Free Republic

Pursuant to President Obama’s decision today, Secretary Gates ordered the deployment of two additional combat units, totaling more than 12,000 troops, to Afghanistan. The 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB), from Camp Lejeune, N.C., with approximately 8,000 Marines will deploy to Afghanistan in late Spring 2009. The 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division from Ft. Lewis, Wash., will deploy approximately 4,000 soldiers to Afghanistan in mid-summer 2009. This Stryker Brigade and the MEB will deploy to increase the capabilities of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Approximately 5,000 additional troops to support these combat forces will receive deployment orders at a...

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2008 – Coalition forces captured suspected terrorists and seized weapons caches throughout Iraq over the past two days. In Baghdad today, troops captured an alleged associate of an al Qaeda in Iraq senior leader responsible for terrorist propaganda. The suspect is also believed to be involved in propaganda activities and connected to various other associates of the terrorist network in Baghdad. Troops detained seven suspected other suspected terrorists at the same time location. In northern Iraq today, Coalition forces detained five suspects during two separate operations. In Mosul, Coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists while targeting an...

Emotional ceremony officially welcomes Stryker soldiers home The soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division got their formal welcome home Thursday at Fort Lewis in an emotional ceremony that saw dozens of their wounded rejoin the ranks, and seven of their heroes decorated for valor – one of them posthumously. “I am as proud of these soldiers in front of you as anything I’ve been associated with in my life,” their commander, Col. Stephen Townsend, told several thousand friends and family members who attended Thursday’s celebration at Gray Army Airfield.“I know you all are just as proud of them.”Nearly...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -   Dallas native Staff Sgt. Reynaldo Torres gets a signed picture from cheerleaders of his hometown football team, the Dallas Cowboys. Six cheerleaders dropped by Forward Operating Base Loyalty in eastern Baghdad for a meet-and-greet session, Sept. 15. Six members of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleading squad stopped at Forward Operating Base Loyalty in eastern Baghdad to sign autographs and visit with Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Sept. 15.   

Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan (right), chats with Lt. Col. Dean Dunham, deputy commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, during a visit to the Al Madain Joint Security Station in the Zafaraniyah section of eastern Baghdad Aug. 18. Levin, along with Virginia Sen. John Warner, visited leaders of the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment and the 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Division to get a first-hand account of how the surge is progressing. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. W. Wayne Marlow, 2nd IBCT, 2nd Inf. Div. Public Affairs) Sen. John Warner of Virginia...

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq — It was 3 o’clock on a January morning when a convoy of Stryker vehicles rolled out of this protected American base near the main Baghdad airport. The discovery of 27 bodies on a part of Haifa Street, a meandering road that also goes through the Green Zone or, as it is now called, International Zone, meant it was time to help the Iraqis take back what has been called one of Baghdad’s meanest and toughest areas, a place, according to news reports, even henchmen of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein avoided. Sgt. Holly Jensen of the...

U.S. Makes Imporbable Ally in Iraq By LAUREN FRAYER Associated Press Writer BAQOUBA, Iraq (AP) - Two months ago, a dozen Sunni insurgents - haggard, hungry and in handcuffs - stepped tentatively into a U.S.-Iraqi combat outpost near Baqouba and asked to speak to the commander: "We're out of ammunition, but we want to help you fight al-Qaida." Now hundreds of fighters from the 1920s Revolution Brigades, an erstwhile Sunni insurgent group, work as scouts and gather intelligence for the 10,000-strong American force in the fifth day of its mission to remove al-Qaida gunmen and bomb makers from the Diyala...

FORT CARSON, Colo. (Army News Service, Aug. 15, 2005) -- Over the past couple of weeks Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division have left Iraq and been welcomed to Fort Carson with open arms. A handful were also welcomed to the Denver Broncos’ training camp. The Soldiers stood on the sidelines in awe as they watched some of the NFL’s superstars workout during a Monday-morning practice in Englewood where they were hosted by the team’s quarterback, Jake Plummer. The Soldiers were able to enjoy unobstructed views of the practice as they were treated to VIP services. When the...

Trio of 2nd ID soldiers killed in Iraq firefight South Korea-based unit has suffered 68 casualties in Iraq Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, Sunday, June 26, 2005 SEOUL — Three 2nd Infantry Division soldiers were killed in Iraq on Tuesday, according to the Defense Department. Spc. Nicholas R. Idalski, 23, of Crown Point, Ind.; Spc. Christopher L. Hoskins, 21, of Danielson, Conn.; and Spc. Brian A. Vaughn, 23, of Pell City, Ala.; were killed by enemy small-arms fire during combat in Ramadi. They were assigned to the Army’s 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division,...

Friday, August 20, 2004 2nd ID vehicles are upgraded to survive rough traveling in Iraq By Seth Robson, Stars and StripesEuropean edition, Friday, August 20, 2004 Seth Robson / S&S A 2nd Infantry Division Humvee from South Korea has new armored doors and windows and an air conditioner unit installed at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Seth Robson / S&S Pfc. Mark Greene of the 699th Maintenance Company, 21, of North Carolina works on an armored door at the Camp Buehring "Mad Max" shop. CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait — Soft-shelled 2nd Infantry Division vehicles are getting a Middle East makeover that includes armor,...

