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NOW ZAD, Afghanistan I Signs of rebirth are growing in this former Taliban stronghold in Helmand province just days after U.S. Marines stormed it in a ground-and-airborne assault that caught its Taliban occupiers by surprise. In the once deserted bazaar area in the western portion of town, hundreds of men from nearby villages defy Taliban threats and clear debris from fighting in exchange for pay from U.S. troops. In the district center next to the main U.S. military base, more than 100 children attend ad hoc classes in reading and writing. The classes, initially started by Afghan-American interpreters working with...

Dave Attell, a stand-up comedian, gets a crowd of service members laughing during a United Service Organization holiday show aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Dec. 19. Attell and other celebrities showed their support and appreciation for service members deployed throughout Iraq on their USO tour. Photo by Cpl. Triah Pendracki, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd). AL ASAD AIR BASE — The United Service Organization brought some Christmas spirit to the troops here, Dec. 19, as well-known celebrities took to the stage to show support. "To see the smiles and reaction of the troops is truly a precious gift," said...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2009 – Iraqi security forces working with U.S. advisors arrested seven terrorism suspects today during two security operations, military officials reported. Four suspects were arrested in Rashidiyah, north of Mosul, during an operation conducted to arrest a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member believed responsible for suicide-vest attacks in Balad and Muqdadiyah. Evidence collected at the scene led Iraqi forces to arrest four suspected criminal associates of the al-Qaida in Iraq member without incident. In southern Baghdad, Iraqi forces arrested a suspected member of a Kataib Hezbollah explosives cell believed to be responsible for mortar attacks conducted in...

KABUL, Dec. 23, 2009 – Afghan and international forces in Afghanistan killed or detained numerous militants today in various operations, military officials reported. In an operation led by the Afghan general directorate of special operations, several known instigators of a kidnapping group were detained. The Afghan force, supported by International Security Assistance Force troops, detained the men after a search in Police District 5 of the Afghan capital. The suspects are linked to kidnappings in and around the city. In other operations, a combined Afghan-international force in Paktia killed several militants, including a Taliban commander responsible for several bombing attacks....

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Dec. 23, 2009 – On a rugged mountaintop bordering Pakistan, less than two miles from Northern Waziristan, sits Combat Outpost Chergotah in Afghanistan’s Khost province. Army mortar men from the Indiana National Guard provide 120 mm mortar-fire support to soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team at Combat Outpost Chergotah in the Terezayi district of Afghanistan’s Khost province, Dec. 4, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by bStaff Sgt. Stephen J. Otero  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Here, U.S. Army soldiers work with Afghan border policemen to sustain border security and maintain peace among...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq, Dec. 23, 2009 – The soldiers of “A” Company, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, are leading the way in the “advise and assist” mission of the 1st Armored Division’s 4th Brigade. Army 1st Lt. Dale Cox, right, speaks through an interpreter to a school principal about plans to help his school in Iraq’s Muthanna province. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The company’s mission is to assist the State Department’s provincial reconstruction team in building a better future for the people of Iraq’s Muthanna province. The soldiers provide military movement teams to...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan, Dec. 23, 2009 – As our families and friends back home celebrate the holidays, those of us on the ground in Afghanistan are continuing the fight against extremism. Because our enemy is relentless, we must also be as relentless. We know that in war, there are no holidays. For the “Houn’ Dawgs” of the Missouri National Guard’s 203rd Engineer Battalion, to which I am attached, our operational tempo will remain high. Our combat logistics personnel will still be out on Afghanistan’s dangerous roads, delivering critically needed fuel and other supplies to regional forward and combat...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2009 – An Army general in Iraq is going beyond the typical protocol to ensure every able-bodied soldier in his unit stays fit to fight, even if it means punishing troops for engaging in sexual activities while deployed. Through the Multinational Division North command’s General Order No. 1, Maj. Gen. Anthony A. Cucolo III formally prohibits deployed soldiers under his command from becoming pregnant or impregnating a soldier. Defense Department regulations call for any servicemember who becomes pregnant in a combat theater or learns she’s pregnant after deploying to a combat theater to immediately redeploy to their...

