SOLDIERS PAUSE — U.S. Army soldiers from Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, pause at the end of a patrol near Wynot, Iraq. (U.S. Army courtesy photo)
Posted on 09/09/2006 4:16:59 PM PDT by Gucho
By COMBINED FORCES COMMAND – AFGHANISTAN, COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER - KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
Sep 8, 2006
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Afghan civilians today provided key information that led Afghan and Coalition officials to weapons which were planted to cause harm and destruction.
In the first incident, an Afghan civilian reported to Coalition forces today that rockets were aimed at a forward operating base in Ghazni Province .
An Explosive Ordinance Disposal team responded to the rocket location and found three 107mm rockets that were set to use a mosque clock as a timer set to fire at the Coalition base there. All three 107mm rockets were transported to Forward Operating Base Ghazni for proper disposal before extremists could use them.
In the second incident, an Afghan civilian turned in an improvised explosive device Sept. 7 to the Ghazni Afghan National Police. The police turned the IED over to Coalition forces so that it would be safely disposed and rendered harmless.
“Every one of these IEDs and rockets that are turned in is one more explosive that won’t harm Coalition forces or Afghan civlians,” said Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, Combined Joint Task Force - 76 spokesman.
IEDs emplanted in Afghan roads have killed more than three times as many Afghans as Coalition forces. Since January 1, 2006, 94 Afghan civilians and 28 Coalition service members have been reported killed by roadside bombs. It is believed many more Afghan civilians have been killed in such attacks because not all attacks on civilians are reported to Coalition or Afghan authorities.
Taliban-sponsored suicide bomb attacks have also resulted in more than 100 recorded deaths of innocent Afghan men, women and children. This includes today’s attack in which Afghan civilians were killed and wounded by a suicide car bomber near
Ahmed Shah Massoud Circle :
Two U.S. Soldiers were also killed and another wounded in the attack.
“We will continue to work together with the Afghan government and Afghan security forces to defeat Taliban extremists and protect the people of Afghanistan from this brutal common enemy,” Fitzpatrick said.
BUMPing this thread Gucho.
THANK YOU.
By Spc. Jason Dangel - 4th BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
Sep 9, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Soldiers from 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, detained 14 suspected terrorists and confiscated 39 illegal weapons this week after they searched more than 4,100 homes in Baghdad’s Mansour neighborhood during a six-day operation that started Saturday.
The IA soldiers also seized various small arms, body armor vests and terrorist propaganda.
Col. Abed Alameer, commander, 2nd Bn., 5th Bde., 6th IA Div., said the mission was successful because of the relationships built with the local citizens living in the neighborhood.
"We build strong relationships with the civilians, and in return, they help us by providing information they might know about criminals,'' Alameer said, during operations Sunday morning.
"The civilian and Army relationship is strengthening because we provide security,” he added. “The terrorists don't want to be in these areas because they know we are here and there will be more areas like these with no terrorists.''
The operations were observed by the Military Transition Teams from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The MTT teams have worked with the IA throughout the year, providing assistance when needed.
The independent IA operation in Mansour was a true test for the unit as it received limited assistance from the MTT teams for the duration of the mission, said Sgt. Josh Bowman, communications support specialist, MTT, 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Div.
"If they had any problems, they could come to us for help; but other than that, we were here to observe their operations and ensure everything went according to plan," said Bowman, a native of Cowan, W.V.
The 4th BCT's 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, also provided M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and coordinated for attack aviation to help support the operation.
ADDITIONAL PHOTO:
An Iraqi army soldier from 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, performs inner cordon security from the seat of an armored attack vehicle during search operations in the Mansour neighborhood in central Baghdad. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jason Dangel, 4th BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.)
By Steven Donald Smith - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2006 – As the United States gets ready to mark the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept, 11, 2001, it is important to remember and honor the memory of every person lost on that day, President Bush said today.
“We also remember the brutality of the enemy who struck our country and renew our resolve to defeat this enemy and secure a future of peace and freedom,” Bush said in his weekly radio address to the nation.
The president gave a series of speeches earlier this week regarding the nature of the terrorist enemy, the stakes of the struggle against them, and the progress made during the past five years. During one of those speeches, Bush described in the terrorists’ own words what they believe, what they hope to accomplish, and how they intend to accomplish it.
