Military Leaders Warn of Impending Furloughs, Constraints

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2007 (AFPS) -- Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter and Army Secretary Pete Geren sent letters to installation commanders Dec. 12 telling them to prepare for possible furloughs due to a lack of funding for the global war on terror.

The secretaries alerted commanders to prepare to scale down operations if necessary.

"Unless Congress provides supplemental funding for war-related operations, it will become necessary for you to furlough civilian employees at your base or installation," Winter wrote. "You must follow all applicable legal, regulatory, and labor relations contractual requirements pertaining to furloughs, including requirements for advance notification to those affected."

Winter directed Navy and Marine commanders to complete the detailed planning necessary to reduce operations at their facility and furlough certain employees if and when directed. He noted that no furloughs are authorized at this time.

He added that Marine Corps operations and maintenance funding likely is expected to remain sufficient until mid-March 2008.

"However, absent additional funding, you must be prepared to furlough employees paid directly by funds appropriated to Operation and Maintenance," he wrote. "That is why you must begin planning immediately. The Commandant of the Marine Corps will provide additional implementation information as it becomes available."

Winter vowed commitment to find a solution to the shortages. "I am personally committed to finding a solution to this problem," he said. "We will do everything within our power to manage this most difficult of circumstances, and I remain hopeful for a solution."

In his letter to Army commanders, Geren forecast that the Army's operations and maintenance budget has sufficient funds to continue full operations until mid- to late-February.

"In late November, (Gen. Richard A. Cody, Army vice chief of staff) asked that you prepare plans to reduce operations due to the absence of (global war on terror) funding. I appreciate your prompt and thoughtful attention to our request," Geren wrote. "Regrettably, our funding situation has not changed, so we must continue preparations for implementation of these plans."

Geren said commanders soon will receive specific guidance through human resources channels on furlough notification procedures and engagement with any bargaining entities that may act on behalf of affected employees. Only civilians paid directly by funds appropriated to the Army's operations and maintenance fund will be affected, he said.

The Army secretary said Cody will provide additional instructions on how to determine which employees are exempt from furlough. Geren said the standards for exemptions may not encompass the full breadth of employees identified as "mission essential" in contingency budget plans.

"I know you must have your full civilian workforce in place to accomplish your mission so we are taking these steps to implement a furlough as a last resort," he continued. "I am committed to finding a solution to this problem and remain hopeful we will do so."

In accordance with statutory provisions, the Defense Department is required to report potential furloughs within the Army, Marine Corps and combatant commands to Congress. The memoranda by Winter and Geren were issued in conjunction with a letter by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England sent Dec. 7 to Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives.

"The furlough will negatively affect our ability to execute base operations and training activities," England wrote. "More importantly, it will affect the critical support our civilian employees provide to our warfighters -- support which is key to our current operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq."

England lamented the possibility that civilian furloughs and reduced military capabilities could result from budget shortfalls.

"While these actions will be detrimental to the nation, there are no other viable alternatives without additional Congressional funding," he said. "Your support in providing these needed funds would be greatly appreciated."

(Story by John J. Kruzel, American Forces Press Service.)

Bios:
Gordon England
Donald C. Winter
Pete Geren

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Combat Camera: Operation Blade Runner Clears Diyala Province

A soldier from 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., observes the tree line across the canal while providing security during Operation Blade Runner, a clearing op. conducted Dec. 9, in Diyala province, Iraq. Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Staff Sgt. Nicholas Shacklock, 3rd Platoon sergeant of Company F, 52nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., provides security outside a house in Diyala province, Iraq, while concerned local citizens meet with coalition forces inside, Dec. 9. The CLCs volunteer to protect their towns and villages from terrorist organizations in Iraq. Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Two 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Strykers sit in security overwatch positions while dismounted troops clear an area of palm groves in Diyala province, Iraq, Dec. 9. Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Spc. Angel Rivera, a machine gunner in 3rd Platoon, Company F, 52nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., patrols with members of his squad through the hills and fields of Chibernot, a village in Diyala province, Iraq, Dec. 9. Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Soldiers of Company F, 52nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., pass hand and arm signals through their formation while on patrol through fields near the village of Chibernot, Diyala province, Iraq, Dec. 9. Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

