Free Republic

The week of May 8 to 15 closed a chapter in my life whose first pages were written in France before I made my 1947 debut, in New York City. My father’s first cousin, William Friedman, authored those pages by deed. Bill enlisted in the Army in 1938 and made the first of his three first-day World War II landings Nov. 8, 1942, in Oran, Algeria, with the First Division, (snip) Italy (snip) the invasion of Normandy. Like most veterans Bill rarely spoke of his war days. He opened up to me a few times, once showing me letters he...

“As the convoy charged north, we flew south, blistering along at well over one hundred knots, Parker working with his M-60 from the right side of the aircraft. His tracers were impacting on the spider holes as we ripped past, his targets not more than ten to twenty yards from his muzzle. We were so low that if someone had reached up out of a truck or tank turret, they probably could have caught our skid. Suddenly, not more than a hundred yards to my front, a five-thousand-gallon tanker truck took a direct RPG hit, and the diesel fuel it...

BAGHDAD, April 11, 2008 – Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team are redeploying to Fort Riley, Kan., this month. The brigade deployed in February 2007 to secure southern Baghdad’s Rashid district and to help improve the safety and quality of life for the 1.2 million people living there as part of the surge of five brigades into Iraq. "I am proud of Task Force Dragon's soldiers and the amazing work they've done in 14 months here," Army Col. Ricky D. Gibbs, 4th Brigade commander, said. "We successfully reduced sectarian violence and attacks against coalition and Iraqi...

WUERZBURG, Germany, July 6, 2006 – The U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division, known as the "Big Red One," bid farewell to its host country of Germany at Victory Park on Leighton Barracks here today. The colors of Big Red One are scheduled to be unfurled at Fort Riley, Kan., Aug. 1, and the division will assume command and control of its units now there. Among other duties, the division is slated to take on the mission of training foreign security forces training teams in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Despite numerous deployments to distant countries within the...

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 14, 2006) – A brigade of the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan., will temporarily reorganize to train teams to serve alongside and mentor Iraqi Security Forces and the Afghan National Army. The size of each deployed Transition Team will vary based on its specific mission, officials said; however, they said the teams will generally have 10-15 troops. About 3,500 to 4,000 Soldiers will be trained over the course of a year to serve on these Transition Teams, Army G3 officials said. They said the first rotation at Fort Riley is expected to begin...

BRUCK, Germany (Army News Service, Feb. 6, 2006) -- Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division and the 101st Military Intelligence Battalion braved cold, icy conditions to earn the Schutzenschnur German marksmanship in Bruck, Germany Feb. 1. Since the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of 1st ID is scheduled to move to Fort Riley, Kansas, in the near future, this may be the last opportunity for many of the Soldiers to earn the award, said Staff Sgt. Larry Gormley, 1st ID noncommissioned officer in charge of civil military operations The Schutzenschnur medal is awarded for qualifying on two German weapons -- usually...

TIKRIT, Iraq (Army News Service, Jan. 17, 2006) – The American Diabetes Association has created a teddy bear in honor of a diabetic patient who fought to deploy to Iraq after being medically excused. After Sgt. 1st Class Mark Thompson discovered that he had type one diabetes in 2000, he had to begin a strenuous health regimen. “I’m on an insulin infusion pump, with a catheter that goes through my stomach and gives me insulin shots every nine minutes through the day and every six minutes during the night,” said Thompson. “I have to change the catheter out every three...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DANGER, TIKRIT, Iraq. Task Force Danger Soldiers continue to make significant contributions to securing a better future for the good people of Iraq. Progress is being made everyday across the entire spectrum of operations. The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) are improving as a result of their relationships and training with Task Force Danger partnership units. More and more, ISF are standing their ground and fighting the insurgency, emboldened with good leadership, training, and better equipment. Reconstruction projects that improve infrastructure and quality of life, employ large numbers of Iraqis, and fuel the economy continue throughout Task Force...

  Police Station in a Box Installed in Samarra Emplacing Police Station in a Box #7 in a field vicinity of RTE Lakers and 50th Street (Photo courtesy of Task Force 1-26 Infantry) SAMARRA, Iraq - Soldiers from Task Force 1-26 Infantry installed the seventh Police Station in a Box in northeast Samarra on Oct. 30.As the Iraqi Security Forces assume a greater role in the protection of the city, they are making more decisions about the mechanics of law enforcement.On Oct. 26, the Iraqi Police Service formally requested that another Police Station in a Box be installed in...

Daily News Briefs October 31, 2004 Task Force 1-6, 213th ING provide security for governor’s office     BAQUBAH, Iraq – Soldiers from Task Force 1-6 and 213th Iraqi National Guard soldiers daily stand guard at the governor’s office here. TF 1-6 Soldiers and ING soldiers reside at the governor’s office in order to provide around-the-clock security for the governor and his staff. Town meetings and press conferences are held at the governor’s office. PJCC equipped with 95 percent technological equipment to support elections      SALAH AD DIN, Iraq – The Provincial Joint Coordination Center here is equipped with about 95...

  Contemporary Chaplains ROCK the Congregation FORWARD OPERATING BASE DANGER, TIKRIT, Iraq – A group of Task Force Danger Soldiers, led by two Army Chaplains, celebrated contemporary Christian services recently with music and prayer during a program dubbed Relying on Christ in Kombat or “ROCK.”   Prior to arriving in Iraq, chaplains Capt. Bret J. Gilmore of the 121st Signal Battalion and Capt. Lane J. Creamer of the 4th Battalion, 3rd Air Defense Artillery, held joint services at their units’ Kitzingen, Germany location, where the services were dubbed “ROCK” for Relying on Christ in Kitzingen.   The “K” was...

