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BAGHDAD — The Civilian Police Assistance Training Team Deputy Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, and MNF-I Staff Judge Advocate held a joint media roundtable at the Combined Press Information Center Wednesday. British Army Brig. Gen. Robert P. M. Weighill, CPATT deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, MNF-I spokesman, and U.S. Army Col. Mark A. Martins, MNF-I Staff Judge Advocate, provided an update on the progress of Fardh Al-Qanoon and spoke of recent events in Iraq. “We have seen both inspiring progress and grave challenges,” said Caldwell. “Civilization, as we know, depends upon law, and what...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2007 – “A Million Thanks” presented its milestone 2.6 millionth letter of support for the troops to the Defense Department’s top enlisted servicemember during a ceremony in his Pentagon office today. Shauna Fleming (second from left) presented Army Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with the 2.6 millionth letter of support for the troops collected through her A Million Thanks program Feb. 1 at the Pentagon. The letter was written by Sean Siefried, 8, and his sister, Amber, 12, of Eaton, Pa. Orange Lutheran...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2007 – Marking a milestone, Operation Homelink, in collaboration with Dell, presented 250 refurbished computers to families of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force on Jan. 9 at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Marine Pfc. Kris Peoples helped distribute 250 refurbished computers donated by Dell through Operation Homelink to the families of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. The computer distribution took place at the United Service Organizations in Jacksonville, N.C., on Jan. 9. Courtesy photo  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “With this donation, Operation Homelink has now connected over 2,000 military families,” Dan...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2006 -- World Wrestling Entertainment personalities delivered a milestone “thank you” message to a U.S. servicemember in Baghdad today. WWE champion John Cena and Army 1st Lt. Shannon Terry talk to reporters after Cena and his WWE colleagues delivered a special letter of support to Terry in Baghdad, Dec. 8. The letter was the 2.6 millionth letter in California teenager Shauna Fleming’s “A Million Thanks” campaign to collect 2.6 million letters of support for the troops. The 2.6 million letters symbolize one for every servicemember in the nation’s active and reserve component military forces. Courtesy photo  '(Click...

NEW YORK, Nov. 22, 2006 -- As World Wrestling Entertainment superstars and divas prepare for a fourth trip to visit servicemembers in Iraq, they’ll be carrying some special cargo: a very important letter. Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communication and public liaison, thanks WWE for its support of U.S. servicemembers during a Nov. 21 news conference at Madison Square Garden in New York City. WWE superstars and divas will travel to Iraq to entertain servicemembers in the near future, and Barber announced WWE celebrities would deliver the 2.6 millionth letter collected by A Million Thanks,...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2006 -- Without the help of American servicemembers, today’s verdict against Saddam Hussein would not have been possible, the commander in chief said today in Waco, Texas. President Bush called the trial “a milestone” in Iraq’s efforts to replace the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law. Today’s verdict, he said, represents a major achievement for Iraq’s young democracy and its constitutional government. The Iraqi High Tribunal found Saddam guilty in his actions against the citizens of Dujail, Iraq, and sentenced him to death by hanging. In the 1982 incident, Saddam ordered the military,...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2006 -- The Iraqi army is halfway to its goal of 10 divisions as the 4th Division assumed command of the area north of Baghdad yesterday. Lt. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Abdel-Rahman al-Mufti (left), commander of 4th Iraqi Army Division, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad (second from left), present gifts to the division’s senior staff Aug. 8 during a ceremony at Forward Operating Base Dagger, in Tikrit. Photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika, USA  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The division assumed primary control of its area of responsibility from the 101st Airborne Division....

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 3, 2006 – A unique Afghan National Army communications unit reached a milestone recently by demonstrating its capability to plan, deploy and establish a communications station. Maj. Abdul Anan (left) and Capt. Gul Mohammed, officers with the Afghan National Army's Communications Support Element, perform radio checks during the unit's first deployment recently. Courtesy photo   The Communication Support Element is providing ANA leadership with the capability to extend command and control systems to a deployed operations center anywhere in Afghanistan. The battalion-sized unit is being developed to support the needs of the National Military Command Center in...