A soldier of Company F, 52nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., negotiates obstacles during a patrol through the rugged terrain near the village of Chibernot, Diyala province, Iraq, Dec. 9. Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Soldiers of Company F, 52nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., emplace their gunners in blocking positions during operation Blade Runner, Diyala province, Iraq, Dec. 9. Fierce Co. worked with 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, to clear the palm groves near the village of Chibernot. Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

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Forces Disrupt al-Qaeda Operations; Three Terrorists Killed, 12 detained in Iraq

Dispatches from the Front:

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 14, 2007 -- Coalition forces killed three terrorists and detained 12 suspects during operations Friday targeting al-Qaeda networks in central Iraq.

Coalition forces conducted coordinated operations east of Samarra targeting an alleged al-Qaeda in Iraq leader in the Salah ad Din province. During the operation, one terrorist was killed and three suspects were wounded. The wounded men were detained, treated on site and transported to a military medical facility. Nearby, the ground force engaged and killed two individuals who were armed with machine guns and wearing suicide vests.

In addition to the three wounded individuals, the ground force detained five suspected terrorists in the target areas. Coalition forces found an anti-aircraft weapon, ammunition, grenades, and multiple improvised explosive devices surrounding the target buildings. Supporting aircraft were called to safely destroy the threats, including the two suicide vests, demolishing two buildings and a vehicle that was allegedly used for transporting weapons.

North of Jalula, Coalition forces captured a wanted individual believed to be involved in facilitating materials for use in al-Qaeda in Iraq attacks against Coalition forces. Reports also indicate the wanted individual is closely associated with an al-Qaeda in Iraq leader detained by Coalition forces during an operation Nov. 21, who was also wanted for his involvement in terrorist attacks.

During the operation, the ground force observed two armed men in a ditch, and repeatedly directed the individuals to come out. One of the men started to maneuver and was instructed to stop, but instead started moving toward the ground forces’ position. Coalition forces again directed the individual to stop, but he did not comply. Perceiving hostile intent, Coalition forces engaged the man, wounding him. The individual then surrendered, was subsequently detained and transported to a medical facility.

The second man surrendered to the ground force and identified himself as the wanted individual. Both men were armed with machine guns and grenades. In addition to the wanted and wounded individuals, the ground force detained two other suspected terrorists armed with machine guns, military-style vests and grenades.

“These terrorists are dangerous adversaries that are still able to carry out barbaric attacks against the Iraqi people,” said Navy Capt. Vic Beck, MNF-I spokesman. “We will continue to fight for lasting peace and a stable Iraq.”

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq releases.)

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Combat Camera: Cordon and Knock in Abu Atham, Iraq

A Iraqi army soldier from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army (Mechanized) checks papers and identification during a cordon and knock in Abu Atham, Iraq, on Nov. 30. Photographer: Tech Sgt. William Greer, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Coalition forces help personnel from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army (Mechanized) draw their cordon and knock to a close in Abu Atham, Iraq, on Nov. 30. Photographer: Tech Sgt. William Greer, Joint Combat Camera Center.

An Iraqi army soldier from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army (Mechanized) pauses for a brief moment while pulling security in the streets of Abu Atham, Iraq, on Nov. 30. Photographer: Tech Sgt. William Greer, Joint Combat Camera Center.

An Iraqi army soldier from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army (Mechanized) stands guard outside a house during a cordon and knock in Abu Atham, Iraq, on Nov. 30. Photographer: Tech Sgt. William Greer, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Iraqi army soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army (Mechanized) personnel pull security in the streets of Abu Atham, Iraq, during a cordon and knock, on Nov. 30. Photographer: Tech Sgt. William Greer, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Iraqi army soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army (Mechanized), search a freezer outside a home during a cordon and knock in Abu Atham, Iraq, on Nov. 30. Photographer: Tech Sgt. William Greer, Joint Combat Camera Center.

A mother of a detainee pleads with coalition forces to release her son during a cordon and knock in Abu Atham, Iraq, on Nov. 30. Photographer: Tech Sgt. William Greer, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Iraqi army soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army (Mechanized), check papers and identifications during a cordon and knock in Abu Atham, Iraq, on Nov. 30. Photographer: Tech Sgt. William Greer, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Iraqi army soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army (Mechanized), check papers and identifications during a cordon and knock in Abu Atham, Iraq, on Nov. 30. Photographer: Tech Sgt. William Greer, Joint Combat Camera Center.

