DefendAmerica 12/10/2003

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Dec 10, 2003

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TIGHTENING TRACKS — U.S. Army Pvt. Ommar Zavala of C Company, 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment torques the newly installed treads on his M109A6 Palladin self-propelled howitzer. Zavala is a cannon crewmember stationed at Camp Thunder in Iraq as part of Task Force Ironhorse. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Troy Chatwin

U.S. Defense Leaders Outline Conditions for Success in Iraq

By Donna Miles / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2003 — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today outlined the conditions to be met for the coalition to achieve its goals in Iraq: Iraqi self-governance, responsibility for its own internal security and a growing economy that encourages people "to come back to the country rather than leave."
     Also critical, he told Pentagon reporters, is that Iraq remain one country that does not pose a threat to its neighbors and that it "have a governance system that is respectful of the diverse elements within the country – religious and ethnic."
     Rumsfeld acknowledged that achieving these goals, which he called "the vision, the direction, and the hope of the coalition countries," is not going to happen overnight.
     "This is going to take some time," he said. "It has taken time in every country on the face of the earth when they go from a dictatorship to something like that." More     Briefing

America's Veterans Purchased Nation's Freedom, Myers Says

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Va., Dec. 9, 2003 — Throughout America's history, veterans "purchased the freedom we enjoy today," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said here today.
Myers spoke to more than 4,000 veterans at the "Salute to Military Aviation Veterans" at the Smithsonian Institution's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The salute was part of the opening ceremonies for the $311 million center, a part of the National Air and Space Museum. The center opens to the public on Dec. 15, just before the centennial of the Wright brothers' flight on Dec. 17. More

Black Market, Hoarders & Strike Cause Gas Shortage in Iraq

By Gerry J. Gilmore / American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2003 — Black marketers, hoarding and a recently ended transportation strike combined to cause a shortage of gasoline in some areas of Iraq, a senior Coalition Provisional Authority spokesman told reporters at a Dec. 8 Baghdad press briefing. More

Troop Rotations Won't Affect Readiness, Defense Leaders Say

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2003 — Troop rotations in Iraq during the next several months will create a temporary transition time in Iraq – but will in no way affect U.S. readiness in Iraq or anywhere else in the world, Defense leaders told Pentagon reporters today.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld acknowledged that moving a large percentage of the 123,000 combat-experienced troops from Iraq will create a temporary sense of turbulence, which he said "is always undesirable." 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.

Send your 'Best Wishes' to the men and women in uniform supporting the global war on terror
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Video Project Sends
‘Hearts Across Water’

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 4, 2003 (Army News Service) — Duty in Baghdad kept U.S. Army Pfc. Al Simons away from his family’s Thanksgiving dinner, but an American Red Cross project is making sure he’ll soon get a recap of the holiday feast. More

Sign an On-line Thank You Note

101st Airborne Div. Troops
Hit Fedayeen Stronghold

MOSUL, Iraq, Dec. 10, 2003 — The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) captured numerous Fedayeen, Saddam and other former regime elements during two operations in northern Iraq, according to U.S. Central Command officials.
The Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team conducted simultaneous cordon-and-knock operations against 34 targets across Mosul early Wednesday. They detained 52 individuals, including a former Fedayeen brigadier general and other officers and Ba'ath Party loyalists. More

Radio

Television

Raid in Huwaji More Photo Essays

Soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate)'s Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry carry Kalashnikov assault rifles captured during early morning raids in Huwaji, Iraq, during Operation Lightning Bayonet, Dec. 2, 2003. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Troy Chatwin 8 More Photos

Blast Wounds 31 U.S. Soldiers In Iraq; Stryker Accident Kills 3

By Gerry J. Gilmore / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2003 — A car bomb exploded early today outside a U.S. military compound west of Mosul, Iraq, wounding 31 American soldiers, according to U.S. Central Command.
     The good news, said CENTCOM spokesman Marine Maj. Pete Mitchell, was that the vehicle wasn't permitted to get closer to a building where U.S. troops were billeted.
     "It's a testament to the way we are organized over there in terms of force protection," Mitchell pointed out. More

