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Dec 18, 2003

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COMBAT CAMERA — Reggie Ratcliff and Staff Sgt. Ronald VanAusdal teach several members of Joint Combat Camera Center staff how to lower the feed horn of the imagery transmission satellite system at Baghdad International Airport, Iraq, Dec. 15, 2003. Members of Combat Camera are in Iraq establishing a satellite imagery management system for deployed teams throughout the theater to transmit photos and video back to a central location. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt John M. Foster

Wolfowitz Calls Spread of Mass Terror Weapons 'Urgent Threat'

By U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample / American Force Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2003 — "The spread of weapons of mass terror is one of the most urgent threats facing the globe today," Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told members of the Proliferation Security Initiative here today.
     Wolfowitz addressed the group, in which 16 nations are represented, during Proliferation Security Initiative's conference at the National Defense University.
     "The threat is global, and our response has to be global as well," he said. "We have to address this threat now, before an attack that would make the events of Sept. 11 pale in comparison." More

4th Infantry Div. Follows Up Big Catch with Samarra Operation

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

     KIRKUK, Iraq, Dec. 17, 2003 – The Army's 4th Infantry Division is continuing its aggressive fight against enemy cells with a raid in Samarra that picked up 73 men and a significant amount of material useful in making improvised explosive devices.
     Army Maj . Gen. Raymond Ordierno, the division commander, said the operation against the Samarra cell continues. He said the operation acknowledges that despite the division's capture of Saddam Hussein Dec. 13, a lot of work remains in Iraq.
     "We think it was a complete cell we caught at a meeting," Ordierno said during an interview in Kirkuk. He was in the northern Iraqi city to meet with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers. More

Capture of Saddam Not Luck, But Skill, Gen. Abizaid Says

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

     KIRKUK, Iraq, Dec. 17, 2003 — Coalition successes in Iraq – including the capture of Saddam Hussein – are not the result of lucky breaks, but the patient, exacting work of intelligence professionals and the soldiers who act on their information, U.S.Central Command chief Army Gen. John Abizaid said.
     Abizaid met with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers during a stop in this northern Iraqi city. He spoke with the press traveling with Myers.
     Abizaid said the key to fighting any insurgency is isolating the enemy. More

Terror War Continues, Rumsfeld Says, Despite Saddam's Capture

By Donna Miles / American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2003 — While the Iraqi people were liberated "in fact" in April, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today that the Dec. 13 capture of Saddam Hussein liberated them "in spirit."
"When the coalition liberated Iraq, we told the Iraqi people that he would not be returning, except as a prisoner to face justice," the secretary told Pentagon reporters. "And the U.S. forces have now delivered on that promise." More Briefing

. Myers Speaks on Saddam's Leadership, Need for New Iraq

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.

. Maps of Iraq

Defense Dept. Launches
Transformation Web Site

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2003 — Transformation is vital to the Defense Department’s war on terrorism, according to Chris Willcox, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public liaison. To provide a more complete picture of transformation initiatives, the Defense Department today launched a new Web site that focuses on transformation policy, equipment, training, people and programs.
     "There is a lot of transformation news out there right now, but it's scattered, and people interested in the topic have to surf many sites to get the total picture,” Willcox said. “Our goal is to provide that total picture and highlight specific areas in the transformation arena."
     To read how new technologies are making life easier and safer for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, go to the Transformation Web site at www.dod.mil/transformation

Stryker Brigade Encounters
First Combat in Iraq

Soldiers of Battle Company, 5th Battalion - 20 Infantry, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) conduct route reconnaissance, a presence patrol, a civilian assessment and combat operations contributing to the stability of Samarra, Iraq, Dec. 15. Photo by Spc. Clinton Tarzia FORWARD OPERATING BASE PACESETTER, Iraq, Dec. 17, 2003 (Army News Service) — Infantrymen from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, took to the roads and villages north of Baghdad on Dec. 14, patrolling to keep the peace.
As darkness fell on Forward Operating Base Pacesetter, the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Soldiers made final checks on their weapons systems and equipment. More