A Iraqi army soldier from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army (Mechanized) searches a house during a cordon and knock in Abu Atham, Iraq, on Nov. 30. Photographer: Tech Sgt. William Greer, Joint Combat Camera Center.

U.S. Army Sgt. Derek Pollard, from Charlie Company, 319th Military Transition Team Battalion, 525th MiTT Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, fills out paperwork for detainee processing during a cordon and knock in Abu Atham, Iraq, on Nov. 30. Photographer: Tech Sgt. William Greer, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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U.S. Leaders in Iraq Condemn Amarah Attack

Iraqi soldiers inspect the scene of a car bombing in the city of Amarah, 320 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007.
News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2007 (AFPS) -- The top U.S. military and diplomatic leaders in Iraq today condemned yesterday's car-bomb attack that targeted civilians in Amarah.

"We join the people of Iraq in strongly condemning yesterday's barbaric attack targeting the citizens of al Amarah in the Maysan province. The United States extends its deepest condolences, support and prayers to the people of Maysan province," reads a joint statement released today by the U.S. Embassy signed by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq.

Three coordinated car bombings reportedly killed about 30 people and injured more than 100. Amarah is the capital city of the Maysan province and is about 200 miles southeast of Baghdad.

According to the release, officials are ensuring needed humanitarian and medical supplies are sent to the region.

"Such senseless acts of violence against innocent citizens only serve to strengthen our resolve to stand against their perpetrators. We will work closely with the government of Iraq and with Iraqi security forces to help bring those responsible to justice," the statement reads.

In other news from Iraq, forces nabbed a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist cell leader during a raid near Karmah on Dec. 11. The suspect is believed to command more than 300 terrorists and is reported to be responsible for attacks that have killed and wounded several Iraqi and coalition forces.

Also, forces captured 17 suspected extremists in eastern Baghdad on Dec. 11. All 17 are being held for questioning.

Concerned local citizens continue to turn in information on insurgents and weapons caches. Using information provided by concerned local citizens, forces killed two insurgents Dec. 11 and seized a weapons cache, destroying an enemy stronghold in Bawi, a small village outside of Salman Pak. The cache contained mortars, grenades and weapons-making materials.

On Dec. 10, soldiers in Arab Jabour found three improvised explosive devices. The bombs were made of two 57 mm projectiles and one 105 mm artillery round.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq releases.)

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National Guard Responds to Midwest Ice Storms

Missouri Army National Guard soldiers support local authorities by conducting door-to-door wellness checks in Barton County, Mo., after the region was hit by a major ice storm. Missouri National Guard photo.

On the Home Front:

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 13, 2007 (AFPS) -- More than 140 National Guard members in the Midwest responded to a band of deadly mid-December storms that stretched from eastern Texas to the Ohio Valley and into northern New York and New England.

Missouri Army Guard Officer Candidate Neilson Rudd was one of more than 20 fatalities attributed to the storms, which brought freezing rain to more than 10 states and rain, sleet and snow to nearly half the nation.

Trees and power lines in some states were brought down by inch-thick ice accumulations, which closed roadways and left thousands in need of emergency assistance from the Guard and local and state agencies.

Missouri National Guard units were on standby for most of the week and throughout the weekend after their governor declared a state of emergency.

At least 22 Guard members responded. An Army Guard armory was used as a warming shelter, and soldiers provided security for residents there. Soldiers also provided transportation and cleared debris from roadways. Members of the 203rd Engineer Battalion provided generators and conducted door-to-door wellness checks for rural areas in Barton County.

Rudd saw an auto accident on Dec. 9 and stopped to check on the vehicles' occupants. He was not on military duty at the time.

When returning to his vehicle on the Katy Trail Bridge, just north of Jefferson City on Highway 63, another vehicle lost control and struck him down. Rudd was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of Officer Candidate Rudd," said Maj. Gen. King Sidwell, Missouri adjutant general. "His actions exemplify the values of the United States Army and the Missouri National Guard."