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 22, 2009 – It may not be Mom’s home cooking, but the Defense Logistics Agency is making sure deployed troops eat a meal that tastes just as good. Thousands of troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan won’t be able to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones. But that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy some of their favorite holiday foods, such as ham, sweet potatoes and pies and cakes. As in years past, DLA will bring a bit of the holidays to deployed U.S. troops as they dine on a traditional holiday meal. “It is important that we...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2009 – Defense Department officials today identified 6,000 servicemembers to deploy in 2010 as part of President Barack Obama’s order to increase the U.S. footprint in Afghanistan. About 3,400 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team are headed to Afghanistan in early summer, according to a statement released by the Pentagon. The soldiers are based out of Fort Campbell, Ky. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also approved deployment orders for about 2,600 support forces who will begin deploying to various locations at staggered times in the spring. The president announced Dec. 1 that the...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2009 – Iraq security forces, working with U.S. advisors, arrested 15 terrorism suspects, some of them cell leaders, in Iraq in recent days, military officials reported. Iraqi forces arrested eight suspected terrorists today in three combined operations conducted to arrest terrorism suspects wanted on warrants in northern Iraq. In western Mosul, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched a home for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member who coordinates funding, weapons and equipment for a bombing cell in the region. After examining evidence at the scene, Iraqi forces arrested three suspected criminal associates of the warranted al-Qaida in...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq, Dec. 22, 2009 – The benefits a grateful nation makes available to those who serve in its military are numerous, but connecting servicemembers to the resources in their local areas – especially when they serve in the reserve components – can be a challenge. Army Capt. John Donovan addresses the soldiers attending a video teleconference at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, Dec. 17, 2009. In conjunction with the community of St. Cloud, Minn., the 34th Infantry Division hosted the teleconference to showcase the individuals and organizations the soldiers of central Minnesota will deal with when...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Dec. 22, 2009 – Army soldiers and civilians serving in Afghanistan spread good cheer this holiday season to U.S., coalition and Afghan audiences, in what they have dubbed “Operation Caroling.” Left to right, Army Maj. Doug McInvale, Army civilian employee Henry McEnery, Army Maj. Jeff Boldt and Army Sgt. Maj. Cecil Edwards conduct “Operation Caroling” to provide morale support to military and civilian audiences at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 6, 2009. U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Rock Stevens  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Henry McEnery, an Army civilian employee who hails from New Orleans and...

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq, Dec. 22, 2009 – In the dew-laden predawn darkness of June 6, 1944, Everton Bushnell jumped into Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France, with the two-year-old 82nd Airborne Division. Twenty-five years later, his son, Ellsworth Bushnell, fought with the “All Americans” in Vietnam and spent six months as a prisoner of war. Army Sgt. 1st Class John Bushnell, deployed to Camp Ramadi, Iraq, represents the third generation of his family to serve in combat with the 82nd Airborne Division. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael J. MacLeod  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. And in September of this year, Army Sgt....

Capt. Amy Noble, the chaplain for the 395th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, holds a care package placed underneath a Christmas tree at Contingency Operating Location Q-West, Dec. 22. Photo by 1st Lt. Danielle Gordon, 15th Sustainment Brigade. COL Q-WEST — Though only a handful of 395th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion Soldiers will make it home for the holidays this year, the Christmas spirit here still thrives. The halls have been decked with festive paper decorations, desks adorned with sparkling Christmas trees, and windows ornamented with snowmen and snowflakes. Although many in the Connecticut-based unit may be nostalgic for a white...

A Riverine Assault Boat from Detachment-1, Riverine Squadron-3, speeds toward civilian contractors with Joint CREW [Counter Radio-controlled IED Electronic Warfare] Composite Squadron-1, out of Baghdad, to test the effectiveness of the boat's anti-IED CREW system under realistic operational conditions, near Contingency Operating Base Basrah, Dec. 14. Photo courtesy of Multi-National Division – South. BASRAH — The Sailors of Riverine Squadron-3 are an integral part of the defense of Contingency Operating Base Basrah, patrolling the waterways to deter attacks against the base. Yet, while they are watching the backs of everyone here, there are plenty of threats to their own safety...

