Friday, October 19, 2007

Air Force Relieves Commanders Involved in Nuke Incident

News in balance
B-52 Stratofortress

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2007 (AFPS) -- The Air Force has relieved three commanders and disciplined an undisclosed number of others in connection with an Aug. 29 "Bent Spear" incident in which nuclear-equipped missiles were unknowingly transported across the country.

Six nuclear warheads were flown from a ammunition bunker on North Dakota's Minot Air Force Base to Barksdale Air Force Base, near Shreveport, La., for storage. The AGM-129 cruise missiles were supposed to be unarmed. Officials blamed the error on a breakdown in munitions-handling procedures.

The discipline actions are the result of an Air Force investigation following the incident. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was briefed on the report today.

Bent Spear is a Defense Department reporting term referring to a nuclear-weapons incident that is serious but does not include the threat of detonation. Officials said the weapons were never unsecured.

More to come....

(Story by Fred W. Baker III, American Forces Press Service.)

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Forces Kill Five Terrorists, Detain Two in Iraq

Dispatches from the Front

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2007 (AFPS) -- Coalition forces killed five terrorists and detained two suspects today during operations targeting al Qaeda networks throughout Iraq, military officials reported.

  • South of Tarmiyah, coalition forces conducted an operation targeting associates of an al Qaeda in Iraq network operating in the city. Intelligence reports indicate the network is known for car-bombing, improvised-explosive-device attacks and the facilitation of foreign terrorists. During the operation, surveillance elements observed a group of armed men move from the target building into nearby palm groves. As the ground force approached, the enemy opened fire from their defensive positions. Coalition forces returned fire and called for supporting aircraft to engage the armed men, killing four terrorists, one of whom was wearing a suicide vest. As the ground force secured the area, they also discovered a small weapons cache, which was safely destroyed on-site.

  • During an operation south of Baqouba, coalition forces targeted and killed an al Qaeda in Iraq IED cell leader. Reports indicate he led a group of about 250 terrorists that emplaced IEDs and conducted attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces. As the ground force cleared the target building, the soldiers discovered a woman in a room and directed her to get down. The ground force was then engaged by an armed man, and they returned fire and killed the terrorist, who was the targeted individual. The woman was not harmed, and one suspect was detained.

  • Coalition forces detained a suspected terrorist north of Beiji during an operation to further disrupt al Qaeda in Iraq. Intelligence gained from a previous operation led the ground force to the target area. Coalition forces captured an individual allegedly involved in the facilitation of foreign terrorists, false documentation and terrorist funds, and who is believed to have ties to Syrian-based extremists attempting to communicate with the al Qaeda in Iraq senior leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri.

“Our operations are dismantling al Qaeda in Iraq piece by piece,” said Army Maj. Winfield Danielson, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. “We will continue to take the fight to these terrorists so Iraqis can live in a safe and stable environment.”
Yesterday, Iraqi security forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, detained two IED makers and facilitators in Anbar and New Baghdad.

Iraqi special forces detained a known IED maker and facilitator in the Furat area who allegedly is an extremist company commander directly responsible for a July 7 explosive-formed penetrator attack on coalition forces. He is also thought to be involved in a Jan. 11 kidnapping and torture of more than 15 Iraqi Sunni citizens in New Baghdad.

In Hit, Iraqi security forces detained another IED maker and facilitator allegedly responsible for a car bomb attack on an Iraqi police officer. Two other suspected insurgents, one identified as the facilitator's brother, were detained during the raid.

In Iraq operations Oct. 17:

  • Paratroopers from Company B, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, captured six members, including two lieutenants, of an IED cell responsible for attacks against Iraqi security and coalition forces in North Babil.

  • Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment, attached to the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, discovered more than 100 copper disks used to construct deadly explosively formed penetrators east of Haswah during a follow-on mission to Operation Seven Mountains. During Operation Seven Mountains, the soldiers captured a militant suspected of constructing and planting EFPs in North Babil on Oct. 16. They also discovered EFPs, homemade explosives, and blocks of C4 explosive hidden in a drainage ditch and canal.

