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Excellent article in National Review Online IRAQ--LESSONS LEARNED [Rich Lowry ] Here is a fascinating e-mail that is going the rounds in military circles. It is an account of a presentation given by one of the leaders of 1st Cav Div, just back from Iraq. I try to follow Iraq stuff pretty closely, but most of this I had never heard: 1. While units of the Cav served all over Iraq, he spoke mostly of Baghdad and more specifically Sadr City, the big slum on the eastern side of the Tigris River. He pointed out that Baghdad is, in geography,...

I went to an AUSA dinner last night at the Ft. Hood Officers' Club to hear a speech by MG Pete Chiarelli, CG of the 1st Cav Div. He and most of the Div. have just returned from Iraq. Very informative and, surprise, the Mainstream Media (MSM) isn't telling the story. I was not there as a reporter, didn't take notes but I'll make some the points I remember that were interesting, surprising or generally stuff I had not heard before. It was not a speech per se. He just walked and talked, showed some slides and answered questions. Very...

Army Lt. Col. Gary Volesky of the 1st Cavalry Division's 5th Battalion returned from Iraq this weekend to his wife and son in Fort Hood, Texas. It was a homecoming the family was not sure would ever happen. It is no wonder, since Volesky's battalion — the Army's premier heavy-armored division — was involved in some of the fiercest fighting in Iraq. "We thought it was going to be a rebuilding, reconstruction mission for our guys," said his wife, LeAnn. "And it was nothing like that." Four days after the battalion arrived in Iraq — and just 15 minutes after...

[VHFCN] Real news from Iraq Went to an AUSA dinner last night at the Ft. Hood Officers' Club to hear a speech by MG Pete Chiarelli, CG of the 1st Cav Div. He and most of the Div. have just returned from Iraq. Very informative and, surprise, the Mainstream Media (MSM) isn't telling the story. I was not there as a reporter, didn't take notes but I'll make some the points I remember that were interesting, suprising or generally stuff I had not heard before. It was not a speech per se. He just walked and talked, showed some slides...

DefendAmerica News - Father Pins Silver Star on Son in Baghdad Staff Sgt. William Thomas Payne, his father Carl and Maj. Gen. Pete Chiarelli, stand together after Payne was awarded the Silver Star at the cross sabers monument in central Baghdad. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. John Queen, 3rd BCT Public Affairs Father Pins Silver Star on Son in Baghdad Staff Sgt. Payne received the United States third highest award for heroism in combat. U.S. Army Sgt. John Queen 3rd BCT Public Affairs BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 1, 2005 -- Staff Sgt. William Thomas Payne of the 1st Cavalry Division received...

There was another big homecoming at Fort Hood Friday as members of the First Cavalry Division returned from Iraq and the entire 1st Cav Division is expected to be back by the end of March. Starting next week, according to the Division's top general, flights should be arriving almost daily bringing home the rest of the division. Almost 300 1st Cav soldiers marched across a field at the beginning of their welcome home ceremony Friday. Some of the men and women spent almost 15 months in Iraq. For many of these troops, being back is great, but returning home won't...

The U.S. military has begun to transfer authority to Iraqi security forces. Officials said the U.S.-led coalition has been quietly handing over the command to Iraq's military and security units in the four most violent provinces in the country. Fourteen of the 18 provinces have already been under Iraqi security control. In the latest move, the U.S. military has transferred control to the Iraq Army in Baghdad. The U.S. Army's First Cavalry Division has handed over authority in several areas to Baghdad to the Iraq Army's 40th Brigade. "We have reached a certain stage," Iraqi Brig. Gen. Jalil Khalaf said...

LATIFIYAH, Iraq — The soldiers of Task Force 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division value the relationships they've built with Iraq's children. On Jan. 24, Task Force soldiers distributed gifts of shoes, clothing, school supplies and toys to the residents of Latifiyah. "Its good for the unit," said Spc. Derek Thorpe, a medic from East Montpelier, Vt. "It definitely shows a lighter, more caring side of the Army. It's a struggle sometimes for the public though. They aren't always as quite receptive. "Some of (the locals) were too scared to come over. They were intimidated," he...

FORT HOOD, Texas - The 1st Cavalry Division presented 17 Soldiers with the Purple Heart medal Jan. 25 in a ceremony honoring their sacrifice. One of the Soldiers, Sgt. Jerone Johnson, 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, received two awards for injuries received on two separate occasions while serving in Baghdad. "I'm speechless being awarded two purple hearts at one time, knowing that it's rare," said Johnson. His first injury, in the middle of July, was the result of shrapnel from an Improvised Explosive Device. The blast left him with a concussion and minor injuries around his eye. The second injury...

U.S. troops, holding a Christmas party on Wednesday, celebrated with music, a Christmas tree and even a visit from Santa to their base at Baghdad International Airport. Soldiers played jazzy Christmas tunes on a piano and a clarinet. Those who attended said that even though they were far from home, they were celebrating the holiday with their Iraqi friends. "I'm with my soldiers; I'm with the people of Baghdad, and right now that's my family," said Brigadier Gen. Jeffery Hammond, of the 1st Cavalry Division. "So I'm very happy." The U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division is based at Camp Victory,...

