IRAQ WAR TODAY
Keep Your Helmet On!




Be A Part of a Tribute to Fallen Heroes - Help Build the Fallen Soldiers' Bike
Help support the families of our deployed Heroes - Visit Soldiers' Angels' Operation Outreach
Help Our Heroes Help Others - Click Here to visit SOS: KIDS
Nominate your Hero for IWT's "Hero of the Month" - click here for details!
Search Iraq War Today only

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Field Artillery unit bids their Cavalry brothers farewell, see you in Colorado Springs

BALAD, Iraq (July 27, 2006) -- As they prepared to leave LSA Anaconda, Capt. Toby Austin (right) leads two noncommissioned in their oaths of reenlistment. Shown here are Staff Sgts. Daniel Barnes (left) and Brandon Fitzgerald. (Photo by Spc. Lee Elder, 133d Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)


3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team
Task Force Band of Brothers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2006
SR# 080106-131

Spc. Lee Elder
133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BALAD, Iraq (July 27, 2006) – Part of a cavalry unit’s job description is to be on the move; so its latest relocation comes as no surprise to members of B Troop, 2-9 Cavalry, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Task Force Band of Brothers.

The troop is leaving Logistical Support Area Anaconda and is headed to Forward Operating Base Warhorse but will eventually wind up joining the rest of its squadron at FOB Normandy. It’s the fourth move for the squadron since arriving in northern Iraq eight months ago.

Packing up and leaving does not phase his troopers said the unit’s top noncommissioned officer, 1st Sgt. Martin Kelley. He said it was just part of being in the cavalry.

“We’ve been operating independently for more than eight months,” Kelley said. “My guys are pretty disciplined and the cavalry’s organization is to go where you’re told. A lot of times we’re told, ‘We want you 100 (kilometers) away and we want you there yesterday,’ so we’re used to doing that.”

The move allows B Troop to relieve Soldiers from the 1-32 Cavalry Squadron, 101st Airborne Division, who have worked the hard-fought area in and around Muqdadiya. Kelley, who hails from Laurel, Del., said either way, the cavalry’s mission remains focused on finding the enemy.

“They give us our battle space area and then our objective is control that area,” Kelley said. “We do route clearance (operations) and get with the population to find out where the insurgents are at. Each area we move to, the mission is pretty much the same.”

To show his unit’s appreciation, Lt. Col. Jeffery Vuono, commander of 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery, 3rd HBCT, gave the Troop’s commander, Capt. Toby Austin, a plaque marking the Bulldogs’ service as a part of Task Force Pacesetter. He said B Troop had played a large part in the Pacesetter battalion’s success operating in and around Logistical Support Area Anaconda.

The task force was unsure of its mission and the blending of different units while they were training up in Kuwait. However, those concerns were put to rest when they met face to face, Vuono said.

“From the moment I met Capt. Austin and our brothers here from B Troop, 2-9 Cav, I knew we had something special,” said Vuono. “I love you guys and I appreciate all the hard work.

“I am sorry to see you go because I know there’s more to be done.”

While B Troop is off on its next mission, Vuono said the bond would remain. He wished the departing Soldiers luck on their next mission.

“You are always members of the Task Force Pacesetter, 3-29 Team,” Vuono said. “I appreciate you.”

For his part, Austin said his unit is grateful for its time as part of the task force. He hoped the Soldiers would all see each other when they returned to their home at Fort Carson, Colo.

“I just want to say thank you,” said Austin, a Tampa, Fla., native. “Your support has been outstanding. “You brought us here and took care of us. It was great working with you.”



BALAD, Iraq (July 27, 2006) -- Marking the end of their time here, Lt. Col. Jeffrey
Vuono (left) presents B Troop, 2-9 Cavalry commander, Capt. Toby Austin with a plaque honoring their service. (Photo by Spc. Lee Elder, 133d Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)



BALAD, Iraq (July 27, 2006) -- As they prepared to leave LSA Anaconda, 1st Sgt. Martin Kelley gives Soldiers from Troop B, 2-9 Cavalry, their marching orders. (Photo by Spc. Lee Elder, 133d Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)
by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika
August 1, 2006
Spc. William Mckenzie, from the 101st Airborne Division, patrols Salah Ad Din Province, Iraq.

Don't Worry - We've Got Iran!

I don't know exactly why this story surprised me - you think I'd be used to this sort of thing from the French government.

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

France: Iran Stabilizes Middle East
BEIRUT -- Iran is a significant, respected player in the Middle East which is playing a stabilising role, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on Monday.
"It was clear that we could never accept a destabilisation of Lebanon, which could lead to a destabilisation of the region," Douste-Blazy said in Beirut.


"In the region there is of course a country such as Iran - a great country, a great people and a great civilisation which is respected and which plays a stabilising role in the region," he told a news conference...


