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Dec 22, 2003

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STRYKER BRIGADE ON PATROL — Soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division's Company B, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), conduct a patrol in Samarra, Iraq. The unit recently repelled a complex ambush, killing 11 enemy fighters without sustaining any casualties. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Clinton Tarzia

Heightened Security Not Tied
To Saddam Hussein's Capture

By K.L. Vantran / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2003 — The heightened security alert in the United States is not related to the capture of
former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, coalition administrator Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III said here today.
     Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced the change in the national threat level of terrorist attack from elevated (code yellow) to high (code orange) Dec 21. The decision, Ridge said in a prepared statement, was based on "a substantial increase in the volume of threat-related intelligence reports" from the intelligence community. He said, "These credible sources suggest the possibility of attacks against the homeland around the holiday season and beyond."
     Bremer told NBC "Today" host Lester Holt there's been a"fairly steady suggestion of high terror threat, certainly in Iraq, where we are on the front of the war on terrorism, over the last weeks, unrelated to Saddam's capture." More

Myers Salutes U.S. Troops, Recaps Central Command Trip

By K.L. Vantran / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2003 – The American soldier, Time magazine's choice for Person of the Year, is "exactly right," the nation's top military officer told Sunday news shows audiences here today.
     The magazine cover is a "fitting tribute to these young men and women who have volunteered to serve their country and are over there doing a superb job," Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer."
     The general just returned Dec. 20 from visiting 25,000 troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Djibouti. "The military in many cases stands between terrorists and their goal," the chairman said on "Fox News Sunday." "They're doing a terrific job. America ought to be proud of its military." More

U.S. Presence Vital to Horn of Africa Counterterrorism Efforts

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

     CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti, Dec. 20, 2003 – The American presence here has helped thwart at least three and possibly as many as 10 terrorist attacks in the Horn of Africa region, said Marine Brig. Gen. Mastin Robeson, commander of the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa.
     Robeson spoke to press traveling with Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers during a stop at the command's headquarters here Dec. 19.
     Robeson said the only mission of the 1,400 Americans deployed in the region is counterterrorism. The command uses humanitarian assistance, military-to-military ties, civil-military missions and other means to help the countries of the region fight terrorists that have burrowed in to the region. 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

Central Command Soldiers
Eligible for Re-enlistment Bonus

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2003 (Army News Service) — Regular Army soldiers who re-enlist in the Central Command area of responsibility this fiscal year are now eligible for a lump-sum bonus of about $5,000 and the bonus is also retroactive for soldiers who re-enlisted from Oct. 1 until now.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld approved the plan Dec. 17. The bonus, known as the Targeted Selective Re-enlistment Bonus, was brought back for soldiers who re-enlisted after the original two-week window closed Sept. 30, Sgt. Maj. James A. Vales said. Story

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

FALCON Phase 1
Contractors Selected

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2003 – Nine contractors have begun work to place a small satellite or other payload weighing about 1,000 pounds into a low Earth orbit.
The project is part of the Force Application and Launch from the Continental United States, or FALCON, program. Task 1, Phase 1on the small launch vehicle includes developing conceptual designs, performance predictions, cost objectives and development and demonstration plans. 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. More

Radio

Television

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." More President's Remarks Fact Sheet

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

'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." More

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. More Briefing

Rumsfeld Conveys Thanks of Nation to Terror War Veterans

By Gerry J. Gilmore / American Forces Press Service

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. 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." 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

. Myers Highlights Progress in Economic, Government Areas

. 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

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, Reserve Update

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

Programs Offer Sailors Free
Calls Home During Holidays

MILLINGTON, Tenn., Dec. 20, 2003 (NNS) — Navy personnel worldwide will be able to call family and friends free of charge this holiday season. Through combined phone card projects, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Ladies Auxiliary VFW, Navy’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Division and the Navy Exchange Service Command are ensuring that each sailor receives a prepaid calling card. More

Military Essay Contest Winners
To Ride in Rose Bowl Parade

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2003 — Two military officers will join marching bands, equestrian teams and colorful floats traveling down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, Calif., at the 115th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1.
Air Force Reserve Maj. Tami Rougeau, and Army National Guard Capt. Kris Marshall, along with their families and civilian employers, will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the event. More

Profile

U S. Marine Corps
Sgt. Jason Wittling

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., Dec. 12, 2003 — It is probably a safe bet to say that Marine Sgt. Jason Wittling won't soon forget the weekend of Dec. 12-14, 2003.
Friday, just minutes after his three brothers arrived at Camp Pendleton from Wisconsin, Wittling was surprised to hear the voice of his favorite NASCAR Busch Series driver, Team Marines' Bobby Hamilton Jr., on the other end of the phone. More

More Profiles

Holiday Feast for America’s
Heroes Totals $1.5 Million

     PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 22, 2003 — There will be plenty of traditional holiday foods with all the trimmings available for America’s military personnel, including those located at the “tip of the spear” throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East during the upcoming holiday season, according to Defense Logistics Agency officials. The food list includes 77,000 pounds of turkey; 50,000 pounds of beef; 91,000 pounds of hams; 87,000 pounds of seafood; 7,900 cans of cranberry sauce; 4,036 cans of sweet potatoes; 1,630 cans of egg nog, and over 29,000 different kinds of pies.
     “Responsive quality customer service that directly supports war fighters in Iraq, Afghanistan and anywhere else in the world is a capability that we are most proud,” said Rich Faso, chief of the subsistence directorate’s operational rations branch within the agency's Defense Supply Center Philadelphia. “It is at times like this when troops are deployed that providing holiday food takes on a different spin.”
     “We begin planning in June for Thanksgiving and in July for Christmas,” said Air Force Maj. David Selnick, a readiness officer in the subsistence directorate. “While other people are planning their summer vacations and deciding what to put on the grill for July Fourth, we’re thinking turkey and mistletoe.”

	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 have shown resolve. In word and in action, we have clarified the choices left to potential adversaries. And when leaders make the wise and responsible choice, when they renounce terror and weapons of mass destruction, ... they serve the interest of their own people and they add to the security of all nations.”

Response to Libya's pledge to
dismantle WMD programs, Dec. 19, 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. More

More Afghanistan Update Details

. Maps of Afghanistan

U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. Brian Allen and Lt. Natalia Henriquez send Christmas greetings to their loved ones from aboard USS Enterprise, underway in the Arabian Gulf. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Justin N. McGarry

In Afghanistan

Capturing the Holiday
Season with One Photo

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brian Davidson snapped photo after photo for almost 16 hours, shooting more than 3,000 photos. Courtesy photo

BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Dec. 22, 2003 — “Just like senior pictures.” More than one airman or soldier made that remark on a recent weekend as they waited their turn to pose for digital Christmas portraits.
Instead of an artificial backdrop, portrait subjects stood next to an A-10 Thunderbolt II and a tan humvee, an American flag, and a Christmas tree decorated with lights and desert-brown Air Force insignia. More

'On The Ground' Archive