DefendAmerica 11/21/2003

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Nov 21, 2003

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WEAPONS ROUNDUP — In ongoing efforts to confiscate illegal weapons, soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, inventory munitions found in Thalatat, Iraq, Nov. 19, 2003. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jesse Artis

U.S. Continues to Round Up Insurgents and Their Weapons

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2003 – Though some attacks against them continue to take place, U.S. soldiers and Iraqi security forces continue to round up insurgents and their weapons.
Rockets apparently launched from donkey carts struck the Iraqi oil ministry and two hotels used by Westerners in Baghdad today, according to news reports. An Iraqi civilian was arrested in connection with the attacks, reports said. More

Enemy Attacks Drop 70 Percent Since Iron Hammer's Start

By John D. Banusiewicz / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2003 — Enemy attacks against the coalition in and around Baghdad have dropped by 70 percent since Operation Iron Hammer began Nov. 12, the commander of the 1st Armored Division said today.
     Army Brig. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told reporters in Baghdad and the Pentagon press corps here by video teleconference that information gathered over several weeks -- mainly from Iraqi citizens -- and pattern analysis of enemy actions have combined to make Iron Hammer "an intelligence-based, precise combat operation."
     The general said Iron Hammer is a joint operation involving the Army, the Air Force and the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps and police. "Fundamentally, we want to communicate to the enemy the high cost of continuing to resist, as well as to assure the good citizens of Baghdad of our resolve," Dempsey said. More

Terrorists Will Not Drive Wedge Between U.S. and Turkey

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2003 — Terrorist attacks in Istanbul will not drive a wedge between the United States and Turkey, but will draw them closer together, said Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz today.
     Attacks against Jewish temples in Istanbul on Nov. 15 and against the British Consulate and a British bank today, killed at least 45 people and wounded at least 700. Turkish officials said al Qaeda took credit for the Nov. 15 attacks.
     Wolfowitz and the Turkish Deputy Chief of Defense Gen. Ilker Basbug talked on the terrorist attacks in Istanbul following meetings in the Pentagon. The deputy secretary said that the terrorists are not going to succeed at splitting the United States from Turkey. "This kind of horrible act brings all decent people closer," he said. More

Iraq Weekly Progress Update (Governance, Electricity, Education, Oil, Security, Economics, Health Care)

U.S. Defense Dept. slides with facts &
figures on reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

U.S. State Dept. fact sheet on the latest developments in restoring Iraq's essential services, security, economy & governance.

Defense officials provide an update on the Coalition Provisional Authority & the Iraqi Governing Council agreement that outlines the process of restoring Iraq's sovereignty and the adoption of a permanent constitution.

President Grants Extra Time Off For War on Terror Returnees

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2003 — Federal employees returning from Guard and Reserve duty in the terror war are receiving an extra five days' "uncharged" civilian leave.
President Bush directed the move in a Nov. 14 memorandum issued to the heads of all executive departments and agencies. "As we welcome home returning federal civil servants who were called to active duty in the continuing global war on terrorism," the president wrote, "we recognize the contributions they have made in the defense of freedom. More

	U.S. Views — Quotes by President Bush & other U.S. leaders
	Defense Views — Quotes by U.S. defense leaders
	Maps of Iraq — Maps of the nation of Iraq and the region

President George W. Bush

"We did not charge hundreds of miles into the heart of Iraq and pay a bitter cost of casualties, and liberate 25 million people, only to retreat before a band of thugs and assassins."

"Freedom, by definition, must be chosen, and defended by those who choose it. Our part, as free nations, is to ally ourselves with reform, wherever it occurs."

"It is the nature of terrorism and the cruelty of a few to try to bring grief in the loss to many."