Officials said Rudd was returning from his weekend drill at the 140th Regional Training Institute, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., at the time of the accident. He enlisted in March 2006 as a military policeman with the 1140th MP Company in Fulton. He entered officer candidate school earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the governor of Oklahoma declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties due to the widespread freezing rain there. The state's joint operations center coordinated missions, and at least 77 Guard members responded to requests for assistance. They transported 100 cots and opened a Red Cross warming shelter at the armory in Broken Arrow. Soldiers also responded to at least five requests for emergency power in the state's northeastern region. Guard members provided fresh water to residents in Wikiupp and delivered more than 1,000 sandbags in Clatsop County.

The Kansas National Guard provided emergency power for water treatment facilities, sewer systems and shelters in at least two counties. Nearly 130,000 residents were without power, and the Guard was planning door-to-door wellness checks yesterday for affected residential areas. Guard units also delivered cots to Red Cross shelters and were planning observation flights to check on residents, which responders were unable to reach.

"We have seen a huge increase in requests for Guard support today," said Sharron Watson, a Kansas Guard spokeswoman. "Generator missions have been the biggest request, but we have also had our Guard members out clearing roadways in southeast Kansas."

The National Weather Service predicted lighter amounts of sleet, freezing rain and snow, but also reported the possibility of additional accumulations from another storm developing later in the week.

(Story by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith, National Guard Bureau. Missouri National Guard Capt. Tammy Spicer contributed to this story.)

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'Surge' Success Continues to Build in Baghdad

"We are continuing to kick the insurgents' butt each day."
--Col. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr., U.S. Army
News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2007 (AFPS) -- Ongoing U.S. military efforts to disrupt insurgent operations in and around Baghdad are garnering continued success, a senior military officer posted in Iraq said today.

Before the surge, Sunni, Shiite and Iranian extremists operated across much of his present area of operations, Army Col. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr., the commander of the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, said during a conference call with online "bloggers" and reporters.

Yet today, the insurgents "no longer can do that," Grigsby said, noting the terrorists' capabilities have been greatly degraded in an area that runs east and south of the Iraq capital city along the Diyala and Tigris rivers.

Grigsby's unit deployed to Iraq as part of the surge strategy designed to eliminate enemy sanctuaries close to Baghdad that could be used to launch attacks on the capital city.

"It is just evident that the surge was the right thing to do," Grigsby said. Overall attacks in Baghdad have decreased significantly since the surge took hold, he said.

A series of anti-insurgent offensives in his area that began in June have disrupted insurgent operations and kept them on the run, Grigsby noted. The most recent operation, named "Marne Anvil," was aimed at a known extremist sanctuary in the Narwan area near Baghdad, he said.

Marne Anvil-related operations to date have resulted in the killing of 128 insurgents and the capture of almost 500 suspected extremists, Grigsby said, 25 of whom are considered to possess high informational value.

The operation also disabled 119 roadside bombs and seized 43 weapons caches and destroyed 160 boats, the colonel said.

"We are continuing to kick the insurgents' butt each day," Grigsby said.

Additionally, concerned Iraq citizens' groups continue to step up to aid coalition and Iraqi troops in confronting the insurgents, Grigsby said.

"This is probably the biggest piece that I've seen that has allowed us to do things out here that we weren't able to do in the past," Grigsby said. A group of 24 local Iraqi leaders, he added, is involved in helping communities reject insurgent violence and regain security and stability.

Grigsby said his soldiers will next target Salman Pak, an area southeast of Baghdad.

"Our focus for the next five or six months is to get in and clear and control Salman Pak," Grigsby said.

(Story by Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service.)

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Combat Camera: Patrolling the Streets of Mosul, Iraq

U.S. Army soldiers attached to the 2nd Division Military Transition Team, patrol with Soldiers from the 2nd Iraqi Army Division in the Al Uruba District of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 19. The U.S. Soldiers of the 2nd Division MiTT team work side by side with the Iraqi army, assisting and advising them on the fight against the insurgency.Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

U.S. Army Maj., Frank Acosta, attached to the 2nd Division Military Transition Team, provides security during a patrol with the 2nd Iraqi Army Division in the Al Uruba District of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 19. The U.S. Soldiers of the 2nd Division MiTT team work side by side with the Iraqi army, assisting and advising them on the fight against the insurgency. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Iraqi army soldiers attached to the 2nd Iraqi Army Division inspect the remains of an empty weapons cache hole in the Al Uruba District of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 19. The 2nd Iraqi Army Division is tasked with large scale operations to rid the city of Mosul and its surrounding areas of the insurgency. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

