From the Front: 06/10/2008

News and Personal dispatches from the front lines.

In their own words:
Maj Pain: YOU DESERVE BETTER!! - Opinion Polls & Market Research - Where are the reporters now? Is it blood and guts they want to see? Iraq is a brutal country. But perhaps we need to inform reporters and “News” stations that “its’ not about gore, its about progress and success. How come we don’t have embedded reporters here now in Iraq? Has anyone else noticed their absence? Where are the “Special Reports” on Iraq during prime time TV? Are our service members lives any less important now compared to when the embeds were here? Does the news agency think this is a less important time in Iraq or for that matter in Afghanistan? The actions of the news station says yes. Sex and gore sell, US service members winning, kids getting fed and democracy doesn’t. My last two deployments here we were taking one step forward and three steps back but now we are progressing with one step at a time to the front, partnered with the Iraq people. (READ MORE)

Fearless 1st Marines’ blog: Oahu children, Hawaii Marines deliver teddy bears to Iraqi kids - SITCHER, Iraq (May 24, 2008) – Children shudder at the thought when that time to see the doctor comes around. But children in the Anbar province area received something special to help them cope with their visit to the doctor. Marines and Sailors with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, handed out more than 1,000 teddy bears to children during a two day cooperative medical engagement, May 23-24. The bears were donated to the battalion to hand out to Iraqi children by the Oahu Chapter of the Zeta Delta Society in Hawaii. (READ MORE)

IN-iraq: Carrot vs. Stick- lessons learned in cultural sensitivity - Bujwari, Iraq - “Tell them,” he began with simple phrases, “Everybody said Bujwari was bad. Sheik Shadi stepped forward. You banded your men together. Now Bujwari is good. You made Bujwari safe, now we can focus on other things,” said Capt. Timothy Meadors, the commander of Alpha Company 1st battalion of the 327th Infantry Regiment. The Captain spoke facing two rows of Sheiks sipping Chai and smoking cigarettes on either side of the tent. His pace was slow, his tone almost nonchalant, if it were not for the fact he had all the power brokers of Bujwari listening. “We don’t have to worry about security, so now we can focus on schools so your children can have a better life than you have.” (READ MORE)

Major John: So, how was your morning? - Mine was a bit odd... 2:30AM I am out unloading food and bottled water off of some trucks that brought us some well appreciated supplies. I'd make a pretty good Teamster. Later, I walk out the gate of the small camp where I live and see this: I can just see every tanker reading this begin shuddering in sympathy. Then I make my way to the assembly room/work room and get a phone call from Operations - "did you happen to hear a large explosion southwards a few minutes ago?" Huh? Uh, not as such. Is there something I should know...? (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio: Pakistan's Swat peace agreement in the crossfire - Tensions have arisen over the Swat peace agreement signed last month. The central government said the Swat Accord has been negated due to Taliban attacks. The Taliban and the Awami National Party, which administers the Northwest Frontier Province, said the agreement is still valid and the central government cannot dissolve the accord. "The Swat agreement is scrapped as the militants have (continued) their attacks on security forces," said Rahman Malik, an adviser to Pakistan's prime minister. Malik's statement comes after four policemen were killed in an ambush in the provincial capital of Peshawar. On June 5, two policemen and two civilians were wounded in a shootout in Nowshera. Peshawar has been described as a "walled city," while its police chief said the Taliban is poised to overrun the city. (READ MORE)

From the 'Stan: Garmsir hosts first Shura in nearly three years - The Garmsir district governor, the chief of police, about 150 villagers and Marines participated in a Shura on Thursday. The Shura, which means “consultation” in Arabic, was the first held in the district for nearly three years, according to a press release from the 24th MEU. The district governor invited Lt. Col. Anthony Henderson to open the Shura. Henderson is the commanding officer BLT 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, the MEU’s reinforced infantry battalion. Henderson introduced himself and the other Marine commanders, and told the villagers that the Marines’ purpose in their district is to rid the area of insurgents, according to the press release. (READ MORE)