“We know what the terrorists intend, because they have told us,” Bush said. “They hope to establish a totalitarian Islamic empire across the Middle East, which they call a ‘caliphate,’ where all would be ruled according to their hateful ideology.”
The president said Osama bin Laden called the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 “a great step towards the unity of Muslims and establishing the righteous (caliphate).”
Al Qaeda and its associates reject any possibility of coexistence with those they call “infidels,” Bush said. “We must take the words of these extremists seriously, and we must act decisively to stop them from achieving their evil aims,” he said.
The president also talked about the CIA program established after the Sept. 11 attacks to detain and question key terrorist leaders and operatives. “This program has been invaluable to the security of America and its allies and helped us identify and capture men who our intelligence community believes were key architects of the September the 11th attacks,” Bush said.
Information gleaned from terrorists held by the CIA helped the U.S. and its allies uncover an al Qaeda cell's efforts to obtain biological weapons, identify people intent on attacking the United States, stop a planned strike on a U.S. Marine base in Djibouti, prevent an attack on the U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, and helped break up an airplane hijacking plot in London, he said
Information obtained from the terrorists in CIA custody also played a role in the capture or questioning of nearly every senior al Qaeda member or associate detained by the U.S. and its allies since this program began, Bush added.
“Were it not for this program, our intelligence community believes that al Qaeda and its allies would have succeeded in launching another attack against the American homeland,” Bush said. “We have largely completed our questioning of these men, and now it is time that they are tried for their crimes.”
Bush announced this week that the U.S. government transferred the suspected planners of the Sept. 11 attacks to U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The president called on Congress to pass legislation creating military commissions to try suspected terrorists for war crimes. “As soon as Congress acts to authorize these military commissions, we will prosecute these men and send a clear message to those who kill Americans: No matter how long it takes, we will find you and bring you to justice,” he said.
Bush said the American people are safer today because his administration acted to address gaps in security, intelligence and information sharing that terrorists exploited on Sept 11, 2001. Because of improved measures, it is now harder for terrorists to plan and finance their operations, slip into the U.S. undetected, and board airplanes, he said.
The U.S. still faces determined enemies, and in the long run defeating these enemies requires more than improved security at home and military action abroad, the president said. “We must also offer a hopeful alternative to the terrorists' hateful ideology,” he said.
The United States is advancing freedom and democracy as an alternative to repression and radicalism, he said. “And by supporting young democracies like Iraq, we are helping to bring a brighter future to this region, and that will make America and the world more secure,” he said. “With vigilance, determination and courage, we will defeat the enemies of freedom, and we will leave behind a more peaceful world for our children and our grandchildren.”
The president and first lady Laura Bush will travel to New York City, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon in coming days to take part in Sept. 11 memorial ceremonies.
Related Sites:
Saturday, September 9, 2006
Afghanistan commemorated the 2001 assassination of anti-Taliban hero Ahmed Shah Massoud as NATO military chiefs urged member states to send more men and equipment to combat insurgents.
Saturday, September 9, 2006
Soldiers of the 1st Battallion, 180th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Brigade of National Guard, attached to 10th Mountain Division, fire a mortar round at suspected Taliban fighters at night in Kandagal, Afghanistan, Saturday Sept. 9, 2006. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
President's Saturday Radio Address
September 9, 2006
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.
This Monday, our Nation will mark the 5th anniversary of the attacks of September the 11th, 2001. On this solemn occasion, Americans will observe a day of prayer and remembrance, and Laura and I will travel to New York City, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon to take part in memorial ceremonies. Our Nation honors the memory of every person we lost on that day of terror, and we pray that the Almighty will continue to comfort the families who had so much taken away from them.
On this anniversary, we also remember the brutality of the enemy who struck our country and renew our resolve to defeat this enemy and secure a future of peace and freedom.
So this week I've given a series of speeches about the nature of our enemy, the stakes of the struggle, and the progress we have made during the past five years. On Tuesday in Washington, I described in the terrorists own words what they believe, what they hope to accomplish, and how they intend to accomplish it. We know what the terrorists intend, because they have told us. They hope to establish a totalitarian Islamic empire across the Middle East, which they call a Caliphate, where all would be ruled according to their hateful ideology.
