DefendAmerica - Home Page 12/24/2003

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Dec 24, 2003

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STRIKE EAGLES — F-15E Strike Eagles from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, soar over Iraq on Dec. 18, 2003, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. An array of avionics and electronics systems gives the aircraft the capability to fight at low altitude, day or night, and in inclement weather as an air-to-ground attack aircraft.
U.S. Air Force photo By Suzanne Jenkins

Samarra Blast, Urbil Suicide Attack Kill U.S. Troops, Iraqis

By Gerry J. Gilmore / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 24, 2003 — Separate incidents in Iraq today claimed the lives of U.S. soldiers and Iraqis.
     Three American soldiers were killed near Samarra by an improvised explosive device, and a number of Iraqis were killed or wounded in a suicide bombing on a government building in Urbil, according to coalition reports from Baghdad.
     The Urbil bombing targeted the front of the Ministry of the Interior building, Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy director of operations for Combined Joint Task Force 7, told reporters today during a news briefing. More     Briefing

Rumsfeld, Myers Laud Troops, Caution Terror Threat Remains

By Staff Sgt. Michelle L. Thomas, ANG / American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2003 — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today lauded the accomplishments of those who willingly put their lives at risk so that all Americans can live in peace and freedom.
During a Pentagon briefing, Rumsfeld, along with Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, credited military men and women for the strides made during the past year in the global war on terror. More Briefing

Defense Dept. Stops Anthrax Shots, Studies Court Decision

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24, 2003 — The Defense Department will stop anthrax vaccinations until the legal situation around a recent court decision is resolved, defense officials said.
Defense officials and lawyers with the Justice Department are examining a decision handed down by a federal judge in Washington Dec. 22 that ordered DoD to stop anthrax vaccinations for U.S. service members without their consent, Pentagon officials said Dec. 23. More Briefing

Learning Democracy is Iraq's Biggest Challenge, Bremer Says

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2003 — The biggest challenge facing Iraq is putting in place a new democracy, Ambassador L. Paul Bremer said today.
     "The big challenge the Iraqi people have now is to get a broad political dialogue going, to get a big debate about the future of Iraq," the coalition administrator said during a Pentagon interview today.
     The Iraqi people must learn how to do that peacefully and inclusively, Bremer said. More

Time's 'Person of the Year'

Defense Secretary Rumsfeld
Congratulates Armed Forces

The American Soldier, representing all men and women who wear the uniform, has been named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Three 1st Armored Division soldiers -- Sgt. Ronald Buxton, Spc. Billie Grimes and Sgt. Marquette Whiteside -- are featured on the magazine's Dec. 29 - Jan. 5 cover. Photo by James Nachtwey / VII for Time, used by permission.

It gives me great pleasure to congratulate each man and woman in America’s Armed Forces for the honor of being named this year’s “Person of the Year” by Time Magazine. It is an honor you have earned not only this day, or this year, but throughout your volunteer service. More

. Time Selects 'Person of the Year'

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

Transformation

Defense Budget Reforms Aid Relationships with Private Sector

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24, 2003 — Transformation of DoD budgetary practices during the past few years is having a rippling effect, reaching far outside the Pentagon and positively influencing how private industry views working with the Defense Department. More

. Comptroller Committed to Troops, Families

. Troop, Supply Movement to Improve

. Comptroller's Vision

. More Transformation News

Defense Officials
Identify Army Casualties

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2003 — Defense Department officials announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
     The soldiers were killed on Dec. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device struck their convoy. Killed were: 1st Lt. Edward M. Saltz, 27, U.S. Army Reserve, of Bigfork, Mont., and Pfc. Stuart W. Moore, 21, of Livingston, Texas.
     Both soldiers were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division, based in Giessen, Germany. The incident is under investigation.

Soldier’s Body Recovered

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 24, 2003 — The body of a Task Force 1st Armored Division Military Policeman was recovered along the banks of the Tigris River Dec. 23, according to Combined Joint Task Force 7 officials. The soldier, Spec. Todd Bates, assigned to the 135th Military Police Company, jumped from his patrol boat to save another soldier who had fallen overboard on Dec. 10. The soldier’s family had been notified shortly after the incident.

