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FReeper Foxhole - Military Related News in Review - May 5, 2003
various

Posted on 05/05/2003 4:15:08 AM PDT by snippy_about_it



Dear Lord,

There's a young man far from home,
called to serve his nation in time of war;
sent to defend our freedom
on some distant foreign shore.

We pray You keep him safe,
we pray You keep him strong,
we pray You send him safely home ...
for he's been away so long.

There's a young woman far from home,
serving her nation with pride.
Her step is strong, her step is sure,
there is courage in every stride.
We pray You keep her safe,
we pray You keep her strong,
we pray You send her safely home ...
for she's been away too long.

Bless those who await their safe return.
Bless those who mourn the lost.
Bless those who serve this country well,
no matter what the cost.

Author Unknown

.

FReepers from the The Foxhole
join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time.

.

...................................................................................... ...........................................

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

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The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.

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President Bush Announces (Major) Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended

President George W. Bush on Thursday announced to the Nation that major combat operations in Iraq have ended, and our coalition is now engaged in securing and reconstructing that country. President Bush spoke from the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. Full Story

Watch it all over again by selecting the video link.
Or see the still photographs again


~

USS Abraham Lincoln comes home


Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, Calif. (May 2, 2003) -- Sailors aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) man the rails as the ship pulls into NAS North Island, during their port visit to off-load the ship’s Air Wing.

Lincoln and her embarked Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14) are returning from a 10-month deployment to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Operation Iraqi Freedom is the multi-national coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, and end the regime of Saddam Hussein.
U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Lewis Hunsaker.



Cool Pic of the week - Clic on it


~

Benning soldier finds 'shining gem' in Iraq
(Soldier's act brings sight to girl blinded in attack in Iraq)

BAGHDAD, IRAQ – James Mattwig hoped there would be a happy ending to the story of the injured Iraqi girl he'd tried to help, and Saturday he found the answer.

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Army staff sergeant met Aya, a 3-year-old Iraqi girl with a patch over her left eye. Mattwig was told that an artillery round had landed outside her family's home, shattering windows and sending a shard of glass into her eye.

A local doctor had told her she was permanently blinded. That wasn't good enough for Mattwig, 31, a D-Troop scout with the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. He assembled a medical team the next day, Easter Sunday, and returned to her house.

Aya was taken to a U.S. Army hospital, and that was the last Mattwig heard of Aya.

Until Saturday.

Once again, Mattwig assembled a convoy to Aya's home in downtown Baghdad.

They arrived outside Aya's home almost as celebrities; neighbors gathered around the two Humvees as soon as they stopped.

Mattwig popped his head over the metal gate outside Aya's house. A member of one of the five families living there saw him, grinned and disappeared inside the small flat.

Moments later, Aya Nahi and her smiling mother, Akhlas, emerged from behind the gate. Aya's eye remained nearly closed, but Akhlas delivered some good news.

"They fixed her in American hospital," Akhlas Nahi said. "She's not blind anymore."

She told Mattwig that he had to visit again because she was making him a gift. "Something to remember," she said. link to story


~

DoD Sets Up Office to Help Lure Job Applicants
05-01-2003
Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department, which employs more than 700,000 civilians in more than 900 occupations, has set up a new office to help lure job applicants to the federal workforce.

The Defense Application Assistance Office was established this year to help those seeking government positions, such as help with the tedious application process, said John Moseley, deputy director for program support at DoD's Civilian Personnel Management Service.

"What we're trying to overcome is that the application process is long, complex and people don't want to deal with it," said Moseley, a 30-year federal employee. "In the past it's been a very arduous task."

Moseley said the assistance office also works to connect DoD recruiters and applicants. "The way our application process is now, someone fills out a stack of papers, ships them off to some unknown location, and they may or may not ever hear what happened," he explained.

"We're going to change that. We're going to streamline the application process. We're going to stay in touch with the applicant," he added. "We're going to provide personalized service to people who have questions about this mystery." Full story

~

May 9th is Military Spouse Appreciation Day

This year Military Spouse Appreciation Day will be celebrated on 9 May.

