DefendAmerica 03/15/2004

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Mar 15, 2004

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PARTNERS IN DEFENSE — An Iraqi Civil Defense Corps officer, center, shows paratroopers a mosque from where insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades in Al Fallujah, Iraq, March 15, 2004. The soldiers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's Company B, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Charles B. Johnson

War In Iraq Was 'The Right Thing to Do,' Secretary Says

By U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample / American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2004 — As the one-year anniversary of the war in Iraq approaches, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told television viewers today he stands behind the president's decision to go to war, although weapons of mass destruction, one of the justifications for the invasion, have not been found.
Rumsfeld, appearing on the CBS program "Face The Nation" with Bob Schieffer, said that he still believes the war with Iraq was "the right thing to do," and that he's glad "it is done." More

Powell: Bombings in Madrid
Show 'Terror Must Be Fought'

By Gerry J. Gilmore / American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2004 — As new evidence points to the possibility that al Qaeda is responsible for the March 11 bombings in Madrid, Spain, America's top diplomat today noted in a television interview here that no country is immune to terrorism.
The Spanish commuter train bombings, which killed 200 people and wounded more than 1,400, shows "there is a war on terror that must be fought," Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said to interviewer Chris Wallace on the "Fox News Sunday" program. More

Saying 'Terrorism is Terrorism,' Rice Pledges Support to Spain

CPA Announces Measures to
Tighten Border Security in Iraq

By U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample / American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2004 — The Coalition Provisional Authority announced a new policy today to tighten border security in Iraq, an effort officials say will help stem the flow of terrorists and foreign fighters entering the country.
During a briefing from Baghdad, senior coalition spokesman Dan Senor told reporters the new policy calls for "increased personnel, new technology and tighter procedures," beginning at the Iranian border. He said the new policy is the first stage in an effort to address security problems at Iraq's porous borders. 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.

. White House Fact Sheet: Progress in Iraq

. Iraq Update . Maps of Iraq

. Iraq's 55 Most Wanted

Force Protection Gear
Saving Army Lives

WASHINGTON, Army News Service, March 12, 2004 — The Army continues to meet its Operation Iraqi Freedom force protection equipment requirements in a timely manner and Congress is helping to do that, the Army’s top leadership recently told some of the nation’s top lawmakers. More

Defense Leaders Speak

Defense Secretary
Donald H. Rumsfeld

"Today I thank you ... military and civilian ... you are the men and women behind the troops, the ones who enable them to do the jobs that they do every day. So I thank each of you for your service."

Town Hall Meeting, March 12, 2004

Defense Views

Quotes by U.S. defense leaders

Six Soldiers Killed in
Roadside Bomb Attacks

Editor's Note: This article corrects factual errors contained in a March 14 AFPS article.

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2004 — Deadly roadside bomb attacks in Iraq this weekend left six U.S. soldiers dead, Combined Joint Task Force 7 officials said in news releases. An improvised explosive device killed a 1st Infantry Division soldier in Baghdad March 14. More

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2004 — The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Capt. John F. Kurth, 31, of Wis., and Spc. Jason C. Ford, 21, of Bowie, Md., died March 13 in Tikrit, Iraq, when their patrol encountered an improvised explosive device, officials reported. Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, based in Schweinfurt, Germany. The incident is under investigation.

http://www.defendamerica.mil/homecoming/archive.html

Saddam's Capture - A Video from Golf Troops' Perspective

Radio

Television

Bound for Iraq 5 More Photos

Family Support Community Support volunteers at March Air Reserve Base, Calif., greet Marines from the 1st Force Service Support Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force with a smile and some snacks. The Marines are processing through the base before deployment to Iraq. Volunteers from the local community and throughout the nation have volunteered their time, money and resources to support the U. S. military members going overseas to support Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Thomas Cook Photo Essay Archive

