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Dec 20, 2003

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CONSTRUCTION WORK — Tech. Sgt. Rodney Jarboe, with the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron, uses an excavator to fill bunker-surrounding Hesco barriers with dirt at Baghdad International Airport, Dec. 17, 2003. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Lisa M. Zunzanyika

Al Qaeda Suspects Detained Following Maritime Intercept

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

     MANAMA, Bahrain, Dec. 20, 2003 — U.S. Navy forces have detained four al Qaeda suspects as a result of maritime interdiction operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Vice Adm. David Nichols said Dec. 19.
     Nichols, who heads the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, 5th Fleet, said that within the last two weeks, ships stopped and searched two ships.
     In one instance, sailors detained one individual; in the other it was three. In one case, the suspected al Qaeda was trying to enter Iraq. In the other, Navy officials do not know where the ship was destined.
     At least one ship was carrying hashish, said Navy officials. They conjecture that al Qaeda is running drugs to pay for terrorist acts. More

Bush, Blair Welcome Libya's
Pledge to Dismantle Weapons

By K.L. Vantran / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2003 — Libya's leader, Colonel Moammar al Ghadafi, confirmed his commitment to disclose and dismantle all weapons of mass destruction programs and has agreed to allow inspectors from international organizations to enter his country, President Bush said here Dec. 19.
     "These inspectors will render an accounting of all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and will help oversee their elimination," he added. "Colonel Ghadafi's commitment, once it is fulfilled, will make our country more safe and the world more peaceful."
     Great Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair called Ghadafi's decision historic and courageous. "It will make the region and world more secure," he said. More President's Remarks

'Tremendous Strides' Made in Iraq, Afghanistan, Collins Says

By K.L. Vantran / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2003 — While the instability and conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan often dominate the news, between 80 and 90 percent of the people in these countries live "much more normal lives than the media normally presents," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability Operations Joseph J. Collins said here today.
     Despite opposition from the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan and remnants of the Baath Party, foreign fighters and international terrorists in Iraq, the retired Army officer said, "progress in combating these groups has been on-going and U.S. and coalition forces have made tremendous strides."
     The work of the troops in the field has been "fantastic," he added. "The capture of Saddam Hussein was clearly a great accomplishment and just the latest in a long series of accomplishments by our troops." 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.

. Maps of Iraq

Troops Counted as
President Praises Volunteers

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2003 — Service members are among volunteers President Bush singled out in his radio address here today in praise for their community service.
"Some of the men and women I have met are members of the armed forces, who volunteer time in their communities on top of their service to the nation," the commander in chief said. Story

Iraqis' Spirit Liberated
With Capture of Saddam

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2003 — When U.S. troops stormed Baghdad in April, the Iraqi people were liberated. This week, with the capture of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi people were "liberated in spirit," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Bryan Whitman said here today.
While it's too early to tell exactly what the former dictator's capture means to the future of Iraq, Whitman said, it "certainly means that he's not coming back." More

Transformation

Field Rations Evolve to Meet Conditions, Warfighter Preferences

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2003 — Troops in the field about to grab a meal, ready to eat combat ration might want to choose the "Jamaican pork chop," the "pasta with alfredo sauce" or the "beef with mushrooms."
Troops in Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan reported sacrificing all but a few carefully chosen food items from their Meals, Ready to Eat pouches to lighten their pockets and rucksacks. More

Natick To Field New Combat Ration for Troops on the Move

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2003 — "Ration stripping," they call it when forward- deployed combat troops jettison all but the most essential items from their Meals, Ready to Eat so they don't have so much to carry as they set out on a mission.
Troops in Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan reported sacrificing all but a few carefully chosen food items from their Meals, Ready to Eat pouches to lighten their pockets and rucksacks. More

Transformation News

Walter Reed Red Cross
Asks Donors To Hold Off

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2003 — In August, the American Red Cross asked the public for donations of phone cards, clothing, small suitcases, and comfort items for service members recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.
Now Barbara Green, the American Red Cross station manager, says she has more donations than she can use. More

Radio

Television

Kimmitt: Insurgency Attempts
to Terrorize ‘Will Not Succeed’

