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| Special Ops Troops Serve as Force Multiplier in Terror War |
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| By Gerry J. Gilmore / American Forces Press Service |
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2003 — Multitalented special operations troops provide senior U.S. military commanders with an array of options in addressing the multifaceted challenges presented by the war on global terrorism, said DoD's top special operations official.
Army, Air Force and Navy special operators have proved their worth in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, noted Thomas O'Connell, assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low intensity conflict.
"There's no doubt," O'Connell maintained, that American special operations forces "have done a magnificent job and have made a dent in the terrorist infrastructures" and networks. More
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| U.S. Forces in Iraq Wield 'Iron Hammer'
to Nail Insurgents |
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| By John D. Banusiewicz / American Forces Press
Service |
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WASHINGTON,
Nov. 13, 2003 — A series of coordinated strikes dubbed "Operation
Iron Hammer" kicked off Nov. 12 with U.S. forces striking
back at anti- coalition insurgents in Iraq.
A U.S. Central Command news release today said
Iron Hammer is a joint operation to target enemy operating areas, deny the enemy
the opportunity to stage weapons for use against coalition forces and the citizens
of Baghdad, and destroy enemy forces conducting mortar attacks against Baghdad.
The first salvo came when 1st Armored Division
soldiers saw mortar rounds being fired from a van and gave chase, noting stops
it made. An AH-64 Apache helicopter followed the van out of the village and attacked
it, killing two suspected insurgents and wounding three others. Five others were
captured. Soldiers found an 82 mm mortar launch tube at one of the van's stops,
and are searching the others, CENTCOM officials said. More |
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| Coalition Will Press Fight in Iraq,
Vice Chairman Pace Says |
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| By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service |
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WASHINGTON,
Nov. 13, 2003 — The coalition will continue to press the
fight in Iraq, Marine Gen. Peter Pace said during television
interviews Nov. 12.
The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
expressed his sympathy to the families of the Italian Carabinieri killed in the
Nov. 12 car bombing in Nasiriyah. "We never want to minimize the single
death of a soldier from our country or the coalition," Pace said. "Each
one of those is tragic."
But the presence of the coalition personnel is
allowing the Iraqi people the chance to write their own constitution and elect
their own government. "These are goals worthy of great nations and great
effort," he said. "We will continue to press this fight until the Iraqi
people have this freedom." More |
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| Rumsfeld: Italians Firm in Their
Resolve After Attack in Iraq |
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| By Kathleen T. Rhem / American Forces Press
Service |
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TAMUNING,
Guam, Nov. 13, 2003 — Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
today expressed his sympathies to the families and friends of
the 12 Italian military police troops who died Nov. 12 when their
headquarters in Nasiriyah, Iraq, was blown up.
"As anyone, my heart goes out to the Italian
Carabinieri troops that were killed and their families and friends," Rumsfeld
said to media traveling with him on a seven-day trip to Pacific Rim countries. More |
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| Rumsfeld Says U.S. Military is Preparing
for Modern Threats |
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| By Kathleen T. Rhem / American Forces Press
Service |
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TAMUNING,
Guam, Nov. 13, 2003 — The United States needs to shed its
Cold War-era force posture and position itself to fight modern
threats, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today.
The secretary's remarks came midway through his
17-hour flight from Washington to Guam, where he will visit U.S. military forces
on the island and meet with local officials before heading to Japan and South
Korea for talks with military and civilian leaders, as well as troop visits in
those countries. More |
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| U.S. Army Helps Restore Civil Defense
HQ in Northern Iraq |
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| By U.S. Army Pfc. Chris Jones / 40th Public
Affairs Detachment |
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MOSUL,
Iraq , Nov. 13, 2003 — The headquarters for all fire stations
in the Nineveh Province of Northern Iraq held a grand opening
ceremony recently after two months under the reconstruction command
of soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
Two months of work and more than
$40,000 of Coalition funds were put into restoration efforts
of the Nineveh Civil Defense Headquarters
in Mosul. A six-soldier team with the 431st Civil Affairs Battalion,
an Army Reserve unit attached to the 101st, directed the project.