President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Military Spouse Appreciation Day on 17 April 1984.

The official celebration has been designated as the Friday before Mother's Day.

Appreciation Memo release from Army

Appreciation Memo release from Marines

Appreciation Memo release from Navy (bottom of page)




TOPICS: VetsCoR
KEYWORDS: airforce; army; catchingup; coastguard; currentevents; freeperfoxhole; marines; michaeldobbs; military; navy; news; samsdayoff; veterans
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To: bentfeather
I'v ebeen told that my 'death sludge' is closer to Russian Kava than one would think...
That isn't a good thing, is it?

Haven't had Finnish stuff yet, but there are Columbians terrified of the stuff I brew.
They shake their heads, wave their hands and say, "Too string! You killed it!"

I'm just messed up all round, aren't I? ;-)
21 posted on 05/05/2003 8:55:37 AM PDT by Darksheare (Nox aeternus en pax.)
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To: SAMWolf
I love the look on this Marine's face!


PROFILE
Sgt. Jeffrey C. Marston - Marine

By Lance Cpl. Shawn M. Toussaint, USMC

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT, San Diego, Calif. — Drill instructor, husband, father and "average Joe" are all words used to describe Sgt. Jeffrey C. Marston, senior drill instructor, platoon 2047, Company F, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego.

Marston, in his own eyes, may be an average guy. But to his former drill instructor and current series gunnery sergeant, he's much more than that.

"Sgt. Marston is an outstanding drill instructor," said Staff Sgt. Ralph S. Lucero, series chief drill instructor, Company F. "When I trained him as a recruit, he was an average recruit. I remembered him, but nothing really stuck out about him. As an instructor, he is a leader among leaders. He sticks out head and shoulders."

Marston claims he was "not much of a person" in high school. With average grades and few prospects to attend college, the Oregon native decided to join the Corps straight out of Medford High School in July, 1996. Complete story


22 posted on 05/05/2003 8:56:16 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Pray for our Troops)
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To: bentfeather
Good morning bentfeather. I'm a morning person no matter how late I stay up. My husband is a night person. It doesn't work well when planning events. lol.
23 posted on 05/05/2003 9:02:53 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Pray for our Troops)
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To: snippy_about_it
That's scary.
He looks just like my former Drill Seargent Harrison.
Just without the glasses.

And that look, it's eery.
It's the same look.
24 posted on 05/05/2003 9:04:21 AM PDT by Darksheare (Nox aeternus en pax.)
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To: radu; snippy_about_it; TEXOKIE; Bethbg79; LaDivaLoca; cherry_bomb88; beachn4fun; Do the Dew; ...
Current Military News


US soldiers escort suspects who tried to loot one of the palaces of ousted President Saddam Hussein in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad Monday, May 5, 2003. Baghdadis went on a looting frenzy after coalition forces toppled Saddam's regime. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)


Arrested looters, who tried to loot from the ruins of one of the palaces of ousted President Saddam Hussein, come out with their hands up escorted by US soldiers in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Monday, May 5, 2003. Bandits have looted government buildings, the national museum, schools and hospitals. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)


A looter is searched by U.S. army soldiers after he was caught in one of Saddam Hussein's palaces in Baghdad, May 4, 2003. U.S.-led forces were helped when police reappeared in Baghdad as Iraq grappled with the brutality of Saddam Hussein's rule and the lawless aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion that ended it. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)


An Iraqi man who tried to loot goods from the ruins of one of the palaces of ousted President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) stands with his hands up on the orders of US soldiers in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Monday, May 5, 2003. Bandits have looted government buildings, the national museum, schools and hospitals.(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)


25 posted on 05/05/2003 9:05:21 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((001) Logic Error CLINTON.SYS: Truth table missing)
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To: Darksheare
Yep, It's a good one.
26 posted on 05/05/2003 9:06:17 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((001) Logic Error CLINTON.SYS: Truth table missing)
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To: snippy_about_it

27 posted on 05/05/2003 9:09:23 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((001) Logic Error CLINTON.SYS: Truth table missing)
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To: SAMWolf
Kinda hard for me NOT to be cynical at the moment though.
The PC idiots are lobbying to get Silent Sam torn down.(Probably in revenge for the Saddam statuues falling, since they prefer Sadman to any American in history or out of history.)
So I'm cynically wondering, "When I am older, will I be watching the idiots lobby to tear down that memorial too?"

