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They also discovered a partially mummified 6,000-year-old skeleton of a child.For the first time in 60 years, archaeologists have discovered a new fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a cache of ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts uncovered in the Qumran Caves on the northern shore of the Dead Sea. The Israel Antiquities Authority, which carried out the excavations, believes the new scroll, written in Greek, is actually a missing part of the “Book of the 12 Minor Prophets” scroll, first discovered in 1961. It contains verses from Zechariah 8:16-17 and Nahum 1:5-6. The minor differences in the wording compared...

    Sgt. Phillip Beasley (left) and Staff Sgt. Eric Quesnel, tankers with V Corps' A Company, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division, based in Friedberg, Germany, sit atop "Adam's Revenge," the M1A1 Abrams tank that carried them safely through Iraq. The unit's traditional "Bandits" skull logo on the tank wears an eye patch in further honor of the tank's namesake, the team’s former loader, Sgt. Adam Replogle, whose battlefield injuries included the loss of his left eye. V CORPS TANKERS PUT THEIR FAITH IN ‘ADAM’S REVENGE,’ THE ABRAMS THAT GOT THEM THROUGH IRAQBy Spc. Rebecca BurtV...

  Memorial Dedicated for 1st AD Soldiers Killed in Iraq By John D. BanusiewiczAmerican Forces Press Service WIESBADEN ARMY AIRFIELD, Germany, Oct. 7, 2004 -- On a day when the 1st Armored Division officially welcomes its Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers home, the division honored its fallen soldiers with a memorial dedication at the parade ground in front of the unit's headquarters here today. The 1st Armored Division dedicated a memorial Oct. 7 to its 130 soldiers killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The ceremony was conducted in front of the division's headquarters at Wiesbaden Army Airfield in Germany. Photo by...

NEW YORK (AP) -- The images captured in "VH1 News Presents: Soundtrack To War" combine the use of music by America's soldiers and the unsettling pictures of war. A group of soldiers stand on a rooftop, singing gospel music. Suddenly, bombs explode. Nearby, black smoke rises. A tank crew cranks up a heavy metal song to gear up for combat. Using personal testimonies, the one-hour documentary examines the soldiers' use of music for inspiration, motivation and mourning. The result: a unique look at youth in war. "Soundtrack To War," airing 9 p.m. EDT Wednesday, follows soldiers of the Army's 1st...

  Iron Eagle Express delivers everything but kitchen sinks BAGHDAD, Iraq (Army News Service, June 22, 2004) -- Medical supplies, Meals-Ready-to-Eat and mail are now easier to get a hold of thanks to a transportation program that uses helicopters to rapidly re-supply forward-based troops. Dubbed the “Iron Eagle Express,” Division Support Command, Task Force 1st Armored Division, has arranged for a pair of 4th Brigade UH-60s to make daily re-supply runs. The choppers deliver a variety supply to the outlying camps and Forward Operating Bases located south of Baghdad. “As of May 7th, IEX has completed 16 missions, carrying...

Donation to Baghdad R&R site is music to Soldiers’ ears Story and photo by Sgt. Shauna McRoberts 1st Armor Division PAO BAGHDAD, Iraq – When Brian Freshley was 18 months old he picked up a toy tennis racket and tried to play it like a violin, using a plastic golf club as a bow. Amused, his maternal grandmother gave him a violin that once belonged to his grandfather, a World War II veteran. His parents had the violin restored and put it away in a closet until Brian was old enough to play it. But Brian, a native of...

Artillerymen guard governor in NajafBy Sgt. Christopher Stanis May 27, 2004 AN NAJAF, Iraq (Army News Service, May 27, 2004) – A field artillery battery has been tasked with the unique mission of guarding the An Najaf governor’s compound and protecting the governor’s life. “He receives daily assassination threats,” said Capt. Brandon Anderson, commander of Bravo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, Task Force 1st Armored Division. “It’s the (Muqtada Militia’s) attempt to undermine the coalition.” Anderson and his men have secured a block around the compound and nearby government buildings. They are assisting the Iraqi Police Service...

TF 1st Armored Division Conducts Offensive OperationsSOUTH CENTRAL IRAQ - Task Force 1st Armored Division conducted offensive operations, dubbed "Operation Iron Sabre," in Karbala, Husaniyah and Kufa May 21 to destroy the militia of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, create safe environments for local businesses, citizens and pilgrims traveling to the holy sites, and facilitate transition to Iraqi Security Forces.  The militia had continued to fight despite calls for their withdrawal made by several Iraqi religious leaders.  In Karbala, Task Force 1-37 Armor captured 10 militiamen. Afterward, local citizens told the task force that the remaining militia fled the city. ...

 Public Affairs May 17, 2004 Sgt. 1st Class Charles Adcock, Task Force 1-37 Armor assistant operations sergeant, walks down the convoy telling Soldiers to mount up after a brief stop just south of Baghdad. Task Force 1-37 Armor convoyed to Camp Lima southeast of Baghdad in support of Operation Rapier Thrust. TF 1-37 Armor moves out to missions Story and photo by Spc. Andrew Meissner, 1st AD Public Affairs With Task Force 1-37, Iraq -- Many of the Solders of the 1st Armored Division’s 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, “Bandits,” are closing in on their first year of deployment during...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 14, 2004 MISSION PUTS ENGINEERS OF V CORPS' 1ST ARMORED DIVISION INTO 'GROUND-POUNDER' ROLE By Spc. Andrew Meissner 1st Armored Division Public Affairs Office WITH TASK FORCE 1-37, Iraq –For two successive nights last week, Soldiers of B Company, 16th Engineer Battalion traversed the streets of Karbala in support of Operation Iron Saber. The company is part of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of V Corps' Task Force 1st Armored Division. The first night of operations found the combat engineers setting roadblocks and conducting dismounted security in support of tank, infantry, and air assaults on known militia...

