News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.
In their own words:
Mike T: Pin it on Any Monkey - It has only been about 8 weeks now that I have been home and it is going well. I have returned back to work and am fully engaged in my duties. I have continued to monitor the war in Afghanistan with a set of fresh eyes, but still certain things set me back. My dear friend Troy sent me a piece about my last operational area in the 207th Corp (Click this link to see the story http://www.defenselink.mil//news/newsarticle.aspx?id=52210). The teddy bears and sunshine piece talked about the US Army and its ETT elements presenting awards to the ANA for the duties during a recent mission that was conducted. I knew the team members and I knew the mission. I was sidelined for my last 40 days or so due to an injury but helped prep the team for this specific mission. (READ MORE)
Afghanistan Shrugged: Via con Dios, my Friends - Some great Americans left here today, warriors and statesmen. They've reached the end of their tour and it's time to head home, their debt to democracy and freedom marked paid in full. Leaving here doesn't end like a western where you ride off into the sunset. It comes with an urgent call, "Birds are inbound". They've known for several days and tried several times to get on a flight out of here, every time the effort comes crashing to a stop with the flights being canceled or too full to take them. Not today though. A swirling maelstrom of rotor wash and Afghan dirt signaled their departure. You're taking a part of Afghanistan home with you, not metaphorically but literally. (READ MORE)
Bill and Bob's Excellent Adventure: Taliban Eggs - Our SECFOR guys from South Carolina were not only the cream of that proud state, but they were funnier than hell to boot. Their original explanations for Afghan phenomena were imaginative and often hilarious. Many areas of Afghanistan are boulder-strewn. In one place on the J-bad Highway where the passes open up into a mountain-bordered plain, it actually looked like they were boulder farming. Thousands of large round boulders looked like they had been purposely arranged in rows. I chuckled to myself from the turret of the humvee as we rolled along and I saw these fields of boulders. We would encounter areas in many areas of the country where the fields of boulders were just mind-boggling. Like a carton of bb's scattered on a living room carpet, the thousands of boulders had been there for eons. (READ MORE)
Dena Yllescas: Ft Hood Memorial Service - Tomorrow's memorial service for Rob at Ft Hood will be at 11am at the 1st Infantry Chapel on the corner of 73rd & Battalion Ave. I know there are some of you from Hood that would like to attend and know the time. We made it safely here to TX. It was hard walking into the house. But, I feel Rob all around me. I just want to get our house sold-that will be one less stress. Hopefully I will be able to soon. I'll update again tomorrow or the next day. (READ MORE)
Down Range 46: Mark The Moment - I have a saying. I'm not sure if I made it up or if I picked it up from someone else. Either way, it's a saying I use and I have claimed it as my own. The saying is, "Mark The Moment!" It's not something I generally say out loud, although I have at times. The saying is more of a guide that I use in my decision-making process. I don't use the guide in every decision, just a select few - specifically, when a choice between two options does not pose a significant threat to anyone or when the result of either choice will not cause a major change in outcome for myself or others. In essence this is what Mark The Moment means for me; Does one of the choices in front of me offer a greater opportunity to make this moment special, magic or eternally memorable? (READ MORE)
Knottie's Niche: The Reasons for Going to War - Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq stated 22 reasons why the United States went into Iraq. I hear a lot of how the war was wrong or all about oil. I hear both sides of the issue parading reason after reason out for why we are in Iraq. But it truly comes down to the men and women who are there and their personal reasons for joining the military and going. For some who serve the reason is on that list. Or it's a variation of one or more of the reasons in the resolution passed by our congress. For some the reason for going is not on the list. And whether you agree or disagree with the war in Iraq you have to look beyond the politics to the personal reasons of each man and woman who has made the choice to serve. For Pokey the reasons were more along the lines of #10 and #18. (READ MORE)
IraqPundit: Baghdad's Real Estate Boom - It looks like Iraqis are growing more optimistic about the fate of the country. Many who had fled recent violence are now returning home. Part of that optimism shows in this story by the Daily Telegraph. It says Baghdad's property market is booming. A real estate agent told the paper, 'Sellers have become even greedier since the ratification of the security agreement with the United States,' he said, referring to the pact setting a timetable for US forces to leave Iraq by the end of 2011." (READ MORE)
Fearless 1st Marines’ blog: Flushing out the enemy - RAHALIYAH, Iraq (Dec. 10, 2008) – Marines with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, and Iraqi Police swept through the rough, desolate area outside Rahaliyah, Iraq, Dec. 8, hoping to weed-out any possible insurgents or weapons caches in the area. The Marines and IPs acted on intelligence reports stating the desert area was a possible safe haven for members of al Qaida in Iraq. “We heard reports that there were possible HVI’s (high valued individual) hiding out in this area and we wanted to scare them out and capture them,” said Sgt. Steve E. Bonk, a 27-year-old assistant section leader from Pine Hill, N.J., with 1st section, 2nd Platoon, Company E. “We had blocking positions set up so that if someone were to try to run, we would catch them by surprise and corner them.” (READ MORE)
The Left Captain: Waiting - Back from what I again hope will be my last mission, I had a nice afternoon doing PT, looking at the sunset between sets of push ups and pull ups and watching the progression of the reds and oranges on the snow covered peaks to the south. It was cold. After an hour my hands were numb and lifeless. This last mission was a short notice response to a request by the commander of some guys who have been plagued by a streak of run-ins with IEDs. The Army regulations allow for fairly intrusive interventions by commanders (using assets like me) when they have identified significant stressors for certain groups of Soldiers. The name of game is prevention: keeping guys talking about stressors and helping each other cope. Usually I do this in small group debriefs-- nothing touchy-feely-- I take a pragmatic approach with common sense questions and feedback. Response is usually positive or neutral. (READ MORE)
