Combat Camera: Aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt; April 5, 2008

ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 1, 2008) An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the "Black Lions" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 213 launches from the bow of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during a tailored ship's training availability and final evaluation problem. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Cole (Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 28, 2008) The Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) sails the Atlantic Ocean before a replenishment-at-sea with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 are conducting tailored ship's training availability and final evaluation problem. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Snyder (Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 27, 2008) An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the "Tomcatters" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31 launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 are conducting tailored ship's training availability and final evaluation problem. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Laird (Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 3, 2008) Aviation Boatswains Mate (Handler) 3rd Class Darcee Pakla directs an F/A-18A+ Hornet assigned to the "Golden Warriors" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 87 to the steam- powered catapult aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing are conducting tailored ship's training availability and final evaluation problem. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Cole (Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 1, 2008) The Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Laramie (T-AO 203) pulls alongside the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during a replenishment at sea during a tailored ship's training availability and final evaluation problem. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Snyder (Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 1, 2008) Flight deck safety personnel assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 213 observe flight operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during a tailored ship's training availability and final evaluation problem. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Cole (Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 27, 2008) The Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) sails the Atlantic Ocean before a replenishment-at-sea with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 are conducting tailored ship's training availability and final evaluation problem. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Snyder (Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 3, 2008) A C-2A Greyhound, assigned to the "Rawhides" of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40, prepares to land aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 are conducting tailored ship's training availability and final evaluation problem. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Cole (Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 1, 2008) A plane captain assigned to the "Rawhides" of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 ties down a C-2A on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during a tailored ship's training availability and final evaluation problem. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Cole (Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 27, 2008) A group of F/A-18E Super Hornets assigned to the "Tomcatters" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31 make a low pass over the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in preparation for landing. Theodore Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 are conducting tailored ship's training availability and final evaluation problem. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Laird (Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 3, 2008) An F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornets prepare for launch aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 are conducting tailored ship's training availability and final evaluation problem. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Cole (Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 27, 2008) Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) watch a sunrise as the ship prepares for a replenishment-at-sea with the Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6). Theodore Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 are conducting tailored ship's training availability and final evaluation problem. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Snyder (Released)

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US Official Says Iraqis Link Corruption, Terrorism

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, April 5, 2008 – Iraqis eager for stable government institutions consider corruption tantamount to terrorism, a U.S. inspector general in Iraq said yesterday.

To strengthen the rule of law, each of Iraq’s 31 ministries has an independent IG element charged with sniffing out fraud, waste and abuses of power, Marine Col. Shelia Bryant-Tucker said during a conference call today.

“The people here want to see a more stable government, and they look at corruption as being equal to terrorism, and want to see it all end,” said Bryant-Tucker, who serves as special advisor to the commander of Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq.

The IG office is charged with developing a network that promotes an efficient and honest Iraqi government while stamping out corruption. In addition, the IG is tasked with an advisory role to external watchdog agencies.

An example of success, she said, occurred while IG members helped create policies and procedures at Iraq’s Defense Ministry. In the process, the IG found ministry officials had paid wages to absentee Iraqi army soldiers or to falsified soldiers who didn’t exist.

“We’re developing systems that will identify and detect that and eliminate that particular weakness,” Bryant-Tucker said.

Last year, IG mentored the internal affairs division of Iraq’s Interior Ministry as it conducted a sweeping corruption investigation of some 7,000 security forces. As a result, the ministry fired or disciplined almost 1,600 members, including 40 major generals and brigadier generals, and nearly 120 lieutenant colonels.

The role of the IG office was codified by a Coalition Provisional Authority order signed in early 2004. It empowers the IG to ensure “integrity, transparency and efficiency” and provide broad oversight in ministry operations and policies.

“This order establishes an effective program of audit, investigation and performance review to provide increased accountability, integrity and oversight of the ministries and to prevent, deter and indentify waste, fraud, abuse of authority and illegal acts,” reads CPA Order Number 57, signed by CPA administrator L. Paul Bremer.

The order may be replaced by an Iraqi order that further clarifies the IG’s role, Bryant-Tucker said. She added that the IG office is a member a working group that includes members from the U.S. Department of State.

The colonel said IG reforms in Iraq have been more successful within the military than in the civilian sector and conceded that progress is occurring more slowly than anticipated. But she expressed hope for the future of the oversight efforts.

“The concept that corruption is unacceptable has been embraced by the government of Iraq,” she said.

Indicators of Iraqi interest in the clean-up push include an anti-corruption conference in January sponsored by the Iraqi government. The meeting outlined steps on implementing the rule of law and reducing illegal behavior by government workers.