U.S. Army soldiers attached to the 2nd Division Military Transition Team, patrol the streets of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 19. The U.S. Soldiers of the 2nd Division MiTT team work side by side with the Iraqi army, assisting and advising them on the fight against the insurgency. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

U.S. Army soldiers attached to the 2nd Division Military Transition Team, patrol the streets of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 19. The U.S. Soldiers of the 2nd Division MiTT team work side by side with the Iraqi army, assisting and advising them on the fight against the insurgency. Photographer: Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center.

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Army Leaders Retrace Battle of the Bulge on 63rd Anniversary

Members of the U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg staff ride walk along a string of “dragon’s teeth” anti-tank barriers erected by the German army along the border with Belgium during World War II. Photo by Dave Melancon

News in Balance:

BUTGENBACH, Belgium, Dec. 13, 2007 – Mass formations of German armored vehicles and infantry quietly gathered along the border with Belgium and Luxembourg, preparing for Nazi Germany’s last major offensive of World War II.

The Ardennes Offensive, more popularly known as the Battle of Bulge, would begin Dec. 16, 1944. The Germans called their operation “Watch on the Rhine.”

Sixty-three years later, 45 U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg leaders and staff members retraced the route of the 6th Panzer Army’s thrust into Belgium, seeing where soldiers of the 1st U.S. Army, including those from 5th Corps, thwarted Hitler’s plan to split the Allied advance into Germany and capture the port of Antwerp, Belgium.

Along the Bulge’s North Shoulder battlefields, the staff learned about acts of great courage and heroism. They also heard of acts of great cruelty and barbarism, explained by historian Will Cavanagh, their guide for the two-day staff ride.

“Remember that these people were just people. Some were good; some were better than others,” said Army Col. Robert Ulses, USAG Heidelberg commander, during the first day’s studies. “These people were running huge organizations.”

Cavanagh, who has led staff rides since 1986, recalled hearing about the battle from his mother, who lived in the area during the attack, and from personal interviews with U.S. and German veterans.

“Mr. Cavanagh made this significant event of World War II come alive with his extensive knowledge of battle details and firsthand accounts of participating soldiers -- Allied and German,” said Anita Johnson, of the USAG Heidelberg plans, analysis and integration office. “As a result, the Battle of the Bulge became real and not just another page in the history books.”

Being able to walk the battlefields, she added, “to slog through the mud, rain and cold, and to listen to the human perspective that (Cavanagh) added to the battle details, brought home to me that these were real people fighting under grim conditions for a cause they believed in,” she said.

The staff ride’s first day concentrated on the assault route followed by Kampfgruppe (combat team) Peiper, led by Waffen-SS Lt. Col. Joachim Peiper, a former adjutant to Heinrich Himmler and the youngest regimental commander in the German army.

Peiper’s column was ordered to 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, a part of the 6th SS Panzer Army, which was assigned to capture and overrun U.S. positions with the objective of capturing the port city of Antwerp.

The 6th SS, one of three German armies taking part of the offensive, was designated the northernmost attack force, with the offensive’s primary objective of capturing Antwerp entrusted to it.

The center formation consisted of the 5th Panzer Army, tasked with trying to capture Brussels via Bastogne and St. Vith, Belgium. The German 7th Army spearheaded the attack through Luxembourg.

Peiper’s column slammed into Belgium during the early morning of Dec. 16, surprising the U.S. defenders, Cavanagh said. As word of the attack spread, Peiper’s tank and halftracks encountered stiff resistance from 99th Infantry Division. Peiper was forced to change routes several times because of roadblocks and blown bridges.

Combat engineers, tank destroyer teams and the heroic actions of individual soldiers and small units frequently thwarted Peiper’s advance.

As Peiper’s 15-mile-long column wound its way over the narrow and twisting farm roads, several of his halftracks charged over open ground near a crossroads near the village of Baugnez on Dec. 17, encountering a 13-vehicle convoy of elements from Battery B, 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion. After a brief firefight, 84 U.S. soldiers were rounded up and shot.

