Soldier Gets Iraqi Girl New Legs

I actually read this in MY paper !!

May 10, 2008
Knight Ridder

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BAGHDAD - Staff Sgt. Luis Falcon, 38, was patrolling the streets of Baqouba, north of Baghdad, when he saw Shahad Abbas. The 11-year-old girl was in a large decrepit wheelchair, and the stumps of her legs where her calves should have been were crusted with dried blood.

Falcon couldn't just walk on, so he stopped to talk. He came back the next day and the day after that, then every day for six months, bringing her toys, gauze for her legs, a new wheelchair. Anything she asked for, he would bring.

In a war that Falcon no longer really understood, Shahad became his mission. So when she asked for legs, that became his mission, too.

On Friday his dream and hers came true, just three weeks before he's scheduled to leave Iraq. Shahad was fitted with prosthetic limbs in a U.S. military-funded clinic in Baghdad that normally provides artificial limbs for wounded members of the Iraqi security forces.

"We created a bond, and I didn't need a translator to interpret the bond we had," Falcon said.
With no little girls of his own, he thought of Shahad as his daughter and carried a picture of her smiling in the shoulder pocket of his uniform.

Iraq has one of the largest populations of amputees in the world, though a (Read more...)

SOME GOOD NEWS TO START THE WEEK

Iraqi boy leads troops to weapons cache
Monday, 17 September 2007

BAGHDAD — A Multi-National Division-Baghdad unit discovered a cache of explosives and improvised explosive device-making materials in a western neighborhood of the Iraqi capital following a tip from a local boy Sept. 15.

A platoon from Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment (Task Force Patriot), was conducting a census operation in the western Baghdad neighborhood of Yarmouk when an 11-year-old Iraqi boy pointed out an abandoned house and suggested that insurgents had used it as a base of operations in previous months.

The Soldiers discovered two cache sites within the house after a detailed search. The contents of the two caches included four RPG-7 rockets, nine 57mm rockets, two 82mm mortars, one 130mm artillery round, one 122mm artillery round, one block of TNT, a foot of detonation cord, 52 AK-47 magazines and an assortment of IED-detonating devices.
An explosive ordnance disposal team responded to the scene and removed the explosives for detonation later in a controlled environment.

“We’re encouraged by the fact that a tip from an Iraqi child led us to this cache,” said Capt. Jayson Morgan, commander of Battery B and a Munday, Texas native. “It’s just another sign that our efforts in this community are paying dividends.”

Morgan said he will return to the neighborhood later this week to pay the family of the young boy a reward for providing such valuable information.

Coalition forces capture 12 suspected terrorists in Baghdad
Monday, 17 September 2007

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces captured an Iraqi terrorist with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps - Quds Forces (IRGC-QF) and eleven other suspected terrorists during coordinated early morning operations in Baghdad Monday.

The operations targeted a senior Special Groups leader directly linked, according to sensitive intelligence, to several other high-ranking terrorists operating in and around Baghdad.
Those in custody are believed to be involved in smuggling and storing weapons from Iran used to attack Iraqi civilians and the security forces that protect them. Intelligence further indicates that the group is linked to the production and distribution of deadly Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs) and the supporting of foreign terrorist operations.

Coalition forces detained six individuals at the first target area without incident, and followed on with operations at two other sites where they captured the other individuals.

A vehicle approached the security perimeter of the ground force during the operation. The vehicle, which was out after curfew, was warned with lights and warning shots before Coalition forces engaged the hostile threat with machine gun fire and destroyed it. The ground forces assess the driver was killed.

“The capture of key Special Groups leaders will allow us to further disrupt the activities of those who attempt to undermine the security and stability of Iraq,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman

GOOD NEWS, AUGUST 29, 2007

Four suspected insurgents captured in eastern Baghdad
Wednesday, 29 August 2007

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq — Soldiers from the Multi-National Division-Baghdad and Iraqi Security Forces captured four suspected insurgents and recovered a small weapons cache during a security operation in the Karadah District of eastern Baghdad Aug. 28.

The operation, carried out by Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and the 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, was part of an ongoing effort to clear insurgent strongholds in the area. T

The four suspects detained are now being held for further questioning. The troops uncovered two AK-47 assault rifles, one spotting scope, and three eye pieces in the operation.


