Free Republic

WASHINGTON - In a new sign of mounting strain from the war in Iraq, the Army has extended the combat tours of about 4,000 soldiers who would otherwise be returning home, defense officials said Monday. The 1st Brigade of 1st Armored Division, which is operating in the vicinity of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, will be kept in place for several weeks beyond its scheduled departure, the officials said. The officials spoke only on condition of anonymity because the decision has not been formally announced by the Pentagon. The brigade's home base is in Germany. The soldiers' families were...

BAGHDAD -- Soldiers of the 1st Brigade, 9th Mechanized Iraqi Army Division were returning from a patrol in the pre-dawn hours of Sept. 11 when they were attacked by terrorists using a roadside bomb. The Iraqi Soldiers noticed suspicious visual signals coming from a nearby house. Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 13th Armored Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division were dispatched to help cordon the area and search the house. The Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers questioned several military-aged men in the home and found three AK-47 rifles, 200 rounds of ammunition, Anti-Iraqi Forces propaganda and a possible bomb-triggering device. The 13...

The 1st Brigade, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) handed over control of the Tigris River Valley area of northern Iraq today to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade (Stryker) 2nd Infantry Division in a ceremony at the Qayarrah West Airfield. The 1st Brigade Combat Team has worked in the area since May, and military officials detailed various contributions the team made. The unit's soldiers spent their time trying to improve the quality of life for Iraqis, officials said, and they captured people who threatened the lives of Iraqis and coalition forces. They destroyed hundreds of...

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has approved the 120-day deployment to Iraq of units of 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, senior military officials announced Dec. 18. He also approved a 60-day extension for the division's 3rd Brigade. Officials said the 3,500-strong brigade deployed to Iraq six months ago. About 2,000 members of 1st Brigade's 3,500 soldiers will deploy the first week of January to provide essential capabilities during the transition between Operation Iraqi Freedom 1 and 2, officials said. The deployment is based on the combatant commander's assessment of what capabilities he needs during the transition. Officials said 3rd Brigade...