  Three Soldiers Killed in Baghdad By Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USAAmerican Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, May 15, 2004 -- Three Task Force 1st Armored Division soldiers were killed in Baghdad over the past 24 hours, Central Command officials reported today. One soldier was killed during a mortar attack on his unit and another died from wounds during a sniper ambush May 14. The third soldier was killed when his vehicle overturned during a patrol shortly after midnight May 15. The names of the soldiers were withheld pending family notification, military officials stated. Also, small skirmishes continued in and...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 May 13, 2004Release Number: 04-05-28 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 1ST ARMORED DIVISION CLEARS MOSQUE OF MILITIA KARBALA, Iraq - Soldiers from Task Force 1st Armored Division cleared a building complex used by Muqtada's Militia during a cordon and search operation that began last night and continued into this morning. The operation began at about 11 p.m. Tuesday when elements of Task Force 1-37, 1st Armored Division moved into positions around the 12-building Mukhayam Mosque and shrine complex. Karbala, a Shiite holy...

COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY BRIEFING WITHMAJOR GENERAL MARTIN DEMPSEY, COMMANDER, 1ST ARMORED DIVISION TOPIC: 1ST ARMORED DIVISION OPERATIONS LOCATION: BAGHDAD, IRAQ TIME: 9:58 A.M. EDTDATE: TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2004   GEN. DEMPSEY: Well, good afternoon, and salaam aleikum. I'm Major General Marty Dempsey, and I want to update you on Task Force 1st Armored Division. Next slide, please. If you'll direct your attention on my right, your left, there is a timeline that tells the story of how the 1st Armored Division left Baghdad and ended up where it is today, which I'll discuss in a moment. Essentially the division was in...

Iraqi People Hold Key to Ending Najaf Standoff, General Says By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, May 11, 2004 -- The best resolution to the standoff in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf will be one orchestrated not by the coalition but by the Iraqi people themselves, the commander of the 1st Armored Division said in Baghdad today. Army Maj. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told reporters it's up to Iraq's stakeholders — its tribal leaders, clerics and politicians — to tackle the delicate situation in one of the country's holiest cities. The standoff requires the coalition to walk a...

 Public Affairs April 22, 2004 Division leader explains mission extension to familiesStory and photo by Sgt. Gregory F. Withrow, 1st  AD Public Affairs Office WIESBADEN, Germany --  Iron Spouses and family members, anticipating the announcement extending their loved-ones in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, gathered throughout the 1st Armored Division’s communities over the past week to discuss issues and have their questions answered. Thursday’s much-anticipated announcement came, sparking a flurry of questions from families about their Soldiers on the ground in Iraq. In order to get the story straight, Maj. Gen. Martin Dempsey, 1st Armored Division Commanding General, sent back...

  Children Lead 1st Infantry Division Soldiers to Cache TIKRIT, Iraq - Task Force Danger Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment discovered a weapons cache consisting of 18 60mm mortar rounds near Kirkuk April 11 at around 9:45 a.m. The Soldiers found the cache after following up on information from some children playing near a Coalition base. The Soldiers have secured and transported the rounds to a storage facility for destruction.Release #040412h http://www.cjtf7.com/media-information/April2004/040412h.htm   Central Command, Task Force 1st Armored Division Staying the CourseBy Sgt. Merrion Lasonde122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment BAGHDAD, Iraq – U.S. forces will remain...

  CENTCOM, Task Force 1st Armored Div.Will Stay the Course in Iraq By U.S. Army Sgt. Merrion Lasonde 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 9, 2004 — U.S. forces will remain in Iraq as long as necessary to bring peace and stability to Iraq according to the commanding generals of the U.S. Central Command and Task Force 1st Armored Division. Speaking at an impromptu press conference following a mission briefing, Gen. John Abizaid, commander, U.S. Central Command, and Maj. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, Task Force 1st Armored Division commanding general, addressed the current situation in Iraq April...

  Infantry 'Spartans' Deliver Supplies to Girls' School By Cpl. Benjamin Cossel, USASpecial to American Forces Press Service Baghdad, Iraq, April 2, 2004 – Students of the city's 14th of July Girls' School received an unexpected gift when soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, handed out 500 backpacks loaded with school supplies, candy and other items. Students from the 14th of July Girls' School in Baghdad look over the contents of backpacks donated by soldiers from 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division. Located in the Rusafa district of...

‘Ready First’ Brigade Artillerymen Adapting to New Missionsby Cpl. Benjamin Cossel, 122nd MPAD BAGHDAD, Iraq – Force protection, information operations and information delivery are not the sort of tasks one typically thinks of when considering the mission of a Brigade Fire Support Element. Just as many Soldiers have done during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Soldiers of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division FSE have “adjusted fire” and learned several new missions. Calling for fire support from artillery, naval gunfire, and close air support comprise the doctrinal missions for a FSE. However, with Operation Iraqi Freedom’s major combat operations completed,...

Troops Scour Baghdad’s StreetsDuring Operation Iron Promise   By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. James Sailer / 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 26, 2004 — In what has become almost a nightly ritual, soldiers from A Troop, 1st Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment, lined up their vehicles on a quiet side street in the sleepy town of Abu Ghuraib just before initiating a cordon and search mission March 17.This time, the “Annihilators” of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Task Force 1st Armored Division, were part of the division-wideOperation “Iron Promise.”Operation Iron Promise is being carried...