Central Baghdad school opens after two months of renovations
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
By Sgt. Robert Yde2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

BAGHDAD — For the second time in a little more than a month, the partnership between the Kindi Neighborhood Advisory Council and the Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment’s Company E, has led to another school being opened in the area.

After opening the Waoud Kindergarten in July, the Andalas School, which will serve as a middle and secondary school, was opened Aug. 26.
The project, which took nearly two months to complete, was one of the first that Co. E, which is attached to the 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, took on after taking over operations in Kindi in June. Read more.....


Apache troop provides security, spreads goodwill
Wednesday, 29 August 2007

BAGHDAD — Keeping the balance between being a force to be reckoned with and being a symbol of peace and prosperity can be a difficult task. For many of today's Soldiers in Iraq, it's not part of the game, it is the game.
Soldiers from Troop A, 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, have been walking that proverbial tightrope while patrolling the streets of the Iraqi capital’s Karkh District.
Not only are they charged with being keepers of the peace, they also know they must be a part of the everyday lives of those living where they patrol.
Read more...


Afghan, Coalition Troops Kill, Capture Insurgents, Find Weapons
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2007 – Afghan and coalition forces killed 21 insurgents, nabbed 12 others, discovered a weapons cache and thwarted two ambushes in Afghanistan over the past two days, military officials said.

Afghan National Police members from Chamkani and coalition forces detained a key Taliban leader and six other insurgents in a targeted strike near Sultak village in the Patan district of Paktia province.

The high-profile suspect, Zakir Shah, is a mid-level Taliban field commander who helps transport foreign fighters and supplies between Afghanistan and Pakistan, military officials said. He also allegedly is responsible for the murders of Afghan civilians. Read more.....

Good News, August 23, 2007

IPs, Marines host youth soccer day
Thursday, 23 August 2007

By Gunnery Sgt. Eric Johnson

2nd Marine Division

U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Eric Johnson, operations chief of the Hadithah Police Transition Team, plays soccer with local Iraqi children in front of the Iraqi Police Station. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Stephen M. Kwietniak.

HADITHAH — The morning of July 4th started out like any other inside the Hadithah Police Station.

The Iraqi police conducted morning police call, uniforms were set straight, and reports were prepared. The Marines of the Hadithah Police Transition Team (PiTT) gave guidance to their Iraqi counterparts, making corrections wherever necessary. As the heat began filling the building, the anticipation for the day’s events grew.

Within the building’s multi-purpose room, the morning formation lined up. However, the formation wasn’t of Iraqi police officers standing at attention, ready for drill practice. In fact, no one was standing at attention. July 4th was the first Youth Soccer Day held at the Hadithah Police Station.

More than 200 local children gathered at the police station for a chance to play soccer with their police officers. The police and children were equally excited for the day’s festivities (read more)

GOOD NEWS FRIDAY

Freedom Facts ::
Completed Gulf Region Division water treatment projects have provided the capacity to serve an additional 2.2 million Iraqis with potable water. At the end of the program, the added capacity could serve approximately 5.2 million Iraqis with potable water.

Iraqis lead Soldiers to weapons caches north of Baghdad
1st Brigade Combat Team
1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

CAMP TAJI — Concerned Iraqi citizens recently fed tips to Soldiers from the 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 1st Cavalry Division, which led to four weapons caches and two detained suspects during multiple operations north of Baghdad.

Troops from Battery B, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, attached to the 1st BCT, acting on a tip from a neighborhood watch volunteer, recently uncovered an improvised explosive device (IED) cache near the town of Sab Al Bor.

The cache included five complete IEDs and 12 incomplete IEDs. Also found were 20 munitions of varying sizes, 100 pounds of homemade explosive, one can of nitric acid, some command wire and the tools necessary to manufacture IEDs.

Acting on another tip, Soldiers of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, also of 1st BCT, found a 100 mm projectile, ten 80 mm mortars, six IED timers, two rocket-propelled grenades and an accompanying booster. (read more)

Concerned citizens hand over weapons cache to coalition forces
2nd Brigade Combat Team
10th Mountain Division Public Affairs Office

AL-OWESAT— A group of concerned citizens recently found a weapons cache along the Euphrates River and later brought it to coalition forces.

