling U.S. forces in the holy city of Najaf, Mohammed Lami was among them. "I had faith. I believed in something," Lami said of his days hoisting a gun for Sadr's Mahdi Army militia. "Now, I will never fight with them." Lami is no fan of U.S. troops, but after fleeing Baghdad's Sadr City district with his family last month, when militiamen arrived on his street to plant a bomb, he is no fan of the Mahdi Army either. Nor are many others living in Sadr City, the 32-year-old said. (READ MORE)
Memorial honors 1-8 Infantry’s fallen - MOSUL, Iraq – For many, Memorial Day is a time for barbeques, spending time with family and taking the first dip in the pool. For Soldiers with Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, Memorial Day has a much more significant meaning. “This is a day to reflect upon sacrifices our brothers and sisters have made,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Johns, commander of 1-8 Inf. Regt. Since the company touched ground in late December 2007, the Soldiers have fought for the freedoms of the Iraqi people. But those freedoms have come at a price. (READ MORE)
ISOF capture three Special Groups criminals in separate operations - BALAD, Iraq – Iraqi Special Operations Forces captured three suspected Special Groups criminals in two separate operations around Baghdad, May 27. The ISOF captured two suspected criminals accused of kidnapping, torturing and killing Iraqi citizens and forcing them out of their homes. (READ MORE)
MND-C Soldiers find homemade explosive cache - CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – A tip led Multi-National Division – Center Soldiers to approximately 900 pounds of homemade explosives north of Patrol Base Shanghai, about 22 kilometers southwest of Baghdad, May 26. Rakkasan Soldiers from Company B, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) uncovered a cache consisting of 18 50-pound bags of homemade explosive. (READ MORE)
Southwest Baghdad electricity substation adds stability - BAGHDAD – Businesses and residences of southwest Baghdad will soon benefit from the recent completion of electricity transmission lines and the energizing of a major substation today. The al-Rasheed 400kV substation was energized May 28, 2008 on the 400kV electrical grid only a few days after the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity completed the hook up of a new 11 kilometer 400kV transmission line to the station. (READ MORE)
Iraqi Special Operations Forces capture terrorist in Mosul - BALAD, Iraq – Iraqi Special Operations Forces captured a suspected terrorist in eastern Mosul, Iraq, May 26. The ISOF conducted an operation to capture a suspected leader of an al-Qaeda in Iraq cell operating in the Mosul area. Three other suspects were detained. (READ MORE)
IA Soldiers in Sadr City find weapons caches - BAGHDAD – In order to increase security and safety in Sadr City, Iraqi Army Soldiers continued to uncover weapons caches May 27. At approximately 8:40 a.m., IA Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st IA Division, seized a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. (READ MORE)
VBIED attack kills 4, wounds 43 - TIKRIT, Iraq – A vehicle-borne improvised explosive device killed four and wounded 43 in Ninewah province, May 27. The blast killed two Iraqi Security Forces and two Iraqi Police. The blast also wounded 43 ISF, IP and citizens combined. The wounded were taken to a medical treatment facility. (READ MORE)
Iraqi Businesses Display Wares at Expo - BAGHDAD — More than 70 Iraqi business owners gathered in the Babylon hotel on the Karadah Peninsula in southeastern Baghdad for the inaugural Rebuilding - Karadah Expo and Conference, May 23-24. Entrepreneurs and shopkeepers met at the hotel to display their products and services and to meet other Karadah business owners and community leaders. Participants setting up booths represented businesses in the fields of retail sales, construction, durable and industrial goods and even a beekeeper selling honey. In addition, several non-government agencies and municipal officials set up and visited booths, and various Arab media organizations covered both days of the conference and expo. (READ MORE)
Wolfhound Soldier Makes Difference Training Iraqi Army - CAMP TAJI — Working together with the Iraqi Army (IA) is an important step in the success of this war – and an important step toward Iraqis taking charge of their nation. A fire team showing a unified Coalition front line force at a Joint Security Station near Camp Taji, northwest of Baghdad, is a model for a successful transition from a dependent Iraq to a sovereign nation that can secure its people. The fire team consists of both Multi-National Division – Baghdad and IA Soldiers from the 36th Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division. Sgt. Michael Rios, a native of Sebastian, Texas, serves as the team chief. He is assigned to 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment “Wolfhounds,” 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warriors,” 25th Infantry Division. (READ MORE)
UK Brigade Commander Reflects on Iraq Experience - BASRA — As 4 Mechanized Brigade's operational tour in southern Iraq draws to a close, the Brigade's Commanding Officer, Brigadier Julian Free, has been reflecting on the experiences of the last six months. The Brigade deployed to Basra in October 2007 as part of Operation Telic 11. During that time they have helped to oversee the transfer of Provincial Iraqi Control in Basra. They have also provided assistance to the Iraqi Security Forces for Operation Charge of the Knights, an initiative which has brought improved security in and around Basra City, as well as forming a number of Military Transition Teams to deliver vital training to the Iraqis. (READ MORE)
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