By John D. Banusiewicz / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 —Insurgents targeting Iraqis are relying on the terrorist adage "Kill one, terrorize a thousand," but won't succeed in their efforts to derail freedom and stability, the deputy operations director for Combined Joint Task Force 7 said in a Baghdad news conference today.
     Army Brig. Gen. Mark T. Kimmitt explained the increased number of attacks are meant to show the Iraqi people that former regime elements still can "reach out and touch" them.
     "The purpose is quite simple," he said. "They are trying to convince the people of Iraq that they can't trust the coalition, that they can't depend on the coalition, (and that) they can't depend on their own security services. They are intentionally trying to create terror in the minds of the Iraqi civilians so that they have a better chance of attracting them to their cause, whatever that may be." More     Briefing

Antiterrorism Training at Shaw More Photo Essays

Airmen 1st Class Jesse Killingsworth and Karen Santiago from the 20th Civil Engineering Squadron tow equipment needed to detect possible chemical contamination during a local antiterrorism exercise at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Dec. 11, 2003. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Josef Cole 6 More Photos

Rumsfeld Conveys Thanks of Nation to Terror War Veterans

By Gerry J. Gilmore / American Forces Press Service

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld poses for a picture with Combat Control School graduate Airman 1st Class Andrew Sheriff, Dec. 18 at Pope Air Force Base, N.C. AFPS photo by Gerry J. Gilmore

     FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., Dec. 19, 2003 — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld welcomed a new crop of Air Force combat controllers , watched an Army infantry training exercise and consoled family members Dec. 18 during a visit to Pope Air Force Base and Fort Bragg here.
     Arriving at Pope at around 1 p.m., Rumsfeld made his way to the base's community club to observe the graduation ceremony of 18 new combat controllers. A 13-week course trains and prepares airmen for parachuting into war zones to set up cargo drop areas and provide battlefield air traffic control. The controllers also are trained to coordinate air strikes.
     The Combat Control School at Pope, Rumsfeld noted during his graduation remarks, "produces some of the finest warriors in the Air Force and the armed services." More

Barno Addresses Challenges of Dual Missions in Afghanistan

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

     BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Dec. 19, 2003 - While coalition forces will do their utmost to kill or capture terrorist leaders here, the provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan are the wave of the future, said Army Lt. Gen. David Barno.
     Barno, commander of Combined Forces Command, Central Asia, also said operations in Afghanistan have not been limited by the war in Iraq. "We have a robust capability here that continues to do daily work against critical targets - Osama bin Laden, Al Zawahiri, Mullah Omar, Gullbaden Hekmatyar," he said. "Those are very important targets here in the theater, and we have assets going after them on a daily basis."
     But provincial reconstruction teams are becoming "pretty close" to the main effort in the country, the general said. More

AFGHANISTAN VISIT

Myers Highlights Progress in
Economic, Government Areas

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

     BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Dec. 18, 2003 — Afghanistan is advancing on the security front, but now there is visible proof of advances on the economic and governmental fronts, Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said here today.
     The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited Afghanistan and brought a USO Holiday Show for U.S. service members deployed in the theater. The trip also gave the chairman the chance to get briefings from commanders.
     Speaking at the American headquarters here, Myers said there is a lot of good news coming out of Afghanistan. More

Oregon Reservists Tackle First Tanker Mission at Incirlik Air Base

By U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Elaine Aviles / 39th Air Base Group Public Affairs

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey — More than 125 people and four KC-135 tankers from the 939th Air Refueling Wing from Portland, Oregon, deployed here recently in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, relieving reservists from Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind., and McConnell Air Force Base, Kan.
The reservists’ mission is to refuel E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar Systems and C-17s hauling people and supplies downrange during their 45-day stint at Incirlik. More

Thousands Gather for USO Show

By U.S. Army Sgt. Greg Heath / 4th Public Affairs Detachment

Service members grab for t-shirts and other gifts during the show. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Greg Heath

BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Dec. 19, 2003 — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers and some all-star guests visited Bagram yesterday as part of the United Service Organizations’ sponsored Christmas tour.
Myers brought along actor and comedic legend Robin Williams, Olympic gold medalist and World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Kurt Angle, and NASCAR racer Mike Wallace to Afghanistan to thank all military members for doing their part in the war on terrorism. More

