DefendAmerica 12/14/2003

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Dec 14, 2003

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SADDAM IN CUSTODY — U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander, Joint Task Force Seven, gives a press conference of the capture of Saddam Hussein in Tikrit, Iraq, Dec.14, 2003. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Reynaldo Ramon

PRESIDENT BUSH

Saddam Capture Ushers in ‘Hopeful Day’ for Iraqi People

By Donna Miles / American Forces Press Service

      WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2003 — President Bush praised the “superb skill and precision by a brave fighting force” that led to the 4th Infantry Division’s Dec. 13 capture of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, which Bush said “marks the end of the road for him, and for all who bullied and killed in his name.“
      The president said in a televised address today that Saddam’s capture “was crucial to the rise of a free Iraq.” He said it sends the unequivocal message to Baathist holdouts blamed for current violence in Iraq that “there will be no return to the corrupt power and privilege they once held.”
      He assured the Iraqi people that “a dark and painful era in the history of Iraq is finally over,” and that Saddam’s “torture chambers and the secret police are gone forever.” More

'WE GOT HIM'

4th Infantry Captures Saddam In Remote Village Near Tikrit

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

Photo of Saddam Hussein shown during a briefing at the Iraqi Forum in Baghdad, Dec. 14, 2003. Troops from the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team captured former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein without incident Dec. 13. Saddam was found hiding in a storehouse at a remote farmhouse near Tikrit, Iraq. Defense Dept. photo.       WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2003 — With three words – "We got him" – Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III announced at a press briefing in Baghdad today that U.S. forces had captured Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein near his hometown of Tikrit.
      Saddam was taken into custody at a small mud-walled compound outside the village of Adwar at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 13.
      About 600 members of the 1st Brigade, 4 th Infantry Division, along with special operations forces, launched Operation Red Dawn after receiving intelligence that Saddam was in the area, said Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of coalition forces in the country. More

Iraqi Cooperation Credited
For Precise Coalition Strikes

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

      WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2003 —Thanks to Iraqi cooperation, coalition forces are making precise offensive strikes to capture or kill former regime forces and anti-coalition fighters, the military commander in the country said today.
     Speaking in Baghdad, Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of Combined Joint Task Force-7, said the coalition is receiving "actionable" intelligence from the Iraqi people and that is making for success for the coalition.
      In the west of the country, Iraqi police and soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division captured the cell that was responsible for the Nov. 29 attack on a Spanish convoy that resulted in the deaths of seven Spanish officials. More

Maj. Gen. Odierno: Saddam was ‘Disoriented and Bewildered’

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2003 — Saddam Hussein had been living in “two small rooms in an adobe hut” and seemed disoriented and bewildered when captured by U.S. soldiers, the general in command of those soldiers said today.
      Army Maj. Gen Ray Odierno, commander of the 4th Infantry Division, during a briefing from Iraq shortly after 11 a.m. EST, described the area in which Saddam was caught.
      The small compound near the village of Adwar is about 15 miles southeast of Saddam’s hometown of Tikrit, which generally is considered the seat of resistance in the country. The immediate area contained two farmhouses, a farmer’s field, a sheep pen, and a hut in the middle where Saddam was hiding. It was close to the Tigris River, and soldiers found boats nearby, Odierno said. More

ON SADDAM'S CAPTURE

Defense Secretary
Donald H. Rumsfeld

"Today is a momentous day for the Iraqi people. The Iraqi people have now been liberated in spirit, as well as in fact. As they celebrate, we also stop to remember the many U.S. and Coalition forces who gave their lives to make this moment possible – including many brave Iraqis who served in their new security forces and who have died fighting for their country.
"Thanks to all of them, the Iraqi people face a future, not of terror, but of freedom. Today, many Iraqis can dare to believe what we have said from the beginning: that the era of the brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein is over. His terrorist regime is finished. More

U.S. Army
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez      "Today is a great day for the Iraqi people and for the Coalition. Last night at approximately 8:00 p.m. local, forces from the 4th Infantry Division commanded by Major General Ray Odierno together with Coalition Special Operations Forces conducted Operation Red Dawn to capture the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. This was done during a cordon and search operation at a remote farmhouse near the city of Tikrit.
      "There were no injuries, and in fact not a single shot was fired. Saddam Hussein, the captive, has been talkative and is being cooperative." More
Briefing Transcript     Briefing Slides