Army's Sergeant Major Tilley
Will Accompany USO Tour

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2003 (Army News Service) — Sgt. Maj. of the Army Jack Tilley will lead a team of soldiers and stars on a Christmas tour overseas for the last time as the Army's top enlisted soldier. The tour will visit troops serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
The "Hope and Freedom" show is being dedicated to the memory of longtime USO supporter and comedian Bob Hope. Tilley, country music singers Daryl Worley and Mark Wills, comedian Al Franken, and "J.A.G." star Karri Turner, are headlining the eight-day trip. "I'm really excited about this trip," Tilley said. "We just want to bring a little piece of home to soldiers during this difficult time. I spent the holidays in Vietnam away from my family and it makes a difference knowing people are thinking about you." Story

KC-10 Crew Flies Flag of Hope

Airmen from a KC-10 Extender crew display the one-of-a-kind flag made by Iowa schoolchildren that the air crew flew over Iraq. Clockwise from left are Staff Sgt. C.D. Schmeid, Airman 1st Class Dustin Sharpmack, 1st Lt. Trace Dotson and Capt. Troy Panon. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Brandi Branch OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Dec. 16 , 2003 (AFPN) — A KC-10 Extender crew at a forward-deployed location carried a special message of hope and peace on their flight over Iraq on Dec. 9.
As part of the project “Hands on America,” the crew displayed from their boom window an 86-by-76-inch American Flag hand-crafted by Iowa school students. In doing so, the crew became part of a larger effort to honor the victims of Sept. 11, 2001, and their families, and the continuing war on terror. More

Radio

Television

Myers and USO Visit the Troops More Photo Essays

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 7, greets Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard Myers as he arrives at Baghdad International Airport, Iraq, Dec. 16, 2003. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Lisa M. Zunzanyika 5 More Photos

Rumsfeld Asks CIA to Oversee Saddam Hussein Interrogations

By Donna Miles / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2003 — The Central Intelligence Agency will oversee the interrogations of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told Pentagon reporters today.
     "I have asked (CIA Director) George Tenet to be responsible for the handling of the interrogation of Saddam Hussein and his people," Rumsfeld said.
     The CIA, he explained, will serve as "the regulator" over the interrogations, determining who will conduct them and what questions they will ask, and managing the intelligence that flows from the interrogations. More

Saddam Documents Yield Info
On Regime Diehards, Funding

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

     BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 16, 2003 — Intelligence gathered during the capture of Saddam Hussein already is making Baghdad a safer place.
      Army Brig. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, commander of the 1st Armored Division here, said documents found with Saddam have allowed his forces to attack cells of former regime figures and make significant inroads against the supporting financial network.
     "What the capture of Saddam Hussein revealed is the structure that existed above the local cellular structure – call it a network," Dempsey said during an interview. More

Search for Saddam Ends in 4th Infantry Division's Backyard

By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. David Bennett / 367th Mobile Public Affairs

AD DAWR, Iraq, Dec. 15, 2003 – The image of a bearded and bowed Saddam Hussein, captured Dec. 13 in this small farming village, is now a worldwide phenomenon.

Saddam's Makeshift Kitchen

However, the final chapter in the ousted dictator’s apprehension has been a story of patience and persistence for members of the 4th Infantry Division and Taskforce Ironhorse. More

. 4th Infantry Div. Troops Knew 'Something Major' was in the Air

. 4th Infantry Captures Saddam in Remote Village Near Tikrit

Texas Army Reservists Deliver
Medical Supplies to Hospital

By U.S. Army Sgt. Mark S. Rickert / 372nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 16, 2003 — Soldiers with the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit based in Abilene, Texas, provided some medical supplies to the Al Kadamiya Private Hospital in Baghdad.
According to U.S. Army Maj. John E. Padgett, the officer in charge of the public health team, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, 1st Armored Division, the public health team’s primary mission is to help restart and re-equip the Iraqi public health care system. More

Iraq Job Fair Links Workers, Employers

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 17, 2003 — The soldiers of Task Force 1st Armored Division’s 352nd Civil Affairs Command and the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, both from Riverdale, Md., coordinated a job fair recently at the Baghdad Convention Center.
Charged to manage the Iraqi Assistance Center, the civil affairs soldiers help Iraqis with medical issues, search for family members who may be detainees, compensation for damage that may have occurred during a military operation and job assistance. More

