heat, dust and the hunt
Tacoma News Tribune
Sat, 04 Jun 2005 2:55 AM PDT
Editor's note: This story picks up immediately at the end of the Stryker story in Friday's paper.


This is the follow-up to the story I posted earlier...

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2005 – The American public has more confidence in the military than in any other institution, according to a Gallup poll released this week.
Seventy-four percent of those surveyed in Gallup's 2005 confidence poll said they have "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the military - more than in a full range of other government, religious, economic, medical, business and news organizations.

The poll, conducted between May 23 and 26, involved telephone interviews with a randomly selected sample of 1,004 people 18 and older, Gallup officials said. Those surveyed expressed strong confidence in the military, with 42 percent expressing "a great deal" of confidence in the military and 32 percent, "quite a lot" of confidence. Eighteen percent said they have "some" confidence, 7 percent, "very little," and 1 percent, "none."

Public confidence in the military jumped following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and has remained consistently high, Gallup officials noted. The 2002 survey reflected a 13 percent increase in confidence in the military over the previous year's poll. The public expressed a 79 percent high-confidence rate in the military in 2002, an 82 percent rate in 2003, and a 75 percent rate in 2004.
This year's 74 percent confidence level exceeded that of all 15 institutions included in the 2005 survey. Police ranked second, with 63 percent of responders expressing "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in them. Organized religion rated third, with 53 percent of responders expressing high confidence, and banks rated a 49 percent high-confidence rate.

Health maintenance organizations bottomed out the list, with just 17 percent of responders expressing high confidence in them. Big business and Congress tied for the second- and third-lowest rankings, with 22 percent of responders expressing "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in them.

The Gallup organization noted that public trust in television news and newspapers reached an all-time low this year, with 28 percent of responders expressing high confidence in them.

AIRFIELD LIGHTS — U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Justin Dellacroce, expeditionary airfield operations noncommissioned officer-in-charge, sets up the lighting on one of the landing pads at Camp Korean Village, Iraq, May 31, 2005. The Marines light the airfield at dusk each day. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis

News of Note:
Marine 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano is resigning:
Marine to resign after threats over involvement in Iraqi killings
Marine Once Accused in Iraq Slayings Leaving Corps

Operation Lightning
Iraq authorities press ahead with Operation Lightning

Other News In Iraq
Iraq officials claims success for 'Operation Lightning'
Iraqi leader wants US to stay in country longer
Chaplains do good works for Iraqi neighbors
GROUNDS FOR HOPE Iraqis are starting to fight back

In Afghanistan
2 GIs killed in Afghan bomb blast

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Radiation detectors to scan all incoming cargo at LA port complex

Fallen Heroes
Hurlburt Field Honors Four Airmen Killed in Iraq Crash
Arizonan Killed in Iraq


JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
AP: Intelligence shows terrorists in Iran
Coalition forces continue insurgent sweep
Rumsfeld: China's military buildup a threat
14 nations fail to stop human trafficking


Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Sunnis seek end to Iraqi insurgent sweep
Police: Hackers stole Israeli defense data
Lebanese group urges rally vs. president
Turkey PM urges curbs on Kurd guerrillas


The US News: Iraq News
Crash with Bradley Kills Two Iraqis; Citizen Tips Thwart Bombings
Three GIs to Face Trial in Iraqi's Death
AP Interview: Turkish Premier Urges U.S. to Rein in Kurdish Rebels Based in Iraq
Nineteen die in Iraqi violence
Green speaks about Iraq, protesting
Iraq Interior Minister: Not Resistance but Terrorists
Sporadic Attacks Kill Eight in Iraq
Iraq's Shiite Soldiers Hope for Sunni Help
Sadr urges Iraq to emulate European Union and reject federalism


Various Sources
Israeli embassy staff leave Uzbekistan
Homeland Security probes turn up misspent funds and lead to arrests
Iraq's mainly Shiite soldiers vow to fight, but see need to get Sunni Arabs to join them
AP Interview: Turkish premier urges U.S. to rein in Kurdish rebels based in Iraq
White House downplays U.N. report on missing weapons in Iraq