In addition, Iraq recently took the first step toward enacting a United Nations resolution to solidify the country’s stance against corruption, and a U.N.-sponsored convention last month was well attended by Iraqi officials, Bryant-Tucker said.

“It’s an interesting and challenging opportunity here to work with the Iraqis, especially the workers, who really do want to see change,” she said.

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

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B-1 Involved in Ground Incident After Landing

A B-1B Lancer, similar to this one, was involved in a ground incident at an air base in Southwest Asia. The crew was not injured. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sergeant Douglas Olsen)

News in Balance:

SOUTHWEST ASIA, April 5, 2008 (AFPN) -- A B-1B Lancer, while taxiing after landing at an air base in Southwest Asia, was involved in a ground incident and caught fire at 9:10 p.m. local on April 4. The crew evacuated the aircraft and is safe. The fire was contained.

A board of inquiry has been appointed and will investigate the incident.

(From a U.S. Air Force press release.)

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Gates: U.S. May Send More Troops to Afghanistan

Focus on Defense:

EN ROUTE TO MUSCAT, Oman, April 4, 2008 (AFPS) -- The United States may send more troops to Afghanistan in 2009, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates confirmed today.

President Bush said during the NATO summit conference that ended today that he expects the United States would make a significant additional contribution to the Afghanistan mission next year, Gates said.

But Gates backed off any specific commitment, saying the United States first wants to see how much support comes from other allies and how security efforts progress in 2008.

“I don’t want to make significant long-term commitments of additional U.S. forces before giving the allies the opportunity to see what they’re going to do,” Gates said.

The French announced a battalion’s worth of troops -- about 700 -- would take on part of the mission. Gates also said other nations made commitments for troops and special teams. A U.S. official at the summit said about a dozen or so countries have made commitments, but it would be a few weeks before final numbers could be tallied.

Gates said the 3,500 U.S. Marines deploying to Afghanistan this month through November will be able handle the 2008 fighting season, and that there is no reason to push sending more U.S. troops.

“Given explicit recognition by the alliance that this is a long-term project, I think waiting a while before committing additional forces of any consequence from the United States makes sense in a number of different areas,” Gates said.

Also, because the mission there is an alliance undertaking, one of the considerations is how large a role the United States should play, as opposed to other allies being involved up front as well, he said.

The secretary did not say how many troops would be sent, but it likely will not be the 3,500 additional combat troops commanders on the ground have requested. He also did not say where the troops would be deployed, saying that decision likely would be made by the new International Security Assistance Force commander scheduled to be selected this summer.

Gates said progress in 2007 showed the Taliban they cannot win a conventional fight against NATO troops. The Taliban also now control no territory in the country, leading them to resort to terrorist tactics.

Successes in the country in 2008 will determine how many, if any, and what types of troops would be deployed, Gates said. Still, because of the importance of the mission there, Gates said, the United States is prepared to commit “substantial” troops. But he added that no specific plans to send additional troops are in the works.

Even with the war in Iraq extending troop deployments there and dwindling “dwell time” at home for troops between deployments, there is strong political and public support for sending additional troops to Afghanistan, Gates said.

The secretary said a “big piece” of any decision on troop levels in Afghanistan depends on whether deployments to Iraq can be shortened. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, is slated to report to Bush and Congress next week on progress and the way ahead in Iraq.

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

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Forces in Iraq Kill Two Terrorists, Detain 16 Suspects

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2008 (AFPS) -- Coalition forces in Iraq today killed two terrorists and detained 16 suspected extremists during operations targeting al Qaeda senior leaders and bomb networks, military officials reported.

• West of Samarra, coalition forces targeted an individual linked to a senior al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist. The wanted individual attempted to breach a security perimeter and was wounded by coalition small-arms fire. The individual later died of his wounds. Seven suspected terrorists were detained in the operation.

• In Sharqat, coalition forces killed one suspected terrorist and detained three other suspects. Coalition forces detained two more suspects during a second operation conducted further south.

• In Habbaniyah, coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists linked to a car-bombing network north of Baghdad. One suspect was injured during the operation, but he was treated and transported to a military medical facility.

• In Mosul, coalition forces detained a suspect who is linked to senior al Qaeda in Iraq leaders in the area.

“Al Qaeda in Iraq is an extremist organization whose support is dwindling as more and more people turn their backs on the terrorists’ indiscriminate violence and corrupt, Taliban-like ideology,” said Navy Lt. David Russell, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. “Iraqi and coalition forces will continue to dismantle the terrorist networks, increasing security and public safety for all Iraqis.”