ASHLEY AT THE PENTAGON — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld poses for a picture with Ashley Pearson during a tour of the Pentagon on March 11, 2004. Pearson and her family are visiting Washington D.C., at the invitation of President Bush. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jerry Morrison Jr.
5 More Photos

5th-Grader Gets Spotlight At Town Hall

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2004 — Eleven-year-old Ashley Pearson had no idea how much excitement she'd stirred up when she sent a letter to President Bush earlier this year asking what she could do to help save the county and telling the troops that she believes in them. More

Gen. Myers: Too Soon to Know Who's Behind Attacks in Madrid

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

BUENOS AIRES, March 13, 2004 — It is still too soon to say definitively who launched the terrorist attacks in Spain March 11 that killed almost 200 people and wounded more than 1,400, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during a press conference here March 12.
Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, on a visit to the region to improve military- to-military ties, said the "heinous terrorist attacks" reinforce the need to combat the scourge of terrorism around the world. He said the United States stands "shoulder-to-shoulder" with Spain in the war on terrorism. More

‘Win the Peace’ Coalition Delivers Hope for Future

A school boy selects a backpack donated by 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Airmen. More than 200 backpacks filled with school supplies and hygiene products were donated. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Bob Oldham

SOUTHWEST ASIA, March 11, 2004 (AFPN) -- More than 200 students at a school outside Nasiriya, Iraq, received a surprise delivery of school supplies donated by “Win the Peace,” an unofficial, organization made up of airmen with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location.
The group raised funds for the shipment from airmen here in December. They were able to purchase the supplies at discount prices from local vendors who were interested in contributing to the program. More

Air Defenders Train as Police
For Deployment to Afghanistan

By Jon Myatt / Florida Department of Military Affairs

1st Lt. Craig Fournier, of HHB, 2nd Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery, and his wife Stephanie, share soldier readiness processing Saturday afternoon at the West Palm Beach Armory. Fournier is the battalion's intelligence officer. Photo by Jon Myatt

WEST PALM BEACH, March 15, 2004 — Air defense artillerymen always train and deploy with their eyes to the sky, so when the soldiers of the Florida National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery were informed they were being deployed to Afghanistan as military policemen, many were surprised.
The Florida National Guard received word two months ago that the battalion would be retrained as military police officers at Fort Dix, N.J. The Army needs more MPs to help wage the global war against terrorism. More

Marines Connect Forces Using Fiber Optics

By Marine Sgt. J.L. Zimmer III / 3d Marine Aircraft Wing

AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq, March 12, 2004 — Since the late '80s people have been fascinated with the power of a new invention that can send information at the speed of light using only cable as thick as a pencil.
Now, Marine Wing Communication Squadron 38 has arrived in Iraq with a plan to connect more than 20 miles of fiber-optic cable to assist the Marines and sailors supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom II. More

The Striped Beagle

U.S. Army Reserve Maj. David L. Barber recently deployed to the Persian Gulf with the 172nd Corps Support Group. Along with his duties as the unit's legal advisor, Barber began publishing his own newsletter The Striped Beagle. With his permission, DefendAmerica.mil will publish excerpts giving you another glimpse of what daily life is like for America's troops in the field.

Battle Drill
1LT A.J. Salazar and SSG Claudia Pedroza continue the legal mission during a Force Protection Battle Drill

LSA ANACONDA, Iraq — The driving winds whipped sand and dust limiting visibility to less than 100 meters. Above the howling winds, the sound of the alarm siren rang out. The alarm was just a drill. Because of the advance warning we received there was no anxiousness, we simply donned our helmets and body armor vests and continued with our mission. More

War on Terrorism

. Bush Honors 9/11 Victims, Condemns Terrorism

. Special Operations Troops Are 'Taking the War to the Terrorists'