Vince's Experiences in Iraq: Thank You - Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers for me and for my family. We are so blessed. I am thankful for this opportunity to serve our country and protect the rights and privileges we have as a result of the sacrifice and selfless service of so many men and women who came before and who are now serving. I am thankful for the millions of Iraqis who are grateful to our country for the freedoms and prosperity they now enjoy. I am thankful for the fact I have had no trouble breathing in the dust, hazy air of Baghdad. I am thankful for the great support everyone has provided my wife and family. I am thankful that I was protected during intense indirect fire starting Easter Sunday and several weeks following. (READ MORE)

1st Marine Logistics Group: Marines resupply Al Qaim during air-drop mission - AL ASAD, Iraq (May 28, 2008)- The view from the back of a KC-130J, several thousand feet above ground and with the wind’s pressure pulling from all directions gave Marines a “rush” before jumping out of the cargo plane during an air-drop mission in Al Qaim, May 28. Marines from Landing Support Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 6, 1st Marine Logistics Group, delivered supplies with the support of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing; and 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. (READ MORE)

Courage Without Fear: A Question About Calling Home - I recently fielded a question from a researcher concerning how Soldiers in Operation Iraqi Freedom call home. Below is the text from the request and my reply back. I thought some of you may be interested in what types of communication home we have from over here. CM, Micah “Mr Bell, I work as a researcher for the journalist Adam Hanft. He has asked me to look into the US policy on phone and Internet use by active military while stationed in Iraq for contacting family; Specifically if active duty members have to pay to use those services or if they are provided free of charge. Thank you for your time. Mchael Kylis (READ MORE)


Back but still writing:
Yellowhammering Afghanistan: The last picture show - As I head back to my job at The Birmingham News, my days as a blogger are coming to an end (though there will be a couple of postings I want to make before calling it quits, so stay tuned). This is my final slideshow with images from my fourth quarter in Afghanistan. You can view it here. If you missed the first three quarterly slideshows, you can view them here, here and here. I knew all along I would choose "Thin Blue Flame" by Josh Ritter from his album "The Animal Years" as the soundtrack for this last slideshow. It is a song I fell in love with while training for my Afghanistan mission at Ft. Riley, Kansas. Unlike most singer-songwriters who tackle war and the state of the world, Ritter's song is not so predictable. Although it is intense, it never comes across as venomous or antagonistic. (READ MORE)



News from the Front:
Iraq:
Marine standout now accused of crimes - Marine Sgt. John Winnick II is charged with voluntary manslaughter in the killing of two Iraqi civilians last year in the Lake Tharthar area of Anbar province. An Article 32 — the military's equivalent of a preliminary hearing — may be held as early as next week at Camp Pendleton. Winnick is a sniper attached to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. In 2004, while also serving with the Three-One, his quick thinking and aggressiveness during the battle for Fallouja were extolled by author Bing West in his book "No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah." (READ MORE)

Sadr's Special Groups - IN THE PAST MONTH, Iraqi and coalition forces have succeeded in their fight against the Mahdi Army's "special groups." On May 3, the U.S. military destroyed a special groups command center in Sadr City, killing a wanted leader in the attack. On May 25, Iraqi special operations forces captured a mid-level special groups leader in the al-Shuala area of Baghdad. And on May 31, Iraqi special operations forces captured another special groups "criminal" in Baghdad who was suspected of indirect-fire attacks on coalition forces. The frequency with which the term "special groups" has been thrown around in recent months (stretching back to the fighting in Basrah that flared up in late March) highlights the confusion that exists over what these groups really are. (READ MORE)

After Marine mission, Afghan civilians gather - For the first time in almost three years, Afghans in the town of Garmsir -- until recently, a major Taliban stronghold -- were able to gather a few days ago to talk about their future. You can see a portion of the gathering in this photo by Chief Warrant Officer Rene Cote, civil affairs officer for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which has been fighting for more than a month to clear the town and surrounding area of Taliban extremists. The Marines "are having an enormously positive effect'' in southern Afghanistan, Adm. MIke Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Tuesday morning. (READ MORE)