  • Two Iraqi leaders oversaw the release of more than 350 detainees during a ceremony with a message of national reconciliation and rejuvenation. Iraqi Vice President Adel Abd al-Mahdi and Chief of Anbar Awakening Council Ahmad Abu Reesha greeted the Iraqi people on the occasion of Eid El Fitr while addressing and congratulating the detainees on their release. About half the detainees were released yesterday, while the remaining half will be released within the next several days.

In Iraq Oct. 16, soldiers from Company D, 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, acting on a tip, discovered two houses used as makeshift prisons and released five local citizens who were held for ransom in the village of Buhriz in Baqouba.

A leader from a local concerned local citizens group provided tips leading soldiers to conduct the search operation, which also netted two weapons caches and led to the detention of six Iraqi men, acting as guards for the prisons, in addition to the discovery and release of five hostages.

The five released hostages were transferred to Forward Operating Base Warhorse, north of Baqouba, for medical treatment.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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Combat Camera: Baghdad Women Join Volunteer Guard Force in Iraq

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East Los Angeles, Calif. native 2nd Lt. Lauren Cabral, a maintenance officer with the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, helps an Iraqi woman get comfortable with the AK-47 automatic rifle during a weapons familiarization class, Oct. 10, that was part of the training for the first group of female Iraqi security volunteers in Baghdad's Adhamiyah neighborhood. Photographer: Sgt. Michael Pryor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs

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East Los Angeles, Calif. native 2nd Lt. Lauren Cabral (2nd from right), a maintenance officer with the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, demonstrates proper security search techniques on women from Baghdad's Adhamiyah neighborhood during training for Adhamiyah's first group of female Iraqi security volunteers, Oct. 9. Photographer: Sgt. Michael Pryor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs

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Kalamazoo, Mich. native Pfc. Paula Cook, a military police woman with the 108th Military Police Company, supervises as members of the first group of female Iraqi security volunteers from Baghdad's Adhamiyah neighborhood practice proper security search techniques during training, Oct. 9. Photographer: Sgt. Michael Pryor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs

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A woman from Baghdad's Adhamiyah neighborhood practices proper security search techniques on East Los Angeles, Calif. native 2nd Lt. Lauren Cabral, a maintenance officer with the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, during training for Adhamiyah's first group of female Iraqi security volunteers. Photographer: Sgt. Michael Pryor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs

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Women from Baghdad's Adhamiyah neighborhood look on as an instructor demonstrates how to disassemble the AK-47 automatic rifle during a weapons familiarization class, Oct. 10, that was part of the training for the first group of female Iraqi security volunteers in Adhamiyah. Photographer: Sgt. Michael Pryor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs

Related story:

Leading Ladies: Adhamiyah Women Join Volunteer Guard Force

BAGHDAD, Oct. 15, 2007 -- In a well-lit meeting room in a government building in the Iraqi capital, 20 Iraqi women were sitting in a circle, intently watching the demonstration in the center of the room. They were dressed modestly but with some flair: bright pink and blue headscarves mixed in among the black chadors, chunky, designer purses resting on the floor beneath their seats.

The friendly, casual atmosphere in the room looked similar to a suburban book-club meeting, or maybe a Mary-Kay cosmetics party. Except that these women were not learning how to apply foundation, they were learning how to lock and load an AK-47.

“Who can show me how to do it?” asked the instructor, an Iraqi army sergeant, holding up the weapon.

One of the women jumped up and took the automatic rifle, expertly disassembled it and put it back together. When she cocked it by loudly slamming the charging handle back, the rest of the women applauded.

They might well have been applauding themselves. As members of the first class of female security volunteers in Adhamiyah, all 51 women in the class were groundbreakers. The women will join hundreds of male residents that are already helping secure Adhamiyah by guarding important public sites like schools, hospitals, and government buildings.