COALITION PARTNERS

British Prime Minister Tony Blair

"The shadow of Saddam is finally lifted from the Iraqi people. We give thanks for that, but let this be more than a cause simply for rejoicing. Let it be a moment to reach out and to reconcile.
"To the Sunnis whose allegiance Saddam falsely claimed I say there is a place for you playing a full part in a new and a democratic Iraq. To those formally in Saddam's Party, there by force and not by conviction, I say we can put the past behind us. Where his rule meant terror and division and brutality let his capture bring about unity, reconciliation and peace between all the people in Iraq. Statement

New Benefits Help Families
Visit Injured Sailors, Marines

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2003 (NNS) — Recent changes in Navy regulations will allow the Navy's the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery to provide financial assistance for up to two non-military family members who are traveling to be with a hospitalized sailor or Marine. The financial assistance, or per diem, covers the daily allowance for travel, lodging and meals.
“Recent additions to the joint federal travel regulation allow (the bureau) to reimburse parents or other family members traveling to a hospital to visit a sick or injured sailor or Marine," said Petty Officer 1st Class Douglas N. Elsesser. Story

Radio

Television

Reconstruction Team Opens at Kandahar, Operations Continue

By Gerry J. Gilmore / American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2003 — Many local and Afghan dignitaries attended the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team grand opening yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force-180 officials said at a news conference. Dignitaries attending included Kandahar Governor Yusuf Pashtun, U.S. Ambassador Xalmay Khalilzad and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. David Barno. This is the seventh Provincial Reconstruction Team opening; in the next several months, five more are scheduled to open at Jalalabad, Khowst, Ghazni, Asadabad, and Qalat.
In eastern, southeastern, and southern Afghanistan, Operation Avalanche continues. More

Norfolk Ships to Return
From Six-Month Deployment

NORFOLK, Dec. 11, 2003 (NNS) — More than 600 sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Stout and the guided-missile frigate USS Nicholas will return to their homeport in Norfolk, Va., Dec. 16, after a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea.
During the deployment, Stout participated in the Standing Naval Forces Mediterranean, a NATO Task Force made up of ships from the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. Nicholas conducted queries on more than 350 merchant ships, supporting the global war on terrorism. More

Army Ocularist Restores Eyes, Provides Renewed Confidence

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2003 — Officials at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., report that four to five of the wounded troops returning to the center from Iraq each month for medical care suffer from eye injuries. Among them are Sgt. Gary Boss and Spc. Eric Lanstrum; both soldiers lost an eye during attacks by insurgents. Aiding in their recovery at the medical center is Vince Przybyla, the only ocularist in the Defense Department and one of fewer than 100 in the country who can make prosthetic eyes. He's using his unique skills to restore these soldiers' appearance and confidence – and in many cases, preparing them to return to full duty.

. Prosthetic Eyes Improve Patients' Outlook

. Walter Reed Ocularist Treats Eye Injuries

Mail Call More Photo Essays

Senior Airman Terra Mason, a U.S. Air Force postal worker, opens her own package that arrived by mail at Baghdad International Airport, December 11, 2003. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Lisa M. Zunzanyika 4 More Photos

U.S. Soldiers See Iraq's Future In New Civil Defense Recruits

By U.S. Army Capt. Adam Smith / 350th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

AL QAIM, Iraq, Dec. 7, 2003 — The newest graduates of the Iraqi Civilian Defense Corps stood tall in their new brown uniforms, AK-47 rifles slung across their backs or loosely held next to them and helmets resting on their heads.
For many soldiers who entered Iraq after the end of major ground combat, this was the first time they had seen an armed and uniformed Iraqi force. American soldiers, armed and ready for combat, stood around the outside, offering words of encouragement, smiles and occasional thumbs up to cross the language barrier. More

U.S. Army Reserve Troops Help Renovate Iraqi Elementary School

By U.S. Army Maj. Bobby Hart / 143rd Transportation Command

AN NASIRIYAH, Dec. 11, 2003 — The good feeling may not last forever once school-aged children near Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq figure out what U.S. soldiers have done for them, but on Dec. 7, it was all smiles as a group of more than two dozen children joined soldiers and community leaders as they opened the renovated Zahour Elementary School.
Soldiers from the Army Reserve’s 486th Civil Affairs Battalion and 171st Area Support Group teamed up to rebuild the school that had fallen into disrepair near the city of An Nasiriyah-site of some of Operation Iraqi Freedom’s most fierce fighting and where 17 Italian peacekeepers were killed recently. More

Gamble's Deployment Journal
First Few Days at Fort Bliss

Army Staff Sgt. Zeno Gamble, a Gulf War veteran, is one of the thousands of reservists who have been called to active duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Gamble left his civilian job at the Pentagon Dec. 7 for Fort Bliss, Texas, for training before flying out to the Persian Gulf. During his deployment, Gamble plans to share some of journal entries with the readers of DefendAmerica.mil.