Soldiers of Company D, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., were at Iraqi Army Patrol Base Samir, near the village of al-Taqa, when a group of local citizens brought the cache to them.

The cache contained 220 pounds of homemade explosives, seven 155 mm rounds, seven 120 mm rounds, 12 14.5 mm heavy machine-gun rounds, two steel-pipe directional charges packed with homemade explosive, 60 57mm mortar fuses, one 82 mm mortar tube, three homemade hand grenades, nine rocket-propelled grenades, two 88 mm rocket fuses and nearly 1,300 feet of detonation cord.

The weapons turn-in occurred within a mile of the site where Spc. Alex R. Jimenez and Pvt. Byron W. Fouty were captured on May 12. Search efforts continue for the missing Soldiers.

The cache was secured for disposal by an explosive ordnance disposal.

Peace Through Puppets

Soldier Takes Hands-On Approach To War, With Mom's Help
Puppets help to ease anxiety for Iraqi kids
By Steve Vogel , The Washington Post
Published on 8/12/2007

Washington — The reaction was immediate when Army 1st Sgt. Bruce Reges strode into the classroom in the Baghdad suburb of Baqubah, in the volatile Diyala province.

At 6-foot-5 and wearing full body armor, Reges, 57, looked fearsome to the schoolchildren. Outside, two Stryker armored vehicles blocked the street. A heavily armed security detail was checking out the roof and other classrooms.

Reges is assigned to an Army civil affairs unit out of Fort Bragg, N.C., working to reconstruct and support schools, irrigation projects and honey farms in Diyala. The team was visiting the school in May to assess what could be done to help, but the young students were terrified. (Read More)

SOME NEWS FROM THE PAST FEW DAYS

I haven't been very diligent in posting of late but hopefully things will calm down a bit as I need to get my house in order being I've been on the run so much these past weeks. It "litter"ally looks like a Scrap/Stamp store collided with a Hallmark & there were no survivors. I'm hoping to have some company soon so need to make some space.....more about this later. Anyway for now I am going to give you some links to some news I found here & there that I think are of interest & should be shared.


Soldiers help Iraqi boy get surgery

Trends encouraging in Baghdad hotspots

Iraqi Police, Paratroopers help neighborhood clean up its act

Services Meet or Exceed July Recruiting Goals

BadAss Marine I found this guy on BlackFive.....you definitely must watch this Marine.

'Get It Done' This is an article about Gen. Petraeus written by Peggy Noonan (former speech writer for Pres. Ronald Reagan) for Opinion Journal of Wall Street Journal. This man will be all over the news soon so get to know him now.

All Due Respect to Military Spouses... (Some Soldiers Mom)

I LOVE THIS JUDGE!!!

Judge Orders Michigan Man to Scrub Veterans Memorial With Toothbrush
Wednesday, August 08, 2007

A Michigan man scrubbed a monument to U.S. troops with a toothbrush Tuesday while wearing a T-shirt that read "I Stole From Veterans" as part of a punishment for a scam to solicit scrap yards for metal, the Saginaw News reports.

A judge ordered Philip Kolinski, 73, of Carrollton Township, Mich., to wash the veterans monument outside the Saginaw County Governmental Center after he was found guilty of soliciting metal donations for a sculpture dedicated to Iraq War veterans that was never built, the Saginaw News said.

Instead of using the metal for a monument, he sold it and kept the money, the paper reports.
Click here to read the Saginaw News report.

Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank also ordered Kolinski to to pay $9,000 in restitution and $2,095 in fees and fines.

A second man, James M. Arnst, 45, is awaiting trial for his alleged role in the scam.

Today's Good News

Citizens oust terrorists from mosque, help uncover weapons cache
Tuesday, 07 August 2007

BAGHDAD — Fed up with violent and indiscriminate terror tactics, a group of more than 80 residents of the Adhamiyah district, on the east side of the Iraqi capital, banded together Sunday to oust suspected terrorists from a local mosque.

The uprising led to a string of events over the next 12 hours that ultimately resulted in the arrest of 44 suspected terrorists and the capture of three weapons caches.

The initial takeover of the Abu Hanifa Mosque occurred at about 2 p.m., apparently triggered by news that terrorists had murdered two relatives of a prominent local sheik.
(Read more)

Col. Simcock talks of progess being made...