The four-day course running from Oct. 8 to Oct. 11 was organized by the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, and taught by U.S. and Iraqi soldiers. The training focused on security procedures, proper search techniques, and weapons familiarization.

“I think it shows these women that, ‘I, too, can make a difference in my community,” said Los Angeles native, 2nd Lt. Lauren Cabral, the officer in charge of the training.

The necessity to have female security guards became clear earlier this month when a female suicide bomber was able to enter a public building without being searched in nearby Fadhil and blew her explosive vest up, killing several people, said Maj. Ike Sallee, the 3-7 Cav.’s operations officer.

“Insurgents can come in any size, shape, or gender,” Sallee said.

In Iraq, cultural sensitivities preclude men from searching women. But there is nothing stopping a woman from searching another woman. For that reason, it was important to give women in Adhamiyah the chance to assist with the security effort.

“It’s their lives that are in danger, too,” said Kalamazoo, Mich., native, Pfc. Paula Cook, a military policewoman with the 108th Military Police Company and one of the instructors in the class.

In a culturally conservative society like Iraq’s, there are some who might criticize the female security volunteers for stepping outside their traditional roles. But Mervat Hussein, a single mother enrolled in the class, said no one has the right to criticize the women for trying to protect their community.

“What is the substitute they have? Nothing,” Hussein said. “Should we just stay in our houses, suffering?”
However, while women like Hussein had the motivation to take part in security efforts, they lacked the know-how. The class was designed to remedy that by giving them a basic, working knowledge of several skill areas they will need in order to be effective as security volunteers.

Proper search procedures are one such skill area. On the second day of training, Cook demonstrated search techniques for the group. The class began with nervous titters among the Adhamiyah women, who blushed and looked away when Cook showed how to search sensitive areas.

The women were definitely operating outside of their comfort zone, Cook said.

“At first they seemed a little nervous, a little wary,” she said.

But when Cook showed them how easy it is to hide a weapon if a thorough search isn’t conducted, the women stopped being timid and started really shaking each other down during role-playing exercises.

“Once we got it across to them that it’s for their security as well as everyone else’s, I think they got it,” she said. “Towards the end they were really catching on.”
Cabral, who was supervising the entire program, said she felt a responsibility to the women in the class to make sure they received the best training.

“As a female, I definitely feel responsible. I want to teach them everything I know that could help them out on the street,” she said.

After only a few days of training, many of the women were already feeling more confident and better able to protect themselves. Hussein said she had gained a lot of knowledge from the training, especially about the AK-47.

“I really learned many things. I knew nothing about weapons before this,” she said.

She said she was looking forward to putting her new knowledge into action after she starts working.

“I am happy because now I am taking a part in protecting the community,” she said. “I am nervous, but happy.”
(Story by Sgt. Mike Pryor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs.)

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Thursday, October 18, 2007

Combat Camera: Troops Patrol East Rashid District of Baghdad, Iraq

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U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Hotel Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrol the streets in the East Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew M. Rodier

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U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jake Cheever assists Spc. Michael Banks over a gate of an unoccupied building while checking for improvised explosive devices and bomb making materials in the East Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2007. Both soldiers are assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Hotel Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment out of Vilseck, Germany. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew M. Rodier

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U.S. Army Spc. Anthony Register, assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Hotel Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, provides security for fellow soldiers at an unoccupied house in the East Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew M. Rodier

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U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Hotel Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, clear a rooftop in the East Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew M. Rodier

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U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Hotel Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment clear an unoccupied house in the East Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew M. Rodier

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U.S. Army Spc. Michael Banks assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Hotel Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment provides over watch security for fellow soldiers in the East Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew M. Rodier

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A local Iraqi business owner talks with U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jake Cheever assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Hotel Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in the East Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew M. Rodier

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U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Hotel Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment clear an unoccupied house in the East Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew M. Rodier

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U.S. Army Sgt. Cantrell Davis assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Hotel Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment searches trash and clothing left on the floor of a house in the East Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew M. Rodier

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U.S. Army Sgt. Cantrell Davis, right, and Spc. Anthony Register, center, both assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Hotel Company, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment out of Vilseck, Germany, swab an adult male for any trace of bomb making residue in the East Rashid district of Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew M. Rodier

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72 Year-Old Iraqi Takes Down Suicide Bomber

Dispatches from the Front

Dispatches from the Front:

Here is an interesting story that you won't find on the wire.