That incident became known as the “Malmedy Massacre,” and word of the atrocity spread through the U.S. lines and stiffened the Americans’ resolve. Elements of 82nd Infantry Division (Airborne) halted Peiper’s advance at the town of Stavelot.

Running low on fuel and ammunition, Peiper pulled back to the town of La Gleize to await a resupply column. Realizing that the relief column would never arrive, the German lieutenant colonel ordered his men to destroy their tanks, halftracks and other vehicles and returned to German lines Dec. 23, five days after starting his assault.

Cavanagh explained how stiff resistance by the 1st “Big Red One,” 2nd “Warrior” and 99th “Battle Babies” infantry divisions helped stem the Germans’ advance and bring an end to the “Watch on the Rhine.”

Entrenched U.S. formations along the “International Road” and Elsenborn Ridge forced the Germans to commit and sacrifice many of their infantrymen and expose their armored formations to withering artillery fire, Cavanagh said.

Soldiers of 2nd Infantry Division would earn more Medals of Honor than any other U.S. unit during the fight, and the “Manchus” of 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, fighting at the Rocherather Baracken crossroads saved the entire 1st Army from being overrun, Cavanagh said.

“I hope this ride gives (the garrison staff) great pride in their country, in the past and today,” Cavanagh said at the ride’s final stop in a memorial park dedicated to 2nd and 99th infantry divisions in the village of Krinkelt. “What (the soldiers) did was give a lot of freedom to a lot of people.”

Army Capt. Katherine Baker, of the USAG Kaiserslautern logistics directorate, said she learned several tactical, logistical lessons and to never make assumptions about an enemy.

“Complacency on the side of the Allies almost made Hitler's final offensive a success,” she said. “Allied soldiers had a false sense of security that was exploited. There were simple things that could have been done to quickly slow the German advance, but no one had a contingency plan because everyone assumed the Germans could not mount such an attack.”

(Story by Dave Melancon, U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg Public Affairs Office.)

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F-22 Raptors Officially Combat-Ready at Langley

An F-22 Raptor makes a pass by a slowly setting sun while practicing touch-and-go landings, Sept. 17, 2007. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Garrett Hothan)

News in Balance:

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va., Dec. 13, 2007 (AFPN) -- F-22 Raptors here reached full operational capability (FOC) Dec. 12, said Gen. John D.W. Corley, the commander of Air Combat Command.

The announcement officially makes Langley's F-22 squadrons combat ready.

FOC for the F-22 means the aircraft are now ready for global engagement, said Lt. Col. Mark Hansen, the Air Combat Command F-22 integration officer.

"Crews are now [fully] organized, trained, equipped and ready for the joint fight," he said.

Since the F-22s reached initial operational capability two years ago, the 1st Fighter Wing and the Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing have dedicated time and resources into finding how to best use and maintain the world's most advanced fighter. The fighter has deployed and trained across the world to define and refine its capabilities and tactics.

The 1st FW has been training for the wartime mission since the F-22 went IOC, said Brig. Gen. Mark A. Barrett, the 1st FW commander. Langley AFB's F-22s were declared IOC in December 2005, making them capable of some combat operations such as homeland defense.

"We are available to be tasked at any time, to do whatever our nation requires," General Barrett said. The 1st and 192nd Fighter Wings will continue to baseline the F-22 so the rest of the fleet can learn from their experience, he said.

Even though the F-22 has reached FOC, Airmen at Langley AFB will continue training to get better every day, said Col. Jay Pearsall, the 192nd FW commander.

"There's no change in training," he said. "Everybody is working hard, and we're ready to go to war, (on) deployments or on exercises."

The F-22's unique combination of stealth, speed, agility, precision and situational awareness, combined with air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities, gives the airframe numerous advantages over any potential adversary.

(Story by David Hopper, Air Combat Command Public Affairs.)

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National Guard Celebrates 371th Birthday

Salem, Massachusetts, 1637
The First Muster
By Don Troiani
On the Home Front:

The history of the National Guard began on December 13, 1636, when the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony ordered the organization of the Colony's militia companies into three regiments: The North, South and East Regiments.

The colonists had adopted the English militia system which obligated all males, between the ages of 16 and 60, to possess arms and participate in the defense of the community.