GOOD NEWS FROM THIS PAST WEEK

As I havent' posted much this past week I wanted to give you some of the better news I have seen.....hope you read them.

A War We Just Might Win
By MICHAEL E. O’HANLON and KENNETH M. POLLACK
Published: July 30, 2007

VIEWED from Iraq, where we just spent eight days meeting with American and Iraqi military and civilian personnel, the political debate in Washington is surreal. The Bush administration has over four years lost essentially all credibility. Yet now the administration’s critics, in part as a result, seem unaware of the significant changes taking place.

Here is the most important thing Americans need to understand: We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms. As two analysts who have harshly criticized the Bush administration’s miserable handling of Iraq, we were surprised by the gains we saw and the potential to produce not necessarily “victory” but a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with. (PLEASE READ MORE)

General recognizes pilots for daring rescue mission
Monday, 30 July 2007


BAGHDAD — The top U.S. general in Iraq presented awards to four Apache pilots for their part in the July 2 rescue of two other pilots downed by enemy fire during ceremony Friday in the Victory Base Complex .
U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, commander of Multi-National Forces-Iraq, honored the four pilots of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, and eight others who helped rescue the pilots. (read more)

Coalition Raids Detain 17 Suspected Terrorists in Iraq
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2007 – Coalition forces in Iraq detained 17 suspected terrorists during raids targeting al Qaeda operations in the Tigris River Valley today, military officials reported.

During a precision raid in Baghdad, coalition forces captured an al Qaeda operative allegedly involved in weapons trafficking and supplying terrorist groups with improvised-explosive-device materials. One other suspected terrorist was detained during the operation.

In other operations today: (read more)


IA, Stryker leaders assess progress in Baqubah
Friday, 03 August 2007

BAQUBAH — Leaders from the 5th Iraqi Army Division and the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, traveled together to assess progress in several neighborhoods of Baqubah, Iraq, July 31.

As Operation Arrowhead Ripper continues, the effort has shifted from combat operations to reconstruction and humanitarian missions. The Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police and provincial council members are leading the majority of the projects. Many residents have joined in to do their part to improve their city. (read more)

Female combat medics in the fight daily; earn respect
Friday, 03 August 2007
Story by Spc. Mike Alberts

3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs


KIRKUK — Temperatures exceeded 115 degrees during the five-hour mission in Amerli that day. More than 50 Soldiers were on site and tensions were high; Amerli was the scene of a massive suicide truck bombing just four days earlier.
Soldiers kept alert, but visibly struggled under the weight of dozens of pounds of battle gear. Throughout the sun-scorched day, all but two Soldiers limited their movement as much as possible. All but two could afford that luxury.

“Bolo” and “Collver” continuously walked up and down the lines of men. “Drink water,” they repeated. “Are you feeling OK?” they asked. They were the two Soldiers charged with ensuring that each man stayed hydrated and returned safely to base. As usual, they were the mission’s only dedicated medical personnel.

Spc. Vanessa Bolognese and Spc. Aimee Collver, combat medics, Personal Security Detachment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, kept all their male counterparts healthy “outside the wire” that day in Amerli just as they do every day in the Kirkuk Province, Iraq. Neither is doing exactly what she thought she’d be doing in the Army, but neither would trade her job for another. (read more)


And here's a blog posting I have to share.......those who know me will know why this post caught my eye.

CURSE OF THE FLAMINGOS

MND-B Soldiers uncover three caches in southern Baghdad
Saturday, 04 August 2007

BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers found three weapons caches in the Rashid District of the Iraqi capital August 1-2.

The “Warriors” from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment discovered 100 55-gallon barrels containing various chemicals that could be used in the making of improvised explosive devices in a house in Doura August 1.

Also that night, the “Tomahawks,” from the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment discovered an AK-47 assault rifle, five grenades, five full AK-47 magazines, seven ammunition pouches and a radio in a truck parked near the site of a recent attack on Coalition Forces.

Early on the morning of August 2, Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment discovered a weapons cache inside a house consisting of a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, six anti-tank mines, a recoilless rifle with 120 rounds of ammunition and a tripod, 1,400 AK-47 rounds, five demolition charges, six shaped charges and 19 RPG boosters. Four men were also detained at the scene of this cache find.