Also wondering how many of us here at FR are wondering the same thing.
28 posted on 05/05/2003 9:10:23 AM PDT by Darksheare (Nox aeternus en pax.)
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To: *all

Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif. (May 1, 2003) -- Pilots from Strike Fighter Squadron One One Five (VFA-115) walk towards waiting friends and family after returning from a deployment of nearly 10 months aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). VFA-115 and Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14) supported coalition forces during both Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Greg Badger.
29 posted on 05/05/2003 9:11:01 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Pray for our Troops)
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To: snippy_about_it
Good morning/afternoon Snippy!!

Oh those day/night marriages!! Oh my!

Been there done that!

Well what can I say for myself???? I'm a poet! I write best when others are getting recharged!!


Do you want some more Butterflies?

30 posted on 05/05/2003 9:11:18 AM PDT by Soaring Feather (I am a night person!! What am I doing up???)
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To: bentfeather
Always welcome here! :)


I predict you'll have freepmail shortly.
31 posted on 05/05/2003 9:14:06 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Pray for our Troops)
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To: Darksheare
I'm just messed up all round, aren't I? ;-)

Nah, sound "normal to me"! What do I know?? I don't live here!! LOL

32 posted on 05/05/2003 9:14:09 AM PDT by Soaring Feather (I am a night person!! What am I doing up???)
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To: bentfeather; SAMWolf; AntiJen; MistyCA
"Nah, sound normal to me"!

Uh oh, bentfeather hasn't been around me enough...
*Chcukle*
Morning, gotta go run some errands.
33 posted on 05/05/2003 9:18:45 AM PDT by Darksheare (Nox aeternus en pax.)
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To: snippy_about_it

Just one of the many packages lovingly sent from family members back home, for American soldiers on the front line in Iraq.
~ U.S. Army photo by Spc. Frank Pellegrini

Tenn. Army Reservists
Deliver Mail to the Front

By U.S. Army Sgt. Frank N. Pellegrini
U.S. Army Reserve Public Affairs

UNDISCLOSED U.S. MILITARY BASE, Kuwait — Here at the Joint Military Mail Terminal, where soldiers of Operation Iraqi Freedom enter the theater, the letters and packages keep coming in. On the unloading dock, Army and Marine postal troops roll up the doors of 40-foot trucks filled from back to front and top to bottom with bulging orange mail sacks and boxes marked “Happy Birthday” or “Thinking of You.”

Lined up two-by-two in a postal bucket brigade, they heft each item out of the truck and pass it down the line and finally heft it onto the clattering rollers that take the mail down to the cavernous sorting warehouses on either side.

The JMMT receives hundreds of thousands of pounds of mail every day from the Kuwait International Airport via JFK International in New York City, the stateside Army and Fleet Mail system collection point.

Read the rest of the story here!


Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Jeff Campbell (center), of Jacksboro, Tenn., places mail bound for the front lines on a conveyer at the coalition’s mail distribution center in Kuwait.
~ U.S. Army photo by Spc. Frank Pellegrini

34 posted on 05/05/2003 9:31:48 AM PDT by HiJinx (Neither rain, nor sleet...)
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To: HiJinx
Love the writing on the outside of the box.

My post office asked if I would mind if they wrote on mine. lol. One of them is a former Marine. Of course I said it was okay, and now they do it on a regular basis, and the receiving folks think it's pretty cool!
35 posted on 05/05/2003 9:37:52 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Pray for our Troops)
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To: snippy_about_it
I saw an e-mail from Karl, where you (your packages) were mentioned...you're making a real difference in the lives of the troops. God bless you!