Soldier Dies in Mosul Shooting; Offensive Operations Continue

By John D. Banusiewicz / American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2003 — A drive-by shooting attack today on soldiers guarding a gas station in Mosul, Iraq, left one coalition soldier dead, even as coalition forces continue to take the offensive against the enemies of a stable and free Iraq, officials said today at the headquarters of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad.
A U.S. Central Command news release said the soldier who was killed was a member of the Army's 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) whose name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. More Briefing

Despite Challenges, Engineers Push on with Bridge Mission

By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Liana Mayo / 244th Combat Heavy Engineer Battalion

U.S. Army Capt. Darryl M. Butler, facility engineer for the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, Task Force 1st Armored Division, inspects a new Modified Protection for un-armored Humvees kit before it is lowered onto a Humvee. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Chad D. Wilkerson

TIKRIT, Iraq - On a crisp November evening, as shadows stretched along the banks of the Tigris River, six soldiers from the 652nd Assault Float Bridge Engineer Company climbed out of the multi-purpose boat and fanned out along the cliff.
While some pulled security, others pushed through the tall reeds along the river’s edge to retrieve a pontoon that had escaped its restraints when the river rose the night before. More

Army Reserve Unit Renovates Two Abu Ghraib Primary Schools

By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Conrad College / 372nd Mobile Public Affairs Det.

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 9, 2003 — Smiling and laughing, happy school children, in grades 1 through 6, returned to two newly renovated primary schools in the Abu Ghraib area of western Baghdad in November.
A team from the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Abilene, Texas, managed renovations and repairs at the two schools, Ruqia Primary School and Al-Fayha Primary School. More

U.S. Troops Help Search for Lost Kuwaitis

KUWAIT CITY, Dec. 3, 2003 — A group of Army Reservists working for the 377th Theater Support Command from New Orleans is helping the Kuwaiti government unravel a decade-old puzzle that results from one of that country's darkest periods.
The Reservists, from various Civil Affairs units from around the United States, are working with the Kuwaitis as they try to determine what happened to 605 people-including 572 Kuwaitis and workers from eight other countries-who were taken prisoner by Iraq during its occupation of Kuwait, which began in August 2,1990 and lasted until the liberation on Feb. 26, 1991. More

International Partners

U.S., French Forces Make
History with Commando School

Service members with Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa conduct Zodiac training with a French Foreign Legion instructor during French Commando Training at Arta Plage. The training was the first time American forces have gone through the three-week commando course that was held by French Foreign Legion instructors. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Bradly Shaver

ARTA PLAGE, Djibouti, Dec. 7, 2003 — Personnel supporting the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa made history recently when they became the first Americans to graduate from the French Commando School here.
Twenty soldiers and five Marines completed the three-week course and received the French Commando medal and a certificate of completion. U.S. Army Master Sgt. Chris Fields said the training with the French is essential to the mission in the Horn of Africa of detecting, deterring and defeating transnational terrorists in the region. More

Delegates' Meeting Focuses on
Ways to Spur Economic Growth

By U.S. Army Spc. Samuel A. Soza / 367th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

FORWARD OPERATING BASE IRONHORSE, TIKRIT, Iraq, Dec. 8, 2003 — Delegates of nearly twenty nongovernmental and international organizations met with military and community leaders recently in the Salah Ad Din province to discuss plans to jumpstart the economy in the Taskforce Ironhorse area of operation.
The goal of the conference was to link the different groups with Iraqi businesses in an effort to stimulate the local economy, while addressing the needs of the Iraqi people, said Lt. Col. Wayne A. Steltz, a native of Virginia Beach, Va., who serves as the operations officer in the 358th Civil Affair Battalion out of Norristown, Pa. More

Operation Rifles Blitz:
'Bandit Troop' Goes on the Offensive

     HUSAYBAH, Iraq — Bandit Troop, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, from Fort Carson, Colo., went on the offensive in one of Iraq’s most volatile towns, Husaybah during Operation Rifles Blitz.
      "It's a nice place to visit, but I would hate to live here," said Pfc. Carl Roush, a scout with Bandit Troop.
      Roush and the others of Bandit Troop recalled their stay in the city’s Baath Party headquarters from Oct. 18 to Nov. 8 and Operation Rifles Blitz began Nov. 20. Story