During operations yesterday:

• East of Mahmudiyah, coalition forces killed three terrorists, including an alleged suicide bomber, during operations targeting a Baghdad region car-bombing network. Three men in the vehicle were killed, including the alleged suicide bomber.

• In Mosul, coalition forces detained one suspected terrorist.

• Northwest of Sinjar, coalition forces captured a suspected foreign terrorist facilitator who is linked to al Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders. During another raid conducted west of Baghdad, coalition forces captured two more alleged al Qaeda operatives.

“While Iraqi and coalition forces are taking apart al Qaeda in Iraq networks, capturing or killing their members, al Qaeda remains the biggest threat to security and stability in Iraq and there is still much work to be done,” said Army Maj. Winfield Danielson, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

In Basra, Iraqi security forces advised by U.S. Special Forces soldiers killed seven criminals and detained 18 suspects during a series of counterinsurgency operations:

• Iraqi special operations forces in Basra killed five armed fighters and detained 10 individuals during the first operation. Among the detainees is a suspected Iranian-backed “special groups” leader who is linked to inciting attacks on coalition forces in Basra. Reports also link the detainee to kidnappings and murders of Iraqi soldiers and commandos. The detainee also is tied to local oil smuggling operations and foreign fighter networks.

• An Iraqi commando team from Hillah killed two insurgents and detained three suspects during a separate counterinsurgency operation conducted in Basra.

• During another Basra operation, an Iraqi emergency response team captured two suspected criminals linked to a recent ambush attempt against U.S. Special Forces soldiers. Three other suspects also are being held for questioning.

In April 2 operations:

• U.S. soldiers seized a weapons cache while conducting a patrol in southern Baghdad. The cache contained rocket-propelled-grenade warheads, 81 mm mortar rounds, 60 mm mortar rounds, dozens of hand grenades and hundreds of 7.62 mm rounds.

• Iraqi security forces advised by U.S. Special Forces soldiers detained one suspected criminal leader and seized a weapons cache site in separate operations in northwest and southern Iraq.

• In Qaim, northwest of Baghdad near the Syrian border, Iraqi commandos detained a suspected criminal leader linked to roadside bombings, other attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces, and kidnappings. Three other suspects also are being held for questioning.

• In another operation in the Dur an Naft district of Basra in southern Iraq, an Iraqi emergency response unit found a cache containing materials used to make roadside bombs. The cache contained an 82 mm mortar round, a 12-inch armor-piercing explosively formed projectile, seven rocket-propelled grenades, three rocket-propelled-grenade launchers, and hundreds of rounds of AK-47 rifle ammunition. The cache was destroyed.

• Coalition aircraft destroyed an enemy vehicle bearing a heavy machine gun during an air strike in Halaf. Six armed criminals riding in the vehicle were killed.

“Coalition forces are providing aircraft support for Iraqi security forces in Basra on an as-requested basis,” said Navy Lt. Michael Street, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. “We will continue to work with the government of Iraq to provide a secure and stable environment in Iraq.”

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

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Combat Camera: Tiger Sinks Its Teeth Into Ninewah, Iraq

Modesto, Calif., native Pvt. Chris Meyers provides security in a village near Hichel, Iraq, on March 10. Meyers, a cavalry scout, watched for threats as soldiers of Bandit Troop, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, talked with local Iraqis about possible insurgents in the village. (Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

Soldiers of Bandit Troop, 1st Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, spend time with local children in a village near Hichel, Iraq, March 9. Bandit conducted presence patrols into the outlying villages to check for the presence of insurgents who may be using the areas as support zones for the fight in the city of Mosul. (Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

Lubbock, Texas, native Sgt. Adam Lofton climbs stairs in an Iraqi police station to provide security from the rooftop threats during a reconciliation program event in Hichel, Iraq, March 10. Lofton is a cavalry scout for Bandit Troop, 1st Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment. (Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

Lubbock, Texas, native Sgt. Adam Lofton steadies a spotting scope over the shoulder of Pvt. Chris Meyers, as they scan for threats during a reconciliation program event in Hichel, Iraq, March 10. Meyers, of Modesto, Calif., and Lofton are cavalry scouts for Bandit Troop, 1st Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment. (Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

1st Lt. Adam Moore talks with a local leader about operations Bandit Troop, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, had conducted near Hichel, Iraq, March 19. Moore, of Elizabethtown, Ky., is a platoon leader for Bandit. The mission was to gauge the local reaction to the capture of a high-value target in the area. (Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

Walkerton, Ind., native Pfc. Jeffrey Roberts finishes checking a barn for a suspected insurgent, while Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Marrero, of Puerto Rico, provides security in a village near Hichel, Iraq, March 21. Roberts is a cavalry scout, and Marrero is the scout platoon sergeant for Bandit Troop, 1st Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment. (Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

Dispatches from the Front:

AL QAYYARAH, Iraq, April 4, 2008 -- Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, with nearly 2 million people has been called the last terrorist stronghold in Iraq. Combating the insurgents in the city is a constant operation, which is handled by 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. When the fighting in the city takes its toll on the insurgents or they need to rest and re-supply, they run to the outlying rural areas of the Ninewah province to bed-down.

