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KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Dec. 4, 2007 – Mentoring Afghan national security forces puts coalition soldiers everywhere in Afghanistan, which means a lot of wear and tear on their vehicles. But that’s not stopping them. U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division soldiers drive a Humvee through a wadi in Afghanistan’s Khowst province. Photo by Staff Sgt. Luis P. Valdespino Jr., USMC  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Soldiers recognize that the dirt and rocky roads, mountain sides and random paths are hard on even the toughest of all-terrain vehicles, so the troops handle mechanical breakdowns in stride. During a recent morning...

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Sept. 21, 2007 – Problems facing reserve-component servicemembers are universal, regardless of which country they come from, international officials here this week learned. Representatives from the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand here to discuss reserve personnel issues all agreed that the biggest challenges facing reserve-component family programs are communication and overcoming the stigma of receiving support. The group, known as the ABCA Information Team -- for America, Britain, Canada and Australia; New Zealand joined only recently -- has met for the past eight years to ensure member armies have necessary capabilities...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2007 – The top U.S. military commander and diplomat in Iraq entered their third round of congressional testimony this afternoon reiterating their belief that although the mission in Iraq is challenging, it’s making progress the United States can’t afford to let slip. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker reported to the Senate Armed Services Committee the signs of progress they’ve seen in Iraq, as well as the frustrations. Much of the testimony mirrored discussions aired during marathon sessions over the past two days. Petraeus...

WASHINGTON - Two prominent Senate Republicans have drafted legislation that would require President Bush by the end of the year to dramatically narrows the mission of U.S. troops. The legislation, which represents a sharp challenge to Bush, was put forward by Sens. John Warner and Richard Lugar, the ranking members of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations. It came as the Pentagon acknowledged that a decreasing number of Iraqi army battalions are able to operate independently of U.S. troops. "Given continuing high levels of violence in Iraq and few manifestations of political compromise among Iraq's factions, the optimal outcome in...

MARINE CORPS BASE, CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii, June 15, 2007 — Born on the land, bred in the water and now a lethal and effective hybrid of both – one hospital corpsman has worked through and trained in the trenches to become the dedicated, life saving “Devil Doc” he is today. Petty Officer 2nd Class Angelo Catindig, a native of the Philippines, has tasted three different branches of military service. His military career began on the ground side as an infantryman in the Army. However, it was the events at the outset of his next experience – a naval career...

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2007 – It’s still too early to assess the impact of the new strategy in Iraq, but more progress is expected as additional troops come on line to boost security in Baghdad, according to the latest quarterly report to Congress, released today. The June 2007 report, “Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq,” assesses trends in terms of the security environment, political process, economic activity and development of Iraqi security forces. The report measures both progress and setbacks between mid-February and mid-May. It’s the first report for which the entire period took place under the new strategy...

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, June 5, 2007 – Although acknowledging he’d like to see faster progress in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today refused to point fingers at the Iraqi army and said that force is standing up to challenges confronting it. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates meets with Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, June 5. Photo by Cherie A. Thurlby  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “We would certainly be happy if there was faster progress on the political front in terms of reunification,” Gates said in response to a question during a joint news conference with...

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2007 – The crackdown on insurgents in Baghdad is showing progress, but a senior military official there warned that it’s likely to drive the enemy to strike out dramatically before succeeding. “Like backing a rat into a corner, increasing pressure on the extremists by limiting their available resources and places to hide leads to desperate changes in tactics,” Navy Rear Adm. Mark Fox, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq, told reporters during a roundtable session in Baghdad today. Fox cited a Feb. 23 suicide-bomb attempt in Ramadi as an example of that desperation. When Iraqi police...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2007 – When troops ask the military’s highest-ranking officer questions about the war in Iraq, force levels or tour lengths, Marine Gen. Peter Pace is eager to answer frankly and completely. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff fielded questions Feb. 22 and 23 from active duty, National Guard and Reserve troops in Alaska at the Army’s Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, and at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. After brief opening remarks, Pace told the troops he’d rather answer their questions than “talk at them.” The troops responded with questions on the global picture...

AMES, United States (AFP) - Senator Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) piled pressure on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, questioning how she would live up to her vow to end the war in Iraq, a day after launching his White House bid. "I am not clear on how she would proceed at this point to wind down the war in a specific way," Obama, 45, told reporters when asked to critique Clinton's plans for ending the bloody US engagement during a campaign stop in Iowa. "I know she has stated that she thinks the war should end by the start...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2007 – When additional troops arrive in Iraq's Anbar Province, they will be welcomed and put to work, said the commander of a regimental combat team responsible for more than 30,000 square miles in the area. “I don’t think there’s a commander in any conflict in American history that wouldn’t say he’d take more forces,” Marine Col. William Crowe, commander of Regimental Combat Team 7, told reporters today during a video teleconference from Asad, Iraq. “When we do get additional forces … my commanding general knows where they need to go. And when they come here,...