Military equipment staged at Pier 8, Pusan, Korea, awaits movement to Southwest Asia. Army moving equipment from Korea to Iraq By Maj. Terry DraperAugust 4, 2004 PUSAN, Korea (Army News Service, Aug. 4, 2004) -- The Army has begun moving equipment from the 2nd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade in Korea for duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Two vessels were loaded simultaneously during the last week in July by transporters with the 837th Transportation Battalion, in Pusan, Korea. As part of the deployment, the 837th transporters also loaded 80 containers in Chinhae aboard a third ship. The loading was assisted...

Tuesday, August 3, 2004 Iraqi-Americans help 2nd ID troops prepare for Iraq’s culture By Seth Robson, Stars and StripesPacific edition, Tuesday, August 3, 2004 Seth Robson / S&S Iraqi role players, who met 2nd ID commander Maj. Gen. John R. Wood at Camp Casey last week, said they now have a better grasp of soldiers' lives. Seth Robson / S&S Iraqi role players interact with Lt. Col. Joseph Southcott, commander of 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment at Camp Hovey during training. Seth Robson / S&S Iraqi role players, who met 2nd ID commander Maj. Gen. John R. Wood at Camp...

The Washington Times www.washingtontimes.com Transfers 'ready to fight' in IraqBy Bill GertzTHE WASHINGTON TIMESPublished August 1, 2004 SEOUL -- The commander of U.S. soldiers leaving here for Iraq says they are "ready to fight" insurgents and terrorists despite their initial training for a far different mission in a far different place.     The 3,600 soldiers will leave bases in South Korea, within range of 12,000 North Korean artillery pieces a few miles north of the tense border, and head for the harsh heat and deadly roadside and suicide bombs in and around Baghdad.     His troops are "confident and very sober"...

RODRIGUEZ RANGE, South Korea — 2nd Infantry Division combat arms units are training to go on the offensive if their convoys are attacked in Iraq, says Col. Gary S. Patton, commander of the division’s Iraq-bound 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Patton and others were at Rodriguez Range Friday to observe platoons doing combat convoy live-fire exercises that train soldiers to use aggressive tactics in response to any challenge from the enemy. “It is all about developing an offensive mind-set. We are treating every mission as a combat operation and every threat along the road as a threat we are going to...

Camp Casey's 2nd ID sees surge of post-traumatic stress disorder By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, Tuesday, June 15, 2004 CAMP CASEY, South Korea — The 2nd Infantry Division is experiencing a surge in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among soldiers who rotated here from assignments in Iraq or Afghanistan, says a senior health official. Division psychologist Capt. Mary Dorritie said that although most of the combat-related PTSD cases she treats haven’t been severe, they are the bulk of her caseload; she treats from 10 to 15 soldiers suffering from the condition. Last year, in contrast, virtually all PTSD...

Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division recently detained three members of an undisclosed media outlet. They took them back to their encampment and asked them several hours of questions regarding a recent roadside bombing that took place near Mosul. This type of Draconian military behavior should have spawned days of accusatory headlines in 80 font type. Seymour Hersh should have donned the tin-foil hat weeks ago and told us the story behind the story. This should dominate the antiwar outlets of the US media. This time, that isn't going to happen. Why no outrage? The reason is simple....

NEWS CREW IN IRAQ TIPPED OFF TO LOCATION OF ROADSIDE BOMB DID NOT RELAY INFORMATION TO COALITION CONVOY MOSUL, Iraq - Coalition soldiers questioned two news media cameramen and a reporter after a roadside bomb exploded near a Coalition convoy two kilometers north of Mosul June 3. The media, who were at the scene prior to the attack, told soldiers at the scene they had received a tip to be at that location prior to the attack and they had witnessed the explosion. There was minimal damage to a Coalition vehicle, a cracked windshield, and no serious injuries. 3rd Brigade,...

NEWS RELEASE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 7115 South Boundary Boulevard MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101 Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 3, 2004 Release Number: 04-06-09 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COALITION SOLDIERS QUESTION NEWS MEDIA FOLLOWING ROADSIDE BOMB MOSUL, Iraq - Coalition soldiers questioned two news media cameramen and a reporter after a roadside bomb exploded near a Coalition convoy two kilometers north of Mosul June 3. The media, who were at the scene prior to the attack, told soldiers at the scene they had received a tip to be at that location prior to the attack...

2nd ID troops speak of hopes, fears following Pentagon's announcement By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, Saturday, May 22, 2004 Seth Robson / S&S Soldiers from the 102nd Military Intelligence Battalion train in South Korea on Thursday. Seth Robson / S&S Pfc. Jose Perez says he's not looking forward to deploying to Iraq from South Korea. TONGDUCHON, South Korea — Some 2nd Infantry Division soldiers on their way to Iraq later this summer say they were surprised to hear the news and upset when they learned about the deployment via media reports. On Monday, South Korean officials announced...

by Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson May 21, 2004 A Soldier provides security with a 50 caliber machine gun in Mosul, Iraq. He is assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division’s Company C, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, Stryker Brigade Combat Team. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.