It is in these outlying areas that Tiger, 1st Squadron, 3rd ACR, takes the fight to the insurgents on the run from the city and works to keep the influx of fighters and supplies from making it back into Mosul.

“Our mission is to disrupt foreign fighter flow from the south and west areas of Mosul as safe havens and support zones,” said Maj. Matthew Dooley, Tiger Squadron’s executive officer. “They come south and use these areas to bed-down and to gather and rest before going back into Mosul to cause trouble.”

Tiger and its roughly 800 soldiers have been working in the Vermont-sized area of the Ninewah province for almost four months, and in that time they have seen a lot of progress.

“We have taken our number-one high-value target and a couple other guys on our list,” said Dooley “They are senior leaders that have influence on foreign fighters and flow of weapons into Mosul.”

Tiger has also captured almost 50 caches of weapons, ammunition, bombs and bomb making material, which has forced the insurgents to move, said Dooley.

Of the 40 or so suspected insurgents Tiger has captured, less than 10 have been released. This is due to Tiger making sure they have solid intelligence and enough evidence to put the insurgents away for a long time, said Dooley.

While the main focus for Tiger Squadron in this largely rural area is combating the insurgency to help keep the peace in Mosul, they are also putting an emphasis on helping rebuild the villages and towns that have lived under the shadow of terror for years.

To accomplish this, Tiger’s soldiers perform missions such as presence patrols, logistical convoys, bridge security, kinetic operations and working with locals to meet the needs of the Iraqi people in the area.

“We are continuing to put pressure on all fronts, directly attacking insurgents in their safe havens,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Dorame, Tiger’s commander. “We are out providing security for the people with the Iraqi army (IA) and Iraqi police (IP) and partnering with the local community and government to help develop essential services and economic progress. All of those things have a multiplying effect on each other and continue to push this mission in the right direction.”

That progress is working, but it is a slow, hard process, said Dorame, who added that each time Tiger takes down a cache or a high-value target, it adds to the progress they are making.

Part of the progress is being made by partnering with the IA and IP in the province. Tiger works with one brigade-sized and four battalion-sized IA elements, and around 2,000 IPs.

“I would love to see more IA and IP throughout the area,” said Dorame. “That would be a tremendous success here.”

The IA and IP in the area have the fundamental skills, but they still need continued support to develop, said Dorame.

Tiger is working side by side with the IA and IP, including training at the Iraqi non-commissioned officer academy, now in its third class of about 30 IA Soldiers. The squadron is making sure to allow the Iraqis to take the lead in their area.

“Truly part of the success is from the IA and IP,” said Dorame. “We have been very clear with them that we are the supporting role, and this is their mission that we support.”

The success Tiger is seeing has to do with being proactive when it comes to securing their area.

“You have to get off the forward operating base and get out there,” said Dooley. “We get out there into combat outposts among the population. It puts a constant presence. They see us there every day. The longer you are there, the better it gets, the more you get. The more it builds. You get to a point where there is a continuous information flow, and we are getting to that point now.”

One of the things Tiger has learned by being with the Iraqis every day is that the security issues they face are directly connected to the local economies.

“Part of the security issue is the high unemployment rate,” said Dooley “There is a disconnect between local governments and their needs and the time it takes the Iraqi government to respond. If you don’t do something about that, the insurgency finds a way to exploit that by paying people to do things that they might not normally do, but because they need money, they go out and do it.”

Finding an economic answer to their immediate needs is part of the security rather than just kinetic action, said Dooley, who believes the way forward is to help them stand up, improve their economy and their governments.

For 3rd ACR, there are two fights, said Dorame. The fight in Mosul, which is urban street to street fighting, and Tiger’s fight in the areas outside the city where the enemy would prefer to hide out.

“This fight out here is really a true counterinsurgency fight,” said Dorame. “It is our ability to get in there and partner with the local police and army to collect information from the local people to find them and get them out of there. It is working extremely well.”

