Free Republic

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - The sheer scale is what first impresses. This army base is so big that it has its own freeway -- the "All American", which is the nickname of the 82nd Airborne, based here. Fort Bragg is one of the principal bases supporting the war in Iraq, and just last weekend another unit kissed their loved ones goodbye and shipped out. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are immense undertakings, and it is nothing short of remarkable that the machinery of war functions as well as it does. But it is not machinery that makes the lasting...

MOSUL, Iraq, March 16, 2004 — Lurking in the shadows of infantry patrols, security perimeters and raids, Army snipers are becoming the worst enemy for terrorists in northern Iraq. These highly skilled soldiers are stealthy, disciplined and precise. “In this type of a conflict, enemies use guerilla warfare tactics because there’s no way they can engage us head on. They hide in crowds and fire at you, hoping you’ll return fire into the direction of civilians,” said Sgt. Joseph Danier, a sniper for 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team). “We are here...

Monday, April 22, 2002 – Print Edition, Page A4 KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN -- It was one of those golden moments a soldier always remembers after the tour s over. Corporal Chris Kopp was lying alongside Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer of Toronto on the dusty brown earth of southern Afghanistan. It was shortly before 2 a.m. and the desert sky was clear. It seemed a far cry from the tent village that is the paratroopers' home.They were flat on their backs, staring up at the stars, talking about flush toilets and real food and the unique experience of being a Canadian soldier in Afghanistan in these...

The oldest member of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry says she's ready to go to Afghanistan if she's needed. Countess Mountbatten of Burma, 78, is the regiment's colonel-in-chief and is in Edmonton this weekend helping to raise morale of the families of troops in Afghanistan. Lady Patricia told The Sun she is even prepared to go to Afghanistan to help boost morale but she doesn't want to distract troops from their work. "I'd go if they wanted me to," she said. "But I don't imagine they have time to do any more than their immediate duties. "If they want...