Free Republic

Thousands Honor Loved OnesAt Iron Horse Memorial By U.S. Army Sgt. Greg Heath / 4th Public Affairs Detachment FORT HOOD, Texas, Sept. 9, 2004 — Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division and hundreds of family members gathered Thursday for a memorial dedication ceremony on Fort Hood's Sadowski Field to honor and remember the division's 81 soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq while serving as part of Task Force Iron Horse. The Task Force Iron Horse Memorial contains plaques bearing the names of the 75 men and six women Task Force Iron Horse soldiers who died during Operation...

FORT HOOD, Texas, April 22, 2004 – The flag of the 4 th Infantry Division was uncased today in ceremonies marking the official return of Task Force Ironhorse to the nation's largest military base. Division Commander Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno and Les Brownlee, acting secretary of the Army, oversaw the event held before an estimated crowd of 60,000 soldiers, family members and national, state and community leaders. The uncasing ceremony was held on Cameron Parade Field, next to the division headquarters. Some 700 soldiers took part in the uncasing, representing the various units that served under the task force in...

First lady Laura Bush told military wives at Fort Hood, Texas, last week that she knows what it's like "having your life turned upside-down because the man you love wants to serve the country he loves." During a March 5 visit to Fort Hood, Mrs. Bush thanked participants in the Fort Hood Women's Conference for their sacrifices in helping their spouses fulfill their dreams—dreams, she said, are protecting America's security. The first lady acknowledged the long list of military units that hail from the Lone Star State and the important role they are playing in the role in terror. "Over...

A bronze statue of a soldier mourning a fallen comrade traveled from Tikrit, Iraq, to Fort Hood, Texas, this week to become the focal point of a memorial to the soldiers of Task Force Ironhorse who have died during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The statue arrived at Fort Hood's Robert Gray Army Airfield Feb. 16, along with the first 60 soldiers in the task force to redeploy from Iraq, said Capt. Charles Armstrong, secretary of the general staff for the rear detachment. Armstrong said the statue will be moved today to a 4th Infantry Division storage site as preparations for the...

FORT HOOD — When Sgt. 1st Class Jesus Luna last saw his youngest child, she couldn't even crawl. In fact, at 5 months, Jeni had waited until the day after her father left Fort Hood for a yearlong stay in Iraq to cross that all-important milestone. But Monday, clad in pink frills and white sandals, 17-month-old Jeni trotted around, oblivious to the significance of the long-awaited homecoming that had brought her mother, Monica, brothers, relatives and more than a hundred other family members to the post's largest gymnasium. "I don't have any words, but I'm glad to be home," said...

Four soldiers were killed in operations in Iraq and another was killed in an accident Dec. 24 to 26, coalition officials announced. News reports said that guerrillas also launched a series of mortar and rocket attacks on coalition targets in and around Baghdad. While these attacks targeted U.S. and coalition forces, there were no casualties, said officials in Baghdad. 1st Armored Division soldiers captured five men suspected of firing rockets at the coalition compound. Division soldiers also participated in Operation Iron Grip. Soldiers captured 66 prisoners in the operation, of which 21 are considered significant. These include a major general...

<p>BAGHDAD, Iraq — A roadside bomb exploded north of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing three American soldiers, the U.S. military said.</p> <p>"Three Task Force Ironhorse soldiers were killed when the vehicle they were in was struck by an improvised explosive device," the military said in a statement.</p>

Long Search for Saddam Ends in Ironhorse's Backyard By Staff Sgt. David Bennett, USASpecial to American Forces Press Service AD DAWR, Iraq, Dec. 16, 2003 – The image of a bearded and bowed Saddam Hussein, who was captured Dec. 13 in this small farming village, is now a worldwide phenomenon. A member of 1st Brigade Combat Team lifts a Styrofoam lid covering the hole where former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was discovered hiding Dec.13 in the village of Ad Dawr. Photo by Staff Sgt. David Bennett, USA)(Click photo for screen-resolution image); high-resolution image available. However, the final chapter in...

TWO US soldiers were killed and three wounded in a bomb attack on their convoy north of the Iraqi capital yesterday, the US military said today. "Two Task Force Ironhorse soldiers were killed and three were wounded when the convoy they were travelling in was attacked with an improvised explosive device," a military statement said. The bombing occurred north of the city of Samarra, 110km north of Baghdad and near the hometown of ousted president Saddam Hussein. "The wounded soldiers received immediate medical attention and were transported by helicopter to the 28th Combat Support Hospital. The wounded soldiers are in...

CJTF-7 Public Affairs BAGHDAD, Iraq   Task Force IRONHORSE operational roll up TIKRIT, Iraq – Task Force Ironhorse conducted 225 patrols, four raids and detained 41 individuals.  Twenty-eight of the patrols were joint operations conducted with the Iraqi police, the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps and the Border Guard in order to continually improve the safety and standard of living for the Iraqi people Nov. 11.   Weapons and equipment confiscated in raids and patrols throughout the Task Force Ironhorse area of operation include five AK-47 assault rifles, 19 rifles, one pistol, two grenades, two 40mm rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition, 1500...