Three Detained in Raid Near BayjiTikrit, Iraq – Fist Infantry Division Soldiers from Task Force 1-7 detained three individuals during a raid near Bayji at about 10:30 p.m., October 29. The three are related to a known anti-Iraqi force member, who was the target of the raid. The three are being questioned at Multi-National facilities. Release #041030a Three AIF Suspects Detained After Assaulting civilian Near Ad Duluiyah Tikrit, Iraq – Fist Infantry Division Soldiers detained three individuals while investigating the source of small arms fire they heard near Ad Duluiyah at about 8:08 p.m., October 29. Upon arrival it...

  Strengthening the Iraqi Police TIKRIT, Iraq- On 25 October, Soldiers from Team C, Task Force 1-18, with assistance of US Civilian Vanguard International Police Advisors began training Iraqi National Police on Basic Rifle Marksmanship (BRM) skills in Tikrit.  The training will teach the Iraqi Police the fundamentals of handling and firing their weapons.Captain Mustafa Ibrahim of the Tikrit Police said “this training was well done and much needed by our officers.  Clearly the Americans are showing their trust in us by training us”.This training will help the Iraqi National Police better conduct their duties in the city as...

  Electric shortages reduced in As Sulaymaniyah TIKRIT, Iraq – Thanks to the Division engineer’s ministry of electricity and the public works team’s efforts along, with the As Sulaymaniyah electric distribution ministry, the electrical shortages of the As Sulaymaniyah region have been reduced.If you have the chance to visit As Sulaymaniyah it doesn’t take you long to realize that it is a region set apart from the rest of Iraq, even the electricity grid is separate. The region is dependent on hydroelectric power, which means when the rivers start to run lower electricity production is reduced.Because critical services like...

  VBIED Attack Aimed at Civilian Traffic Tikrit, Iraq – Anti-Iraqi forces detonated a vehicle borne improvised explosive device near Khalis at about 8:24 a.m. on Oct 27. After the explosion, a First Infantry Division patrol cordoned off the area and found more unexploded ordinance. There were no Multi-National Force injuries or equipment damage. Release #041027e MNF Apprehends Individual With AK-47 Tikrit, Iraq -- Task Force Danger Soldiers detained an individual after he fired on an Iraqi National Guard checkpoint near Riyadh at about 9:50 p.m., Oct. 26. The detainee was apprehended in a vehicle located in a nearby...

  Smoke Platoon makes history TIKRIT, Iraq – On September 25, the Smoke Platoon from 12th Chemical Company was given the warning order to prepare for a smoke mission in Samarra, in support of Operation Baton Rouge.  The mission called for the Smoke Platoon to provide screening smoke for B Company, 9th Engineer Battalion while they emplaced a Traffic Control Point near Alternate Supply Route Grape, 400 meters northeast of Samarra.  The engineers had previously encountered both direct and indirect fire during the construction of this TCP.Numerous preparations had to be made.  The Smoke Platoon had to be called...

  First Infantry Division Soldiers Detain Seven After Finding Cache Tikrit, Iraq – First Infantry Division soldiers from Task Force 1-77 detained seven anti-Iraqi force members near Balad at about 1:30 p.m. on October 9. The soldiers detained the individuals after finding weapons in their possession. A search of the house they were in led to the confiscation of several weapons. The weapons cache consisted of four AK-47’s, 11 full AK-47 magazines, two RPG sights, one flare gun, one 7.62mm ammunition drum, 240 7.62mm API rounds, one pistol belt, one bandoleer, and 2-million Iraqi Dinar. The seven are being...

  Youth Outreach Program a Success in Baqubah Word spreads like wild fire with neighborhood children living near the Civil Military Operations Center (CMOC): “It’s time for school, it’s time for school!”The children line up at the gate in eager anticipation, smiling and giggling as SGT Marc Farrior and SPC April Phillips lead another “Neighborhood Kids Program” class with the local children.Farrior and Phillips are Soldiers from the 415th Civil Affairs Battalion located at the CMOC in Ba’qubah. Farrior graduated from and is employed by New York University in New York and Phillips is a college student in North...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 September 28, 2004Release Number: 04-09-86 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TASK FORCE DANGER SOLDIERS CAPTURE LEADER OF AIF CELL TIKRIT, Iraq -- Task Force Danger Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment detained the suspected leader of an anti-Iraqi forces insurgent cell during a raid in Kirkuk on Sept. 27 at about 3 p.m. The Soldiers detained Husayn Salman Muhammad Al-Jabburi, suspected of leading a Kirkuk-Hawaijah based cell aligning itself with Ansar Al Sunna. Ansar Al Sunna is a faction of...

Shadow 200 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle A Shadow 200 unmanned aerial vehicle lands at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Baqubah, Iraq, Sept. 22, 2004. The U.S. soldier is assigned to Alpha Company, 101st Military Intelligence Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, which operates and maintains the vehicle. U.S. Army photo by Spc. James B. Smith Jr. =*= U.S. Army Sgt. Pablo Villanueva, with Alpha Company, 101st Military Intelligence Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, operates and maintains a Shadow 200 unmanned aerial vehicle at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Baqubah, Iraq, Sept. 22, 2004. U.S. Army photo by...