Tiger has been working hard in the province since December to deny the insurgency from threatening the people and to keep the insurgents from moving freely in and out of the city. A diverse mission, which his Soldiers are doing remarkably well at accomplishing, said Dorame.

“The area that Tiger Squadron fights in is different in dynamics because it doesn’t have the sectarian issues or a large population center,” said Dorame. “This area is an area where the insurgents have tried to fight the U.S. forces in the population centers and use these areas to control and dominate for use as safe havens. Although it is less intense at times and less dynamic, it is a very complicated problem and it takes the true Soldier-statesmen mentality of partnering with the community to provide for the local people, but at the same time staying vigilant in tracking down the insurgencies. You have to win in both areas simultaneously if you are going to solve the problem in Iraq.”

(Story by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

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Senators Discuss Army's New Field Manual

Focus on Defense:

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2008 (ANS) -- The commander of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., testified this week to the Airland Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee about the Army's new operations manual, FM 3-0 .

Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV told Senate Subcommittee Chairman Joe Lieberman and Ranking Member John Cornyn that while Soldiers are performing magnificently in the war on terrorism, FM 3-0 is their blueprint for operating in an uncertain future. He also said creating a total-government approach for future conflicts is crucial for success, adding that this depends on Congressional resourcing of other government agencies.

FM 3-0 marks the first major changes to Army doctrine since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and institutionalizes simultaneous offensive, defensive and stability operations. In fact, stability and combat operations are given equal importance.

"A tremendous amount of change in FM 3-0 has come from lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan," Caldwell said after the manual's launch in February. "It was important for us to go back and take those lessons that we have learned over time and incorporate them into our doctrine, training and leader development."

Both Lieberman and Cornyn were concerned about how the Army could support and budget for such a wide spectrum of operations, but Cornyn congratulated the military for its ability to successfully perform so many missions.

While Caldwell was in the capital, he also stopped by the Army's Worldwide Public Affairs Symposium and talked to public affairs officers about the changing face of media and the importance of engagement.

"Telling the story of the United States Army and our Soldiers is not only a noble calling, but in today's information environment, it is essential to the success of our mission and to the overall success of our nation in this era of persistent conflict," said the former Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman.

Now every student at the Command and General Staff College, which falls under Caldwell's direction, is required to conduct at least one media interview, one public-outreach event and write one blog.

"As Soldiers, we understand the maximum effective range of our primary weapons systems and exactly what that means," he said. "But with the emphasis on information as an element of combat power, we need to understand that the maximum effective range of a message, once it is launched, is unlimited.

"All communications have the potential to be global, and we need to expect that our messages will be heard and understood in multiple countries, in many different languages, and more importantly, through many various cultural filters. Always think through the implications of your messages and how they will be perceived on a global scale. Remember that in many parts of the world, an American Soldier will be the only contact that many people will have with our great nation."

(Story by Elizabeth M. Lorge with contributions from John Harlow.)

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Iraqi Police Continue to Make Progress

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2008 (AFPS) -- Building an Iraqi police force is an enormous challenge, but the coalition-and-Iraqi team working to do so is making progress, a senior U.S. Army officer working with Iraq’s Interior Ministry said today.

Maj. Gen. Michael D. Jones, director general for interior affairs in Baghdad, said in an interview today that the Iraqi-led, Iraqi-planned operations in Basra pointed to both the successes and the setbacks in training the police.

The sheer size of the training challenge is daunting, he said. The Iraqi police forces have grown 400 percent since 2003. If the U.S. Army had undergone the same rate of growth, there would be 2 million active duty soldiers today.

“If that happened, you can only imagine the challenges we would have as an institution with not having enough equipment, not having the facilities for all those people,” Jones said. “We might not have the quality of the force that we have today. We would be short leaders, and on and on.”

The Iraqi Interior Ministry has had these problems and more. The Interior Ministry had a good portion of its management team taken away because of efforts to remove Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party from the government. The ministry had to be reorganized, because it was designed under the old regime with the sole purpose of keeping the regime in power, not of protecting the Iraqi people, he said.

Also, while the Iraqi army and national police are national assets – meaning they are recruited from around the country and can serve anywhere in the country – municipal police forces are local.

“They and their families are vulnerable to threats and intimidation,” Jones said.

But he noted that the police have made progress. “Just the growth of the force is quite an accomplishment,” he said. The coalition and Iraqi government are making good on equipment shortages, and the Interior Ministry is setting up a logistics system to supply the police.

“They have gone through a major reform effort, where they are trying to reform the ministry to one that becomes professional, and although there are still challenges, they are making progress,” Jones said.