CJTF-7 Public Affairs BAGHDAD, Iraq   Task Force IRONHORSE operational roll-up TIKRIT, Iraq – Task Force Ironhorse soldiers conducted 223 patrols, five raids and detained 16 individuals Nov. 9.  Thirty-two of the patrols were joint operations conducted with the Iraqi police, the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps and the Border Guard in order to continually improve the safety and standard of living for the Iraqi people.   Weapons and equipment confiscated in raids and patrols throughout the Task Force Ironhorse area of operation include seven AK-47 assault rifles, two SKS automatic weapons, four recoilless rifles, one shotgun, two grenades, four rocket-propelled...

  CJTF-7 Public Affairs BAGHDAD, Iraq   Task Force IRONHORSE launches Operation IVY CYCLONE    TIKRIT, Iraq– The 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse launched “Operation Ivy Cyclone.”  The operation is ongoing, focusing on aggressive offensive operations including patrols, ambushes, cordon and searches and raids.  This operation is a concentrated, uncompromising effort to locate and detain or eliminate any person and/or undertaking that seeks to harm coalition forces or innocent Iraqis as they work together to bring stability and security to a free Iraq. Over the past 24 hours with the start of “Operation Ivy Cyclone,” Task Force Ironhorse conducted...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 November 5, 2003Release Number: 03-11-02 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TASKFORCE IRONHORSE CONDUCTS RAIDS, NETS RESULTS AL HADID, Iraq –In the afternoon of Nov. 4, Task Force Ironhorse soldiers conducted a raid at a location near Al Hadid, believed to be a safe house for people suspected of involvement in mortar attacks against forward operating base Warhorse. The residence was searched and an important weapons cache was located and confiscated. The cache included: 33 blocks of dangerous explosives, 98ft. of detonation cord,...

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Two U.S. soldiers were killed and one was wounded in an ambush north of Baghdad, the military said, and insurgents attacked a convoy Sunday in this turbulent city west of the capital, setting off huge explosions in several vehicles. In a third incident, three apparent Iraqi attackers were also reported killed. The U.S. command reported no American casualties in the Sunday morning attack against what appeared to be an ammunition truck and two other American vehicles in Fallujah, 35 miles west of Baghdad in the "Sunni Triangle." Dozens of Iraqi youths cheered and danced in celebration as...

Roadside Bomb Wounds Three U.S. Soldiers in Iraq Sun October 12, 2003 08:35 AM ET TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - A roadside bomb exploded outside a sprawling U.S. base in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit Sunday, wounding three soldiers, one seriously, an Army spokesman said. The explosives were detonated just outside a gate at the headquarters for Task Force Ironhorse as two U.S. Humvee vehicles were passing, said First Lt. Don Calderwood, a spokesman for the 1st Brigade, 22nd Infantry Battalion. "The explosion was sandwiched between the two Humvees, and blew out one of the windshields," he said. Calderwood said two...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 August 12, 2003Release Number: 03-08-25 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OPERATION IVY LIGHTNINGTikrit, Iraq– The 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse has launched two precision raids which are the fifth in a series of operations focused on neutralizing paramilitary, former regime loyalists and other subversive elements within Iraq. Operation Ivy Lightning is a surgical strike in the remote towns of Ain Lalin and Quara Tapa, located along the Jabal Hamrin Ridge, to isolate and capture non-compliant forces and former regime loyalists...

TASK FORCE IRONHORSE ENGINEERS HELP IRAQI TOWN TIKRIT, Iraq – The lives of Iraqi living in Al Asriya have improved thanks to the efforts of the 5th Engineers of Task Force Ironhorse. The engineers adopted the poor rural village located approximately 15 kilometers northwest of Baghdad in early July and have completed a variety of projects to enhance living conditions. After meeting with local leaders and elders, the soldiers brought in heavy equipment to tackle the massive amounts of trash and waste strewn throughout the village. All the debris was moved into impromptu landfills and a burn pit making the...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 August 7, 2003Release Number: 03-08-15 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TASK FORCE IRONHORSE ENGINEERS HELP IRAQI TOWN TIKRIT, Iraq – The lives of Iraqi living in Al Asriya have improved thanks to the efforts of the 5th Engineers of Task Force Ironhorse. The engineers adopted the poor rural village located approximately 15 kilometers northwest of Baghdad in early July and have completed a variety of projects to enhance living conditions. After meeting with local leaders and elders, the soldiers brought in heavy...

Commander, U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno Wednesday, June 18, 2003 Maj. Gen. Odierno Videoteleconference from BaghdadThe 4th Infantry Division's 20,000 soldiers deployed later in the combat operations than other divisions, but all along, they represented a formidable combat force and played a pivotal role in the way this conflict was strategized and conducted. Today, their role is formidable in a different way as they work the front lines of the postwar stabilization process. Right now, over 27,000 troops of Task Force Iron Horse stand vigilant throughout a sprawling area that encompasses three provinces in northeastern...

BALAD, Iraq (AP) - U.S. forces killed 27 Iraqi fighters in a ground and air pursuit Friday after the Iraqis attacked an American tank patrol north of Baghdad, bringing the opposition death toll in four days of skirmishes to about 100, according to the military. Friday's clash came as American forces pressed forward with a massive sweep to crush resistance by supporters of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime north of Baghdad. Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said U.S. forces were sifting through intelligence that "foreign fighters" may have been at an alleged terrorist training camp northwest of Baghdad bombed early...