Free Republic

Afghan National Police Regional Command South Opens In addition to a new compound, Afghan National Police South officers received 5,000 new uniforms, 2,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, 5,000 pistols, 500 police vehicles, and 43 rocket propelled grenades. By Combined Security Transition Command–Afghanistan KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, June 29, 2006 — The Afghan National Police sent a message to all enemies of Afghanistan recently with the opening of the Regional Command South here. "(Defending Afghanistan) will require hard work with our citizens and the rest of the national government to bring security to our land. The Afghan national Army is an important partner...

MANAMA, Bahrain - Italian Navy Rear Adm. Salvatore Ruzittu relieved U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Ray Spicer as commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 152, June 28, marking the first time that all three of the major maritime CTFs in the region have been commanded by officers from nations other than the U.S. or U.K. The change of command also marks the first time a non-U.S. officer has held command of CTF 152, which conducts Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the central and southern Arabian Gulf . Rear Adm. Shahid Iqbal of the Pakistan Navy and Commodore Peter Lockwood of the...

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2006 – Defense Department officials are weighing the potential benefits of merging the three military medical commands into one, unified command that would oversee all military health care as well as the training of military medical professionals. The concept, if adopted, would bring together the Army, Air Force and Navy medical commands, enabling DoD to provide better care while keeping costs in check, Dr. David Tornberg, deputy assistant secretary of defense for clinical and program policy, told American Forces Press Service. The DoD medical community is generally supportive of such a realignment, which Tornberg said would ensure...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, May 16, 2006 – When the 2nd Brigade of the 9th Iraqi Mechanized Division assumed 150 square kilometers of battlespace north of Baghdad yesterday, it was more than just a paperwork shuffle. "From the command and control perspective, they go from reporting to (the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry) to me," 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Commander U.S. Army Col. James Pasquarette said during an interview. "They now report straight into my headquarters, and I report to the 4th (Infantry Division)." But this arrangement is only temporary. In June, the 2nd Brigade's parent unit, the 9th Division, will...

Imagine a country within the greater Middle East ambit that has successfully made the transition to electoral democracy with multiparty municipal, presidential, and, most recently, parliamentary polls. Moreover, imagine that despite virtually all of its citizens being Sunni Muslims, the country's national elections commission designates a progressive, foreign-based Christian non-governmental organization to coordinate the international monitoring of its parliamentary elections. And imagine that the incumbent president's party takes a drubbing at the polls, winning barely a third of the seats. Most audiences, if I were to tell them that I was not conjuring up Utopia, but describing a real life...

MINA SALMAN, Bahrain, April 24, 2006 – Pakistan today became the first regional country to command a combined task force in the Middle East in the war on terror. Pakistani Rear Adm. Shahid Iqbal received command from Dutch Commodore Hank Ort during a ceremony aboard the HNLMS De Zeven Provicien in the harbor here. Iqbal will command the force for the next six months. American, French, German, British, Dutch, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, Spanish, Italian, Turkish and Portuguese ships have participated in the force. Japan has provided logistical support to the effort. "I, my team, and the Pakistan navy, feel...

AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar, April 19, 2006 – The new Joint Intelligence Operations Center here looks like what Hollywood's conception of what a "war room" should look like. The center is the heart of U.S. Central Command Forward, based here. Everything the command can do at its Tampa, Fla. Headquarters also can be done here, officials said. The center is capable of running coalition operations from Kenya to Kazakhstan and Egypt to Pakistan, a senior Central Command official who gave a tour of the facility said. The center is also closely connected with command's headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla....

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2006 – Negative media reports on continuing violence in Iraq and Afghanistan make it hard for people to recognize political and economic progress being made there and in surrounding countries, the senior enlisted advisor to the commander of U.S. Central Command said here. Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Curtis L. Brownhill said progress in the Central Command region -- which runs from Kenya in Africa to Kazakhstan in Central Asia and includes Egypt and Pakistan -- includes more than just what is happening in Afghanistan and Iraq. Progress is measured in many countries taking steps toward...

NORFOLK, Va., April 14, 2006 – Supporting the global war on terror, homeland defense, humanitarian crises and disaster relief missions while maintaining deterrence around the world requires something of a juggling act - especially when you're striving to reduce stress on the force, according to a U.S. Joint Forces Command official. That's a challenge Jay Burdon, chief of JFCOM's Joint Deployment Operations Division, and his staff here deal with every day as they strive to ensure combatant commanders have the troops they need to carry out their missions. As the military's central "manpower broker" for conventional forces, JFCOM looks across...

While Pennsylvania Seventh District voters will salute Adm. Joseph Sestak’s long military service to his country, they may also question the Democratic newcomer’s leadership ability in light of his removal from a high-level Navy post last summer.