The operations in southern Iraq in the past 10 days illustrate the changes, Jones said. “About a year ago, the discussion we were having was how come Iraqi security forces can’t get to Baghdad in order to participate in the surge?” he said. And the performance of the units that were showing up in the Iraqi capital – mostly National Police – was tainted by sectarianism.

“What we’ve seen in the events of the last eight to 10 days is the Iraqis – at their own initiative – making a strategic decision to confront a problem in Basra and rapidly moving forces down there,” he said.

The Iraqi police managed to arrive in Basra in good order and almost immediately engaged in combat, Jones said. The Iraqi government was able to sustain the forces in the fight. “I am positive a year ago, that could not have been done,” he said.

“Did they have problems? Of course,” he continued. “They had significant problems over the past week, but the fact (is) that it was Iraqis in the lead overcoming those problems, and I have to give them a bit of credit for that.”

Jones said the National Police performed very well in Basra.

“The feedback on the National Police units has been very good,” he said. “They have fought very hard, they have been successful in their operations to include … being cohesive through some very tough fighting.”

In fact, some national policemen volunteered to stay with their units rather than depart for the monthly leave to bring their pay home, he said.

“The local police had a much more mixed result,” he said. “There are some reports of police that fought, there are also some reports of police who have not and who left police stations and abandoned their duty stations.”

Some police deserted and went over to the criminal elements. Some broke under stress. For others, discretion was the better part of valor and the smart move.

“They realized they weren’t equipped or trained for the operation,” Jones said. “They moved out of the stations and fought elsewhere.”

In Basra, this combat test allowed people to see who was weak or complicit with militias or Iranian-backed “special groups.” Interior Ministry authorities will get rid of policemen who were complicit or cowardly.

Leadership is a problem in all branches of the Iraqi police. There are not enough good leaders to go around, Jones said, and training officers for leadership roles takes time. The Iraqi Police College is a three-year, degree-producing institution.

Once the training is finished, it still takes on-the-job experience to produce good leaders, Jones said. In the U.S. Army it takes 15 years to develop a battalion commander.

“How long does it take to grow a police chief or station chief?” he said. “I don’t know if there’s an exact number, but I know it’s a fair number of years to get somebody that kind of experience.”

(Story by Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service.)

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Iraqi Army Leads Push to Restore Security in Mahmudiyah

Two Iraqi army soldiers manuever during an firefight with the Jaysh Al-Mahdi extremist group in Mahmuhdiyah, March 30. (Photographer: Pvt. Christopher McKenna, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.)

Iraqi army soldiers prepare to move to another objective after clearing a house, finding two supposed Jaysh Al-Mahdi extremist supporters, during joint operations in Mahmuhdiyah on March 30. (Photographer: Pvt. Christopher McKenna, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.)

Dispatches from the Front:

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq, April 3, 2008 -- Iraqi security forces are taking the lead in securing the city of Mahmudiyah against Shi’a criminal groups.

Iraqi army (IA) soldiers from 2nd battalion, 25th brigade, 6th IA division are taking control of the city’s neighborhoods with support from Red Knight Rakkasans of 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

This effort, which began March 27, has already proven successful. A cordon and search resulted in the discovery of a significant weapons cache in the Qadasiya apartments on March 28.

The cache included 17 complete explosively-formed projectiles, 192 DSHKA rounds, Iraqi national police uniforms and 18 AK-style weapons, more than 100 EFP components, a demolition charge, detonation cord, fuses and a bag of homemade explosives.

“At this point, it has been a very impressive operation on both the Iraqi and coalition fronts,” said Lt. Col. William Zemp, commander of 3-320th FA. “Reports say that the EFP IED (improvised explosive device) materials were to be moved into the city of Mahmudiyah.”

The IA has detained nearly 200 individuals for questioning in an effort to curb the violence and criminal activity.

“You have to be proud of the progress being made so far,” said Col. Dominic Caraccilo, 3rd BCT, 101 Abn. Div. (AASLT) commander.

Brig Gen. Ali Jassim Muhammad Hassen Al Frejee, commander of the 25/6 IA division, said removal of criminal groups is key to the continued security of the Mahmudiyah Qada.

(Story by Pvt. Christopher McKenna, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault.)

Recent Combat Camera Imagery on THE TENSION

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US Navy to Christen USNS Amelia Earhart

A Lewis and Clark (T-AKE) class ship under construction.

Focus on Defense:

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2008 -- The Navy will launch and christen USNS Amelia Earhart at a 9 p.m. PDT ceremony on April 6, 2008. The christening ceremony for the newest ship in the Lewis and Clark (T-AKE) class of underway replenishment ships will be held at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego.