Osama bin Laden has called the 9/11 attacks, "A great step towards the unity of Muslims and establishing the righteous [Caliphate]." Al Qaeda and its allies reject any possibility of coexistence with those they call "infidels." Hear the words of Osama bin Laden: "Death is better than living on this earth with the unbelievers amongst us." We must take the words of these extremists seriously, and we must act decisively to stop them from achieving their evil aims.
On Wednesday at the White House, I described for the first time a CIA program we established after 9/11 to detain and question key terrorist leaders and operatives, so we can prevent new terrorist attacks. This program has been invaluable to the security of America and its allies, and helped us identify and capture men who our intelligence community believes were key architects of the September the 11th attacks.
Information from terrorists held by the CIA also helped us uncover an al Qaeda cell's efforts to obtain biological weapons, identify individuals sent by al Qaeda to case targets for attacks in the United States, stop the planned strike on a U.S. Marine base in Djibouti, prevent an attack on the U.S. consulate in Karachi, and help break up a plot to hijack passenger planes and fly them into Heathrow Airport or the Canary Wharf in London.
Information from the terrorists in CIA custody has also played a role in the capture or questioning of nearly every senior al Qaeda member or associate detained by the U.S. and its allies since this program began. Were it not for this program, our intelligence community believes that al Qaeda and its allies would have succeeded in launching another attack against the American homeland. We have largely completed our questioning of these men, and now it is time that they are tried for their crimes.
So this week I announced that the men we believe orchestrated the 9/11 attacks had been transferred to Guantanamo Bay. And I called on Congress to pass legislation creating military commissions to try suspected terrorists for war crimes. As soon as Congress acts to authorize these military commissions, we will prosecute these men and send a clear message to those who kill Americans: No matter how long it takes, we will find you and bring you to justice.
As we bring terrorists to justice, we're acting to secure the homeland. On Thursday in Atlanta, I delivered a progress report on the steps we have taken since 9/11 to protect the American people and win the war on terror. We are safer today because we've acted to address the gaps in security, intelligence, and information sharing that the terrorists exploited in the 9/11 attacks. No one can say for sure that we would have prevented the attacks had these reforms been in place in 2001 -- yet, we can say that terrorists would have found it harder to plan and finance their operations, harder to slip into our country undetected, and harder to board the planes, take control of the cockpits, and succeed in striking their targets.
America still faces determined enemies. And in the long run, defeating these enemies requires more than improved security at home and military action abroad. We must also offer a hopeful alternative to the terrorists' hateful ideology. So America is taking the side of democratic leaders and reformers and supporting the voices of tolerance and moderation across the Middle East. By advancing freedom and democracy as the great alternative to repression and radicalism, and by supporting young democracies like Iraq, we are helping to bring a brighter future to this region -- and that will make America and the world more secure.
The war on terror will be long and difficult, and more tough days lie ahead. Yet, we can have confidence in the final outcome, because we know what America can achieve when our Nation acts with resolve and clear purpose. With vigilance, determination and courage, we will defeat the enemies of freedom, and we will leave behind a more peaceful world for our children and our grandchildren.
Thank you for listening.
END
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You're most welcome Gucho.
Istanbul Police Capture 4 Al-Qaeda Suspects
9/10/2006, Sunday - ISTANBUL - 03:51
zaman.com
Istanbul police captured four suspected al-Qaeda militants who were plotting to carry out a bomb attack in Istanbul, police said on Saturday.
Istanbul anti-terrorism police raided suspected al-Qaeda cells in the district of Bagcilar, capturing four suspects.
Police said that the suspects held an illegal protest in favor of al-Qaeda on June 8, when the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq Abu Musab Al Zarqawi was killed.
The suspects were taken to court for further interrogation.
Police seized two guns and explosive materials used for bomb making at the raided cells.
In 2003, the al-Qaeda terrorist organization carried out simultaneous suicide bombings in Istanbul against British and Jewish targets.
Over 60 people were killed in the attacks, most of them Turkish nationals.
For further information please visit http://www.cihannews.com
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=hotnews&alt=&trh=20060909&hn=36386
Friday, 08 September 2006
By Sgt. Brandon LeFlore - 363rd MPAD
BAGHDAD — Only days after Iraqi Army and MND-B Soldiers cleared the neighborhood of Adhamiyah, U.S. and Iraqi forces returned to hand out generators and food.