36 posted on 05/05/2003 9:42:08 AM PDT by HiJinx (Neither rain, nor sleet...)
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To: *all
In Honor of our beloved President and his flight to the USS Abraham Lincoln, I bring you todays:

Air Power
Lockheed S-3B Viking

The S-3B Aircraft was originally developed with Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) as its primary mission. Now, the S-3B Aircraft’s role in Carrier Aviation is changing focus. The S-3B Aircraft’s ASW and Mining Warfare missions were deleted by Chief of Naval Operations Message in December 1999. Deconfiguration of aircraft, in compliance with removal of ASW specific equipment, was accomplished in accordance with AFC 284, this change was completed in FY00. The S-3B Aircraft continues to perform a myriad of functions which include, but are not limited to, Anti-Air Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW), Amphibious Warfare, Counter-Targeting, Over-the-Horizon Targeting, Airborne Reconnaissance, and Command and Control. S-3B Aircraft are tasked by the Carrier Battle Group Commanders to provide surface surveillance and intelligence collection, electronic warfare, mine warfare, coordinated search and rescue, and fleet support missions, including air wing tanking.

The sound of its engines are often compared to that of a vacuum cleaner, hence its nickname, the "Hoover." The S-3B Viking is an extremely versatile aircraft, capable of carrying out several missions vital to the carrier battlegroup. The S-3 has a tremendous fuel capacity and efficient engines, which enable it to stay on station extremely long periods of time.

Its impressive surveillance capability consists of a sophisticated ESM (electronic surveillance measures) suite and an inverse-synthetic aperture radar (ISAR). Both of these tools allow the S-3 to collect electronic intelligence invaluable to the battle group. In addition, S-3B "War Hoovers" have also been cleared to carry the AGM-84D Harpoon and AGM-65F Maverick missiles, giving the Viking an anti-surface capability to match its sensors. Finally, because of their high endurance, S-3's are used as tankers, carrying "buddy stores" that enable them to transfer jet fuel in-flight to other aircraft.

The upgrades for the "S3-B Strike Viking"
AN/AGM-32(V2) Maverick Plus System [ECP - NADEP NORIS S3B/008-00] is a new system which will introduce loading, control, targeting and launching capabilities for Maverick Missile delivery to the S-3B aircraft. It will also provide the S-3B with full capability for in-flight control and targeting of the SLAM-ER Missile after it has been launched from another platform. Terminal phase control of the SLAM-ER Missile is through data link with the AN/AWW-13 Extended Range Data Link Pod carried by S-3B targeting and control aircraft. The MPS system will add a new offensive capability to the aircraft. The S-3B "Strike Viking" combines advanced sensors and proven weapon systems to provide a force multiplier to the battle group. With the addition of the Harpoon anti-ship missile, the Viking now has a long range strike capability in the anti surface role. The S-3B is projected to serve the carrier battle group into the year 2015.

Upgrades to the radar, mission computer, communications and navigation suite will support organic reconnaissance capabilities in the littoral regions. Added to the planned airframe structural enhancements, these upgrades will curb obsolescence and ensure an adequate inventory of this essential platform well into the 21st century.

Capabilities being tested provide real time tactical data to units on the ground or onboard ships. In the summer of 1999, Commander Sea Control Wing Atlantic (CSCWL) and Commander Sea Control Wing Pacific (CSCWP) embarked on a joint demonstration of the Viking Surveillance System Upgrade (SSU). The Pacific Wing aircraft was fitted with Ultra High Resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (UHR/SAR) imagery, Joint Tactical Information distribution System (JTIDS) Link-16, Real Time Sensor Data Link (RTSDL) and the AN/AYK-23 Digital Computer. A long range Electro Optical/Infra Red (EO/IR) sensor capable of real time data link to ground and airborne stations was placed in an Atlantic Wing aircraft. The modifications were done at Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), Patuxent River by Veridian contract personnel at Force Aircraft Test Squadron and Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. This joint effort minimized installation time and cost and maximized visibility.

