DefendAmerica - Home Page 01/12/2004

Home Page - DefendAmerica
[NOTE: Because of increased web traffic, you may experience delays. Please be patient.]

Jan 12, 2004

AFRTS Report - Special Forces Role in Terror War

Government

Military

How To Help

Coast Guard Auxiliary

Transcripts

RESUPPLY — Convoys such as this one are essential in Iraq as they are used to resupply military bases. Most convoys are made by the U.S. Army, but this one consists entirely of Air Force personnel. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. C. E. Lewis

Coalition Leaders Welcome
Iraqi Governing Council Policy

By K.L. Vantran / American Forces Press Service

     WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2004 — The Iraqi Governing Council's announcement of its new "de-Baathification" policies and procedures Jan. 11 was welcomed by the administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority, coalition spokesman Dan Senor said at a briefing in Baghdad today.
     The Baath Party – also known by its formal name, the Baath Arab Socialist Party -- is the political party of Saddam Hussein.
     Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III signed the first de-Baathification decree May 16 and delegated authority to the governing council Nov. 4, said Senor. More

Japan's Move to Send Troops To Iraq 'Historic,' Myers Says

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

     TOKYO, Jan. 12, 2004 — Japan's decision to send forces to Iraq is a "historic move," said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers during a press conference here today.
     Myers, here to meet with Japanese military leaders, said the Japanese decision to send about 1,000 members of the Ground Self-Defense Force to Iraq is welcomed by the international community.
     Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced the decision in December. This is the first time Japanese forces will serve as part of a coalition not sponsored by the United Nations. The soldiers will be engaged in helping to rebuild Iraq, and will be based in the southern part of the country. They will work with Dutch soldiers, and will come under the command of a British general. More

Myers Begins Four-Nation Swing in Japan

Myers Says Reenlistment Rate Strong During War on Terror

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

TOKYO, Jan. 12, 2003 — American service men and women are stepping forward to reenlist, "as I would expect," said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers. "We are a nation at war. This is the time for our military to rise to the occasion and serve the nation at a time like no other."
Myers said in an interview with the Pacific Stars and Stripes newspaper that all services are making their retention and recruiting goals. The chairman said service members realize that if the United States loses the war on terrorism, the results would be catastrophic. More

Poll Shows Most Iraqis Oppose Violence and Support Coalition

By David Shelby / Washington File Staff Writer

Washington — Iraqis are nearly unanimous in the belief that attacks against Iraqi civilians, Iraqi police forces and international organizations are harmful to the future development of Iraq, according to a November 2003 poll conducted by the State Department's Office of Research. Sixty-six percent of the people polled said coalition forces are needed in Iraq for security.
Smaller majorities expressed disapproval of attacks on CPA officials and coalition forces. More

Enterprise F/A-18 Jets Strike
Enemy Mortar Position in Iraq

Aviation Boatswain's Mate Handler 3rd Class Mikel Wilson guides an F/A-18 Hornet, attached to Sidewinders of Strike Fighter Squadron 86, off the landing area after it successfully caught the arresting gear wire on the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Mate Milosz Reterski. ABOARD USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS), Jan. 12, 2004 — Strike fighter aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 1, flying from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in the North Arabian Gulf, attacked an enemy mortar position near Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad, Jan. 9, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Two Strike Fighter Squadron 86 F/A-18 Hornets from Enterprise’s embarked carrier air wing each dropped a 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition in the attack, striking the enemy position. 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

Soldier Killed, Two Wounded

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 12, 2004 – One Task Force 1st Armored Division soldier was killed and two others were wounded at about 10 a.m., today when their convoy was attacked by an improvised explosive device in central Baghdad, according to U.S. Central Command officials.
The names and units of the soldiers are being withheld pending notification of next of kin and the incident is under investigation.