“We’re showing the Iraqi people that we’re here to help them,” said Capt. Andrew Corbin, native of Austin, Texas, and civil affairs team leader with 414th Civil Affairs Battalion, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
The District Advisory Council of Adhamiyah and Soldiers from the 414th CAB provided humanitarian assistance to Iraqi families in support of Operation Together Forward in Adhamiyah.
The DAC and Soldiers from the battalion contracted with area vendors to provide more than 15 generators to local leaders and 3,000 bags of food to families. The handouts extended to groups like school headmasters and business owners throughout the Adhamiyah district, among others.
Col. Michael Shields, commander, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, listens to the concerns of a resident of Adhamiyah. (U.S. Army photo taken by Sgt. Brandon LeFlore, 363rd MPAD)
An Iraqi citizen from Baghdad’s Adhamiyah neighborhood accepts a bag of food from members of the Adhamiyah District Advisory Council. (U.S. Army photo taken by Sgt. Brandon LeFlore, 363rd MPAD)
“We’re giving out food to those who are in need,” said Mohammed, a local resident and member of the DAC. “It’s good to be able to cooperate with the people of the city.”
The U.S. Soldiers said they recognized the need to show support for local residents.
“This area has been neglected, and the residents have had problems with electricity, sewage and water,” said Corbin. “So we set up the CMOC to bring local leaders together to support their people.”
Corbin’s colleagues agreed with the principle.
“The generators will provide power so that local residents may have lights and hopefully make their futures brighter,” added Sgt. Michael Frei, a military policeman with the 4th ID.
Following the humanitarian mission, Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, along with their commander, Col. Michael Shields, went out into the streets of Adhamiyah. Meeting with residents, they discussed safety, street cleaning and any other needs identified by the community.
“All the people I’ve talked to in Adhamiyah say they like the security that’s been established,” said Shields. “We’d like to build on that.”
Residents of the area came out in large numbers, filling the streets for an opportunity to share thoughts with the U.S. Soldiers. The troops made it a point to talk to local residents who have been employed as street cleaners to ensure the workers are getting paid.
“There’s a lot of good things planned for Adhamiyah,” remarked Shields. “We’re working to fix electricity, sewer and water issues and working to get the hospital back up and running.”
The citizens of the area appeared eager to discuss their concerns about safety and ongoing operations in their neighborhood, observed the Soldiers. A key question posed was whether residents felt safer walking around their neighborhood.
“Since Coalition Forces came into Adhamiyah, we’ve seen less violence,” said one resident. “I feel safe. The longer Coalition Forces stay, the better it will get.”
By Jason Kaye
Sep 08, 2006
Fort Lewis WA. -- A long wait is over for Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS) crews of the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. The 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry, received its complement of MGS vehicles last month after more than a year of waiting. They are the first vehicles to be fielded in the Army.
"I think its going to give the infantry a whole new dimension of what they can do. Armor and infantry have kept each other at arm's length for years and years," said Sgt. 1st Class David Cooper, an MGS platoon sergeant with B Company, 2-23 Inf. "We've got some growing pains, but once we get out there and they see what we can do, we're going to be everybody's friend."
Each infantry company is slated to receive three vehicles, though crews don't expect to operate together except on rare occasions.
The vehicles carry crews of three, and are equipped with a 105 mm main gun and a state-of-the-art fire control system. The MGS also has an onboard coaxial machine gun that's fire controlled.
"You can literally shoot smiley faces with it at 900 meters," said Cooper. "Even minus the big gun we can give the infantry a lot of support."
The 105 mm is capable of firing four types of rounds: SABOT, a depleted-uranium armor-piercing round; HEAT, high-explosive anti-tank; HEP, high-explosive plastic; and a canister round. The rounds are loaded using a hydraulic auto-loader in the rear of the vehicle.
The HEP and canister rounds give Stryker units new capabilities, especially in urban areas. The HEP can blow holes in reinforced concrete walls, but unlike the rounds from an Abrams, won't continue through the target and into surrounding buildings. The canister provides as effective anti-personnel capability.
"The vehicle's basic role is to support the infantry. It's not there to take on tanks or go toe-to-toe in the wide-open desert like we did with the Abrams," said Sgt. 1st Class William Ozmet, an MGS instructor from Fort Knox, Ky. "Its primary function is blowing a hole in the wall or blowing up bunkers."