After nearly a year away from their families, 1,200 members of the Minnesota National Guard will soon be coming home from Iraq. The 34th Infantry Division, known as the Red Bulls, won't be home for the holidays, but they will arrive not long after the new year. The first wave of men and women will start coming home next month. By the end of February, they should all be home. Theresa Nace is counting the days. Her husband Specialist Timothy Nace, is one of the guardsmen returning home. She said, "It's very helpful knowing that once 2010 comes then we're...

12/21/2009 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- More than 300 Airmen partnered with colleagues from five other countries for an exercise held in Southwest Asia that concluded in mid-December. The event began in November and simulated a "large force employment," and gave participating nations a chance to develop solutions to potential issues that might occur during contingency operations. Aircrews from France, Jordan, Pakistan, the U.K., and the U.S. took part in simulated air battles as well as the advanced tactical leadership course, which included more than 200 hours of classroom instruction. In addition, ground crews collaborated on maintenance and security challenges....

12/21/2009 - CAMP TAJI, Iraq (AFNS) -- Five Air Force vehicle maintainers deployed to Iraq and assigned to Detachment 3 of the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron here are working to keep security forces personnel on the road, but they aren't working on patrol cars. The maintainers work on more than 60 vehicles, the most challenging being the mine resistant ambush protected vehicle on which they have had no prior training. "My Airmen are not sent to technical schools to learn how to work on MRAPs. They're learning how to fix these vehicles while deployed using technical manuals and field...

Tech. Sgt. Jose Urquizaflores, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group logistician, picks up a Christmas tree handed out by Airmen of the 332nd Expeditionary Force Support Squadron, Dec. 21. The Christmas trees were donated by The Dees Nursery and Florist Inc., located in Oceanside, N.Y. Photo by Senior Airman Chris Hubenthal, 332nd AEW. JOINT BASE BALAD — The spirit of the holiday season is alive here, as U.S. troops recently received 80 Christmas trees from Dees' Nursery and Florist in Oceanside, N.Y. The trees will be distributed to Army and Air Force units here, said Capt. Katie Garski, community service flight...

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors fly in formation during a training mission in southwest Asia, Dec. 6, 2009. The F-22 fighters and crews are deployed from the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and entered the Air Forces Central area of responsibility for the first time as part of a multi-national exercise where aircrews from France, Jordan, Pakistan, the U.A.E., the U.K. and the U.S. trained together in fighting a large-scale air war. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller. SOUTHWEST ASIA — U.S. Airmen here marked a milestone recently, completing the first deployment...

AL ASAD AIR BASE — U.S. Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron-269 gathered at their headquarters building here for a bittersweet ending to their six-year presence in Iraq, Dec. 15. "For more than half a decade, HMLA-269 has made Iraq a second home," said Lt. Col. Jon Hackett, commanding officer of the unit. "This marks the end of an era." During every year since 2004, HMLA-269 has had elements of the squadron conducting operations in the Al Anbar province. As part of their end-of-mission ceremony, the commanding officer and sergeant major cased their unit's colors for the final time,...

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY PLANE, Dec. 20, 2009 – Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said his trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq has given him an opportunity to assess changes in strategy and meet the men and women who will carry out that strategy. Security specialists accompany U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as he tours the market place in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, Dec. 19, 2009. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Overall, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said...

BAGHDAD — Iraq “is not going to be pushed around” by Iran, the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Hill, said here yesterday. Hill and Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of Multi-National Force - Iraq, spoke to reporters traveling with Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Iranians moved onto a disputed oil well in southern Iraq and placed an Iranian flag on the facility. They have since left the facility, which is clearly in Iraqi territory. “It’s like a game of capture the flag,” said an American spokesman in southern Iraq Friday. “It has been...