SFC Burke - My Point of View: INCOMING! Get Down........Shut Up! - For those who don't know, we have a saying in the Army about our training. "If it ain't rainin' we ain't trainin'..." This is usually mentioned during a pretty crappy day when we're doing some tough training. It peps people up. Well, today, that mantra came to light. When I walked out of our illustrious hotel this morning I stopped short--there was a light layer of sleet on all the cars and it was pretty cold. Starbucks time... During the day, while we worked inside, it was overcast and windy...no precipitation. Well, when we started changing into our PT clothes it started to snow a bit...just little flurries. By the time we got to the track, the snowfall had increased to where it would sting your eyes as your were running into it. PT today consisted of running up and down the stairs of the stadium twice and running around the track. (READ MORE)
Sorority Soldier: Water+Ibuprofin = problems solved - I found out today that we’ll be spending two nights in the “FOB” starting tomorrow. I was really dreading it before getting to New Jersey, but now I really don’t care what we do these next 13 days (but who’s counting?), I just want to go home for my Christmas and not think about going to Iraq. We got our hands on our new M-4s today and mine is sooo pretty. I’d tell you that I don’t want to shoot it, because I don’t want to get it dirty…but I really can’t wait to fire that thing. It’s much smaller than the M16 we trained with last time…lighter, easier to carry and much easier for me to shoot from the kneeling position since I’m such a weakling. We’ll be outside most of the day tomorrow, qualifying on our new weapons including shooting with our gas masks on and shooting again after dark for night qualification. (READ MORE)
S4 at War: Transition - A General Officer in our area commented recently that 2009 will be all about transitions. My Battalion has been leaning forward pretty agressively to take our partnership with the ISF a step further and really begin the transition to put things in their control. As I mentioned in a previous post I’ve been putting together plans to start closing our FOB and hand it over to the ISF. When my Battalion Commander briefed our Brigade Commander on his plan our Brigade Commander commented that he thinks we’re ahead of the whole country on this. Not that its unfeasible, its a perfectly pragmatic vision which I think has the potential to be the standard model of transition for our region, if not the country. Its ironic but I think I’ll do more to end this war as a staff officer sitting behind a desk than I did as a Platoon Leader detaining/killing insurgents. (READ MORE)
The Stone Report: Joy of Shots - The best part about being in the Army is I supposedly don’t have to worry about any disease. I’ve gotten a ton of immunizations over my army career, here’s a short list: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Japanese Encephalitis, Meningitis, Annual Flu Vaccination, Yellow Fever, Anthrax, Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid. Some of the vaccines are given to fight diseases common in other parts of the world. My favorites are the ones they give us because biological warfare is “possible.” It seems a favorite thing of army medic’s is to scare us with symptoms of these diseases if we aren’t vaccinated. (READ MORE)
News from the Front:
Iraq:
Suspected individual detained in Umahwaly - UMAHWALY, Iraq – An individual was detained for suspicious behavior and possible terrorist activities in Umahwaly, Iraq, Dec. 9. While on patrol, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, noticed an individual roaming an open field near their location. When the unit tried to approach the man for questioning, the person took off running. (READ MORE)
MND-B Soldiers find weapons caches in the Baghdad area - BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers found weapons caches in Baghdad Dec. 10. At approximately 7:45 a.m., Soldiers serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division found 48 mortar primers, three rocket fuses and eight mortar cheese charges in the Abu Ghuraib area west of Baghdad. (READ MORE)
Coalition forces capture six suspected terrorists - BAGHDAD – Six suspected terrorists were detained by Coalition forces Thursday and Friday, further weakening al-Qaeda in Iraq networks in and around Baghdad and Mosul. Forces continued to dismantle AQI Northern Belt networks Wednesday during two synchronized operations near Tarmiyah, about 45 km north of Baghdad. There, forces captured a wanted man reportedly connected to area AQI leadership. A second operation netted another suspect believed to be associated with the network. (READ MORE)
MoI Human Rights Inspectors receive recognition (MNSTC-I) - Baghdad – Six Ministry of Interior Human Rights Inspectors were recognized Tuesday for their accomplishments within the Human Rights Directorate; representing another significant step for capacity building within the ministry. Brig. Mark Castle, Directorate General, MoI Transition Team, presented Mr. Hashem, Lt. Col. Mohammed, Lt. Col. Sajjad, Lt. Col. Yahya, Commissioner Ali, and Capt. Nazar, with certificates. (READ MORE)
Local contractor goes above, beyond to reopen Ishtar substation - BAGHDAD – The Ishtar Water and Electric Substation opened Dec. 7 after an extensive renovation paid with Coalition forces CERP funds. The Soldiers have helped several Iraqi communities since their arrival in April 2008; but the town of Ishtar, a mere five minutes away from Combat Outpost Cashe in the Mada’in Qada, southeast of Baghdad, had received only general help with no specific reconstruction project directed specifically for the people of the town. (READ MORE)
Iraqi Women Graduate Literacy Course - FOB RUSTAMIYAH — One hundred women graduated from an adult literacy course at Al-Sharquia Secondary School for Girls in the Karadah security district of eastern Baghdad, Dec. 4. The graduates, their family members and other ceremony attendees gathered to celebrate what was the first of potentially many successful adult literacy classes. (READ MORE)
Iraqi Medics Complete Aeromedical Evacuation Course - NEW AL MUTHANA AIR BASE — Instructors from the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, San Antonio, Texas, graduated 14 Iraqi Air Force medics from an Aeromedical Evacuation Basics Course here, Dec. 4. The graduation ceremony was the culmination of 12 days of training that ended with a patient movement exercise requiring the students to prepare a C-130 for in-flight patient care. (READ MORE)
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