72-year-old concerned citizen takes down suicide bomber

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq; Oct. 18, 2007 -- A 72-year-old man stopped a suspected suicide bomber from detonating himself at a checkpoint in Arab Jabour Oct. 14.

The man approached a checkpoint where Mudhehr Fayadh Baresh was standing guard, but did not make it very far.

Baresh, a tribal commissioner and member of the Arab Jabour Concerned Citizens program, said he ordered the man to lift his shirt - using training received from Coalition Forces - when he did not recognize him as a local villager.

The suspect refused to lift his shirt. Baresh repeated the command again, and the suspect exposed his suicide vest, running toward the checkpoint.

Baresh opened fire which caused the vest to detonate, killing the suspect.

“I did it for the honor of my family and the honor of my country,” said Baresh, when he met with Col. Terry Ferrell, commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.

Lt. Col. Kenneth Adgie, commander of the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment presented Mudher with a battalion coin for his valor Oct. 16.

(Story from 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. Multi-National Division - Center PAO.)

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Combat Camera: Iraqi Army, Coalition Forces Conduct Joint Operations

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Pvt. Ryan Sullivan, an infantryman in 3rd Platoon, Company F, 52nd Infantry, pulls security as an Iraqi army Humvee vehicle rolls past him in Rawad, Iraq, Oct. 1. coalition forces and Iraqi army soldiers worked together, searching the town for insurgents. Fierce Company is deployed as part of 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash. Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, Joint Combat Camera Center

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Coalition forces and the Iraqi army conducted a joint operation in Rawad, Iraq, Oct. 1. Company F, 52nd Infantry Regiment, teamed up with the Iraqi army?s 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Division, to weed out insurgents in the area. Fierce Company is deployed as part of 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis, Wash. Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, Joint Combat Camera Center

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Staff Sgt. Travis Stearns, a squad leader in 2nd Platoon, Company F, 52nd Infantry Regiment, pulls security from behind a wall in Rawad, Iraq, Oct. 1. Fierce Company and Iraqi army soldiers conducted a joint operation to clear the town of Rawad of insurgents. Fierce Company is deployed as part of 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash. Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, Joint Combat Camera Center

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From left, Iraqi army soldiers Spc. Ahmed Habib Haseed and Spc. Muhamood Raheem, a gun team with the 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, watch their lane during a joint operation in Rawad, Iraq, Oct. 1. Gun teams consist of a gunner and an assistant gunner who carries ammunition and assists the gunner in loading and reloading while firing. Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, Joint Combat Camera Center

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From left, Iraqi army soldier Musa'ad, Salim of 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, along with infantrymen Pfc. Steven Hiett and Spc. Julio Rodriquez, both of Company F, 52nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., pull security down an alley in Rawad, Iraq, Oct. 1. The units frequently work together on joint operations. Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, Joint Combat Camera Center

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Coalition Forces Capture 15 Insurgents in Iraq Operations

Dispatches from the Front

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2007 (AFPS) -- Coalition forces detained 15 suspected terrorists today during a series of operations targeting al Qaeda networks throughout Iraq.

  • Coalition forces captured eight suspects linked to local car bombings, improvised-explosive-device attacks and gun-running activities southwest of Tarmiyah.

  • Northwest of Tikrit, coalition forces detained four suspects for moving foreign terrorists. One of the detainees is linked to false documentation and terrorist-funding activities and is believed to have ties to Syrian-based extremists with ties to the al Qaeda in Iraq.

