OVER THE UNITED STATES -- Lt. Col. James Hecker (front) and Lt. Col. Evan Dertein line up their F/A-22 Raptor aircraft behind a KC-10 Extender to refuel while en route to Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Colonel Hecker commands the first operational Raptor squadron -- the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB, Va. The unit went to Hill on Oct. 15 for operation Combat Hammer, the squadron's first deployment. The deployment has a twofold goal: complete a deployment and generate a combat-effective sortie rate away from home. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ben Bloker)

Full Story - from www.af.mil

from Soldiers' Angels:

Our troops need a holiday surprise. Gone for another year, we need to send them some Holiday cheer. We are starting our 2nd Annual Stockings for Troops Campaign.We would like for all of the men and women in the military to know that they are not forgotten this holiday season. Please help by donating a stocking and an AT&T phone card so all our military members may call home and share the holidays with their families.

Thousands of Angels Seeking Help with Getting Holiday Stockings for the Troops

Pasadena, CA (PRWEB) October 6, 2005 -- The Holiday Season is not far away and thousands of America's bravest men and women who are standing watch over our freedom will not be home to share this special time of year with their families and friends. Sadly, there are many other deployed soldiers who have no family to send them a package or even a card.

Soldiers' Angels, an all-volunteer non-profit organization that provides support to deployed soldiers and wounded soldiers as well as their families, is hard at work on their annual Holidays For Heroes stocking drive, where stockings stuffed with small but welcomed items are sent to soldiers who are deployed in the Middle East combat areas and hospital units.

Cash donations are urgently needed to purchase supplies as well as to help with shipping the stockings to the Middle East. Also needed are Holiday Stockings (homemade with special decorations and messages are wonderful, store bought is also great) as well as the little presents to stuff inside such as:

- Individual packets of hot chocolate, cider or hot soup mix…
- Candy (bite sized, individually wrapped, all kinds)
- AT&T Phone Cards (asking for this brand because it works in the Middle East area)
- Hand held games (playing cards, battery games with batteries, please)
- Small puzzle books
- Miniature Menorah
- Small, signed Holiday cards from you and your families simply addressed to "Soldier" or "Hero." Homemade Cards are Welcome! Be sure to enclose your name and address.

This is the perfect project for a church, school, club, business, family or for any group to get involved and to participate!

Tax deductible cash donations to Soldiers' Angels, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, can be made by going to the Soldiers' Angels website or by sending a check to:

Soldiers' Angels, 1792 E. Washington Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91104

Please make checks payable to Soldiers' Angels and make a notation that the check is for the Holiday Spirit For Heroes fund.

For drop-off locations or for any other questions, please call (615) 676-0239 and ask for Don MacKay or Judi Burns.

GUARD DUTY — U.S. Army Pfc. Alexsey "Alex" Butkov, 19, from Portland, Ore., a paratrooper with B Company, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, pulls guard duty in a sandbagged bunker at the edge of his platoon's compound in Puli Alam, Logar Province, Afghanistan, Oct, 3, 2005.

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Arab League chief begins tough Iraq mission
Roadside bomb kills three US soldiers in Iraq
Iraqi forces arrest Saddam's nephew in Tikrit
Rice: U.S. May Still Be in Iraq in 10 Years
Saddam's Swagger, and His Smirk, Remain
Saddam Pleads Innocent, Gets Into Scuffle
Explosion sets fire to Iraqi oil pipeline
Case rivets Iraqis: 'May God break his legs to pieces'
Journalist for British newspaper kidnapped
In widespread attacks, Iraq insurgents kill 26

Operation Enduring Freedom
U.S. to Probe Report on Burned Bodies

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Report: IRA Still Involved in Rackets

Pakistan Earthquake
Asia Quake Toll Nears 80,000
Kashmiri quake the world's toughest relief operation
Aftershocks rattle Pakistan

Hurricane Season
Wilma Sweeps Past C. America
Visitors Ordered Out of Fla. Keys
Category 4 Wilma Barrels Forward
Video: Storm for the Record Books
Video: Tracking Wilma
Photo Essay: Residents Prepare
Wilma a record-setter, but records scanty -experts
White House: preparations underway for Wilma
Chertoff: FEMA Didn't Work
Video: Refocus FEMA?
Firms in the loop reap Katrina contracts

Supreme Court
Miers Hearings Begin Nov. 7
Video: Bench Battle
Gonzales Speaks Out
Miers' answers "insufficient"

Politics
Warrant Issued for DeLay
Rove, Libby exchanged details about CIA leak

Military News
Body Found Frozen in Glacier May Be That of WWII Airman
Spanish Judge Issues Warrant for Three GIs (To be plain, I think Spain's really quite insane)
Pentagon Seek Access to China POW Records
Gitmo Prisoners Say Troops Force-Fed Them(Aw, poor terrorists)

News from My Neck of the Woods
Mass. Dam Danger Persists

Sports News
Astros in Series for 1st Time in 44-Year History
Celtics player arrested in W. Loop restaurant brawl

News of the Weird
Fowl play suspected in theater abduction
Let there be light -- if you can afford it..
Angry patient takes sword to dentist
Author of penalties for dangerous dog owners attacked by own pooch
(The definition of irony)

Other News of Note
Sexual assault victim puts suspect in hospital (Good for her!)