Explosive ordnance disposal teams conducted controlled detonations to destroy the caches

Air assault south of Baqouba destroys four VBIEDs
Saturday, 04 August 2007

BAQOUBA, Iraq -- Soldiers attached to 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, located and destroyed four vehicles to be used as vehicle-borne improvised explosives devices during an air assault operation south of Baqouba, Iraq, that began August 1.

Soldiers from 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion located two vehicles laden with explosives while searching the area August 2. Later that afternoon, Soldiers found two vehicles that had wires and trigger mechanisms installed but had not yet been loaded with explosives.

The purpose of the two-day air assault, called Operation Wickersham, was to clear an area used by al-Qaeda in Iraq to launch mortars into Baqouba.

“In the opening hours, we captured two complete mortar systems and a heavy machine gun in excellent condition,” said Col. Stephen Townsend, commander of 3rd SBCT. “The machine gun was in position and ready to fire.”

Soldiers from 1-12 CAB also located and destroyed seven IEDs and 12 caches containing weapons and IED-making material.

As I catch up with my reading I may post more later........have a great Saturday!!

SOME GOOD NEWS FOR THE DAY

Kindi re-opens kindergarten
Tuesday, 31 July 2007
By Sgt. 1st Class Kap Kim1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

BAGHDAD — Waoud kindergartners, 4-year-old Huda and her sister, 6-year-old Sara, waited all day in their fancy dresses and stood in the Baghdad heat to perform the most important duty they’d ever faced: their job was to carry a small pair of scissors that would be used for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at their newly, renovated school.

On break from school, she showed up with her mother, one of the school’s teachers. When the team of Kindi Neighborhood Advisory Council bigwigs showed up in their sweat-ringed shirts and ties, she got up out of her seat and handed them to the chairman, Hassan Al-Kharsan, who cut the ribbon in front of a small crowd. (read more)

GOOD NEWS FROM IRAQ

Local residents lead Soldiers to huge weapons cache
Saturday, 28 July 2007
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) PAO
Multi-National Division - Center

PATROL BASE INCHON — The rural areas south of Baghdad have long been a trouble spot for Coalition Forces. The fertile land was given by Saddam Hussein to Baath Party members and close friends, and the ties made it a hotbed of terrorism.

Increasingly, however, residents are combating terror in their areas.

On July 23, a local Iraqi man came to Patrol Base Inchon, near the Euphrates River, staffed by Company D, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., and elements of the 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division. He told troops that several other residents had chased a group of anti-Iraqi forces away from a weapons cache. He asked Soldiers to remove the weapons. (Read more)

Improved Ninewah security may mean fewer U.S. troops in future
Saturday, 28 July 2007

BAGHDAD — Insurgent attacks in Iraq’s Ninewah province have dropped significantly, and if the trend continues, fewer U.S. troops will be needed in the region, an Army commander in the area said Friday.

A sign of the improved security situation in the province is the fact that the province - which includes Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city - will transfer to Iraqi provincial control sometime next month, said Army Col. Stephen Twitty, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Brigade, during a briefing with Pentagon reporters via telephone.

The Ninewah provincial government has made great strides and can stand on its own with minimal help, Twitty said. “We have a very mature provincial government here,” he said.
The Coalition provincial reconstruction team in Mosul and the brigade staff will continue to coach and mentor the provincial government. “In nine months I have seen this government mature, so they will be able to operate pretty much independently and run the provincial government pretty much independently,” Twitty said.

On the security side, the two Iraqi divisions in the province are already under the command of Iraqi Ground Forces Command. “We still continue to see a need for the (provincial reconstruction team) to be here and will probably see a need for some type of Coalition forces up here,” Twitty said.
Read more...

GOOD NEWS, JULY 25, 2007

Soldiers, NAC work together to refurbish School in Saliyih
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
By Sgt. Robert Yde2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

BAGHDAD — After a month of ongoing renovations, Otba Bin Gazwan Girls High School in Saliyih was opened during a small ceremony July 19.

The school, which has served children in Saliyih since 1975, has continued to deteriorate over the last few years despite some earlier efforts to clean it up.