The prototype S-3B Surface Surveillance Upgrade (SSU) represents years of collaboration between the Sea Control community and the defense industry to provide carrier battle groups an organic, all weather, real-time targeting asset. To a casual observer, it appears identical to every other S-3B Viking in service, but a look inside reveals cutting edge technology at the heart of Time Critical Strike. The new SSU incorporates Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), capable of producing detailed images of land objectives at great distances. Additionally, it has an information systems suite which enables instantaneous information access to warfare commanders, imagery analysts, and strike aircrew. Because the S-3B is carrier based, the SSU alleviates the complexity and time delay of a battle group having to task a national imagery asset to gain targeting information.

US Naval strike warfare relies heavily upon the effective use of precision guided, air-delivered munitions in all environmental conditions. The evolution of the Global Positioning System has yielded accurate and reliable weapons like the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW), which are unaffected by adverse weather conditions and allow aircrew to deliver their payloads at safer distances and altitudes. These weapons, however, are only as accurate as their assigned attack coordinates. The development of platforms that can precisely target enemies on land and pass these target coordinates to airborne strike aircraft in a timely manner is of great interest to the Navy.

During FY97 and FY98, four S-3B Aircraft were modified to employ the AGM-65F Infrared (IR) Maverick Missile. The Maverick modification kits were installed for fleet demonstration project purposes, and presently the IR Maverick Missile is in the Research and Development (R&D) process.

The SSU aircraft's first deployment was with the Abraham Lincoln Battle Group and the Blue Wolves of VS-35. It was flown from the deck of the Lincoln on a journey halfway around the world to NAS Jacksonville by members of VS-24 and VS-35. VS-24 aircrew participated in intense ground training in preparation for flying the SSU in combat operations and are anxious to employ its capabilities. After undergoing some refits and minor maintenance, the jet became an important asset during Carrier Air Wing Eight’s combined COMPTUEX and JTFEX aboard USS Enterprise. The SSU deployed with VS-24 to the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Gulf in 2001.

In FY-00, a new program was begun to develop and integrate a system for the S-3B using information learned from the original proof of concept for aircraft equipment with Maverick Missile systems. This program, identified as the Maverick Plus System (MPS), began initial engineering efforts in the third quarter CY-00 with TECHEVAL conducted during the first quarter of CY01. OPEVAL began during the second quarter CY01 with integration into fleet aircraft begining in the late summer of CY01. Once installed the system is designated as AN/AGM-32B(V2).

Primary Function: Antisubmarine Warfare and Sea Surveillance
Contractor: Lockheed-California Company
Unit Cost: $27 million
Propulsion: Two General Electric TF-34-GE-400B turbofan engines (9,275 pounds of thrust each)
Length: 53 feet 4 inches (16 meters)
Wingspan: 68 feet 8 inches (20.6 meters)
Height: 22 feet 9 inches (6.9 meters)
Weight: Max design gross take-off: 52,539 pounds (23,643 kg)
Speed: 450 knots (518 mph, 828.8 kph)
Ceiling: 40,000 feet
Range: 2,300+ nautical miles (2,645 statute miles, 4232 km)
Armament: Up to 3,958 pounds (1,781 kg) including
AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-65 Maverick missiles, torpedoes, mines, rockets and bombs.
Crew: Four



All photos Copyright of Global Security.Org

37 posted on 05/05/2003 9:45:29 AM PDT by Johnny Gage (God Bless our Military, God Bless President Bush, GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!)
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To: Johnny Gage
Morning Johnny.

Good profile on the Viking. I love the pictures you include in your Air Power profiles
38 posted on 05/05/2003 9:55:23 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((001) Logic Error CLINTON.SYS: Truth table missing)
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To: AntiJen

39 posted on 05/05/2003 10:20:38 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Pray for our Troops)
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To: HiJinx; SAMWolf
Thank you for your kind words. I'm not alone, just look at the mail volume. lol.

We have a lot of good freepers around here doing the same. God Bless them too.

Y'all know who you are. :)
40 posted on 05/05/2003 10:24:51 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Pray for our Troops)
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