  • In Baghdad, coalition forces captured an individual linked to kidnappings and attacks on coalition forces. Intelligence reports indicate the individual has ties to "special groups" terrorist leaders operating throughout Baghdad. Two other suspects also were detained.

"Targeting al Qaeda in Iraq networks and criminals responsible for vicious attacks against innocent Iraqis and their security forces is a top priority," said Army Maj. Winfield Danielson, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "We will continue to find and dismantle terrorist networks that try to deny the Iraqi people a future of their own choosing."
In other news, a local Iraqi leader suspected of terrorist ties was detained by Iraqi security forces in Diwaniyah yesterday. The detainee is suspected of using his government position to support terrorist activities.

In other recent news:

  • An Iraqi citizen was recognized for bravery at an Oct. 16 ceremony in Baghdad. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kenneth Adgie, commander of the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, presented Mudhehr Fayadh Baresh, 72, with a battalion coin for thwarting a suspected suicide bomber at a checkpoint in Baghdad's Arab Jabour district on Oct. 14. After challenging the suspect, Baresh opened fire when the bomber tried to set off charges attached to his vest. The vest blew up, killing the suspect. Baresh said he was compelled to stop the terrorist "for the honor of my family and the honor of my country."

  • Iraqi commandos detained an extremist leader during an Oct. 16 raid in the Hurriyah area. The detainee is suspected of providing funds and weapons to terrorists operating near Baghdad. About $10,000 worth of Iraqi currency was confiscated during the raid.

  • Coalition forces discovered a weapons cache near Radwaniyah on Oct. 15. The cache contained three 130 mm rounds, three 155 mm rounds, two rockets, and two 60 mm mortars. The contents of the cache were destroyed.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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Combat Camera: Air Drop in Afghanistan

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Army Capt. Dustin Menhart assists in setting up a raised angle marker on a drop zone in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Oct. 11, 2007, in preparation for the largest air supply drop in Operation Enduring Freedom history. Menhart is commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Micah E. Clare

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As bundles from the lead C-17 Globemaster III drift to the ground, a second C-17 prepares to drop more bundles to a drop zone in Afghanistan on Oct. 11, 2007. A total of 62 cargo bundles were dropped from two C-17s in two passes. This was the first time a combat cargo drop of this magnitude has taken place using two C-17s in formation over one drop zone. The planes and crews are part of the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Manas, Kyrgyzstan. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson

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A second Air Force C-17 Globemaster drops Combat Delivery System bundles just a few hundred feet above another set floating down to coalition soldiers waiting below, Oct. 11, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Micah E. Clare

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Paratroopers from the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division watch as Combat Delivery System bundles carrying food and water float to the ground in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Oct. 11, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Micah E. Clare

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A Humvee rushes to the landing site of a Combat Delivery System bundle in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Oct. 11, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Micah E. Clare

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A helicopter hovers over a bundle of airdropped supplies, where paratroopers from the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division wait to sling-load the supplies for transportation to the nearby Bandar command observation post in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Oct. 11, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Micah E. Clare

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Brigade’s Departure Validates Surge Strategy

News in balance

News in Balance:

Media outlets reported Wednesday that the Pentagon is preparing to alert eight National Guard units that they should be ready to go to Iraq or Afghanistan beginning late next summer.

The same media outlets ignored news that the 3rd Brigade Combat Team will return to Fort Hood, Texas, without being replaced in Iraq.

Here is the whole story.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2007 -- The return of 1st Cavalry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team to Fort Hood, Texas, proves the surge of American troops into Iraq is working, a coalition commander said yesterday.