“After the war, they tried to fix it up a couple of times, but it wasn’t that good -- not like now,” Haji Deah, a member of the Salhiyih Neighborhood Advisory Council, said. “The walls were very dirty and the doors were broken. There was no electricity or running water in the bathrooms.” (Read More)

Treating Tebarek: Combat Medic cares for Iraqi Child
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
By 2nd Lt. Elizabeth Lopez210th Brigade Support Battalion

CAMP STRIKER — The most important quality combat medics can possess is compassion. The nature of their jobs requires these men and women to witness and participate in some of combat’s most heart-wrenching stories.

Late in the day on July 21 at Patrol Base Yusufiyah, the aid station’s normal routine was thrown into chaos by the arrival of eight victims from a nearby mortar attack. Among the wounded were seven Iraqi children ranging in age from 3 to 12.

One of the victims, a 6-year-old girl named Tebarek, was placed under the care of Sgt. William Ludlow, a combat medic from Company C, 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y.

Initial triage showed Tebarek’s left leg and abdominal injuries were so severe that she needed immediate evacuation to the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad’s International Zone. The medics loaded her on a flight bound for the hospital and never expected to see the little girl again. This would not be the case for Ludlow and Tebarek. (Read More)

Good News/ 24 July 2007

FRIDAY'S GOOD NEWS

Pictures of a homecoming for a marine recently returned from Iraq , great pictures, and a great tribute form the Patriot Guards!

Tipsters lead to capture of south Baghdad’s most wanted terrorist, cache
Friday, 20 July 2007
2nd Brigade Combat Team
10th Mountain Division Public Affairs Office

AL-DHOUR — With two well-timed phone calls, Iraqi civilians made a few Soldiers’ day recently.

The first tipster called Troop C, 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., and alerted them to a cache south of the village of Al-Dhour, south of Baghdad.

The troop responded, located the buried weapons, and was only five minutes into the process of digging them up when they got another call.

A man claimed he had the 2nd BCT’s top high-value target and would deliver him to coalition custody. The man and Capt. Adam Sawyer, Troop C commander, agreed on a pickup site.

The Soldiers hastily re-buried the cache and moved out. When the vehicle arrived, they stopped it and took the most wanted man and two other men into custody.

Some of the Soldiers were still able to see the cache from their vantage point, and were surprised to see a civilian pickup truck stop there and begin hastily loading the weapons into the bed of the truck.

They engaged the vehicle with an M-240 machine gun. The men tried to flee, but the Troop C Soldiers detained them all and called an explosive ordnance disposal team to destroy the weapons.

Sawyer, a native of Reading, Pa., was jubilant about the operation.

“All of this was possible because of sources we’ve developed, through local-national engagements and working with the residents of the area,” he said. “It’s our work with the people in these areas, our relations with them, paying off.

The primary target is allegedly responsible for shooting down an AH-64 helicopter in April 2006, the abductions of two Soldiers in June 2006, and complex attacks on patrol bases and terrorist acts against both coalition forces and Iraqi civilians.

Additionally, he is believed to be the leader of an al-Qaida network, known to prey on the general public through intimidation and murder against those resisting compliance to the al-Qaida demands and decrees.
One of the detainees had been wounded in a previous engagement, and was taken to a coalition hospital for treatment. The other six are being held for further questioning.

Iraqi informants lead U.S. Soldiers to weapons, IED caches
Friday, 20 July 2007
2nd Brigade Combat Team
10th Mountain Division Public Affairs

RUSHDI MULLAH — Iraqi informants led coalition forces to three massive caches north of Rushdi Mullah, July 18.

Accompanying the informants were Soldiers of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., who helped seize the caches just 20 miles south of Baghdad.

“Over the last several weeks, the number of Iraqis who have been sharing tips with us is astounding,” said Maj. Web Wright, a spokesperson for the 2nd BCT. “There has been a turning of the tides against al-Qaida in this area. The people are tired of them and are turning their backs on AQI.”
All three caches were found buried in 55-gallon drums within 100 meters of one another.