R&R Program Funds
More Travel, Fewer Flights

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Army News Service), Jan. 9, 2004 — Soldiers coming home on rest and recuperation leave will now have their travel expenses covered to the airport closest to their R&R destination. The policy change came with the Dec. 19 approval to fund the onward travel program by a senior defense official. More

Rotating Troops
Need to Redirect Mail

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (Army News Service, Jan. 12, 2004) — The 3rd Personnel Command in Kuwait is urging soldiers preparing to deploy or return in the next few weeks to redirect their mail for a smooth, timely transition.
The 3rd PERSCOM manages postal operations in the Central Command theater. More

Transformation

Pentagon Security Force
Expects the Unexpected

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2004 — When John Jester addresses military and civilian law enforcement agencies throughout the country, he offers two key pieces of advice: first, don't think it can't happen on your watch, and second, think about the unexpected. More

New Supply Depots
To Support Warfighters

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2004 — In keeping with the Defense Logistics Agency's commitment to be responsive and close to the warfighter, the agency plans to open four new supply depots this year in Sigonella, Italy; Guam; Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; and Camp Carroll, Korea. More

More Transformation News

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

Send your message Read others

NASCAR Stars, Civic
Leaders Visit Troops

Geoffrey Bodine, a former NASCAR cup driver, left, poses for a photo with an admiring fan during an autograph signing at Camp As Saylyah, Qatar. Defense Dept. photo

Arlington, VA, Jan. 9, 2004 – Celebrities from NASCAR Motor Sports and civic leaders returned home Jan. 3 after visiting troops in Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. More

Sign an On-line Thank You Note

Reconstruction Team
Visits Afghan Orphanages

BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Jan. 9, 2004 - For Jamshid, a scholarly Afghan 7th grade student, Jan. 6 was a big day. Americans were coming along with the provincial police chief an other government officials. More

More Afghanistan Update Details

. Maps of Afghanistan

Radio

Television

Iraqi Army Graduation
More Photo Essays

Seven hundred five recruits from the new Iraqi Army’s 2nd Battalion conduct a pass and review at a graduation ceremony Jan. 6, 2004, in Baghdad, Iraq. Following the nine-week basic training program, Iraqi soldiers will additionally receive advanced training pertinent to their specific missions. The Coalition Military Assistance Training Team envisions deploying a strong national defense force admired by free Iraqis, cooperative with peaceful neighbors and capable of protecting national borders. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. John Houghton 6 More Photos

Iraq To Issue First Stamps
Since Saddam Regime's Fall

By Gerry J. Gilmore / American Forces Press Service

The Iraqi government will issue 5 million new stamps--without pictures of former dictator Saddam Hussein--by Jan. 15. So far, 3,000 postal workers have returned to work and 85 percent of the post offices in Iraq have reopened, an important example of Iraq's reintegration into the international community.       WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2004 — Iraqi letters and packages soon will feature updated postage stamps without the face of deposed dictator Saddam Hussein.
     The new stamps will be issued Jan. 15, Dan Senor, senior Coalition Provisional Authority spokesman, told reporters during a Jan. 10 press conference in Baghdad.
     Haydar al-Abadi, the Iraqi minister of communication, and Iraqi Postmaster General Ibraheem Kuhdair announced the new stamp that day, Senor said. The new stamp will be the first Iraqi postal stamp issued since the April 9, 2003, fall of Saddam Hussein's government, the U.S. official pointed out. More
More Stamp Images

NCOs Volunteer for Duty
Training New Iraqi Soldiers

By U.S. Army Spc. Brian Trapp / Fort Benning Public Affairs Office

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Fortenberry, a drill sergeant with 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment. cleans a weapon Jan. 6 preparing for his deployment to Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Brian Trapp      FORT BENNING, Ga., Jan. 9, 2004 — Drill sergeants spend their time training America’s newest soldiers to be the force protecting our nation. Now, a whole company of drill sergeants has volunteered to go to Iraq and train a new army to protect the recently freed nation.
     B Company, 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, Basic Combat Training Brigade, is ready to deploy to support the war on terrorism.
     "It's bittersweet to get to go," said Staff Sgt. Robert Fortenberry, drill sergeant, B Co. 2nd Bn., 47th Inf. Regt. "Finally, (I get to do my) part, 'cause I've been on the trail pretty much the whole war. The way I see it is the faster we get these guys trained, the quicker everyone comes back." More

Arlington Memorial Honors Fallen Air Force Hero

A new memorial at Arlington National Cemetery honors U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman, who was killed March 4, 2002, while fighting against the Taliban during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jim Varhegyi      WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2004 — The secretary of the Air Force unveiled a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery Jan. 8 to honor the service’s highest-decorated combat controller, killed while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
         Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron was killed March 4, 2002, while fighting against the Taliban during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan. He was posthumously decorated with the nation’s second-highest award for valor, the Air Force Cross.
      The memorial, a glass-enclosed life-size model of a combat controller in full combat gear, features Sergeant Chapman's award citation and photos of him on duty in Afghanistan. More