     Dec. 11, 2003 — Part three of the Code of Conduct states: "I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy."
      I find special meaning in this part of the code. I have never been in a position to be captured nor held hostage. I certainly do not know what it is like to be held against my will, and I doubt that I ever will. However, I do know that I feel an obligation to my countrymen never to betray them. To accept any sort of bribe from a captor while your fellow men suffer is not an honorable thing. There are bonds formed between soldiers that should never be broken.
      Here in the open bay barracks at Fort Bliss, I frequently see the soldiers trying to pass the time together. More

Global War on Terrorism

. Myers: Transformation Vital to Fighting Global War On Terror

On Iraq

. Defense Auditors Investigate Potential KBR Overcharges

. Defense Dept., Coalition Look Into Iraqi Army Resignations

. Iraqis Stage Widespread Rallies To Show Support for Coalition

On Afghanistan

. Rumsfeld Meets with Karzai, Notes Progress in Afghanistan

Military News

. No War Trophies Allowed From Iraq, Afghanistan

. National Guard Family Programs Offer Tips on Deployment Issues

. Ballistic Missile Defense Test Successful

. No War Trophies Allowed From Iraq, Afghanistan

. National Guard, Reserve Update

Court Proceedings
Slated for Arabic Translator

      SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, ILL. — The military judge appointed to preside over the court martial case involving Senior Airman Ahmad I. Al Halabi, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., has scheduled the court martial's initial session for Dec. 15 at Travis.
       At this session, the military judge, Colonel Barbara G. Brand of the Central Circuit Judiciary, Randolph AFB, Texas, is expected to arraign Al Halabi and hear pre-trial motions.
      The panel of military members selected to hear the case will not be present at this initial session. More

Send your 'Best Wishes' to the men and women in uniform supporting the global war on terror
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Florida Man Pounds
Pavement for the Troops

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2003 - A Naples, Fla., man walked 45 miles last weekend-from the Naples City Hall to the Fort Myers City Hall-to pay tribute to U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. More

'Treasures' Program Offers
Chance to Support Troops

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2003 — The public's response to the American Red Cross "Treasures for Troops" program has been overwhelming, Gwynn Schneider, associate with Armed Forces Emergency Services, Headquarters ARC, said here Dec. 10.
More

Sign an On-line Thank You Note

Defense Officials
Identify Army Casualties

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2003 — Defense Department officials announced today the deaths of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Officials also announced a soldier supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom has been listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown. More

Incirlik Clothing Donations Support
Wounded Troops During Recovery

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey, Dec. 12, 2003 — Volunteers from the 39th Operations Squadron recently mailed approximately 3,200 pounds of clothing donated by base personnel to support wounded combat troops at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany. Troops will use the clothes during their recovery. More

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Tristan Nillo, a sailor aboard USS Enterprise in the Arabian Gulf, sends holiday greetings to his loved ones at home. U.S. Navy Photo by Seaman Justin N. McGarry

. Maps of Iraq

. Maps of Afghanistan

Profile

U.S. Army
Brig. Gen. Ennis C. Whitehead III

Brig. Gen. Ennis C. Whitehead is promoted during a ceremony at Arifjan, Kuwait

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait — It can be pretty tough to get much respect in the Whitehead family.
Although Ennis C. (Jim) Whitehead III recently was promoted to brigadier general, he would still be the junior officer in his family, as both his grandfather and father outrank him. More

More Profiles

Tenth-Grade Winners
Offer Their Insights

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2003 — “Freedom means being able to enjoy all the liberties and responsibilities entrusted to me and my fellow Americans by our founding fathers,” wrote Katie Graham from Grand Blanc, Mich., in her submission to the Weekly Reader’s Operation Tribute to Freedom essay contest. More

More essays

In Afghanistan

Marine Battalion
Joins Bagram Team

BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2003 — As the pursuit of al Queda and Taliban forces continues in Afghanistan, the number of the coalition force troops have increased as the 2nd Battalion, 8th Regiment of the 2nd Marine Division, recently arrived here to support the efforts of Combined Joint Task Force-180. More

. Paving the Way To Bagram's Stability

'On The Ground' Archive