This building in Basrah, once used by Saddam Hussein as an interrogation facility, is being demolished to make way for a new Iraqi Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) facility. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. BASRAH — A building once used by Saddam Hussein as an interrogation facility is being demolished to make way for a new Iraqi Explosive Ordnance Disposal office. According to Ken Bright, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region South project engineer, the community as a whole is happy about the demolition and new construction because the facility held bad memories. “To quote the...

Ozark, Ala. native, Lt. Col. Eric Schwegler, commander of 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, speaks to Siham Nadeem, a leader of a nongovernmental organization for widows in Taji, during a holiday social on Camp Taji, Dec. 15. Photo by Pfc. Adam Halleck, 1st Cavalry Division. CAMP TAJI — American military and civilian leaders here returned a favor by inviting their Iraqi counterparts from the area to a holiday social and celebration on the Camp, Dec. 15. "The local leaders have been more than hospitable toward us when it comes to celebrating and...

12/18/2009 - JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) -- Seventeen Iraqi medical care providers recently attended the December installment of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group's Iraqi Nursing Partnership Program here. As the responsible drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq continues, the program is intended to further the medical capabilities of local care providers. "I really believe this program will improve the nursing care in Iraq," said Col. Vennessa Hagan, 332nd EMDG chief nurse. "Some of the nurses who have attended told me they've benefited from the program and have been sharing the knowledge with other nurses in their community." The nursing...

TALIL, Iraq, Dec. 18, 2009 – Iraq has made remarkable progress in a short while, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during a news conference here today. U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks with U.S. Navy sailors assigned to Riverine Squadron Three after an all hands call, Basra, Iraq, Dec. 18, 2009. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen praised Iraqi citizens and American civilian and military personnel for their hard work and sacrifice. The...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 18, 2009 – The “advise and assist brigade” concept is a hit with leaders of the provincial reconstruction teams in southern Iraq. The 1st Armored Division’s 4th Brigade, based at Talil Air Base, is the model of how U.S. forces will be configured when the American combat mission ends Aug. 31. The unit came in for unqualified praise from Iraqi security forces leaders, judges and provincial reconstruction team leaders who met with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff here today. John Kuschner, the head of the Muthanna provincial reconstruction team, told Navy Adm. Mike Mullen that...

ABOARD AN AIR FORCE C-17, Dec. 18, 2009 – Results, not talk, are what’s important in Afghanistan now, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today while en route to Iraq after visiting Afghanistan. U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, greets villagers on a market walk in Mata Khan in Afghanistan's Paktika province, Dec. 15, 2009. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Mullen spoke to reporters traveling with him soon after leaving Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. He had spent...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTENAC, Afghanistan, Dec. 18, 2009 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff praised the soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry, for their service in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province here yesterday, saying the unit has made a difference. U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, re-enlists 10 soldiers stationed on Forward Operating Base Frontenac in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Dec. 17, 2009. The soldiers are assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division's 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...

NAWA, Afghanistan, Dec. 18, 2009 – An irrigation ditch bisects the main thoroughfare of this town in Helmand province, and shops line each side of the street. U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks to villagers during a market walk in Nawa, Afghanistan, Dec. 17, 2009. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The shops sell everything from fresh vegetables to livestock to snack foods and transistor radios. The town looks like nothing special, but it is. The chairman of the Joint...

KABUL, Dec. 18, 2009 – The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force is sending a team to work with Afghan officials in assessing reports of civilian casualties as a result of an operation in the Shah Wali Kot district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province yesterday. Initial operational reports indicate that men were planting a bomb next to the road. After firing on the men from a helicopter, ISAF forces discovered civilians in a car adjacent to the site, officials said. In a written statement, ISAF officials said the command goes to great lengths to avoid, and deeply regrets, any harm to civilians....