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 21, 2004 — “Check it out! Wilson’s got quite a leg on him,” shouts Spc. Lerroi Givens, of Brunswick, Ga., as Spc. Amin Wilson, of Mt. Vernon, N.Y., solidly belts a soccer ball more than 50 meters to a gaggle of excited children in eastern Baghdad. These soldiers from Battery B, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, who are known as the “Dragons,” aren’t shirking their duty while on patrol, but rather are carrying out a very important mission: reaching out to Iraqi children. On Dec. 19, the Dragons handed out 20 1st Cavalry...

On the wing of an Apache (From Fort Hood Sentinel) By Cpl. Benjamin Cossel 122nd MPAD CAMP TAJI, Iraq –For two Apache Longbow pilots, the night of Oct. 16 was just a regular night flying a reconnaissance mission around southern Baghdad. A distorted cry for help came across the emergency radio shattering the chatter of all other communications. They recognized the call sign, they recognized the area and a few minutes later, they were in route to perform what would become a heroic rescue. “I really couldn’t make out at first what was going on. The transmission over the radio...

On the wing of an Apache By Cpl. Benjamin Cossel, 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- For two Apache Longbow pilots, the night of Oct. 16 was just a regular night flying a reconnaissance mission around southern Baghdad. A distorted cry for help came across the emergency radio shattering the chatter of all other communications. They recognized the call sign, they recognized the area and a few minutes later, they were in route to perform what would become a heroic rescue. “I really couldn’t make out at first what was going on. The transmission over the...

  Joint patrol finds insurgent rocket set-up point BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A joint patrol found five rocket tubes and one rocket Oct. 30, not far from a suspected launch point for insurgents firing rockets into the International Zone. Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division’s Company D, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment and the 304th Iraqi National Guard Battalion discovered three fiberglass tubes and two metal tubes near a road not far from the Tigris River. The tubes were set up and pointed in the direction of the International Zone. After searching the surrounding area, the patrol also found one...

Staff Sgt. Charles Gilbert and Capt Dan Mark, both of Blackhawk Troop, 1-7 Cavalry, question a neighbor of a suspected mortar man Oct. 22. The troop did not uncover the mortar man, but 13 suspected insurgents were taken into custody by other troops within the squadron. Cpl. Bill Putnam Raid in southern Baghdad detains 13 insurgentsBy Cpl. Bill Putnam November 1, 2004 AL RASHID DISTRICT, Baghdad (Army News Service, Nov. 1, 2004) -- In a multi-target raid, cavalry troopers from 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, effectively dismantled an insurgent cell operating in Al Rashid's Furat neighborhood during the early...

TAJI, Iraq - An Army helicopter gunship pilot is being recommended for a bravery medal for the rescue of a pair of wounded American fliers whose helicopter crashed in hostile territory south of Baghdad this month. Capt. Ryan Welch, 29, who co-pilots an AH-64 Apache helicopter with the 1st Cavalry Division's 4th Brigade, led a risky night mission that saw him strap himself and a wounded flier to the exterior of the two-seat gunship that flew them to safety, said 4th Brigade commander Col. Jim McConville. Two Army pilots were killed in the Oct. 16 crash, which happened when two...

U.S. Army Spc. Brandon Arther (left) and Spc. Dmitri Schronick, both crew chiefs with the Company A “Werewolves,” 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, perform a thorough inspection of the aircraft at the close of business. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Dan Purcell One Job, Multiple Roles Crew chiefs work 24-hours-a-day to ensure Blackhawks are ready for missions.   By Sgt. Dan Purcell122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Oct. 29, 2004 — What can be said for one, can probably be said for all, a love for flying keeps them going — 12-hour shifts (or more), 24-hours-a-day, seven...

A soldier, center, escorts a detainee to be questioned about illegal weapons and anti-Iraqi activity. The soldier is assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment. Forty men were detained during a raid conducted by the soldiers and U.S. Marines Operation Mustang Socko. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Al Barrus U OPERATION MUSTANG SOCKOSoldiers, Marines Make Big Find Soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division join forces with Marines to conduct a productive raid in Southern Baghdad. U By U.S. Army Cpl. Benjamin Cossel  / 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment BAGHDAD, Iraq — In order...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 October 25, 2004Release Number: 04-10-67 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OPERATION NETS LARGE WEAPONS CACHE BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Task Force Baghdad troops uncovered a large weapons cache during a cordon and search operation Oct. 25 in central Baghdad. Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team confiscated more than 70 rifles, 20 pistols, 10 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 70 hand grenades, 10 anti-personnel mines and thousands of dollars in currency during a search of a suspected...

Combined Operation Nets Massive Cache American Forces Press Service TAJI, Iraq, Oct. 18, 2004 -- More than 400 57 mm rockets, 7,275 rounds of 14.5 mm anti-aircraft ammunition, and one U.S. tube-launched optically tracked wire- guided missile were just the tip of the iceberg during a recent weapons cache discovery north of Iraq. "We would begin digging in a new area, and we just kept finding stuff," said the 2nd Battalion, 7th Calvary Regiment senior Iraqi National Guard advisor Capt. Mark Leslie, of the 39th Brigade Combat Team. The discovery began with a tip from a reluctant informant. Rumors...