At Whitehall Palace, London, Nov. 19, 2003

82nd Airborne Division
Continues to Uncover Caches

AR RAMADI, Iraq, Nov. 20, 2003 — 82nd Airborne Division, also know as Task Force "All American," conducted missions over the past 24-hours focused on defeating former regime loyalists, criminals, and terrorists and assisting to re-establish a safe and secure environment. More

Radio

Television

Bush, Blair Pledge Solidarity
In Wake of Bombings in Turkey

By Gerry J. Gilmore / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2003 — The leaders of the United States and Great Britain today pledged to stand fast in Iraq and continue their unified fight against world terrorism as yet another apparent terrorist bombing rocked Istanbul, Turkey.
      Meeting with reporters in London, President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair both offered condolences to the estimated 25 killed and near-400 injured in separate Istanbul bombings that targeted a London-based bank and the British consulate.
      The latest attacks, which occurred just hours before the Bush-Blair press conference, followed a Nov. 15 bombing of a synagogue in Istanbul that reportedly killed 20 people and wounded 300. Both days' bombings have been attributed to al Qaeda. More

Air, Ground Raid in Qayyarah, Iraq More Photo Essays

Members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), conduct a mass air assault and raid on a village in search of weapons and smugglers near Qayyarah West, Iraqi, Nov. 19, 2003. U.S. Army Photo by Sgt Justin Harris 6 More Photos

28th Combat Support Hospital Soldier Invents Life-Saving Device

By Sgt. Mark Bell / 372nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BAGHDAD, Iraq — What do cardboard, plastic pipe, tape and a hair dryer have in common? Probably nothing, but add Staff Sgt. Adam R. Irby into the equation and you get an effective life-saving device proven in combat situations.
As the 25-year-old ward master, from Yorktown, Va., for the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) of the 28th Combat Support Hospital, from Fort Bragg, N.C., which is currently deployed in support of Operation Iraq Freedom, Irby said they needed something to warm patients who have lost a large amount of blood. More

416th Engineer Group Introduces 'Task Force Gryphon' to Afghanistan

By U.S. Army Sgt. Johnny A. Thompson / 4th Public Affairs Detachment

BAGRAM, Afghanistan — In a transfer of authority ceremony Nov. 16 at the Army Engineer's compound, Bagram was introduced to a Gryphon. The Gryphon is Task Force Gryphon, the 416th Engineer Group, a National Guard unit from Walbridge, Ohio. The new headquarters has command responsiblity for the engineering mission for CJTF-180.
"Our mission is to provide command and control for the engineering groups within the CJTF-180 Combine Joint Operations Area," said Col. Allan Rogers, commander of the 416th Eng. Group. More

Photos made into a collage are displayed along with the traditional military memorial service in Honor of fallen soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Camp Cherry in Tall Afar, Iraq on Nov. 19, 2003. Pfc. Damian L. Heidelberg was a battalion mail delivery clerk and was killed en rout back from pass to continue his duties in support of Operation Iraq Freedom. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew Siemion

Units Mourn Loss of Soldiers
Killed in Black Hawk Crashes

By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Mark Swart and Spc. Joshua Hutcheson
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Public Affairs Office

MOSUL, Iraq (Nov. 20, 2003) – More than 1,000 soldiers from units across the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) spent nearly two days honoring the 17 soldiers who died Nov. 15 in a two-helicopter crash over Mosul.
The ceremonies took place at the soldiers’ respective battalion headquarters in both Mosul and Tallafar, in a total of six ceremonies over the two-day period. More

. Origin of the 21-Gun Salute . Origin of "Taps"

School Back in Session in Western Abu Ghraib

By U.S. Army Spc. Chad D. Wilkerson / 372nd Moblile Public Affairs Det.

BAGHDAD, Iraq – For students in the United States, school has been in session for months now — continuing on its regular seasonal schedule.
Many school children in Baghdad, who have been out of school since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, have needed the help of some of the Coalition’s best and brightest to get their educations back on track. More

On Iraq

. Coalition Provisional Authority Puts $10M Bounty on al-Douri

. President Says 3 Pillars Sustain March to Freedom, Justice

. 82nd Airborne Commander: Al Anbar Security Improving

. Raids in Iraq Net 99 Suspects as Insurgents are Rooted Out

. Presence of U.S. Forces in Iraq May Continue After June

. Ambassador Bremer: 'Future of Hope' in Iraq Includes Justice

Military News

. Former'Iron Soldier'Chosen as New Sergeant Major of the Army

. DoD's Force Transformation Director Named to 'Scientific American 50'