Over the past year, the crews have been training with TOW-ITAS Humvees or other Stryker variants. Finally having the vehicles gives the crews a chance to delve into training.
"I can actually start focusing on our training, both on our mission tasks and working with the infantry," said 1st Lt. Christopher Lilley, the MGS platoon leader in B Co.
The MGS also comes equipped with training software that allows Soldiers to train on various engagements in their own vehicles, instead of going to a simulator somewhere else.
Once the 4th Bde. completes training, instructors from General Dynamics Land Systems will move on to equip and train Soldiers in Hawaii and Pennsylvania. Training for those units may change according to lessons learned here, but the vehicle itself is expected to remain mostly unchanged.
"I'm confident that this will turn out to be a successful piece of equipment for us, the infantry and the Army," said Lilley.
good speech.. appreciate the faithful pings Gucho.. I might link the white house remembering 911 to my singles 911 Tribute.
thnak you !
You're welcome, DC.
Former servicemembers rushed to save lives on 9/11
Jason Thomas helped rescue two New York Port Authority officers trapped in the rubble of the World Trade Center. The rescue is dramatized in Oliver Stone’s “World Trade Center.” (Bebeto Matthews / AP)
By Jeff Schogol - Stars and Stripes Pacific edition
Sunday, September 10, 2006
ARLINGTON, Va. — When Staff Sgt. David Karnes arrived at the pile that had been the World Trade Center, he was hit with the smell of burned human flesh and hair.
“It smelled like a human barbecue. It really upset me because I knew a lot of people were burning to death, cooking, in the debris I was walking on,” said Karnes, now 48.
Karnes had left the Marine Corps after 20 years in the service, but when he heard about the first plane hitting the World Trade Center, he got a high-and-tight haircut, donned a starched Marine uniform and headed to ground zero with rescue gear.
There, he met fellow former Marine Jason Thomas, and they helped rescue two New York Port Authority police officers trapped in the rubble.
Five years later, both men reflect on the day that they dropped everything and ran to help rescue efforts at ground zero.
“I’ve always been a Marine first. One of our mottos is ‘Once a Marine, always a Marine,’” said Karnes, who re-enlisted as a reservist after Sept. 11 and served 17 months in Iraq.
Karnes said he prayed when he learned of the World Trade Center attacks.
“I just had a very powerful awareness that God laid on my heart that I was to go down there and look for survivors, that he would lead me to people in need of rescue,” said Karnes, who now lives in the Bronx, N.Y.
Thomas, 32, said he was at his mother’s home in Hampstead, N.Y., when he heard about the attack.
“I just felt compelled to go down and help. I had military training, my city was just under attack, and I felt obligated to go and help out,” said Thomas, who now lives in Columbus, Ohio.
Thomas, who had left the Marines as a sergeant, said he put on his old fatigues so he could pass through roadblocks, and because he was driving an SUV with black-tinted windows, he was able to join a convoy of emergency vehicles.
At the scene, Thomas met Karnes and the two decided to search for survivors, Thomas said.
“I do remember so much noise. The ground hadn’t settled with all the debris; you could tell that things had not settled completely,” Thomas said.
He said that while the two were crawling on a steel beam, Thomas heard the voice of one of the two police officers trapped in the rubble, so they jumped inside a void in the debris.
Thomas said he and Karnes came across the two trapped police officers, who urged them not to leave, to which Thomas replied: “Buddy, I’m not going to leave you. We’re coming to get you.”
It took several hours to free the first police officer, William Jimeno, and Thomas was so tired he had to leave the scene before rescuers freed the second officer, John McLoughlin, Thomas said.
Jimeno and McLoughlin are the focal point of Oliver Stone’s recently released movie “World Trade Center.”
Thomas said he grabbed a few hours sleep and returned to the scene because he felt more people were down in the hole, but by then the hole had collapsed.
Karnes said he helped with rescue efforts at ground zero for a total of eight days and then went straight back to work.
“The first thing I did when I got back the first day is pick up the phone and call the prior service recruiter and initiated the re-enlistment process,” he said.
Thomas said he talked to a recruiter about re-enlisting, but he decided not to after his mother and wife talked to him.
He said one theme from his military training came in handy on Sept. 11: “Don’t leave your brother behind. That really stuck with me.”
