News and Personal dispatches from the front lines.
In their own words:
CSM David Piwowarski: Afghan Sunset - Fallen Soldier Memorial – Afghanistan, May 2008 - Nobody respects their fallen like the military. One of the honors given to a large command and its senior Non Commissioned Officer is to plan and hold a memorial service for soldiers or servicemen and women who have sacrificed their life for their country and its ideals. On May 25th 2008 Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix, Kabul Afghanistan held a Fallen Soldier Memorial Service for Master Sergeant Davy N. Weaver who died in combat in Southern Afghanistan. If you have never seen a ceremony for a fallen soldier, there is nothing quite like it. When preparations are made, all the many participants carefully prepare their part to achieve a balance of personal impact and solemn dignity. (READ MORE)
Fearless 1st Marines’ blog: 3/6 Marines conduct operations in isolated Ferris - AMERIYAH-FERRIS, Iraq (June 7, 2008) – Ferris Town, about a one-square kilometer village, almost symmetrical in shape, is a unique and isolated town that falls within 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team-1’s area of operations. Hyundai Asan, the South Korean automotive company, built Ferris in 1982 as a joint venture under former President Saddam Hussein. Most locals worked in the factories until they were shut down after the coalition invasion of Iraq in 2003. (READ MORE)
Fearless 1st Marines’ blog: “Mayhem” Bn., 4th CEB continue search for weapons caches - HABBANIYAH, Iraq (June 6, 2008) – Marines of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1 and Company B, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion (CEB), have worked together day in and day out, searching for weapons caches and disabling the enemies number one threat; Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The two reserve units, 2nd Bn., 24th Marines from Chicago, and Bravo Co., 4th CEB from Roanoke, Va., have together uncovered thousands of pounds of explosive ordinance, ammunition and explosives throughout the first four months of their seven-month deployment in the Anbar Province of Iraq. (READ MORE)
Fearless 1st Marines’ blog: 3/6 recruits ‘Sisters’ in Ameriyah, Ferris - AMERIYAH-FERRIS, Iraq (June 5, 2008) – The training program designed to strengthen Iraqi Security Forces and employ women in the fight against terrorist activity has expanded in al-Anbar Province as several new recruits graduated and became the Sisters of Ameriyah-Ferris here on June 5. Previous graduates of the Sisters of Fallujah program work at multiple entry control points (ECPs) into the city to disrupt insurgent efforts to use women to transport contraband into the city of Fallujah. The Sisters of Amariyah-Ferris is the first group trained outside of Fallujah within the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines’ area of operations. (READ MORE)
A Major's Perspective: Afghanistan and fighting insurgents... - There was a very good article today about what the Marines are doing right in Afghanistan. The lessons that they are following were hard won in Iraq and have proved their worth over and over again. The most important part of this is the shift in thinking as we go forward in this campaign and in future campaigns in realizing that the people are the center of gravity, and that if we can not win that battle, we will lose the war. An excerpt from the article in the NY Times is below: “United States Marines pushed the Taliban out of this village and the surrounding district in southern Helmand Province so quickly in recent weeks that they called the operation a ‘catastrophic success.’ Yet, NATO troops had conducted similar operations here in 2006 and 2007, and the Taliban had returned soon after they left. The marines, drawing on lessons from Iraq, say they know what to do to keep the Taliban at bay if they are given the time.” (READ MORE)
Bill Roggio: Afghan troops clash with the Taliban on the border - The Afghan Army clashed with the Taliban in the Pakistani tribal agency of Mohmand on June 10. While initial reports indicated the US conducted a targeted airstrike against a Taliban or al Qaeda target in the tribal agency, the aircraft appear to have been supporting Afghan troops. Pakistani soldiers were killed in the fighting. The fighting started after Afghan forces attacked a Taliban force as it attempted to cross the border. Between 10 and 13 Pakistani soldiers were killed after Afghan and US forces pursued Taliban forces fleeing into Pakistan. "The militants launched a cross-border attack into Afghanistan," an unnamed Pakistani security official told Reuters. (READ MORE)
News from the Front:
Iraq:
Iraq Closeup: Looking Back at Three Iraqi Victories - Iraqi troops recently gained victories in oil-rich Shiite city of Basra in the south, in the Sadr City slums of Baghdad and in the Sunni-dominated city of Mosul in the north. U.S. military commanders in Iraq are not anxious to declare victory, because the gains may be temporary. The New York Times recently had reporters in Basra and Mosul and Sadr City to examine the changes. What did they find? First, there has been a “positive change” reported in each location. (READ MORE)
IA Soldiers round up weapons in Sadr City - BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army soldiers seized three weapons caches in Sadr City June 10. At approximately 9:30 a.m., IA soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st IA Division, seized two improvised explosive devices. At approximately 9:45 a.m., IA soldiers from the same unit found eight IEDs, five 120 mm mortar rounds, 11 60 mm mortar rounds, 14 rocket-propelled grenades, three hand grenades, a smoke grenade and three SPG-9 rockets. (READ MORE)
NPs, MND-B Soldiers seize weapons in Baghdad - BAGHDAD – Iraqi National Police and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, with the help of local Iraqis, seized a number of weapons in Baghdad June 10. Iraqi National Police from the 2nd Brigade, 1st NP Division found 26 AK-47s, two SKS rifles and a Mauser rifle north of Baghdad at approximately 6 a.m. At approximately 3:45 p.m., an Iraqi resident brought four 60 mm mortars to a MND-B combat outpost in the Shaab area of Adhamiyah. (READ MORE)
Coalition forces detain suspected Special Groups IED expert near al-Kut - BAGHDAD – Coalition forces captured a suspected Iranian-trained Special Groups explosives expert Wednesday in Numaniyah, about 180 km southeast of Baghdad near Al Kut. Acting on intelligence information, Coalition forces targeted a suspected Iranian-trained improvised explosive device expert. Using information provided by Special Groups criminals already detained, the targeted criminal is believed to have traveled to Iran several times for explosives training. (READ MORE)