. U.S. to Transfer 10 Missions to South Korean Military

. National Guard, Reserve Update

Profile

U.S. Marine Lance
Cpl. Justin S. Bailey

Lance Cpl. Justin S. Bailey, a crew chief with 2nd Amphibious Assault Battalion, stands flanked by his Marine parents Master Sgt. Tina M. Bailey, and his father, Capt. Jeff R. Bailey. Bailey was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal with Combat 'V' device for his actions while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Photo by: Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.(Nov. 17, 2003) — Going to Iraq wasn't as strange an experience for Lance Cpl. Justin S. Bailey as it was for his fellow Marines of 2nd Amphibious Assault Battalion. By the time he turned 21, he had been all over the world.
With both of his parents in the Marine Corps, he'd lived in a few different countries by the time he finished high school. Nothing he experienced as a Marine Corps family member prepared him for what he would face on the streets of An Nasiriyah during Operation Iraqi Freedom. More

More Profiles

One 82nd Airborne Div. Soldier Killed, Two Wounded in Attack

      BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 21, 2003 — A 82nd Airborne Division soldier was killed and two wounded, when their convoy was attacked with two improvised explosive devices east of Ar Ramadi at approximately 2:40 p.m. Nov. 20, according to U.S. Central Command offiicials.
       The wounded soldiers were evacuated to the 28th Combat Support Hospital for treatment. They are in stable condition.
       The names of the soldiers are being withheld pending next-of-kin notification.
      This incident is under investigation.

4th Infantry Div. Soldier Killed

      TIKRIT, Iraq — One 4th Infantry Division soldier was killed during a combat patrol when the soldier’s vehicle struck an improvised explosive device near Al Ghalibiyah, 15 km west of Baqubah, at approximately 10 p.m. Nov. 20.
      The soldier’s name is being withheld pending next-of-kin notification.
      The incident is under investigation.

Honoring the Fallen

4-1 Field Artillery Pay Final Tribute

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A family of more than 400 soldiers gathered Nov. 17 to say a final farewell to one of their brothers, Spc. Irving Medina, who was killed Nov. 14 in Baghdad, when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near the convoy in which he was traveling.
He was a member of the ammunition platoon of Service Battery, 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, which is part of the 1st Armored Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team. The battalion, 4-1 FA, is nicknamed the Gunner Battalion. More

Transformation

New Protection Ahead
In Helmets, Body Armor

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2003 — New, reinforced helmets and body armor being fielded to the military today represent just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what's on the drawing board for protecting warfighters of the future.
Tomorrow's fighting force will have far superior protective systems that provide enhanced capabilities while imposing less weight on the user, according to officials at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center http://www.natick.army.mil/ at Natick, Mass. The center conducts research and product development for all the military services. More

Sailors Receive Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation

NAVAL WEAPONS STATION CHARLESTON, S.C., Nov. 21, 2003 (NNS) — Senior Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (EOD) Larry Sabin was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, and 13 others were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation during a ceremony held at Naval Weapons Station Charleston, Nov. 14, for their support during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
It’s a rare occasion that any servicemember is presented the Bronze Star Medal. The medal is awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement of service, not involving aerial flight, in connection with operations against an opposing armed force. More

Send Your 'Best Wishes' to the Troops
Pay tribute to service members supporting the global war on terrorism. Send your message. Read messages to the troops.

Sports Legend Offers
Game Plan for Success

Joe Gibbs, former head coach of the Washington Redskins, speaks to attendees at a Pentagon prayer breakfast Nov. 20. Listening to Gibbs is Army Maj. Gen. Stanley E. Green, Army deputy inspector general. Photo by 1st Lt. Steve Alvarez, USA

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2003 – Then-Washington Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs had just won his first Super Bowl when he literally cashed in on the accomplishment. The team's owner awarded him a cash bonus, but later Gibbs learned that the owner would stand to make a lot more money than the paltry $70,000 Gibbs received. More

Sign an On-line Thank You Note

In Afghanistan

Logistics Task Force
Delivers Supplies from the Heart

Chap. (1st Lt.) Tino Villalovas hands out a blanket to an apprehensive Afghan girl during LTF 129's delivery of humanitarian aid to local villages. Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Keith Thompson / 4th Public Affairs Detachment

BAGRAM, Afghanistan — The philanthropic nature of Logistics Task Force 129, which began with an ice cream delivery to a school a few months ago, blossomed Nov. 19 into a special delivery for three local villages. More

. Warriors Return to Fight War Against Terrorism

In Djibouti

. Medical Unit Increases Capabilities

. Navy Petty Officer Adopts Djiboutian Child

'On The Ground' Archive