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Jan 13, 2004

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MONGOLIAN HONOR GUARD — A Mongolian honor guard welcomes Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Jan. 13, 2004. American Forces Press Service photo by Jim Garamone

Myers Thanks Mongolian Allies For Peacekeeping Help in Iraq

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

     ULAN BATOR, Mongolia, Jan. 13, 2004 — Mongolia is a small country with a powerful warrior tradition. But today, the country consciously is tying its reputation to peacekeeping, and Mongolia's latest area of operations is Iraq.
     Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Mongolia today to speak with national and defense leaders and to meet with soldiers who are getting ready to go to Iraq. He thanked the Mongolian leaders for their support in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and he said the Mongolian people "should be very proud of the professionalism and discipline of their forces in Iraq."
     The last time Mongolian soldiers were in Iraq was in 1258. They destroyed Baghdad then. Now, the Mongolian military has 173 soldiers of the 150th Elite Peacekeeping Battalion in Hillah, Iraq. All reports, said Myers, are that the unit is doing an excellent job as part of the Multinational Division Central-South. More

General Says Coalition Forces
Winning Iraqis' Hearts, Minds

By U.S. Air Force Sr. Master Sgt. Gene LaDoucer / 506th AEG

     KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq, Jan. 13, 2004 — While overwhelming force brought a quick end to major combat operations in Iraq, it's the coalition's ability to win over it's the country's people that ultimately will lead to a free Iraq, U.S. Central Command's deputy commander said here Jan. 12.
     During the first of three stops in a daylong tour of military bases in Iraq, Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance Smith spoke highly of the efforts of U.S. forces in establishing security and stability in Iraq. He also was quick to praise the efforts of Iraqis who have stepped forward to turn in weapons and identify anti-coalition forces.
     "The people of Iraq are starting to realize they're the ones who'll have to do this, and they're coming forward," said the general, who later made stops at Tallil Air Base and Baghdad International Airport. "We're looking to them to take more of a leadership role." More

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

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

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

     WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2004 — The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
     Sgt. Roy A. Wood, 47, of Alva, Fla., was killed on Jan. 9 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Wood was fatally injured when the vehicle he was traveling in near Kabul hit another vehicle. He was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Army National Guard based in Starke, Fla.
      The incident is under investigation.
     Also, please place this name alphabetically under "Fallen Warriors"... Operation Enduring Freedom... U.S. Army
      Sgt. Roy A. Wood, 47, of Alva, Fla., Jan. 9, 2004, Afghanistan

West Point Team Developing
Academies for Iraq, Afghanistan

WEST POINT, N.Y. (Army News Service), Jan. 12, 2004 — Plans for a military academy are developing in Iraq and one is set to open next year in Afghanistan, thanks to the hard work and perseverance of two West Point officers.
The Afghan National Army Military Academy is set to open for its first class in February 2005. Plans are under way to develop a course for the newly formed Iraqi Army as well. Story

Boarding Teams Qualify
For Hazardous Duty Pay

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 12, 2004 — The U.S. Navy announced in a Jan. 9 message that members of Visit, Board, Search and Seizure teams are now eligible to receive hazardous duty incentive pay while conducting specific missions.
The announcement covers teams conducting boardings in support of maritime interdiction operations in the Persian Gulf, counter-drug operations in the Caribbean, and homeland defense patrols off the U.S. coast. Story

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

Radio

Television

Top General Visits Mongolia More Photo Essays

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers meets with Maj. Gen. Tesvegsurengin Togoo, chief of the General Staff for the Mongolian Armed Forces, in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, on Jan. 13, 2004. American Forces Press Service photo by Jim Garamone 6 More Photos

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," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said Jan. 12.
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. 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

Iraqi Officials to Issue 1st Postal Stamps Since Saddam'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. More More Stamp Images

Drill Sergeants Volunteer for Duty Training New Iraqi Soldiers

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

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. 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

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

Send your message Read others

Tom Green Visits
Sailors in Bahrain

MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS), Jan. 9, 2004 — Actor and comedian Tom Green visited with service members, military family members, and government civilians at Naval Support Activity, Bahrain, Jan. 7 as part of a United Services Organization and Armed Force Entertainment sponsored tour of the region. More

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

President George W. Bush

"A democratic, free Iraq is in the national interests of our country. A free country in the midst of the Middle East will make America...more secure...The decision I made (to go to war in Iraq) was the right one for America. And history will prove it's the right one for the world. And we will stay the course until the job is done."

Special Summit of the Americas, Jan. 12, 2004

Profile

U.S. Air Force
Sr. Airman Deliana Kelly

MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan, Jan. 8, 2004 — She is of Bulgarian descent; her last name is Irish; and she picked up English as her fifth language.
Although Air Force Senior Airman Deliana Kelly, of the 376th Mission Support Group, has lived in the United States for less than five years, she feels she is the living, breathing embodiment of “the American dream.” More

More Profiles

. Maps of Afghanistan

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

Medical Team Helps
Accident Victims

Maj. Donovan Tapper (right) and Maj. Bonnie Mack dress the wounds of a burn vicitim folowing a vehicle accident Jan 9. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. C. E. Lewis TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN), Jan. 12, 2004 — Two Iraqis and one Pakistani, all seriously injured, were transported to the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group here Jan. 9 after an automobile accident left two dead and more injured outside Camp Cedar, Iraq.
“It was a great medical response,” said Col. (Dr.) Bob English, commander of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group and deployed from Dover Air Force Base, Del. “This occurrence brought together U.S. Army and Air Force, Dutch and contractor medics together to save the lives of these three individuals.” More

Soldiers Donate Supplies
To Baghdad Schools

Capt. Alexis Gartner, B Company Battery commander, 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Riley, Kan., unloads school supplies donated by the family members of the 4-1 Field Artillery in Baghdad, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Anthony Reinoso

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 8, 2004 — Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division, from Fort Riley, Kan., recently brought school supplies and toys to private special education schools in Baghdad.
The soldiers coordinated with other soldiers from the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Abilene, Texas, to distribute donations to four schools in Baghdad: the Hiba Down Syndrome School, the Rami Autistic School, the Mansur Institute and the Al Rawabi School. More

'On The Ground' Archive