Fox News
Report:U.S.Soldiers Burned Bodies of Taliban Fighters
Buyers Scramble for Tickets in Second-Richest Lotto Ever (got mine!)
Mother Accused of Tossing Kids into San Fransisco Bay
Israelis Restrict Palestinian Access to West Bank Roads
Shark Bites California Surfer
House Bans Obesity Lawsuits Against Fast Food Chains
U.S. Kids' Math Skills Improve
EBay Earnings Up 40 Percent
New Bird Flu Cases in Russia
Flu Kills 2,600 Birds in China
Video: Flu Relations?

Reuters: Top News
Rumsfeld urges Chinese clarity on missile build-up
Bush expected to pressure Abbas on militants
House to pass gun lawsuit shield legislation
Thailand has new human death from bird flu
Bush hosts Bono at the White House
Peru finds headless mummy predating Incas in Lima
Drug "halves breast cancer relapse rate"
Bird flu flares again in Asia, kills 13th Thai

AP World News
Rumsfeld Spars With Chinese Officers
Bush, Abbas Prepare to Meet in Washington
Haiti Candidate Could Face Charges
China Offers Nuclear Assurance to Rumsfeld
Berlin Museum to Restore Famed Roman Gate
HP Pressures Blu-Ray on New DVD
Ecological Cars Highlight Tokyo Auto Show

The Seattle Times
Panel attaches drilling in refuge to budget bill
China defends its "socialist democracy"
Sonar killing whales, suit says
Cancer drug results called "stunning"

Chicago Sun-Times
Raise of minimum wage to $6.25 defeated

Boston Globe: World
Militant groups undermine Abbas
Hong Kong Political plan unveiled; opposition blasts effort
Pinochet loses immunity, may face tax trial
Rice won't rule out armed action against Syria, Iran
Haiti council says candidate broke law
Fearing Zimbabwe famine, cleric seeks Mugabe ouster

Military.com
Vets Still Face Long Delays From VA
Four U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq
Report: U.S. Troops Burned Taliban Bodies
Saddam Defiant; Case Postponed
F/A-22 Aircraft Leave for First Deployment
Pay Raise Assured, but Other Benefits Still in Limbo
VA Warns of Prescription Scam
Executive Order Sought on Prayers
Nominations for Next MCPON Sought
Japan, U.S. Discuss Reduced Military Presence at Okinawa

CENTCOM: News Release
U.S. INVESTIGATES ALLEGATION OF LAW OF WAR VIOLATION
CENTCOM CONDEMNS ALLEGATIONS OF DESECRATION
U.S. SOLDIERS STOP BOMBS BEFORE THEY EXPLODE
IRAQI, U.S. FORCES CAPTURE 19 TERROR SUSPECTS, WEAPONS
SMITH APPOINTED TO LEAD JOINT FORCES COMMAND
MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ TRAINS SOLDIERS IN AL ANBAR
AL QAEDA IN IRAQ TERRORIST CELL MEETING SITE DESTROYED
AL QAEDA IN IRAQ BOMB MAKERS FOILED AND DETAINED

Department of Defense
Rumsfeld Visits China's Rocket Facility — Story China Report
U.S., China to Improve Military Relations
U.S. Troop Killed; Ops Net Weapons, Suspects — Story
Special Ops Troops Impress Visiting Civilians — Story

ON THE GROUND
Logistical Task Force Supports Warfighters — Story
Tall Afar Search Unearths Weapons Cache — Story Photos
Macedonian Defense Minister Visits His Troops — Story
Riot-Control Kits Sent to Iraq, Afghanistan — Story

IN IRAQ
Soldiers, Marines Team Up to Secure Camp Photos

FACE OF DEFENSE
Air Force Pilot Receives Award for Saving Crew — Story

TOP NEWS
SPECIAL REPORTS
Hurricane Coverage
Iraq Transition of Power

IRAQ
Iraqis Open New Helo Pad in Tikrit
U.S. Soldier Killed; Insurgents Held
Mosul Police Stations Rebuild
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps
Iraq Daily Update
Multinational Force Iraq
Eye on Iraq Update (pdf)
Iraq Progress Fact Sheet (pdf)
Weekly Progress Report (pdf)

AFGHANISTAN
Army Reservists Help Rebuild
Afghanistan Daily Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Bush, Muslims Share Dinner
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
Rumsfeld Topic: China's Intentions
Chairman Salutes Troops
National Guard, Reserve Update