Coalition forces disrupt al-Qaeda extremist “court system” in Mosul - BAGHDAD – Coalition forces detained nine suspected terrorists, including the leader of an illegal terrorist court system, during operations in northern Iraq Tuesday and Wednesday. During a precision operation in Mosul Wednesday, Coalition forces captured the alleged al-Qaeda in Iraq “emir” of an illegal terrorist court system designed to impose extremist ideology on Iraqi citizens. Detainee reporting also indicates the man is tied to AQI senior leaders in the city. (READ MORE)
More than 500 fighters reconcile in Balad - BALAD, Iraq – Since May 22, a total of 506 insurgents in the Balad area have reconciled with the Iraqi government, choosing a different path for their lives. Operation Balad Musalahah is a combined effort between the Qadah-level Government of Iraq, the leadership of the Iraqi Police, the 4th Iraqi Army Division, and the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. (READ MORE)
Iraqi Special Operations Forces detain 4 suspected terrorists - BALAD, Iraq – Iraqi Special Operations Forces detained four suspected terrorists in the Tall Abtah area, approximately 95 kilometers northwest of Mosul, June 9. The ISOF conducted an operation to capture the four suspected members of an al-Qaeda in Iraq cell. The detained men are reported to harbor insurgents and make improvised explosive devices. Two additional suspects were detained during the operation. (READ MORE)
ISF, MND-B Soldiers seize weapons throughout - BAGHDAD – Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized multiple weapons caches throughout Baghdad June 9-10. At approximately midnight June 9, Iraqi Army soldiers with the 22nd Brigade, 6th IA Division, discovered a cache in the Kadamiya district of Baghdad based off the tip of an area citizen. (READ MORE)
Special Weapons Exploitation Team trains Iraqi Army - COB ADDER, Iraq – Soldiers with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division’s Special Weapons Exploitation Team are currently training Iraqi Army military police on sensitive site exploitation. The training has been ongoing for three weeks and is expected to continue when the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division SWET arrives later this month. (READ MORE)
Marines Find, Destroy Enemy Weapons - HABBANIYAH — Marines of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, and Company B, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, have worked together day in and day out, searching for weapon caches and disabling the enemy’s number one threat; improvised explosive devices. The two reserve units, 2nd Bn., 24th Marines from Chicago, and Bravo Company, 4th CEB from Roanoke, Va., have together uncovered thousands of pounds of explosive ordinance, ammunition and explosives throughout the first four months of their seven month deployment in the Anbar province here. (READ MORE)
Hidden Weapons Found Near Hillah - FOB KALSU — Iraqi Army (IA) Soldiers discovered a huge weapons cache in a rural area southeast of Hillah, June 6. The cache contained three assembled explosively-formed projectiles (EFPs), 10 unassembled EFPs, three rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers, 10 RPGs, 127 blocks of C-4, 15 cameras, one magnetic IED and two mines. “The discovery of this cache is another example of the IA’s increasing ability to gather intelligence, process the information and plan and execute in a timely manner,” said Lt. Col. Darryl McDowell, commander of 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division. (READ MORE)
Feed Mill Gets Boost in Sayifiyah - FOB KALSU — Farmers in Sayifiyah will soon have something they have lacked for the past five years: a local feed mill to support local agriculture. Thamer Hussain Kashool, owner of a feed mill out of operation since 2003, has completed the process of securing necessary funding to get his mill back in business. Mike Stevens, agricultural adviser for the Baghdad-7 embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, visited the mill, June 6, to assess progress on the project, which he has shepherded for several months. (READ MORE)
New York Fireman Serves with Distinction - CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE — During the dark aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks in New York City, firefighters from around the country were working tirelessly digging through ground zero in search of survivors. Through all of the emotion and terror, one firefighter accepted a challenge to join a team in search for the ones responsible. Lance Cpl. Christopher E. Ford, a scout with Delta Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd LAR Bn., Regimental Combat Team 5, volunteered to take time away from his normal job, being a firefighter with the New York City Fire Department, to be a Marine infantryman fighting on the front lines. (READ MORE)
Afghanistan:
Supply helicopter damaged by insurgent fire - BAGRAM AIR FIELD (June 9, 2008) — A contracted supply aircraft for International Security Assistance Forces was damaged by insurgent fire this morning after landing on an ISAF base in Nuristan Province. The base came under attack from rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire immediately following the aircraft landing there to drop off supplies. The Soldiers on the base returned fire with small arms, mortars, artillery and close air support causing the insurgents to break off their attack. (READ MORE)
ANA stops illegal arms sale - KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (June 8, 2008) – Afghan National Army soldiers arrested two Afghan soldiers and two insurgents who were involved in the illegal sale of weapons in Gereshk District, Helmand province, June 6. The ANA was investigating reports there were Taliban sympathizers within their ranks. The ANA investigation identified two Taliban sympathizers who were captured while trying to sell pistols to insurgents. The four have been taken to Gereshk for further questioning. (READ MORE)
HSC Soldiers multitask, foster new relationships - BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (June 8, 2008) — Task Force Gladiator Soldiers, 101st Headquarters Support Company, serve as the first line of defense here - manning entry control points and ensuring base security. They adapt their tactics, which they lumber 24-hours a day, seven days a week, to meet ongoing operations, which often result in supplementing their guard role with envoy-related responsibilities. (READ MORE)
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