Free Republic

The troop level in Haiti has risen to 3,300, and members of the Multinational Interim Force now are stabilizing parts of the troubled country beyond the capital of Port-au-Prince, Defense Department officials said here today. Combined Joint Task Force – Haiti now has 1,800 U.S., 760 French, 330 Chilean and 340 Canadian military personnel assigned, U.S. Southern Command officials said. The operation now has a name: Operation Secure Tomorrow. Under the command of U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Ronald S. Coleman, troops of the force are confiscating illegal weapons as they come upon them, officials said. "(Confiscating weapons) is not one...

Nothing can take the place of meeting foreign military leaders in their countries as the United States seeks to build military-to-military ties, said Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff finished a five-day visit to South America and Haiti March 13. In South America, the chairman spoke with military and civilian leaders on bilateral and multilateral relations. The chairman visited Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Chile before stopping in Haiti. The United States has long-standing close relationships with each country. The trip had been planned for months, long before the situation in Haiti became...

In a few weeks, Fort Lewis will see the largest deployment of a combat unit since Vietnam. The Army's first Stryker brigade is about to leave three years of incubation at Fort Lewis for its real-world debut in Iraq. The 3,600 soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division are scheduled to move out later this month and in early November. They'll pioneer a new armored vehicle and a new way of operating that represents the Army's first steps toward transforming itself into a more mobile, technology-driven fighting force. Observers from around the world will watch closely to see if...