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WASHINGTON, March 23, 2011 – Afghan and coalition forces detained several suspected insurgents, including Taliban leaders and Haqqani network terrorists, in operations today throughout Afghanistan, military officials reported. -- Forces captured several Haqanni terrorists for weapons trafficking and targeting attacks on security forces in Khost province’s Terayzai district. -- In Baghlan province’s Burkah district, troops apprehended two suspected insurgents in an operation to prevent enemy fighters from using a particular location to stage attacks. -- Afghan and coalition forces detained a Taliban weapons trafficker responsible for supplying enemy fighters with explosive devices in Logar province’s Baraki Barak district. -- Security...

UK Ministry of Defence Captain Martha Fairlie is in charge of the British Military Stabilisation Support Team (MSST) for Babaji in Helmand province. Here she talks about one of the team's latest projects to reopen and develop a school. Captain Martha Fairlie, from the Royal Engineers, arrived in Babaji at the start of September 2009, just a few weeks after the end of Operation PANTHER'S CLAW which cleared the Babaji area of insurgents. She is now midway through her tour.Here she explains about one of the development projects that the MSST she heads up is undertaking: ''We are a team of nine men and women from...

Kazakhstani Soldiers march in a pass and review during their end of mission ceremony, Oct. 20, 2008 on Forward Operating Base Delta. Photo by Spc. Tiffany Dusterhoft. FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA — Soldiers from the Kazakhstan contingency to Iraq reflected on their accomplishments and lessons learned during an end-of-mission ceremony at Forward Operating Base Delta, Oct. 20, 2008, marking the end of their support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since deploying to Wasit province in March of 2003. . “Since the first day, [our] Soldiers have been meritoriously carrying out their mission,” said Lt. Gen. Bulat Sembinov, Kazakhstan deputy minister of...

TIKRIT, Iraq, May 29, 2008 – Northern Iraqi leaders came together for an energy conference at Contingency Operating Base Spiecher in the province of Salahuddin yesterday. The conference covered the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity within the northern region of Iraq. All four northern provinces -- Tamim, Diyala, Salahuddin and Ninevah -- had official representation at the conference, and they all spoke on their areas within the region. Officials also represented three Kurdish provinces: Sulaimaniyah, Irbil and Dahuk. The Iraqi Minister of Electricity, Iraqi military leaders and coalition soldiers were in attendance to bring awareness of the energy issues...

It is with deep sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Lance Corporal Paul "Sandy" Sandford from 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, Wednesday 6 June 2007. LCpl Sandford was killed at around 0645 (local time) while taking part in an offensive patrol with his company aimed at disrupting Taliban forces in the Upper Gereshk Valley area of Helmand Province, eight kilometres north east of the town of Gereshk. The company was moving forward to clear a Taliban compound when they came under fire and LCpl Sandford was shot. He...

HEIDELBERG, Germany, Dec. 7, 2006 – In today's global political environment, when something goes awry, the United States – rightly or wrongly -- can often get the brunt of the blame. This was the blunt assessment of retired German army Gen. Leopold Chalupa as he explained why it is so important for he and other former European leaders to tell the story of U.S. Army, Europe. Chalupa's words came during the USAREUR-sponsored Legion of Merit conference Dec. 5, where about 60 recipients of the medal received briefings on the transformation of U.S. forces in Europe and their leading role...

While the media focus on the car bomb du jour, hope has appeared in an unexpected place: the maternity ward. Iraq is undergoing a baby boom. What kind of a nation will we leave them? On Monday, the Pentagon handed out a report card on progress in Iraq, and it's impressive. It includes six new primary care facilities with 66 more under construction. Saddam Hussein hadn't built a new hospital in 20 years. Eleven hospitals have been totally renovated and more than 800 schools that often served as armories for Hussein have been fixed up. The Ministry of Electricity now...