Free Republic

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Feb. 1, 2006 – Estonia is helping two nations rebuild in the wake of extremism and a violent dictatorship. Its forces are now deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, and the country is a coalition partner at U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Fla. An Estonian soldier checks a map while patrolling in Iraq. Estonia has troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Photo courtesy of Estonian Defense Forces   Estonia sent 23 soldiers to Afghanistan, a number that will grow to 150 by 2007, said Estonian army Maj. Kuido Pettai, the senior national representative for Estonia...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq (Army News Service, Dec. 19, 2005) -- A newly inducted member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is playing a lead role alongside American troops in securing the future of Iraq. Although small in numbers, the infantry soldiers from Estonia’s “Stone” Platoon bring added force to the tank crews of the Fort Riley, Kan., based 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment. The 34-member platoon from Estonia is a highly trained volunteer force that performs an infantry mission with the skill and firepower comparable to U.S. Army Rangers, said Staff Sgt. Nicholas E. Wolf, one of two liaisons to...

Estonian soldiers team up with armor unit to keep supply routes safe By Sgt. David Foley March 8, 2005 CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, (Army News Service, March 8, 2005) -- One small European country is playing a major role in keeping supply convoys safe while moving through Iraq. Each day, hundreds of trucks travel the streets of Iraq carrying cargo bound for military installations and forward operating posts. One of the ways the Army is minimizing the risk involved in delivering supplies to Soldiers in Iraq is through a joint operation that includes Soldiers from 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.,...