Baghdad’s AQI leaders under pressure; three wanted men captured - BAGHDAD – Coalition forces captured three wanted men and two of their associates in Baghdad Monday. Using information from an operation May 27, Coalition forces captured two wanted men, one of whom is allegedly a leader in an al-Qaeda in Iraq group. The two men, captured with two associates, allegedly belong to an AQI group with roots in Anbar province, but currently operating in the northern belt around Baghdad. The men are suspected to have ties with AQI leaders in the capital. (READ MORE)

NPs, MND-B Soldiers remove weapons from Baghdad streets - BAGHDAD – Iraqi National Police and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized a number of weapons in Baghdad June 9. Iraqi National Police from the 4th Brigade, 1st National Police Division found 47 AK-47s, three sniper rifles and a Mauser rifle at approximately 6:30 a.m. in the Ur area of Adhamiyah. (READ MORE)

Iraqi and Coalition forces kill three al-Qaeda terrorists - BAGHDAD – Iraqi and Coalition forces killed three terrorists and detained five suspects in northern Iraq while targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq and its foreign terrorist facilitation network Tuesday. Iraqi and Coalition forces targeted an al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist with a long history with terrorist activities around Kirkuk. When forces arrived at the target area, about 50 kilometers southwest of the city, three armed men refused to comply with instructions to surrender. (READ MORE)

IPs detain 3 in Musayyib area - FORWARD OPERATING BASE ISKAN, Iraq – Iraqi Police detained three key criminals June 5 in the Musayyib area. These criminals are suspected of trafficking and emplacing explosively formed projectiles. The detainees are also suspected of the January 2007 attack on the Provincial Joint Coordination Center. “These detentions resulted directly from the close working relationships that we have with the IPs,” said Lt. Col. Timothy Newsome, commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. (READ MORE)

Iraqi Army troops take lead in joint operation - BAGHDAD – Patriot Brigade Soldiers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Multi-National Division – Baghdad conducted a combined operation with Iraqi Army Soldiers in Muthana June 5. Soldiers from the 30th Infantry Regiment and 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division worked together during a search operation at a suspected cache site. (READ MORE)

IED injures 6 women - TIKRIT, Iraq – An improvised explosive device injured six Iraqi women in the Eastern Dulim Farms Area of the Diyala Province, Iraq, June 9. “These terrorists remain a threat to the Iraqi people as they continue to conduct indiscriminate attacks against innocent Iraqis,” said Maj. Jon Pendell, a spokesman with the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. (READ MORE)


Afghanistan:
Militants killed, one detained in Helmand province - BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (June 9, 2008) – Several militants were killed and one was detained Sunday during a Coalition forces operation to disrupt anti-government operations in Helmand province. Coalition forces searched compounds in Kajaki District for the second time in four days targeting a Taliban leader associated with the public executions of Afghan National Police Officers. (READ MORE)

ISAF forces repel militants in Kunar province - BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (June 8, 2008) – ISAF forces successfully defeated militants during four engagements Sunday in Kunar province. The first engagement happened Sunday morning as an ISAF convoy, traveling near the village of Dabarzay in Kunar province’s Manogai District, defeated militants who attacked their convoy. Two civilians were injured by militant fire and were evacuated to nearby ISAF medical facilities for treatment. (READ MORE)

Militants killed, detained in Kapisa province - BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (June 7, 2008) - Several militants were killed and three were detained Friday during a joint Afghan and Coalition forces operation to degrade militant operations in Kapisa province. The joint force searched several compounds in the Tag Ab District targeting a militant leader conducting operations in the area. (READ MORE)

More than a dozen militants killed in Uruzgan province - BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (June 06, 2008) – More than a dozen militants were killed June 3 when they unsuccessfully attacked a Coalition base in Uruzgan province. Militants used mortars and small-arms fire to attack the Afghan National Security Forces at the base until additional ANSF and Coalition forces arrived. The militants fled to nearby villages where the combined forces saw them attempting to use villagers as shields against attacks. (READ MORE)