"(That unit) is about to depart, and there is not another surge brigade coming in behind it," Army Col. John Lehr told online journalists and "bloggers" during a conference call from Camp Taji, Iraq. "We are moving over there to take the larger portion of the mission set, the remainder of the Diyala province, which is absolutely huge. I believe it is a success story."
Lehr commands the 2nd Infantry Division's 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, deployed from Fort Lewis, Wash., and assigned to Multinational Division North. He and his soldiers have been working to secure three Iraqi provinces north of Baghdad.

"We were a key element in what's referred to as the northern belt," the colonel explained. "We have pushed the enemy out of the northern belt. It is significantly more secure than it was just a month or two ago."

The fact that his soldiers will replace the Fort Hood "Grey Wolf" team in Diyala speaks volumes about the overall strategy in Iraq, Lehr said.

"I feel, based on my battle space and what we've accomplished, that the tactical purpose behind the surge is working," he said. "And now we're able to expand further out (in) concentric circles away from Baghdad."
Lehr's unit has faced three primary insurgent cells across its vast battle space: al Qaeda, Shiia extremists and Sunni "rejectionists," the colonel said, but to fight each group, the unit has employed the same three-pronged strategy.

"One: erode the insurgent's resources. Two: disintegrate the insurgent's capability, and I'll define that as decapitating the head of the monster. And then three: separating the insurgent from his base of support, which is the population," the colonel explained.

Lehr said accomplishing the first two prongs led his team to success in the third.

"We did that by precision, intel-driven operations," he said. "We have been very successful targeting extremist leaders and taking them off the battlefield."
When it became clear that insurgents were no match against coalition forces, the colonel explained, Iraqi citizens became emboldened to act.

"Once the people have seen that we are capable of providing a secure environment, it's amazing how they have come forward and said, 'We're glad you're here; we're tired of al Qaeda; and now we feel safe that we can participate in our own security.'" Lehr said. "They want to do that, but they had been extremely intimidated prior to this. They were scared for their lives."
Besides more information provided by Iraqi citizens, Lehr said, he is seeing other tangible signs his soldiers have made a difference, like the dramatic decease in IED attacks in part of his area of operation due to the increasing danger to those who emplace the devices.

"The average (emplacer) laying an IED realizes, 'Hey this is serious business! They're killing people out here, and they're eliminating the leadership. I'm not going to do this for $100 anymore!'" the colonel said. "That is a huge metric for us to determine how successful we're being."
That success, the colonel said, will only multiply as Iraqis continue to take an active role in their future.

"We are making progress daily on this," he said. "Every day, every month, and in the next couple of quarters, it's going to get better and better."
(Story by David Mays, New Media Division at American Forces Information Service.)

Roundtable files: Audio (MP3),Transcript(pdf),

Related media sources: AP, Reuters.

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Combat Camera: Operation Bone Breaker in Baqubah, Iraq

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Sgt. Kevin Turner of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, trains his weapon on suspicious movement in the distance during the opening of Operation Bone Breaker in Baqubah, Iraq, Oct 15. Photographer: 1st Lt. Richard Ybarra, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

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An Iraqi soldier from the 5th Iraqi Army Division helps his coalition partner Spc. Aaron Niskin of 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, out of a ravine during Operation Bone Breaker in Baqubah, Iraq, Oct 15. Photographer: 1st Lt. Richard Ybarra, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

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Spc. Sean Fowler 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, enters a scrap iron yard during Operation Bone Breaker in Baqubah, Iraq, Oct 15. Photographer: 1st Lt. Richard Ybarra, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

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An Iraqi army soldier from the 5th Iraqi Army Division moves through a field on the edge of a palm grove, during Operation Bone Breaker in which a large weapons cache of explosives, weapons and ammunition was discovered by the IA and coalition forces, Baqubah, Iraq, Oct 15. Photographer: 1st Lt. Richard Ybarra, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

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Spc. Sean Fowler and Sgt. Robert Treadway of the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, move down an alley in Baqubah, Iraq, during Operation Bone Breaker which resulted in the discovery of a large weapons cache, Oct 15. Photographer: 1st Lt. Richard Ybarra, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Iraqi Army, Coalition Forces Discover Weapons Cache During Operation ‘Bone Breaker’

BAQOUBA, Iraq; Oct. 18, 2007 -- The 5th Iraqi Army Division and Coalition Forces conducted Operation Bone Breaker in southeast Baqouba, capturing one large weapons cache containing assorted weapons and ammunition, as well as two smaller caches containing home-made explosives Oct. 15.