Afghans Celebrate
Reconstruction of Kabul-Kandahar Road

By Stephen Kaufman / State Department Washington File

Afghan President Hamid Karzai pauses to reflect on the sacrifices made during the 'Ring Road' project, at a monument honoring those who lost their lives during the construction process at a ceremony to mark the opening of the first five hundred kilometer section of the 'Ring Road' Dec. 16, 2003. Enemies of Afghanistan have targeted construction workers and other supporters of the project. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Belcher

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2003 — In December 2002, the road connecting the Afghan capital Kabul with the country's second largest city, Kandahar, was marred with broken sections of bombed out concrete and destroyed bridges, and was laden with land mines. The hazardous 482-kilometer journey took two days to complete, and a taxi ride between the two cities cost 1000 afghanis.
Over the past year, with approximately $190 million in funding from the U.S. government, the New Jersey-based Louis Berger Group employed approximately 2,000 Afghans and 500 Turks and Indians to resurface a 389-kilometer segment of the road with a layer of asphalt ten centimeters thick and seven meters wide. Essential drainage work was completed, and stripes were painted to delineate two lanes. More

Global War on Terrorism

. Myers: Transformation Vital to Fighting Global War On Terror

On Iraq

. Task Force Ironhorse Soldiers Repel Ambush in Samarra

. Camp Arifjan Readying For Big Logistics Surge

. Iraqi Cooperation Credited For Precise Coalition Strikes

. Iraqis Stage Widespread Rallies To Show Support for Coalition

Military News

. New Benefits Help Families Visit Injured Sailors, Marines

. National Guard Family Programs Offer Tips on Deployment Issues

. National Guard, Reserve Update

Send your 'Best Wishes' to the men and women in uniform supporting the global war on terror.

Send your message

Read other messages

Sign an On-line Thank You Note

	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

Defense Secretary
Donald H. Rumsfeld

“The global war on terror continues. The capture of Saddam Hussein is important, but the war on terror is not about one man and it is not about one country….We still face terrorists…who seek to harm our people. And the war on terror will not be over until those terrorists have been defeated.”

Remarks during Pentagon briefing, Dec. 16, 2003

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Dec. 17, 2003 - In coordination with the Islamic Transitional Government of Afghanistan, Combined Joint Task Force 180 continues to train the Afghan National Army; provide civil affairs support; and disrupt, deny, and destroy terrorist and anti-Islamic Transitional Government of Afghanistan forces in order to establish a stable and secure Afghanistan. More

More Afghanistan Update Details

. Maps of Afghanistan

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Rebekah Caruso, a sailor aboard USS Enterprise in the Arabian Gulf supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, sends holiday greetings home to her loved ones. U.S. Navy Photo by Seaman Justin N. McGarry

Profile

U.S. Air Force
Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Estrem

     COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Dec. 11, 2003 — Like so many people who enlist in the military, Kevin Estrem was going to do his four years and get out.
     One of only two in his high school graduating class to join the military, the 18-year-old left his hometown of about 1,500 people Oct. 25, 1972 , for Air Force Basic Military Training.
     "Four years max and I'm home," thought the Kenyon, Minn. , native. More

More Profiles

In Iraq

Airmen Keep Water Flowing at Tallil

TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) — When airmen here turn on a water faucet to brush their teeth or take a shower, they may not think about where the water comes from. But it takes six airmen working 12-hour shifts to keep the water flowing here around the clock.
The pressure on them to keep water on tap is high because running potable water is vital to operations here, officials said. More

In Afghanistan

Marine Reservists
Bring Firepower to the Skies

Cpl. Sean Maynard, helicopter mechanic, 'Red Dog' Squadron 773, conducts routine checks on an AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter at Bagram Air Base. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Greg Heath BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Dec. 17, 2003 — “Don’t shoot at the gray ones,” was the simple, no-nonsense warning stated by Marine Sgt. Clay Farlow, UH-1N Huey Gunship crew chief, and aimed at anti-coalition militants operating throughout Afghanistan. More

Fuels Airmen Keep Aircraft Flying

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Armentrout takes a fuel sample to check for water particles. Armentrout is a fuels specialist assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian Davidson BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Dec. 15, 2003 (AFPN) — Working out of a tiny corner of a dilapidated, Soviet-built aircraft hangar here, four airmen work around the clock to do their part in supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
They are the Air Force Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant specialists assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group. More

'On The Ground' Archive