WASHINGTON - The Russian government had sources inside the American military command as it planned and executed the invasion of Iraq in 2003, according to Iraqi documents released as part of a Pentagon report. The Russians passed information to Saddam Hussein on U.S. troop movements and plans during the opening days of the war, according to the report Friday. The unclassified report does not assess the value of the information or provide details beyond citing two captured Iraqi documents that say the Russians collected information from sources "inside the American Central Command" and that battlefield intelligence was provided to Saddam...

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2006 – Iraq is not on the verge of a civil war, and sectarian issues in the country are controllable, the commander of U.S. Central Command told the House Armed Services Committee here today. Army Gen. John Abizaid testified about CENTCOM's posture. He told the representatives he believes a government of national unity will emerge in Iraq and that the Iraqi security forces will continue to improve. Abizaid said he was concerned about sectarian violence in Iraq since the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra on Feb. 22. He said he believes fugitive Jordanian terrorist Abu...

BAQUBAH, Iraq (Army News Service, March 14, 2006) – Challenges facing quality maintenance of a water treatment plant and a primary electrical sub-station northeast of Baghdad were laid out by Iraqi engineers during a tour by Coalition leaders March 9. Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq, visited the Khatoon Water Compact Unit and the Al-Abarra Electric sub-station. Both facilities were in great need of refurbishment and oversight. Chiarelli spent the day with the command group of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers, and toured two of the brigade’s areas of...

The story did not simply specify that there were unprotected areas of the body perceptively protected by existing body armor, but it highlighted those areas in both content and a color graphic, which illustrated in red exactly where bullets and shrapnel had previously struck and killed Marines. Certainly, any terrorist training camp where the bad guys are learning how best to kill American soldiers could make use of such a graphic.

U.S. Army Col. Larry D. Wyche (left) and U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major Brian S. Connie stand ready to unfurl the 10th Sustainment Brigade colors during a transfer of authority ceremony at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 6, 2006. Wyche assumed command of the Joint Logistics Command, which provides logistical support to Coalition forces throughout Afghanistan. Connie is the command sergeant major for the command. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Michael Rautio 'Muleskinners' Assume Joint Logistics Command Mission U.S. soldiers from the 10th Sustainment Brigade, known as the “Muleskinners," will ensure troops on the front lines have everything...

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- A cooperative effort between the Naval Education and Training Center and Naval Services FamilyLine has created a new leadership course designed to offer the spouses of command senior enlisted leaders the tools to navigate the opportunities and meet the special challenges of their position. The Command Master Chief Spouse Leadership Course will help prepare senior enlisted spouses for the unique leadership and relationship issues involved in representing the command, said Ombudsman-at-Large Doreen Scott, and will provide the ability to inspire and motivate others as an integral member of the Command Support Team. The first course is scheduled...

The first Slovakian engineers came into Iraq in August 2003; their primary duties are unexploded ordnance disposal and engineering work. CAMP ECHO, Iraq, March 2, 2006 — Slovakian engineer units working in Multinational Division Central-South held a change of command ceremony at Camp Echo, Ad-Diwaniyah, March 1. The 5th rotation of the Slovak Engineer Unit transferred authority to the 6th rotation composed of 100 troops. The handover ceremony was attended by authorities of the Slovakian Armed Forces, Multinational Division Central-South, senior national representatives and distinguished guests. The first Slovakian Engineers came into Iraq in August 2003 with Multinational Division Central-South....

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Feb. 21, 2006 – The 10th Mountain Division assumed command of Combined Joint Task Force 76 at a ceremony here today, replacing the Southern European Task Force. Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, 10th Mountain Division commander, assumes command of Combined Joint Task Force 76 in Afghanistan as he receives flag from Army Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, commander of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan, at Bagram Air Base Feb. 21. Army Maj. Gen. Jason K. Kamiya (second from left), who heads Southern European Task Force, is the outgoing CJTF 76 commander. Photo by Sgt. Douglas...

2/14/2006 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing’s command post Airmen have one of the most important areas in the area of responsibility to track. With four controllers and a superintendent covering around-the-clock operations this group is ready for anything. “We are the nerve center for the base in this war environment,” said Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Howell, command post superintendent. “And we all understand our work can have a big effect on the mission here.” That mission impact was evident to first-time deployer Staff Sgt. Lynn Brown the moment he arrived. “There is a definite adjustment we...

The problem is, transforming a good man into a Navy SEAL is not cheap - about $350,000 a copy - nor is it easy. Sure, there are lots of schoolyard scrappers, gym rats, competitive swimmers, and adrenaline junkies who believe they have what it takes to become SEALs. But few pack the gear to endure-to-completion BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training. Some are injured. Many fail to measure up during various training evolutions. Most simply quit, concluding that the wet, miserably cold life of a frogman is not for them. None of this, however, changes the U.S. Defense Department's requirement for...