Global War on Terrorism

. Myers: Transformation Vital to Fighting Global War On Terror

. Rumsfeld in Azerbaijan; Talks Include NATO, War on Terror

On Iraq

. Insurgent Success Rate Down, 4th Infantry Gen. Tells Sec Def

. Bush Surprises Troops, World With Thanksgiving in Baghdad

On Afghanistan

. Rumsfeld Meets with Karzai, Notes Progress in Afghanistan

. Rumsfeld Visits Afghanistan, Praises Reconstruction Team

Military News

. Wolfowitz Accepts Patriot Award On U.S. Defense Team's Behalf

. National Guard, Reserve Update

Defense Officials
Identify Army Casualty

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2003 — Defense Department officials announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
      Pfc. Jason G. Wright, 19, of Luzerne, Mich., was killed Dec. 8 in Mosul, Iraq. Wright was on security duty when his vehicle came under fire from a passing vehicle. Wright died as a result of his injuries.
      Wright was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
      The incident is under investigation.

	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

Secretary of Defense
Donald H. Rumsfeld

“We can expect that the terrorists will continue to adjust their tactics. The road ahead, I'm afraid, will be difficult, and dangers do remain. But the coalition will prevail...We'll continue taking the battle to the terrorists. And...the coalition will stay as long as it takes to finish the job, and leave only when the task is finished.”

Remarks during briefing, Dec. 9, 2003

Provincial Reconstruction Team Will Open Kandahar Location

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Dec. 9, 2003 — The Provincial Reconstruction Team will hold a ceremony Dec. 11 to mark the opening of the its Kandahar location, according to Combined Joint Task Force 180 (Afghanistan) officials.
The team works with the citizens of Kandahar and local leaders to rebuild and develop the community and maintain peace and security in the region. Team activities are coordinated with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, non-governmental organizations and international associations.

. Maps of Iraq

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, December 9, 2003 — A Pakistani engineer working on the Ring Road project near Mukur in the Ghazni province was killed when he and five other workers - two other Pakistani engineers and three Afghans -- were attacked with small arms fire by an undetermined enemy element about 5 p.m. Monday. Local investigating officials report that a suspect has been placed under control for questioning. More

More Afghanistan Update Details

. Maps of Afghanistan

Profile

U.S. Army Sgt. Jon Links

BAGRAM, Afghanistan — A 26-mile run recently took a soldier one step closer to a goal he has set out to accomplish as a competition between friends while taking advantage of the race's location to get ahead of the others.
U.S. Army Sgt. Jon Links from the 416th Engineer Group participated in a Bagram relay run that many troops on post had entered. But when Links finished the first leg of the relay and handed the race off to the next member of his team, he turned around and continued running with his teammate. More

More Profiles

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jon Gray, aboard the USS Enterprise in the Arabian Gulf, sends holiday greetings home to his loved ones. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Justin N. McGarry

Eighth-Grade Winners
Offer Their Insights

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2003 — For eighth-graders, at the crossroads between childhood and adolescence, freedom is about making their own choices and, in the words of Kelly Jackson from Euless, Texas, “becoming more independent and spreading our wings for the first time.” More

. More essays

In Iraq

Improvised Armor Adds Protection

Staff Sgt. Roman Moreno of the 358th Civil Affairs Brigade, an Army Reserve unit from Norristown, Pa., removes panels in his Humvee, which will latter be outfitted with armor plating. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Melissa Walther

BAGHDAD, Iraq — As convoys throughout Iraq continue to come under attack, some soldiers are adding additional protection in the form of innovative armor plating on their vehicles.
Members of the 358th Civil Affairs Brigade weren’t satisfied with relying on sandbags to fortify their vehicles so they are installing armor kits that were designed by U.S. military personnel and constructed by local Iraqi contractors. More

. Coffee House Percolates With Soldiers

. U.S. Army Reserve MPs Train Iraqi Police

In Djibouti

Marine Unit Develops New
Skills for Djibouti Deployment

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti, Dec. 7, 2003 — The anti-terrorism force responsible for the security of Camp Lemonier and of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa fine-tuned their skills at Marine Corps Security Forces Training Command in Chesapeake, Va. before deploying here in November. More

'On The Ground' Archive