1st Lt. William Smith, public safety team chief and full-time
firefighter in his civilian job, witnessed “a complete
improvement” of the headquarters building from Sept. 1
to its recent ribbon-cutting ceremony. More |
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House Calls in Iraq
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| In a small village in northern Iraq, members of Task Force 1-63 Armor arrive on a medical visit during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Nov. 12, 2003. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jeffrey A. Wolfe |
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| Girls
Secondary School Opens South of Balad |
| AL
BUHESHMA, Iraq, Nov. 12, 2003 — As
Shouket Abudal Rahman Ahmed cut the ribbon
opening the first secondary
school for girls in this village, located south
of Balad, the occasion marked an ongoing collaboration
between Coalition Forces and Iraqi school officials
to provide more educational opportunities to
local children. Story |
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'Helping
Hands' &
'Adopt A Village'
Reach Beyond Operations |
| QAYARAH,
Iraq, Nov. 13, 2003 — 101st
Airborne Division (Air Assault) soldiers
are working to not only make Iraq secure,
but
have also
been putting time and effort into helping
towns and villages with their “Operation
Helping Hands” and “Adopt a Village” programs. More |
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| Al
Anbar Trucking Initiative Creates Jobs |
| AR
RAMADI, Iraq, Nov. 12, 2003 — Task
Force All American has created a new program
known
as the Al Anbar Trucking Initiative that
will allow local nationals to take over convoy
supply missions in the area. More specifically,
it will employ local truck drivers to carry
supplies to Coalition Forces while reducing
the exposure of U.S. soldiers to attacks. More |
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| American Red Cross Volunteers Deploy
to Give Soldiers Comfort |
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| By U.S. Army Spc. Marc Loi / 13th Public Affairs
Detachment |
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CAMP
DOHA, Kuwait, Nov. 12, 2003 — The Sept. 11th attacks on
America brought more than 54,700 volunteer workers from the American
Red Cross to ‘Ground Zero,’ to help with clean-up
efforts. In the subsequent months, additional Red Cross volunteers
were also sent to other parts of the world to support servicemembers
deployed in support of the war on terrorism.
At
Camp Doha, Kuwait, there are three Red Cross volunteers working
to support U.S. and Coalition
Forces servicemembers stationed
and coming through here. Story |
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New Hampshire Reserve MP Unit
Trains
Iraqi Police at Security College |
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| By U.S. Army Pfc. J. H. French / 82nd Airborne
Division |
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AR RAMADI,
Iraq — A puddle of blood on the ground, footprints leading away
from the scene and a weapon lying nearby. This is not the scene
of a brutal murder, but a practical exercise at the Al Anbar
Security College.
The purpose of the college is to educate and train the Iraqi
police force of the region so it can provide safety and security
for the people of the Al Anbar province. Soldiers from the 94th
Military Police Company, a reserve unit from Manchester, N.H.,
provided the training. More |
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Defense Officials
Identify Army Casualties |
WASHINGTON,
Nov. 13, 2003 — Defense Department officials announced
today the deaths of three soldiers.
Spc. Robert A. Wise, 21, of Tallahassee, Fla.,
was killed on Nov. 12 in Baghdad, Iraq. Wise was on a mounted patrol when an
improvised explosive device exploded. Wise was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 124th
Infantry Regiment, 53rd Infantry Brigade, Florida National Guard, Tallahassee,
Fla.
Staff Sgt. Nathan J. Bailey, 46, of Nashville,
Tenn., died on Nov. 12 in Camp Arifjan, Afghanistan. Bailey died from a non-hostile
gunshot wound. Bailey was assigned to the 1175th Transportation Company, Army
National Guard, Tullahoma, Tenn.