BRUSSELS, Belgium, Nov. 16, 2006 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other NATO defense chiefs reaffirmed their commitment yesterday to the alliance’s security mission in Afghanistan as they evaluated successes made, new approaches under way and challenges ahead. Marine Gen. Peter Pace met at NATO headquarters here with members of NATO’s Military Committee for talks that will lead up to the NATO Summit in Riga, Latvia, later this month. The discussions, led by Canadian Air Force Gen. Raymond Henault, Military Committee chairman, focused heavily on NATO’s historic role in the International Security Assistance Force in...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2006 -- This week’s elections sent a signal that America, just like Iraq, is in a period of transition, but in no way diminish the two countries’ mutual commitment to success in Iraq, the spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq said today in Baghdad. “Here in Iraq, we look forward to working with a new secretary after the Senate confirmation process,” Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told military analysts by phone. “We are aware that there will be changes on Capitol Hill and at the Pentagon and that a period of transition will occur,” he said. “But...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2006 -- Iraq’s elected leaders are taking measures to address the sectarian strife that has gripped Baghdad and other parts of that country in recent weeks, a senior U.S. military officer said yesterday. “The most telling sign of progress towards reconciliation is that the leaders from diverse factions with different interests are working together and are communicating with each other,” Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. Caldwell, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq, cited a meeting chaired by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Oct. 8 in which...

BAGHDAD — Iraq's young government is making significant progress despite recent violence, the spokesman for Multi-National Force - Iraq said at a press briefing here Monday. Major Gen. William Caldwell IV outlined steps the new government is taking, while reminding attendees of the pressing issues the government faces. “Iraq's young government, though still in its infancy, is facing extremely complex issues, issues that would cripple many mature nations. Today the elected government of Iraq is only 142 days young,” he said. Caldwell highlighted the government’s new plan to quell sectarian violence as an example. "The most telling sign of progress...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2006 – Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reflected today, the fifth anniversary of the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom, on successes already achieved in Afghanistan and those under way, noting that “the trajectory is a hopeful and promising one.” Writing an op-ed in today’s Washington Post, Rumsfeld recalled five years ago today, when President Bush announced the mission, designed to disrupt and destroy al-Qaeda operations in Afghanistan and the regime that had harbored and supported Osama bin Laden's terrorist network. “It was never going to be an easy mission. Afghanistan was among the world's poorest nations, with little...

BAGHDAD — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Baghdad Oct. 5 to discuss progress being made and challenges ahead and to reaffirm that the United States remains “a committed friend for Iraq.” Rice praised Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for his “excellent leadership” during a critical period in his country’s history. “This is an important time and a challenge for the Iraqi people, but they are a strong people, they are a committed people and we know that they will overcome these challenges,” Rice said. Maliki said he looks forward to discussions about issues important to both the United States...

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region South District Outdated and non-functional transformers fill the electrical maintenance yard of the Ministry of Electricity in An-Nasiriyah, awaiting disposal. Recent efforts by the U.S. Army's Gulf Region South District helped to provide 50 new transformers on short notice. Department of Defense photo by Tim Salthouse. Reconstruction in Iraq is not without its challenges, as members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region Division, learn everyday. Many are aware of the media criticism concerning IraqÂ’s recurring problems of electrical power outages and rationing throughout the country. But seldom is the overall...

BAGHDAD — Gauging the progress of security, reconstruction and governance efforts in Iraq is a challenge unto itself, U.S. officials said Tuesday. While in Baghdad senior U.S., Iraqi and Coalition leaders discussed signs of improved security in the capital’s Adhamiyah district, in Washington Pentagon officials stressed the importance of recognizing that security conditions in Iraq vary widely by region. On Sunday, the Baghdad provincial chairman, accompanied by the deputy chief of mission for the U.S. Embassy and the deputy commanding general for Multi-National Division – Baghdad, visited the recently cleared district of Adhamiyah for the first time since the start...

BAGHDAD -- Money set aside for Iraq reconstruction must be allocated by the end of next month or the remaining balance will revert to the coffers of the U.S. Treasury, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction said here Thursday. Stuart W. Bowen, Jr. and his team of investigators make sure the $22 billion from the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund gets spent wisely. SIGIR was created by the U.S. Congress in Oct. 2004 to oversee reconstruction by detecting waste, fraud and abuse of the funds. Bowen said nearly $20 billion has been spent or allocated so far and that...