BAGHDAD, Dec. 18, 2009 – Iraqi security forces arrested two suspected members of an al-Qaida in Iraq cell responsible for making bombs and attacking government officials during a combined security operation today in western Baghdad. Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched a building for a suspected terrorist who allegedly is part of a cell that manufactures magnetic bombs and attaches them to vehicles to kill government officials and those who oppose al-Qaida in Iraq. The security team found a fully assembled bomb, several bomb components and a weapon equipped with a suppressor. Following a preliminary examination of the evidence at...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq, Dec. 18, 2009 – Soldiers who haven’t deployed before or who only recently arrived here may not give much thought to the constant electricity, hot showers and well-lit avenues. Ismael Shaker, owner and founder of Al Harith, a contracting company in Iraq’s Basra province, stops for a moment of contemplation at the power station his company operates for the Army on Contingency Operating Base Basra. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Benjamin R. Kibbey   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. But that kind of thing doesn’t happen easily, and it is thanks in no small...

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Dec. 18, 2009 – Getting through downtown Asadabad, Afghanistan, has become easier for hundreds of Afghan families, thanks to two and a half miles of new roads that were completed Dec. 13. Local workers cleaning the streets in Asadabad, Afghanistan, watch a provincial reconstruction team patrol conduct a final quality-assurance check on a new road through the provincial capital of Kunar province prior to a dedication ceremony, Dec. 13, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian Boisvert  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Provincial reconstruction team engineers completed their final quality-assurance check just before a...

BASRA, Iraq, Dec. 18, 2009 – Discussions about upcoming elections and the withdrawal of American troops are highlighting Navy Adm. Mike Mullen’s visit to Iraq today. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke to reporters traveling with him aboard a C-17 Globemaster III transport. He said he looks forward to discussions with Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, Multinational Force Iraq commander, and meeting with troops in here and in Talil and Baghdad. The chairman arrived in Iraq after a four-day trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan. A USO troupe is traveling with him. Singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus,...

Four T6-A training aircraft recently arrived in Tikrit for Iraqi Air Force student pilots to use to as a stepping-stone platform toward advanced multi-role fighters the IqAF will use in the future to protect its airspace. The IqAF will have a full complement of (15) T6-As by the end of 2010, purchased by the Government of Iraq and the United States. Photo by Senior Airman AJ Hyatt, Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq. TIKRIT — The Iraqi Air Force celebrated the arrival of four training aircraft, the groundbreaking of a new air traffic control tower and the receipt of facilities...

Sgt. 1st Class Rex, a patrol explosive detector dog with the 178th Military Police Detachment, is presented to the audience as a new member of the Corps of Non-commissioned Officers at an NCO induction ceremony in the Morale, Welfare and Recreation tent on COL Q-West, Dec. 12. Photo by Sgt. Matthew Cooley, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). COL Q-WEST — Sgt. 1st Class Rex, a working dog with the 178th Military Police Detachment, was inducted into the Corps of Non-commissioned Officers here, Dec. 12. The ceremony, normally for newly-promoted NCOs, inducted 32 human Soldiers and Airmen along with Rex, who was...

12/17/2009 - BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- Hundreds of Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines gathered here Dec. 15, to enjoy a United Service Organizations' Holiday Troop Visit tour featuring country singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus, tennis pro Anna Kournikova, acclaimed comedian Dave Attell and legendary tennis coach and inspirational speaker Nick Bollettieri. The celebrities are joining The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen and his wife, Deborah Mullen, for an USO-sponsored holiday troop visit as part of a 13-show whirlwind tour to boost the troops' spirits during the holiday season. Mr. Atell, known for his...

NAWA, Afghanistan, Dec. 17, 2009 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited Patrol Base Jaker here today to tour the base and the Nawa district center and spend time with Marines and sailors assigned here. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks to Marines and sailors with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, during a visit to Patrol Base Jaker in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, Dec. 17, 2009. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brian Tuthill  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen accompanied Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Lawrence D....

