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BAGHDAD – A Task Force Baghdad patrol was attacked with a roadside bomb in the late evening hours of Aug. 20 and later detained a suspect in the attack. In the wake of the explosion, the Soldiers from B Company, 1st Battalion, 13th Armored Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division did a hasty search of nearby houses and found a man in one of the homes. The Iraqi man denied having any weapons. However, a search of his residence produced an AK-47 assault rifle, a sniper rifle, 40-50 circuit boards and 10 magazines of ammunition. He also had a pair...

As the threats shift in Baghdad, coalition forces are shifting to counter them, said Army Maj. Gen. Martin Dempsey during a press conference today in Baghdad. Dempsey commands the 1st Armored Division, which has control of the capital city. He said the Iraqi security forces are playing a greater role in the defense of their own territory. The coalition forces in Baghdad have launched Operation Iron Promise, which Dempsey said is designed to counter the new threats he has seen in the capital over the last few months, indicating linkage between international terrorism and Iraqi extremism. "In other words," he...

Much of the coalition forces' work in Iraq focuses on improving the lives of the country's citizens. In some cases, the benefits are not limited to humans. With the help of soldiers from the Army's 1st Armored Division and 5th Corps, and funding from the 22nd Signal Brigade, Iraqi veterinarians recently cut the grand-opening ribbon at the Iraqi Society for Animal Welfare in central Baghdad. The society, made up of military and civilian veterinarians and Iraqi ministry officials, was formed to address the growing need for animal control in Baghdad. "It is the first of its kind in the country"...

A 1st Armored Division soldier put the whole situation in Iraq in context. "We all got it that freedom isn't free, but you also can't give it away." Army Brig. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said a soldier told him that just as the soldier was leaving the country. "I think that's where we are now. We've given them the opportunity; they have to take it," he said during an interview at the Coalition Provisional Authority headquarters with reporters traveling with Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. Others agree with the assessment. Another coalition military official said the fight in Iraq is...

The footprint of U.S. troops in Baghdad is changing as Iraqis assume more responsibility for their own security, said the commander of the 1st Armored Division here. Brig. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, commander of the 40,000-member task force in charge of Baghdad and its environs, said the idea for the change began in July. The idea is that as the Iraqi security services became more capable, there would be less need for American soldiers in Baghdad. "We began building base camps for our successors that are outside the city limits," Dempsey said. When the 1st Cavalry Division replaces the 1st...

Military officials detailed to the House Armed Services Committee just how the troop rotation plan for Iraq will work. At the heart of the matter is how the military takes troops that are in contact with the enemy and replaces them with fresh forces. The troops leaving must give information to those replacing them so there is continuity of mission. Air Force Lt. Gen. Norton Schwartz, the director of operations with the Joint Staff, briefed the congressmen today. The current set-up in Iraq consists of four Army divisions and supporting forces -- the 82nd Airborne Division, the 1st Armored Division,...

New Year's Day was a memorable holiday for soldiers at Baghdad International Airport, especially for a married couple reunited for their joint promotion. Chief Warrant Officers Sharon and Cecil Gibbs advanced together to chief warrant officer 3 Jan. 1. Sharon, 1st Armored Division chief of strength management, is stationed at the airport here. Cecil is the chief of supply maintenance for 19th Support Center, 3rd Corps Support Command, Camp Doha, Kuwait. "I could not have asked for anything better," said Sharon, who found out Dec. 11 that the couple had made the selection list together. "It's a blessing to be...

Monday, October 14, 2002 V Corps confirms Mideast orders By Jon R. Anderson, Stars and Stripes European edition, Monday, October 14, 2002 PRIZREN, Kosovo — The Pentagon has ordered the Army’s top warfighting command in Europe to the Middle East, the first U.S. Army Europe unit to deploy as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, officials confirmed Sunday. “Elements of V Corps headquarters have received a deployment order to deploy to U.S. Central Command area of responsibility,” said Lt. Col. Joe Richard, V Corps spokesman in a telephone interview. Central Command oversees all military operations throughout most of the Middle East...