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2006 – After months of deadlock, Iraq reached an "important milestone" in its journey toward democracy with an agreement on top leadership posts for a national unity government, President Bush said yesterday. The parliament elected a president, two vice presidents, a parliament speaker and two deputies yesterday. President Jalal Talabani then named Jawad al Maliki as prime minister-designate. "This agreement represents compromise and consensus among many different Iraqi groups and it came after months of patient negotiations," Bush said in a speech at the California Highway Patrol Academy in Sacramento. "The agreement reflects the will of the...

/7/2006 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFPN) -- After only 15 years in commission, the C-17 Globemaster III fleet will reach its 1 millionth flying hour this month -- the equivalent of one aircraft flying every minute of every day for more than 114 years without stopping. A crew of U.S. and British Royal Air Force members will fly a representative mission March 19 to help commemorate the milestone. No one in Air Mobility Command or at Boeing anticipated reaching this milestone so soon. According to AMC's Tanker Airlift Control Center, the C-17 has flown 59 percent, or about...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 16, 2005 – The day seemed downright festive: children marched in impromptu parades, men wore suits -- on their day off, no less -- and entire families took long walks from their homes to polling sites. The Iraqi parliamentary elections Dec. 15 gave Iraqis a chance to showcase the pride they have in their country and the hope they have for the future, officials here said. "Nationalism is defined by the actions of the people," said Maj. Ross Coffman, 4th Brigade Combat Team executive officer. "It only takes a moment to see their faces as they vote, to...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2005 – Iraq's parliamentary elections later this week represent another major step forward that supports Iraq's long-term stability and the U.S. strategy for victory there, President Bush said today at the World Affairs Council in Philadelphia. Bush called the elections a major milestone in fulfilling the three-part strategy for victory that addresses security, economic and political efforts. The president released details of the national strategy Nov. 30 and has delivered several major speeches during the past two weeks focusing on its specific aspects. Today, three days before Iraq's national elections, Bush focused on Iraq's political progress and...

A 38-foot minaret was hoisted Tuesday atop the newly completed Omar Al Farouk Mosque at the Islamic Institute of Orange County in Anaheim. It is covered in a 1,200-year-old pattern created from Moroccan tiles. Traditionally, minarets are used to call the faithful to prayer and are the most widely recognized symbol of an Islamic house of worship. About 170,000 Muslims live in Orange County, with many living in the Anaheim area. About 1,200 are part of the community around the IIOC.

Both sides in the presidential contest are eager to declare this election the most momentous event since the discovery of fire, and we won't know how true that is until we see how badly we've been burned. But I think it's already apparent that the campaign will be considered a milestone in the history of the U.S. media. Here's what has changed: The mainstream media no longer play a key role in setting the national news agenda. A robust new conversation conducted on the Internet, talk radio and cable TV has assumed historic prominence. Still, despite an unparalleled richness of...

Defense leaders told Pentagon reporters today that recent milestones show solid evidence the coalition is making headway in rebuilding Afghanistan and Iraq and making progress in the war on terror. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said the Afghanistan's Loya Jirga's Jan. 4 agreement on a new, democratic constitution for the nation "represents a truly significant milestone in that country's path to a moderate, democratic society." He said the new constitution "balances power between the branches of government, extends equal status to men and women, promotes tolerance, extends protections to minority groups and paves the way for national elections this summer."...

A milestone was marked in space Tuesday, the 1,000th consecutive day of people living and working aboard the International Space Station. Seven crews have lived on the Space Station, as it has dramatically grown in size and capabilities. Since the first crew arrived Nov. 2, 2000, the Station has grown into an unparalleled space laboratory whose size will eventually more than double. The living and working area has increased 6,000 cubic feet during the past 1,000 days. The Station's 15,000 cubic feet volume is larger than a three-bedroom house. The seven Expedition crews, 10 Americans and 10 Russians, have conducted...

<p>The activists who are trying to recall Gov. Gray Davis from office said Wednesday they had turned in enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, and predicted they will surpass their goal of 1.2 million signatures by next week.</p> <p>Sacramento anti-tax crusader Ted Costa, who is coordinating the signature-gathering drive on behalf of three separate anti-Davis committees, said his group had turned in 924,847 signatures. The measure needs 897,158 valid signatures of registered voters to qualify for the ballot.</p>