Global War on Terrorism

. Wolfowitz Calls Spread of Mass Terror Weapons 'Urgent Threat'

On Iraq

. Iraqi Legal Profession Trains to Prosecute Regime Crimes

. Iraqi Volunteering Increases Following Capture of Saddam

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

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

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

. Rumsfeld Asks CIA to Oversee Saddam Hussein Interrogations

Military News

. Myers, USO Holiday Show Tour Central Command A

. Rumsfeld Approves Brigade Deployment, Extension

. Defense Dept. Launches Transformation Web Site

. New Benefits Help Families Visit Injured Sailors, Marines

. National Guard Family Programs Offer Tips on Deployment Issues

. National Guard, Reserve Update

Despite Loss of Leg,
Marine Goes Army Airborne

FORT BENNING, Ga., Dec. 19, 2003 — Sgt. Christopher Chandler, an Aurora, Colo., native, lost his left leg from below the knee Dec. 16, 2001, when he stepped on a land mine while providing security for an explosives ordnance disposal unit in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Chandler recently made history when he graduated from the U.S. Army Basic Airborne Course. Story

Send your 'Best Wishes' to the
troops waging the global war on terror.

Send your message

Hello my fellow military members!
     Wishing you all peace this holiday season and a safe return home. Thank you for your service and please know that you are ALL thought of each and every day back home in the states!!! Sincerely,
     Staff Sgt. Krista LaFrance,
     New York Army National Guard

Read other messages

Sign an On-line Thank You Note

Grant and Gill Honor Troops
During 'Simply Christmas' Tour

Amy Grant and Vince Gill pay tribute to deployed service members during their holiday tour. Courtesy photo

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2003 — Five-time Grammy-winning gospel and pop music star Amy Grant pays special tribute to U.S. service men and women deployed far from home through the holidays during her "Simply Christmas with Amy Grant and Vince Gill" tour. 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

“Members of the Armed Forces are now serving in a great cause, serving in an historic time. the peace and security of our fellow citizens depend upon their bravery and their willingness to serve. In so doing, our soldiers accept the dangers and the hardships that this cause sometimes requires.”

At Walter Reed Army Medical Center,
Dec. 18, 2003

Deputy Defense Secretary
Paul Wolfowitz

“The state of Saddam Hussein I think has already sent a powerful message to those who would make it their business to support exporters of terror through weapons of mass destruction. One way or another, the world is determined to put them out of business.”

Remarks, Dec. 17, 2003

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Dec. 19, 2003 – Afghan Militia Forces in the Kandahar area led a coalition patrol to a cache of rockets, Dec. 18, 2003, according to Combined Joint Task Force 180 (Afghanistan). Coalition soldiers, including experts from the 767th Explosive Ordnance Detachment, transported the 44 Chinese 107mm rockets and fuses to Kandahar Air Field for destruction.
As part of an ongoing humanitarian assistance, coalition civil affairs soldiers traveled to Nisswan School in Gardez province and distributed several boxes of school supplies. More

More Afghanistan Update Details

. Maps of Afghanistan

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph Middleton, a sailor aboard USS Enterprise supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, sends Hanukkah greetings home to his loved ones. U.S. Navy Photo by Seaman Justin N. McGarry

In Iraq

Stars Tour Iraq for Holidays

Academy Award-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams is surrounded by military admirers following a holiday-tour stop here Dec. 17. Williams and other celebrities are visiting military forces, along with Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as part of a United Service Organizations-sponsored tour. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Williams

     BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) — Airmen and soldiers crowded the only hangar here Dec. 17 in hopes of capturing a glimpse of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and several entertainers who were traveling throughout Iraq.
     Gen. Richard Myers brought with him Academy Award winning actor and comedian Robin Williams, Olympic gold medalist and professional wrestler Kurt Angle, NASCAR driver Mike Wallace, and former model and television personality Leeann Tweeden.
     “We’re here for one reason,” Myers said. “We’re here to wish you happy holidays.” More

'On The Ground' Archive