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Navy Casualty — Story

Weather
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

Gitmo

National Hurricane Center

Today in History
1600 - The Battle of Sekigahara sets the Tokugawa clan as Japan's rulers.
1740 - Maria Theresa becomes ruler of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia.
1803 - The U.S. Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase.
1813 - The German Kingdom of Westphalia is abolished.
1817 - The first Mississippi showboat leaves Nashville on its maiden voyage.
1818 - The 49th parallel is established as the border between the U.S. and Canada; the U.S. and Britain agree to joint control of Oregon country.
1883 - In the Treaty of Ancon, Peru cedes Tarapaca to Chile.
1903 - The U.S. wins a boundary dispute between the District of Alaska and Canada.
1906 - Dr. Lee DeForest demonstrates his radio tube.
1910 - The cork-centered baseball makes its first appearance in World Series #7.
1930 - British White Paper restricts Jews from buying Arab land.
1942 - The "Durham Manifesto" calls for fundamental changes in race relations.
1944 - In Cleveland, thirty blocks burn after a liquid gas factory explodes; the U.S. First Army wins the battle of Aachen; General Douglas MacArthur and U.S. forces return to the Phillipines.
1947 - House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) opens hearings into alleged Communist influence in Hollywood.
1960 - The first fully mechanized post office opens in Providence, RI.
1963 - South Africa begins the trial of Nelson Mandela and eight others on conspiracy charges.
1964 - 150 are arrested at a riot at a Rolling Stones show in Paris.
1967 - An all white Federal jury convicts 7 in the murder of 3 civil rights workers in Meridan, MS.
1968 - Jacqueline Kennedy marries Aristotle Onassis.
1973 - The OPEC oil embargo begins; in the "Saturday Night Massacre, Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox is dismissed by Solicitor General Bork; Attorney General Richardson and Deputy Attorney General Ruckleshaus resign.
1976 - 70 die when the Norwegian tanker Frosta collides with the George Prince.
1977 - Three members of the rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd die in a charter plane crash.
1979 - In Boston, the John F. Kennedy Library is dedicated.
1981 - Three members of the Weather Underground are arrested for their role in an armored truck robbery.
1983 - IBM-PC DOS Version 2.1 is released.
1987 - Ten die when an Air Force jet crashes into a Ramada Inn near Indianapolis; Subway gunman Bernhard (Bernie)Goetz is sentenced to six months in jail.
1988 - Britain suspects the right to remain silent in an IRA crackdown; in NYC, a man armed with explosives blows himself up in the 125th St. subway station.
1989 - The U.S. Senate impeaches U.S. District Judge Alcee L. Hastings.
1990 - Antiwar protest marches begin in twenty U.S. cities (Desert Storm).

Birthdays
1632 - Sir Christopher Wren, British astronomer / architect
1812 - Austin Flint 19th century heart research pioneer
1819 - Mirza Ali Mohammad ibn Rabhik (Bab-ed-Din), founder of Babism
1874 - Charles Edward Ives, composer (Holliday Quick Step)
1874 - Viscount Palmerston, British PM (1855-65)
1900 - Wayne Morse (Sen-OR)
1931 - Mickey Mantle, baseball great (NY Yankees - 1956 Triple Crown)
1932 - Roosevelt Brown, NFL hall of fame tackle (NY Giants); William Christopher, actor (Father Mulcahy-M*A*S*H)
1934 - Martin Landau, actor (Mission Impossible, Space 1999, Tucker)
1946 - Connie Chung, news anchor (NBC, CBS)

Passings
1906 - William "Buck" Ewing, hall of fame catcher (NY Giants)
1954 - Willie Shaw, race car driver (Indy 500-1937, 39, 40)
1964 - Herbert Hoover, 31st U.S. President
1972 - Harlow Shapley discoverer of the Sun's position in the galaxy

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Edwards, Harry S., Jr., USN (GA); A4C shot down, remains returned September, 1996

Purrington, Frederick R., USN (MA); A4C shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - retired as a Captain - alive as of 1998

Wagener, David R., USAF (MI); A1E shot down, remains ID'd September, 1997

1967
Womack, Lonnie H., USN ; AWOL

1968
Bridges, Jerry G., US Army (TN); CH47A disappeared on resupply mission (flight engineer)

Deitsch, Charles E., US Army (FL); CH47A disappeared on resupply mission (aircraft commander)

Knight, Henry C., US Army (CA); CH47A disappeared on resupply mission (pilot)

Meldahl, Chrles H., US Army (WA); CH47A disappeared on resupply mission (crewchief)

Stanton, Ronald V., US Army (OH); CH 47A disappeared on resupply mission (door gunner)

1969
Stubbs, William W., US Army SF (WA); disappeared after patrol was attacked; likely KIA