Radio

Television

At Sea in the Arabian Gulf More Photo Essays

An SH-60S Seahawk from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 11 approaches USS Enterprise during vertical replenishment operations with the USS Detroit, as the USS Gettysburg steams by in the distance, Dec. 20, 2003. Enterprise is underway in the Arabian Gulf in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Justin McGarry 6 More Photos


A KISS TO REMEMBER	DAVE'S LATE SHOW

Deployed Troops Plan
Holiday Cheer in Iraq & Afghanistan

HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS--Santa Claus takes a bike ride down the flight line at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. Dec. 24, 2003. The festive old elf spread holiday cheer to airmen deployed to support Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian Davidson

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24, 2003 — They may be thousands of miles away from home, but U.S. troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are planning full holiday schedules to add a bit of cheer to their ongoing 24-7 mission requirements.
In addition to Christmas religious services, units throughout the theater have planned a wide range of special events to make the season special for service members away from home. "It's important for the troops because it gives them a little taste of home, even though they aren't there," said Capt. Jefferson Wolfe of the 4th Infantry Division's public affairs staff. More

U.S. Troops Deployed Overseas
Shop for Holiday Gifts on the Net

     FORWARD OPERATING BASE IRONHORSE, TIKRIT, Iraq, Dec. 24, 2003 – For those deployed overseas during the holidays, the prospect of getting gifts to those back home might seem a difficult task.
      The selection of local merchandise can be limited, and the deadline for mailing items so they arrive on time means parcels must be sent well ahead of time.
      However, purchasing gifts via the Internet is made to order for soldiers who know how to shop online. More

'Operation Santa Strike'
Swarms Mosul Homeless Shelter

MOSUL, Iraq, Dec. 24, 2003 – It started as a simple e-mail from the commander of the 2nd Battallion, 44th Air Defense Artillery, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), to his Army colleagues back in the United States.
“Operation Santa Strike” and “Operation Overcoat” brought more than 500 pounds of coats, clothes, shoes, and toys from 35 different homes, churches and other community organizations to an Internally Displaced Persons home in Mosul Dec. 23, 2003. More

Operation Gratitude Ensures Soldiers Are Not Forgotten

EMPLOYER SUPPORT GROUP

Volunteers Protect Guard & Reserve Civilian Job Rights

By Donna Miles / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2003 — All many reservists and guardsmen want for Christmas is assurance that their civilian jobs will be waiting for them when they redeploy from overseas.
     Thanks to a federal law – and hundreds of volunteer "elves" who ensure that both employees and their Guard and Reserve employees understand its requirements – Santa is sure to deliver.
     Some 400 to 500 volunteer ombudsmen in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories and Germany serve as field representatives for the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, based here. More

U.S. & Iraqi Doctors Gather in Tikrit to Examine Medical Care

By U.S. Army Sgt. Troy Chatwin / 367th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

TIKRIT, Iraq – With an eye on getting the Iraqi medical community back on track, Iraqi and American military doctors gathered Dec. 9 to discuss local clinical projects as well as share healthcare information.
Held at the Tikrit Rehabilitation Hospital, the First Introductory Conference for the Salah Ad Din Health Directorate allowed health providers a forum with a focus on rebuilding Iraq’s healthcare system. The event put a spotlight on what some healthcare administrators in Salah Ad Din are doing to improve patient care in the province’s eight hospitals and nine clinics. More

Former Regime Elements Help
101st Provide Security in Northern Iraq

MOSUL, Iraq — High-level former regime elements and other Iraqi citizens helped the 101st make northern Iraq a safer place Tuesday by turning over weapons caches.
Three Shua’bah, or third-tier, Ba’athists in northwest Iraq turned over rifles and ammunition to 3rd Brigade compounds. More

. Mosul Raids Successful For 101st

Army Chief of Staff Visits Task Force ‘All American’

     AR RAMADI, Iraq, Dec. 24, 2003 — Gen. Peter Schoomaker, Army Chief of Staff, visited 82nd Airborne Division troops and subordinate units in Ar Ramadi today, according to Combined Joint Task Force 7 officials.
     Schoomaker made stops to speak and eat with troops at both Champion Main and Forward Operating Base Junction City. After addressing the soldiers, Schoomaker participated in a mounted patrol with soldiers from Florida Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment.
     Tomorrow, Schoomaker will address paratroopers from 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, in Fallujah.