The contents of the caches included 13 rocket propelled grenades, 150 bags of Russian mortar propellant charges, two 57 mm mortar rockets, an armor-piercing rocket propelled grenade, four cylindrical explosive charges, two square explosive charges, two hand-launched star cluster flares, a Russian fragmentary hand grenade, 25 mortar propellant charges, 100 12.7 mm DiSHKA heavy machine gun rounds, 20 25 mm rounds, a 75-round Ak-47 ammunition drum, three sniper rifle scopes, two mortar sights, 10 cell phone chargers, five radios, a pressure plate, a machine gun lower receiver, two 7.62 mm machine gun barrels, two bottles of glucose, four vehicle cell phone chargers, an improvised explosive device command wire initiator, a hands-free telephone headset, an eight-battery holder, four cell phone batteries, a 4.8 voltage rechargeable battery, a seven-piece antenna, two flip-open cell phones, four Motorola talk-abouts, a cordless phone, a cordless phone base, a toy cell phone improvised explosive device (IED) initiator, two phone cords, an antenna extension, two keyless-entry devices with IED initiator switches, two magnets, two circuit boards and various nuts and bolts.
Radio and cell phone accessories are commonly used to detonate IEDs.

An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the ordnance.

GOOD NEWS THURSDAY

Freedom Facts ::
In 2006, medical care improved in Iraq with the renovation of 15 hospitals. Each completed facility sees approximately 500 patients per day for a total of 11,000 patients nationwide

Making a difference: Soldiers get to know locals in Fira Shia
Thursday, 19 July 2007
By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp
1st Brigade Comabt Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

FIRA SHIA — The Soldiers of Battery B, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment are reaching out in operations to build relationships and trust with people living in the areas in which they patrol.
In one outreach project, the troops from the battery conducted a census to gather an accurate assessment of population size and statistics on the area while at the same time interacting with the local populace recently.
“We grew accustomed to doing these types of operations in our last area and now we’re in a place that is a farming village that hasn’t had a lot of direct coalition interaction,” said Capt. Robert Callaghan, the battery commander, who hails from Winterpark, Fla. He explained that interacting with the people of Fira Shia also helps in getting information that leads to finding insurgents as well as weapons caches. “We’ve been very successful in the area so far and the people have been very nice and cooperative.” (Read More)


Iraqi informants lead U.S. Soldiers to weapons, IED caches
July 19, 2007
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) PAO Multi-National Division – Center PAO

RUSHDI MULLAH, Iraq — Iraqi informants led Coalition Forces to three significant caches north of Rushdi Mullah, Iraq, July 18.
Accompanying the informants were Soldiers of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., who helped seize the caches just 20 miles south of Baghdad.
“Over the last several weeks, the number of Iraqis who have been sharing tips with us is astounding,” said Maj. Web Wright, a spokesperson for the 2nd BCT. “There has been a turning of the tides against al Qaeda in this area. The people are tired of them and are turning their backs on AQI.”
All three caches were found buried in 55-gallon drums within 100 meters of one another.
The contents of the caches included 13 rocket propelled grenades, 150 bags of Russian mortar propellant charges, two 57mm mortar rockets, an armor-piercing rocket propelled grenade, four cylindrical explosive charges, two square explosive charges, two hand-launched star cluster flares, a Russian fragmentary hand grenade, 25 mortar propellant charges, 100 12.7mm DiSHKA heavy machine gun rounds, 20 25mm rounds, a 75-rounds Ak-47 ammunition drum, three sniper rifle scopes, two mortar sights, 10 cell phone chargers, five radios, a pressure plate, a machine gun lower receiver, two 7.62mm machine gun barrels, two bottles of glucose, four vehicle cell phone chargers, an improvised explosive device command wire initiator, a hands-free telephone headset, an eight-battery holder, four cell phone batteries, a 4.8 voltage rechargeable battery, a seven-piece antennae, two flip-open cell phones, four Motorola talk-abouts, a cordless phone, a cordless phone base, a toy cell phone IED initiator, two phone cords, an antennae extension, two keyless-entry devices with IED initiator switches, two magnets, two circuit boards and various nuts and bolts.
The radio and cell phone accessories are commonly used to detonate IEDs.
The ordnance was destroyed by an explosive ordnance disposal team.

GOOD NEWS FOR TODAY......

Medical Clinic to Benefit Iraqis for Years to Come
Wednesday, 18 July 2007
By A. Al Bahrani Gulf Region South

BASRAH—June 17, 2007 — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region South district, turned over another newly constructed Primary Healthcare Center (PHC) to the Basrah Health Directorate in May 2007.