Pfc. Rayshawn S. Johnson, 20, of Brooklyn, N.Y.,
was killed on Nov. 3, 2003, in Tikrit, Iraq. Johnson was on patrol when his vehicle
hit a landmine. The soldier died as a result of his injuries. Johnson was assigned
to the 299th Engineer Battalion, 4th Infantry Division (Mech), based in Fort
Hood, Texas.
These incidents are under investigation. |
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U.S. Air Force Carries
Injured Iraqi Child to America |
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| TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq — Critical-care
transport team airmen prepare 9-year-old Saleh Kahlaf
for an aeromedical evacuation flight from here to Children's
Hospital and Research Center in Oakland, Calif., on Nov
8. Saleh was critically injured by a land mine near his
school in Al Nasiriyah and had been cared for by 332nd
Expeditionary Medical Squadron airmen until his flight.
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. John Barton Story |
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KANDAHAR
PROVINCE, Afghanistan - An explosion occurred near the firebase
at Kandahar Wednesday night. About two hours later a rocket
landed near the firebase also. There were no injuries to
coalition soldiers or damage to equipment or property in
either incident.
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KUNAR
PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Coalition veterinarian personnel traveled
to the Nangalam village near Asadabad firebase from 8-10 November
2003 and performed veterinary services as part of the coalition's
civil military efforts. 153 goats, sheep, and cattle were treated
on the first day, and 226 goats, sheep and cattle were treated
on the second day.
Accompanied by Infantry elements from the 10th
Mountain Division, the veterinarians performed a much need preventive medical
service improved the quality of life and well being for the grateful people of
Nangalam. |
| More
Updates |
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Enterprise Carrier
Strike
Group
Patrols 5th Fleet Waters |
ABOARD
USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS) — As the USS Enterprise Carrier
Strike Group patrols 5th Fleet in support of the global war
on terrorism, a vital part of its mission is Maritime Interception
Operations. While patrolling the waters and performing a wide
array of important missions, the carrier strike group, along
with several coalition assets, are constantly on the lookout
for illegal activities, ranging from the smuggling of oil and
goods to the transfer of terrorists throughout the world.
“Our primary goal is to
deny use of the seas for terrorist and smuggling activity,” said
Lt. Marc Polson, the intelligence officer for Commander, Destroyer
Squadron 18. More
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Naval Support Activity
Bahrain Holds Disaster Drill |
MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) — A simulated
terrorist attack put emergency personnel to the test recently
during a disaster preparedness drill aboard Naval Support Activity
Bahrain.
“We held this exercise to
provide us with some data points on conducting a joint emergency
response operation aboard the installation,” said Robert
Massie, director of Emergency Services for NSA Bahrain. Story |
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| Profile |
U.S.
Navy
Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Capano |
|
 PENSACOLA,
Fla., Nov. 13, 2003 (NNS) — The only Navy pharmacist
to have deployed inside Iraq doubles as the head
of the pharmacy department at Naval Hospital Pensacola.
When he’s not “making meds” in the
desert of southern Iraq or preparing to implement the first-ever bar coding prescription
tracking device at a military medical facility, he’s taking a day off to
accept an award as the Navy’s Senior Pharmacist of the Year. More |
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Engineers 'Survey' Bagram
For Improvement Opportunities |
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 BAGRAM,
Afghanistan — Personnel
stationed at Bagram Air Base
are constantly
looking for ways to improve
the base and today is no exception
as they extend their work into
the Camp Dragon area. More |
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10th
Mountain Finances
Bagram Spending
Habits |
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 BAGRAM,
Afghanistan — On any given
day one can go to Room 210
on the second floor of the
Motel 6 building at Bagram
Air Base and see coalition
troops in a waiting line stretched
the length of the hall walkway.
From
the length of the line, one
would think that personnel
in the room are giving away
free money - and he’d
be right. More |
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| 'On The Ground' Archive |
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TOKYO, Japan, Nov. 14, 2003 — American and other coalition military forces fighting the war on terrorism are making a choice between living in freedom and living in fear, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told a crowd of service members in Guam.