Sunday, September 10, 2006
By Kevin Maurer - Staff writer
Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division on Saturday took over operations in a Pennsylvania-sized region north of Baghdad.
The 3,500-paratrooper brigade — centered around the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment — deployed in August.
The paratroopers are replacing the 101st Airborne Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team in the Province of Salah ad Din. The provincial capital, Tikrit, is Saddam’s hometown and the larger city of Samarra, a frequent hotspot, is also in the province.
“Our primary focus is to work by, through and with the Iraqi army and Iraqi police to provide security in the area,” Col. Bryan Owens, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, wrote in an e-mail.
The development of a strong national security force is a vital part of combating the insurgency; it’s a mission that Owens expects to devote a lot of time and resources to.
“I believe the key to success is to get the Iraqi security forces and the government officials to embrace their duty to the greater good of the Iraqi population,” Owens wrote.
Before going into Iraq, the brigade spent several weeks in Kuwait training and acclimating to the extreme hot weather.
The paratroopers reviewed the rules of engagement, attended cultural awareness training, took part in a live-fire exercise and got updated information about roadside bombs.
“This training is letting us fine-tune some things,” Spc. Patrick Mefford, a 23-year-old from Minnesota, said in a phone interview.
He is assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment. This is his second deployment to Iraq.
Mefford said the time spent in Kuwait allowed soldiers on their first deployments a chance to get settled before heading to Iraq.
“It made me more aware of the situations that could occur. It has made me more prepared,” said 21-year-old Pfc. Michael Dalfing, who is from Kansas City. This is his first deployment to Iraq.
It has been three years since the 3rd Brigade was in Iraq. The brigade deployed in 2003 to western Iraq and spent eight months in and around one of Iraq’s hottest spots — Fallujah.
A lot has changed.
In the past several months there has been a rise in sectarian violence. Gen. John Abizaid, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, told Congress that if the violence did not stop, Iraq was headed toward civil war.
“It is going to be a challenging year, but a very rewarding one as we assist the Iraqis in making progress,” Owens wrote in his e-mail. “This is an extremely complex environment to work in and our paratroopers are up to the task.”
In addition to 3rd Brigade, two battalions from the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade and the 82nd Sustainment Brigade are also deployed to Iraq.
More 82nd deployments are on the horizon.
Next year, the 82nd’s headquarters will leave for Afghanistan for a yearlong deployment with the division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team.
Ammunition and weapons found during the search of a home by Iraqi army soldiers in Dinah, Baghdad, Iraq, are displayed on the sidewalk, Sept. 1, 2006. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Holley Baker)
Panjshir Governor Haji Bahlol sits at the wheel of a heavy construction vehicle after a ceremony here ceremony in the Panjshir Province of Afghanistan, Sept. 2, 2006. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Robert R. Ramon)
UPDATE BY: Jim Williams..... Tropical Storm Florence is a very large system with tropical storm force winds extending out up to 250 miles. Florence is forecast to become a category 2 hurricane in 2 days near Bermuda. Our current feature is now Bermuda,you can use the navigation bar to the left for the latest from Bermuda. A Hurricane watch is now up for Bermuda as Florence should pass right over or very close to the island.
By Lisa Burgess - Stars and Stripes Mideast edition
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Air Force Maj. Jill Metzger’s family was overjoyed when they heard that she had been found in Kyrgyzstan (See “Missing American found in Kyrgyzstan” by the Associated Press).
“You simply can’t even in words express how you feel,” Kelly Mayo, Jill Metzger’s father-in-law, said during a Saturday telephone conversation with Stars and Stripes from his home in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The call with news of Metzger’s recovery came from the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations; both Joshua Mayo, her husband, and his father, Kelly Mayo, are OSI agents, as well.
When the phone rang, Joshua Mayo was at the medical clinic at the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colo., getting his blood pressure checked, his father said.
“His stress level was off the charts,” Kelly Mayo said.
Kelly Mayo said he barged into the examining room with the news.
“I was crying and yelling. Josh looked at me for a good two-count. Then he just turned toward me and lunged into my arms,” pulling the cuff apparatus off the wall.
Outside, the clinic staff “erupted into cheers and high-fives,” Kelly Mayo said.
Kelly Mayo said Metzger is now at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan getting a medical checkup and a debriefing. He also said she probably will be flown to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where she will be reunited with her husband, and then back to her duty station at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia.
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