Global War on Terrorism

. Heightened Security Not Tied to Saddam Hussein's Capture

. Bush, Blair Welcome Libya's Pledge to Dismantle Weapons

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

On Iraq

. Iraqi Legal Profession Trains to Prosecute Regime Crimes

. Iraqi Volunteering Increases Following Capture of Saddam

Military News

. Military Blood Program Seeks Holiday Donors

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

. Central Command Soldiers Eligible for Re-enlistment Bonus

. National Guard, Reserve Update

Soldiers from the Florida National Guard's 124th Infantry Regiment send holiday greetings home from Iraq. Wishing their loved ones a special holiday are, from left, Spc. Ryan Matus, Spc. Jared Cruz and Staff Sgt. Shane Bothwell. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tyrone Walker

Holiday Messages

From the Defense Secretary WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2003 — As Americans across our land move toward the holiday season, its message of peace and hope echoes and re-echoes in our hearts.
And so too the thoughts and prayers of Americans naturally turn to you –the men and women of the U.S. military, all who have volunteered to defend the freedom we all cherish and to advance the cause of peace. More Video

From the Joint Chiefs Chairman WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2003 — For generations, U.S. service men and women and government civilians have spent the holiday season far from loved ones, so that all Americans can celebrate the peace, prosperity and liberty that our armed forces have fought to protect. More Video

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

Send your message

Read other messages

Sign an On-line Thank You Note

Employees Adopt Carrier,
Send Gifts to Sailors' Children

NORFOLK, Va., Dec. 24, 2003 (NNS) — Twenty-five employees of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management traveled from their headquarters in Washington to the hangar bay of USS Theodore Roosevelt recently to deliver roughly 1,300 toys to children of sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier. Story

Profile

U.S. Army
Spc. Rebecca Burt

Army Spc. Rebecca Burt is helping bring the Christmas spirit to Baghdad. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Amy Abbott

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24, 2003 — Army Spc. Rebecca Burt loves the holidays. At home in Antioch, Calif., her family decorates everything in sight, bakes all sorts of goodies and holds huge family dinners.
So now that she and her fellow soldiers from Headquarters Company, 5th Corps are deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, Burt said she knows the thought of Christmas away from home is going to be "a little hard." More

More Profiles

	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 holidays are upon us, and that certainly is a time to give thanks for our country's many blessings. And there's no greater blessing than the courage of the young men and women who wear our country's uniform. They are all volunteers. They willingly put their lives at risk so that all Americans can live in peace and freedom.”

Press Briefing, Dec. 23, 2003

Honoriing the Fallen

Maine Students Honor 9/11
Victims, Iraqi Freedom Pilots

Fifth and sixth-grade students from Margaret Chase Smith School in Skowhegan, Maine, took a 15-hour bus trip Dec. 16, 2003, to the Washington area. The trip was a part of their

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 18, 2003 — It all started with a 6th-grade teacher Margaret Chase Smith School in Skowhegan, Maine, who thought of a way, with his students, to honor victims of Sept. 11, 2001, an idea that has grown and recently brought some of his students to the Washington area. Story

. Maps of Afghanistan

In Iraq

Ohio Reservists Take
Care of the Dirty Work

LOGISTICS SUPPLY AREA ANACONDA, Iraq, Dec. 22, 2003 — The old adage ‘An army travels on its stomach’ has been expanded in recent time to include a hot shower and a clean uniform.
Bearing this in mind, the members of 1001st Quartermaster Company, an Army Reserve unit based in Chillicothe, Ohio, have been busy doing the dirty work keeping solders assigned to Logistics Supply Area Anaconda clean and tailored. More

'On The Ground' Archive