Designated as T-AKE 6, the new ship honors aviation pioneer Amelia Mary Earhart for her courage, vision and groundbreaking achievements, both in aviation and for women.

Earhart's name became a household word in 1932 when she became the first woman -- and second person -- to fly solo across the Atlantic, flying from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, to Londonderry, Ireland. That year, she received the Distinguished Flying Cross from the U.S. Congress, the Cross of Knight of the Legion of Honor from the French government, and the Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society from President Herbert Hoover. In January 1935, Earhart became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean from Honolulu to Oakland, Calif. Later that year she soloed from Los Angeles to Mexico City and back to Newark, N.J. In July 1936, Earhart took delivery of a Lockheed 10E "Electra," financed by Purdue University, and started planning her around-the-world flight.

Rep. Susan A. Davis, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Earhart's niece, Amy Kleppner, will serve as ship's sponsor. The launching ceremony will include the time-honored Navy tradition when the sponsor breaks a bottle of champagne across the bow to formally christen the ship "Amelia Earhart."

USNS Amelia Earhart is the sixth ship in the Navy's 11-ship T-AKE class. The ship will directly contribute to the ability of the Navy to maintain a worldwide forward presence by delivering ammunition, food, fuel, and other dry cargo to U.S. and allied ships at sea. The ship is designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea and can carry and support two helicopters to conduct vertical replenishment.

As part of Military Sealift Command's (MSC) Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force, USNS Amelia Earhart is designated as a United States Naval Ship (USNS) and will be crewed by 124 civil service mariners working for Military Sealift Command's. The ship will also have a military detachment of 11 U.S. Navy sailors to provide supply coordination.

One previous ship has been named for Earhart. SS Amelia Earhart was a Liberty ship built in the U.S. during World War II.

(From a U.S. Defense Department press release.)

Related Site: Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ships - T-AKE Fact File

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NATO Members Debate Direction of Alliance

President George W. Bush talks with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice prior to the kickoff of the Bucharest NATO Summit, Romania, April 3, 2008. (Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jerry Morrison.)

Focus on Defense:

BUCHAREST, Romania, April 3, 2008 (AFPS) -- The second day of NATO’s summit conference wrapped up here today with clear support for more troops in Afghanistan, a missile defense system for Europe and the hopes of eventually adding at least five more countries to the alliance.

It was a day of extended, hours-long, closed sessions in which NATO members went “off script” and passionately debated the language of communiqués and declarations that would map out the direction of the alliance for years to come.

It was a “fine day for NATO,” according to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“I think that it was, for me, affirming of the decision to expand this alliance; it was affirming of the decision to keep new blood coming into the alliance, especially new blood of people who understand what it was to live under tyranny and now are breathing freedom and liberty with a kind of gusto and enjoyment that perhaps only those who have been denied it can have,” Rice said.

Rice was joined at the news conference by National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley.

“People really got off script,” Hadley said. “You know, the characterization of these meetings is people sitting around a table reading prepared talking points. In the discussions today, people talked with a first person and a passion that was interesting.”

In the end, NATO issued a summit declaration in which it:

• Invited Albania and Croatia to begin accession talks with NATO;

• Named the mission in Afghanistan its “top priority;”

• Acknowledged for the first time that ballistic missile proliferation poses an increasing threat to the allies; and

• Agreed to work with Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro in their quest for NATO membership.

NATO also invited Serbia to begin a dialogue with the alliance.

The declaration said that “Euro-Atlantic and wider international security is closely tied to Afghanistan’s future as a peaceful, democratic state,” and asserted that the alliance would not allow extremists and terrorists to regain control of Afghanistan or use it as a base for terror.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced his country would send another battalion of troops to help in Afghanistan. The troops will be added to the eastern provinces of the country, allowing U.S. troops, who have been successful at squelching the troubles there, to move to the embattled southern provinces.

Also, Hadley said, another dozen or so allies have pledged contributions. He said that it will be about three weeks before the final numbers of troops dedicated to the region can be tallied, but that the commitment would meet the Canadian parliament’s demands that allies provide at least 1,000 more troops and equipment to the region in order for it to keep its 2,500 troops there.

In a show of support to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, NATO also committed to building an equipped Afghan army to 80,000 troops by 2010.

“Bottom line, a good day on Afghanistan,” Hadley said. “NATO has adopted a vision statement to explain the mission and the importance of the mission to their publics. They have developed and integrated a plan for integrating political and military instruments in order to try and achieve success there.”