FBI Honors Soldier Killed in Karbala

Sherry Orlando (right) clasps hands with her sister-in-law, Kristin Boaz, in front of a plaque honoring her husband and Boaz' brother, Lt. Col. Kim Orlando, at the FBI National Academy. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Lorie Jewell

QUANTICO, Va. (Army News Service), Jan. 8, 2004 — The FBI’s National Academy added a new plaque to its Hall of Honor Jan. 7 for its first military fallen hero.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kim Orlando now joins 22 others on the “Martyr’s Wall,” which recognizes academy graduates who have been killed in the line of duty by adversarial actions. More

Global War on Terrorism

. Ridge Lowers Threat Level, but Nation Remains On Guard

. Guard Artillerymen Training as MPs to Support Terror War

. Sailors, Marines Crack Down On Drug Smuggling in Arabian Sea

Iraq

. Officials Call Saddam a POW But Say Status Could Change

. Powell: U.N. Speech Presented Facts about Weapons Program

. Army Helicopter Crash Kills 9; Coalition Continues Patrols

Military News

. Injured Iraqi Merchant Seaman Treated Aboard USS Enterprise

. Expanded Army Stop-Loss to Affect 7,000 Deployed Troops

. National Guard, Reserve Update

	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

Gen. Richard B. Myers
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

"Whether the terrorism attack occurs in Riyadh, or Islamabad, or New York City, or God forbid, Tokyo, the outcome is the same: it affects all countries on this planet, not just the country where the act occurred .... We're going to have to deal with this scourge as we have with other scourges of the past."

Remarks during Tokyo visit, Jan. 12, 2004

Profile

U.S. Marine Corps
Lance Cpl. Michael A. Smith

Recruit Michael A. Smith looks on as he prepares to lead his platoon back to the squad bay after firing at Hue City Range during A-line Dec. 17. Smith first came to Parris Island in 1989 to become a Marine, but an injury prevented him from completing recruit training. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jennifer Brofer

MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND S.C., Jan. 9, 2004 — Fourteen years, six months, three weeks and five days ago, 18-year-old Recruit Michael A. Smith came to Parris Island and set foot on the infamous yellow footprints for the first time with a goal - becoming one of the elite few.
Nearly 15 years later, 32-year-old Lance Cpl. Smith's dream became a reality when he graduated recruit training today as the guide and honor graduate for Platoon 3001, Mike Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion. More

More Profiles

In Afghanistan

U.S. Medical Personnel
Share Technical Expertise

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 9, 2004 — Teaching and training medical residents how to save lives is a demanding but rewarding mission for American medical personnel assigned to Afghanistan. Although the hospital settings are unlike those found in the United States, these individuals, along with local doctors and nurses, are paving the way to secure a more stable hospital setting and provide better quality medical care.
Along with the help from the Department of Health and Human Services and other organizations, the Rabia-e-Balki Women’s Hospital is receiving valuable medical training needed for the future of Afghanistan. More

In Iraq

Airmen Clear Debris
To Keep Runway Safe

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. George Sims removes debris from the runway at Tallil Air Base, Iraq. More than 1,600 pounds of debris has been removed from the airfield since November. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chris Stagner

TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN), Jan. 9, 2004 — Aircraft come, and aircraft go. Whether it is for training or a real-world mission, it is an everyday part of Air Force life.
Without certain people to accomplish certain missions, the aircraft will not come, and the aircraft will not go. Maintainers, air traffic controllers, flight engineers, pilots: everyone plays a role to ensure mission accomplishment. More

Departing Infantry Troops
Bid New Friends Goodbye

AL JAZEERA, Iraq - Mohamed Sami sat rigid in his chair. He appeared restless, as though at any moment he would try to express all the thoughts in his mind. So he did.
“I am very sad and very happy right now,” he said. “I do not want you to leave us. But I want to thank you, really, for everything you have done for us. What you have done for us, for our country, it will stay in our hearts forever." More

'On The Ground' Archive