The larger weapons cache, found on a peninsula near the Diyala River known to local Iraqi citizens as “the Bone,” contained 20 propane tanks, 34 blasting caps, 500 feet of detonation cord, 21 assorted demolition charges, an 82mm mortar with equipment, three rocket-propelled grenade launchers with rockets and various small-arms ammunition.

The mission was planned by 4th Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th IA Division, and executed jointly with 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment and 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

“This was a great mission, planned and executed with our partners from the 4-2-5 IA. It could not have been possible without the initiative of the IA,” said Maj. Matt Moore, operations officer, 1-38 Inf. Regt.

Two smaller caches were also found which contained a total of 35 pounds of home-made explosives potentially used to build IEDs.

The operation involved more than 450 IA and CF soldiers, who conducted the operation with no casualties reported.

“4-2-5 IA and 1-38 Inf. Regt continue to develop a strong working relationship in their combined operations area. The IA is now able to take the lead in planning missions. Their development, their willingness to plan and then execute on the battlefield is encouraging,” said U.S. Army Maj. James A. Van Atta, team leader for 4-2-5 Military Transition Team.

(Sory from Multi-National Division - North PAO.)

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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Combat Camera: Operation Bel Hurriyah in Al Anbar, Iraq

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U.S. Marines with 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment provide security at an intersection near the home of alleged terrorist in Hit, Iraq, Sept. 21. U.S. Marines with 1st Platoon are detaining Othman Mohammed Rabiah to be tried for terrorist acts and are searching his house for any weapons or incriminating evidence. 1/7 is deployed with Multi National Forces-West in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. Photographer: Cpl. Shane Keller, Joint Combat Camera Center

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Sept. 20, Staff Sgt. Robbie Moore with 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, patrols down a street in Hit, Iraq. The 2nd Platoon Marines conduct a security patrol to establish a coalition presence in the city. 1/7 is deployed with Multi National Forces-West in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Al Anbar province of Iraq to develop Iraqi security forces, facilitate the development of official rule of law through democratic reforms and continue the development of a market based economy centered on Iraqi reconstruction. Photographer: Cpl. Shane Keller, Joint Combat Camera Center

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Sept. 19, Pfc. Orlando R. Sudduth with 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, provides security from a kneeling position when his patrol comes to a halt in Hit, Iraq. The 2nd Platoon Marines conduct a security patrol to establish a coalition presence in the city. 1/7 is deployed with Multi National Forces-West in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Al Anbar province of Iraq to develop Iraqi security forces, facilitate the development of official rule of law through democratic reforms, and continue the development of a market based economy centered on Iraqi reconstruction. Photographer: Cpl. Shane Keller, Joint Combat Camera Center

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A U.S. Marine with 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, inspects film negatives at the home of alleged terrorist in Hit, Iraq, Sept. 21. Photographer: Cpl. Shane Keller, Joint Combat Camera Center

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A U.S. Marine with 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment searches the roof of the home of alleged terrorist in Hit, Iraq, Sept. 21. Photographer: Cpl. Shane Keller, Joint Combat Camera Center

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A U.S. Marine with 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment provide security at an intersection near the home of alleged terrorist Othman Mohammed Rabiah in Hit, Iraq, on Sept. 21. U.S. Marines with 1st Platoon are detaining Othman Mohammed Rabiah to be tried for terrorist acts and are searching his house for any weapons or incriminating evidence. 1/7 is deployed with Multi National Forces-West in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. Photographer: Cpl. Shane Keller, Joint Combat Camera Center

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