The early colonial militia drilled once a week and provided guard details each evening to sound the alarm in case of attack. The growing threat of the Pequot Indians to the Massachusetts Bay Colony required that the militia be in a high state of readiness. The organization of the North, South and East Regiments increased the efficiency and responsiveness of the militia.

Although the exact date is not known, the first muster of the East Regiment took place in Salem, Massachusetts.

The National Guard continues its historic mission of providing units for the first-line defense of the nation. The 101st Engineer Battalion, Massachusetts Army National Guard, continues the East Regiment's proud heritage of 350 years of service.

Official Web Site: Happy 371th Birthday National Guard! 1636-2007

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Combat Camera: Assault in Al Bawi, Iraq

Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, pull security during an assault in Al Bawi, Iraq, a small village outside of Salman Pak, Dec. 11. During the mission, 1-15th Inf. Regt. Soldiers killed two insurgents, seized a weapons cache and destroyed an enemy stronghold that was being used by insurgents. (Photo/Sgt. Timothy Kingston, 55th Combat Camera)

Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, prepare to enter a building during an air assault in Al Bawi, Iraq, a small village outside of Salman Pak, Dec. 11. The building, which was later destroyed by rockets called in by Company B Soldiers, was an abandoned farmhouse being used by insurgents to stage attacks on Coalition Forces. (Photo/Sgt. Timothy Kingston, 55th Combat Camera)

Capt. Todd Barrett, from Huntington Beach, Calif., the scout platoon leader in Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, left, speaks with Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Blout, from Hampton, Va., the platoon sergeant of the scout platoon, during an air assault in Al Bawi, Iraq, a small village outside of Salman Pak, Dec. 11. During the mission, 1-15th Inf. Regt. Soldiers killed two insurgents, seized a weapons cache and destroyed an enemy stronghold. (Photo/Sgt. Timothy Kingston, 55th Combat Camera)

CH-47 Chinook helicopter lands in Al Bawi, Iraq, a small village outside of Salman Pak, Dec. 11 to pick up soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment following an air assault mission. During the mission, 1-15th Inf. Regt. Soldiers killed two insurgents, seized a cache and destroyed a building that was being used to stage attacks on Coalition Forces. (Photo/Sgt. Timothy Kingston, 55th Combat Camera)

Dispatches from the Front:

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq, Dec. 12, 2007 -- Using information provided by Concerned Local Citizens, Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion,15th Infantry Regiment, killed two insurgents, seized a weapons cache and destroyed an enemy stronghold during a nighttime air assault in Al Bawi, a small village outside of Salman Pak, Dec. 11.

The cache contained mortars, grenades, improvised weapon making materials and an unknown explosive compound.

"The soldiers performed well,” said Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Blount, from Hampton, Va., the scout platoon sergeant, Headquarters Company, 1-15th Inf. Regt. “They executed the plan as we rehearsed it. The biggest part of this and every other mission is the rehearsal. I tell my guys, ‘This isn’t our first air assault, but treat it like it is. Every mission is different. Don’t get complacent’."

Insurgents had been using the farmhouse of a displaced family to stage attacks on Coalition Forces and rival insurgent factions. At the direction of the Company B commander, Capt. Rich Thompson, from West Palm Beach, Fla., Soldiers from Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery, fired three 210mm rockets from an M270 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System to destroy the building with the cache inside. The 2-4th FA is out of Fort Sill, Okla.

"This air assault helped us support the Concerned Local Citizens and will help them occupy check points," said Capt. Todd Barrett, from Huntington Beach, Calif., the scout platoon leader in Headquarters Company, 1-15th Inf. Regt. "These checkpoints will help control extremist activity."

Battalion leaders expressed their satisfaction with the successful mission.

"Our operations are having a profound impact on our area of operations and the extremist who try to operate within the area, said Maj. Steven Delgado, from Los Angeles, the 1-15th Inf. Regt. executive officer. “We have greatly reduced the number of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) within Task Force 1-15’s area of operations, detained or killed many extremist leaders, market areas are thriving and people are no longer afraid to leave their homes."

The 1-15 Inf. Regt. is part of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

(Story by Spc. Ben Hutto, 3rd HBCT Public Affairs.)

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