Fox News
Iraq Terror Arrest
Syria Denies Israeli Scud Missile Claims
'Deep Throat' Probably Won't Be Prosecuted
Abbas to Announce Parliamentary Elections Delay
Afghanistan Bomb Kills Two U.S. Soldiers
Rumsfeld Questions China Arms Buildup
Terrorists Could Be Hiding in Iran, Evidence Suggests
Koran Abuse Details


Department of Defense
Rumsfeld in Singapore for Security Talks — Story Photos
Chairman Presented With Highest Award — Story Photos

ON THE GROUND
Deployed Airmen Guard Camp, Detainees — Story
Supply Facility Keeps Troops Combat Ready — Story
New York Civil Affairs Unit 'Supplies' Village — Story

IN IRAQ
Mississippi Guard Troops Handle Varied Duties
Intel Analysts' Work Leads to Capture of Insurgents
Engineers Clear Debris, Reduce IED Hazards

IN AFGHANISTAN
Marines in Tora Bora for Operation Celtics

FACE OF DEFENSE
Corporal Earns Combat Meritorious Promotion — Story

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
Company Offers Father's Day Deal — Story

TOP NEWS
SPECIAL REPORTS
Base Realignment and Closure 2005
Medal of Honor
Two Years in Iraq

IN IRAQ
Academy Trains Future Leaders
Iraqi Brigade Uncases Colors
Collision with Bradley Kills 2 Iraqis
2 U.S. Soldiers Killed Near Ramadi
Iraq Daily Update
Multinational Force Iraq
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps
Weekly Progress Report (pdf)

IN AFGHANISTAN
Governor Discusses Democracy
NATO Expands in Afghanistan
Army Surgeon General to Visit U.S.
Afghanistan Daily Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Gulag Allegation 'Reprehensible'
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
VA Priority: Post-Combat Care
Date Changes for Recruiting Data
Bush Discusses NATO Goals
National Guard, Reserve Update


Weather
from The Weather Channel

Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar


Today in History
780 BC- The Chinese note the first reliably recorded total solar eclipse.
1070 - Roquefort cheese is created in a cave near Roquefort, France.
1647 - The British army seizes King Charles I as a prisoner.
1805 - Tripoli signs a peace treaty, ending four years of war with the U.S. over the Americans' refusal to pay protection money for vessels in the Mediterranean.
1812 - The Louisiana Territory is officially renamed "Missouri Territory."
1919 - The Senate passes the Women's Suffrage bill; U.S. marines invade Costa Rica.
1940 - The British complete the miracle of Dunkirk (evacuating 300,000 troops); German forces enter Paris.
1942 - The Battle of Midway, which will be Japan's first major WWII defeat, begins.
1944 - U-505 becomes the first submarine captured and boarded on the high seas; The 5th Army liberates Rome from Mussolini's Fascist armies.
1954 - Arthur Murray flies his X-1A rocket plane to a record 27,000 meters.
1956 - Khruschev's speech, blasting Stalin, is made public.
1970 - Tonga gains independence from Britain.
1982 - Israel attacks targets in south Lebanon.
1985 - The Supreme Court strikes down an Alabama "moment of silence" law.
1986 - Jonathan Pollard pleads guilty to spying for Israel.
1989 - Chinese Premier Li Ping is shot and wounded by a Beijing police officer; In Poland, Eastern Europe sees its first (somewhat) free election in 40 years.

Birthdays
1738 - King George III, English monarch during the American Revolution
1867 - Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, Finnish military hero, President
1877 - Heinrich Wieland, German chemist, Nobel Prize winner
1895 - Dino Conte Grandi, Italian delegate to the League of Nations
1917 - Charles Collingwood, news commentator (CBS); Howard Metzenbaum (Sen-OH)
1946 - Bettina Gregory newswoman (ABC-TV)

Passings
1954 - Harold Hoffman (Gov-NJ)
1989 - Ayatalloh Ruhullah Khomeini of Iran

Reported Missing in Action
1967
Robinson, Lewis M., USAF (MI); A1E ("Spad") shot down; Remains ID'd April, 1999

1968
Brice, Eric Parker, USN (NC); F4J shot down over water near North Vietnam

1970
Huggins, Bobby Gene, USAF (AL); RF4C shot down,Remains returned November, 1997
Wilson, Harry Truman, USMC (TX); killed in crash of CH46D

1975
Conway, Rosemary A., Civilian ; Released August, 1975