NATO pledged to invite Macedonia to join the alliance as soon as it can work through the dispute over its name with its neighbor, Greece. Greece objects to using the name Macedonia, saying it implies claims on a Greek province of the same name.

“We encourage negotiations to be resumed without delay, and expect them to be concluded as soon as possible,” the declaration reads.

NATO reaffirmed both its open-door policy and its plans for developing a missile defense strategy in its declaration, which said that “far from posing a threat to our relationship, (those efforts) offer opportunities to deepen levels of cooperation and stability.”

Russia has opposed U.S. plans to place radars in the Czech Republic and Poland. The United States wants to develop a long-range missile defense system complimented by a NATO-led, short- and medium-range missile defense system.

“The NATO allies … asked Russia to stop its criticism of the alliance effort and to join in the cooperative efforts that have been offered to it by the United States,” Rice said. She called the declaration a “breakthrough document for missile defense for the alliance.” Russian President Vladimir Putin meets tomorrow with the NATO-Russian Council.

In the declaration, NATO said it would explore ways to link the United States’ proposed capability to current NATO-wide missile defense architecture. NATO tasked the North Atlantic Council, its main governing body, to develop options for a comprehensive plan for review at the alliance’s 2009 summit.

The declaration also reiterated the allies’ commitment to supporting the government of Iraq and agreed to extend the NATO training mission there through 2009.

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

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Recent Attacks in Iraq Give Coalition Opportunities to Target Enemy

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2008 (AFPS) -- The recent increase in attacks by Shiia extremists in Iraq gave coalition forces in the center of the country opportunities to target extremist cells and degrade their capabilities, the U.S. general in charge of operations in the area said today.

From March 25 to 30, Shiia extremists in the Multinational Division Center area of operations stepped up attacks in conjunction with a spike in violence in Basra and southern Baghdad, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, the division’s commander, told reporters in Baghdad. That violence flared after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered Iraqi forces to clamp down on illegal militias, criminals and thugs in Basra. Shiia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Jaysh al-Mahdi organization contested the Iraqi security forces, and fighting spread north to Baghdad and other Shiia cities in the south.

In the Multinational Division Center area, there were some 78 attacks by Shiia extremists during the six-day period, Lynch said. These attacks targeted coalition forces, Iraqi security forces and Iraqi civilians, and included the use of improvised explosive devices, armor-piercing explosively formed penetrators, rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire, he said. One U.S. soldier, 17 Iraqi security forces members and five civilians were killed in the attacks, and many more were wounded.

While these attacks did cause casualties, they also brought a lot of the Shiia extremists out of hiding and gave the coalition and Iraqi forces an opportunity to target them, Lynch said. Division leaders previously had estimated that about 600 Shiia extremists were in their area, making up about 10 so-called “special groups.” The increased attacks allowed the coalition to more easily target them, and during the six-day period, coalition and Iraqi forces captured four high-value individuals, killed 69 extremists, wounded five, and detained 537 suspects, he said. The suspects were questioned, and 230 are still in detention.

“The enemy needed his leaders to conduct operations; we took some of those away,” Lynch said. “The enemy needed his ‘led,’ his soldiers if you will, and many of those are now currently detained.”

The combined forces also found 18 weapons caches that contained various types of ammunition, bombs and other weapons, Lynch said.

“We experienced a tactical and an operational opportunity to take the fight to the Shiia extremists,” Lynch said of the six-day period of increased violence.

Since March 30, attacks in the Multinational Division Center area have gone back to their normal levels, with just one attack occurring yesterday and none the day before, Lynch said. Since taking command of forces in the area 13 months ago, Lynch said, he’s seen a significant decrease in violence and an increased focus on rebuilding Iraqi society.

Lynch’s soldiers occupy 57 different patrol bases throughout the area with Iraqi security forces, and that presence has helped build trust with the locals, the general said.

“What we have found is the local population, as a result of seeing the patrol base, they come forward and ask two questions,” he said. “The first question is, ‘Are you staying?’ and when the local population is convinced we’re going to stay, the next question is, ‘How can we help?’”

About 36,000 concerned local citizens are helping to secure their neighborhoods in “Sons of Iraq” security groups in the division’s area, Lynch said. And as the violence has decreased, the people have focused more on improving their quality of life, he added.

“Now, when I go to patrol bases … I immediately leave the patrol base and go visit with the population, talk to the people,” he said. “The conversation now has changed. It’s no longer about security; it’s about jobs. It’s about capacity; it’s about the economy; it’s about local governments.”

(Story by Sgt. Sara Moore, USA, American Forces Press Service.)

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