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2009 – The demonstrated bravery and resolve of the nearly 3,000 Canadian forces serving in Afghanistan reflects the commitment necessary to achieve success there, the commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan said in the Canadian capital yesterday. Canadian forces’ efforts in mentoring Afghan security forces and their work in infrastructure development projects in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province are greatly appreciated, Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal said at the Conference of Defence Associations Institute in Ottawa. “The courage and determination of Canadian forces are an inspiration to our coalition,” McChrystal said, noting that Canada, with about...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 17, 2009 – Iraqi security forces with U.S. advisors arrested a suspected leader of a terrorist group operating in southern Baghdad yesterday and followed up overnight with four more operations targeting the Baghdad al-Qaida in Iraq network. All of the operations were conducted with warrants issued by Iraqi courts for the arrest of suspected terrorists. Acting on intelligence gathered by Iraqi and U.S. sources, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors stopped an alleged Aisha Battalion cell leader as he was driving on a public roadway west of Baghdad. Aisha Battalion is an al-Qaida in Iraq proxy group. The driver...

NAWA, Afghanistan, Dec. 17, 2009 – Sayed Alim stood on the firing line, a Marine by his side and M-16 service rifle in his hand. When the whistle blasted, the Afghan National Army soldier quickly spun to his left and delivered two rounds without hesitation, nearly center into a 12-inch circle drawn on a silhouette target. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. John B. Kavanaugh explains to an Afghan soldier how his firing stance can affect his balance and accuracy near Forward Operating Base Geronimo in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, Dec. 14, 2009. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brian Tuthill  (Click photo for...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq, Dec. 17, 2009 – With Iraq’s national elections approaching, U.S. soldiers are preparing to support the Iraqi army and police while remaining in the background. Four women from Najaf, Iraq, walk down the street as U.S. soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, drive past during a reconnaissance mission, Dec. 3, 2009. The soldiers were checking out polling sites in the area for Iraq’s upcoming elections. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Natalie Hedrick  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The soldiers of the 3rd Infantry...

The steadily-shrinking Air Force base in Grand Forks, N.D., got something of an early Christmas present this week. Air Force Secretary Mike Donley announced Wednesday that 180 airmen will arrive at the base next year, as its unmanned aerial drone mission is expanded. Donley also said Global Hawk drones will be coming to the base, supplementing the Predator drones already there. The new personnel represent only one-tenth of the active-duty airmen at the base, a number that has been eroding for years. For decades, the base was an offensive outpost in the U.S. nuclear showdown with the Soviet Union. But...

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Pat Barone, a platoon leader, and Sgt. Daryl Appling, both with Company D, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (Advise and Assist Brigade), explain to Iraqi department of border enforcement Soldiers how to conduct tactical patrols at night along the Iraqi-Syrian border, Dec. 9, 2009. Photo by Spc. Mike MacLeod, 82nd Airborne Division. COS UBAYDI — Since U.S. advise and assist forces began partnering with Iraqi border patrols along the Syrian border in mid-November, the instances of smugglers circumventing Port of Entry stations have all but ceased, according to the Department...

12/16/2009 - PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- Afghanistan National Security Forces and their dependants are entitled to free military health care throughout the country. This service is not often used by families due to lack of awareness or proximity to a military facility. The Paktya Regional Military Hospital is a 50-bed inpatient facility which has hundreds of outpatient visits daily and, of those, almost none are from family members. Helping the hospital staff raise awareness of this resource was a project supported by the Medical Embedded Training Team at Forward Operating Base Lightning. The goal of the program, named Women's...

KABUL, Dec. 16, 2009 – Combined Afghan and international forces detained four Taliban commanders and other suspected militants in three operations in two Afghanistan provinces today, military officials reported. In Wardak province, a combined force searched a compound near the village of Bhardokheyl where intelligence sources reported militant activity. They detained two Taliban commanders involved with bombing activity and responsible for several attacks in the area. Another Taliban commander and a few other militants were detained in an operation in western Kandahar. This commander has led a sizable militant element and is responsible for a number of bombing attacks in...

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq, Dec. 16, 2009 – From the battle at Belleau Wood, where Marines earned the name “Devil Dog,” to the iconic image of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima, Marine Corps history is embedded in every Marine from initial training at boot camp, and it continues to provide inspiration to those who serve. Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Viriato B. Sena stands before his Marines at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Oct. 13, 2009. Sena, who joined the Marine Corps in 1973, participated in the evacuation of Vietnam and is now deployed to Iraq for the drawdown of...