The PHC is located in the Al-Qurna district, and marks another step toward the transition to the future of Iraq’s Health Care System.

“Al-Qurna PHC project was completed on May 28, 2007, and has been designed to provide comprehensive medical care services for more than 30,000 patients each year,” said project engineer James Hodges, Basrah Area Office, Gulf Region South district. (Read More)


Coalition Forces in Iraq Taking Down Enemy ‘Cell by Cell’
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2007 – Coalition forces in Iraq are taking down the insurgency cell by cell, killing key foreign leaders in the recent surge of operations, a senior spokesman in the region said today.

“We are on the offensive. We own the initiative, and we’re pressing al Qaeda in Iraq and also the secret cells and the rogue elements of (the) Jaysh al-Mahdi (militia). We’re also seeing an increase in the capacity and capability of Iraqi security forces,” said Navy Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox, the communications chief for strategic effects with Multinational Force Iraq. Fox was speaking via telephone from Iraq to online journalists and “bloggers.”

Fox said the July 4 capture of Khalid Abdul Fatah Daud Mahmud al-Mashadani, thought to the most senior Iraqi in the al Qaeda in Iraq network, highlights the significance of coalition forces’ operations to kill foreign al Qaeda leaders. (Read More)

Pace Walks Ramadi’s Streets, Notes Progress
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

RAMADI, Iraq, July 17, 2007 – This Anbar province city was once held up as a symbol of U.S. failure in Iraq. Al Qaeda in Iraq controlled Ramadi. It was enemy territory, and American servicemembers called it the Wild West of Iraq.

Just a few months ago, the idea that Americans could walk around the center of the city would have been unthinkable. U.S. personnel could not move from one heavily fortified area to another without receiving small-arms fire or an improvised explosive device attack. Times change. A striking illustration of the changing fortunes of Ramadi took place today, when Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, took a walk around downtown. (Read More)

Here is video to go along with this last article about Gen Pace......

CNN correspondent Barbara Starr usually reports cynically from Washington, DC, but this week she's embedded in Iraq traveling with GEN Peter Pace and expressed astonishment at the positive conditions in that city. We are winning in Iraq.

GOOD NEWS FOR TODAY......

Here's a few things I thought were good to share.....I hope to get caught up in the next few days. I am currently sending out some packages to a few folks over in Iraq right now so making some cards to add to packages. I hope you are checking the links that I have on the right side.....some awesome blogs there.

Surge progress may lead to troop reductions in northern Iraq, general says
Sunday, 15 July 2007

BAGHDAD — Now at full strength, the U.S. troop surge in Iraq is showing “definitive progress” and the number of forces serving in Iraq’s Multi-National Division-North could be halved by summer 2009, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon said.
A reduction of U.S. forces under the general’s command could begin as early as January 2008, he told Pentagon reporters via videoconference. (Read More)

Troops uncover cache, capture 13 suspects
Saturday, 14 July 2007

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq — Multi-National Division – Baghdad uncovered a weapons cache and captured 13 suspected insurgents during raids in eastern Baghdad July 13.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, based out of Fort Riley, Kan., detained five suspects and recovered two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, three grenades and one improvised explosive device in an operation in the New Baghdad District of the Iraqi capital.

In a separate raid, Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery, a Fort Carson, Colo.-based unit detained eight suspected insurgents in the Zafarniya District. They also recovered circuit boards, wires, timers, soldering tools and nine million Iraqi dinar during the raid.

Paratroopers capture IED cell leader
Saturday 14 July 2007

KALSU, Iraq — The ring leader of a cell responsible for conducting improvised explosive device attacks on the people and security forces of North Babil was captured by paratroopers south of Mahmudiyah, July 11.

The Paratroopers of Company C, 3rd Battalion, 509th Airborne, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division conducted a raid named Operation Leyte Gulf and captured the cell leader and four of his lieutenants.

“Capturing high value targets does a couple of things for us. It limits the threat to Coalition Forces,” said 2nd Lt. Jason Franklin, a native of Catoosa, Okla., and platoon leader with Company C. “It’s also a great morale booster for the guys. … We’re fighting a war where we fight a faceless enemy, so it’s good when you have a recognizable target and take him down.”(Read More)