Iraq

. Insurgent Vehicle Attack In Iraq Kills Coalition Soldiers, Civilians

. State Department's Harrison Discusses Iraq Exchange Programs

Military News

. Rumsfeld, Pace Reflect on Leadership at Town Hall

. National Guard, Reserve Update

Naval Coastal Warfare
Reserve Units Deploy

NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND, Calif., March 12, 2004 (NNS) — More than 350 sailors and Coast Guardsmen making up Reserve units of Naval Coastal Warfare Group 1 left Naval Air Station North Island for the Persian Gulf recently. More

Field Artillery ‘Rocketeers’
Hone Skills on Butler Range

A 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division Multiple-Launch Rocket System launcher fires a reduced range practice rocket at Butler Range. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Bell

BUTLER RANGE, Iraq — Butler Range near Baghdad had several loud visitors this week as the 1st Armored Division’s “King of Battle” flexed some of its biggest muscles during a three-day live-fire exercise.
The 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery Regiment, assigned to the 1st Armored Division Artillery Combat Team rolled its inventory of multiple-launch rocket system out to the massive firing range north of Baghdad to finalize their months of training. More

Transformation

New Mine-Finding Device
Removes Troops From Threat

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Kaneohe Bay, March 12, 2004 — Researchers from Science and Technology International dug in deep at Fort Hase Beach aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, recently, for the advanced testing of a new mine-finding apparatus that allows for airborne reconnaissance and recognition of mine fields and other hidden dangers that could await American troops in times of conflict. More

Officials Study Force Posture Overseas

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2004 — Defense officials are examining how best to adjust force posture to meet future threats and hope to come to some conclusions in coming months, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy Andy Hoehn said in an interview about the global posture review. Story

Exchange Business Operations Plan to Merge

. Maps of Afghanistan

Schwarzenegger ‘Pumps Up’
Deploying Guard Soldiers

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger shakes hands with National Guard soldiers of the 81st Armor Brigade (Separate) at the National Training Center and Fort Irwin, Calif. U.S. Army photo be Spc. by Jacob A. McDonald

FORT IRWIN, Calif., Army News Service, March 15, 2004 — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited the National Training Center and Fort Irwin March 12 to speak to soldiers of the California National Guard deploying to Iraq.
“I’m here not just as the governor,” Schwarzenegger said. “First, I wanted to come here to talk to you and pump you up before you ship out.” More

Sign an On-line Thank You Note

Profile

U.S. Army
Spc. Michael Parson

Tennessee Army National Guard Spec. Michael Parson is a student and Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Hermes Acevedo, from Alabama, is an instructor at the Army's Military Police School at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. They have a lot in common as civilian police officers who have been called up to take part in the global war against terrorism. U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Bob Haskell

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Tennessee Army National Guard Spc. Michael Parson speaks with authority about two things that matter most to National Guard troops involved in the war against terrorism these days: serving in the Army's total force and the extent to which some civilian employers are supporting the troops. More More Profiles

In Iraq

Marine Chopper Squadron
Prepares for Iraq Mission

Marines from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 give hand signals to a crane operator while they reattach one of the main rotor blades of a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter after it was transported via cargo plane to Iraq. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Nathan K. Laforte.

AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq, March 12, 2004 — A crew of Marines from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 toils during the warm, Iraqi winter days and another works through the chilly winter nights for one particular purpose.
The purpose is to get the squadron's eight CH-53E Super Stallion Helicopters fully operational and in the air as soon as possible. More

In Djibouti

Old Guard Troops Conduct
Personnel Recovery Training

NEAR CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti - A CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464 attempts to receive fuel from a C-130 Hercules during a aerial refueling drill here Mar. 8. The squadron, while supporting Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, performs many aerial functions for the service members here such as transportation of personnel and equipment. Photo by: Cpl. Adam C. Schnell

NEAR CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti, March 15, 2004 — As the sun set over Djibouti, Africa, two CH-53E Super Stallions from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464 carrying soldiers from 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard,” Bravo Company participate in joint personnel recovery training here last week.
The two units, both supporting Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, came together to perform a simulated personnel recovery mission to better prepare the troops for real-life situations while using night vision equipment. More

'On The Ground' Archive