Read the Rest at NewsMax

HATRA RUINS — Col. Ra'ad, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division Iraqi army commander, leads American soldiers through one of the few excavated areas in the Hatra ruins in Hatra, Iraq, July 14, 2006. Ra'ad, whose brother-in-law worked on the site in the 1970s, gave his endorsement to build a protective fence around the 2,000-year-old site to keep out looters. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Rachel A. Brune

In Today's News - Wednesday, August 2, 2006

Quote of the Day
"I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within."
-- Douglas MacArthur

News of Note
Israel at War
Attack on Baalbek
Israel to keep fighting - Video
Israel launches deepest Lebanon strike
Israelis battle in Lebanon
Israel faces invisible enemy
Israel Seizes Guerrillas in Raid
Staying Power Adds to Hezbollah's Appeal
Full coverage: news, videos, blog posts (Reuters)

Operation Iraqi Freedom
More Than 70 Killed as Wave of Violence Rocks Iraq
Soldiers smiled before killings in Iraq: witness
Thousands of Shi'ites march in Baghdad - Video
Iraq vows to handle security this year
Troops Fight to Expand Foothold in Ramadi
Study Links Duty in Iraq to Lapse in Mental Ability
70 Killed in Series of Bombs, Shootings

Operation Enduring Freedom
Afghan forces say kill 18 Taliban guerrillas

Troops on Trial
Army Bars Media Access to Iraqi Witnesses in GI Trial
Hearing for 4 Soldiers Begins
Marine in Haditha Case Accuses Murtha

Other Military News
Pentagon watchdog favors civilian contracting corps
Army Guard units said not combat ready
Hilary Duff performs in free concert
E-mail Scam Targets Veterans

Immigration / Border Control
Immigrants sue over citizenship delays
Border agents let fake IDs go through

NSA / CIA
US wins appeal to seek NY Times phone records

Worldwide Wackos
Castro's Statement Attempts to Reassure Cubans
Cubans Ponder Life Without Fidel
Chavez Seeks Anti-U.S. Military Alliance
Iran Rejects U.N. Deadline
North Korea refuses aid offers for flood damage

Politics / Government
Senate OKs Offshore Drilling
Californians back cigarette, oil tax measures

Mother Nature
Heat Wave Blankets Eastern United States
Tropical Storm Chris Sweeps Past Carribean Islands
Chris may become hurricane

Oddities
Doctors offer to maim beggars in TV sting
"Welcome...you've got death..."
India tries to chase monkeys from trains

Other News of Note
Derby Winner Barbaro's Broken Bones Healing Well
Mexico vote protests cripple capital - Video

Fox News
Third 'Xbox Killer' Gets Life in Prison Without Parole
Authorities Arrest Indiana Suspect in Triple Murder
Jury Recommends Death for Two of Three Xbox Killers
Stocks to Watch: GM
Pot May Sabotage Pregnancy

Reuters: Top News
Compromise sought at revived WTO talks
Ukraine's Yushchenko faces deadline
Uganda welcomes LRA truce call
Philippine army kills five rebels in clashes
Scientists take step toward obesity vaccine
Mushroom extract may boost prostate cancer drug
AOL to offer free Web services
Canon unveils HD camcorder HV10
Mexico's wealth divide keeps kids on street
After Hollywood and Bollywood, Kenya has "Riverwood"
Painkillers may raise heart attack risk slightly
Cardiac arrest victims make viable kidney donors
Mel Gibson seeks forgiveness for anti-Semitic rant
"Quinceanera" waltzes into Latino life in the US
Time Warner profit boosted by cable
Procter & Gamble profit rises
Ford reviewing operations like Jaguar: report
Phelps Dodge may hike cash portion of Inco bid: report
China official vows to unionize Wal-Mart
KKR, Silver Lake set to win Philips unit: source
You can call me ...
The coolest little start-up in America
How to start a business for (almost) nothing

AP World News
Survey: Most obese claim to eat healthy
Carlos Guillen hits for the cycle
Some Merrill Lynch convictions reversed
Utley's streak at 33 as Phillies win 5-3
Toyota, Honda report sales jump in July
Clues to 'black Paul Bunyan' found
Landis awaits backup doping test result
Md. dams to get new pathways for eels
Obituaries in the news
Aid worker, kidnapped in Haiti back home
La. alligators have few places to nest
Girl scout leader accused of stealing

Military.com
U.S., U.K. Reach JSF Agreement

CENTCOM: News Releases
EXTREMISTS ATTACK GIRL'S SCHOOL, VILLAGERS RETURN FIRE

COALITION FORCES DETAIN TERRORIST, TWO OTHERS NEAR TIKRIT

COALITION FORCES CAPTURE FIVE TERRORISTS

AFGHAN, COALITION FORCES TARGET SUSPECTED AL QAEDA OPERATIVES

COALITION FORCES TURN OVER AL-QAIDA IN IRAQ LEADER

COALITION FORCES DETAIN TWO SENIOR AL-QAIDA IN IRAQ LEADERS

COALITION FORCES KILL ONE TERRORIST, CAPTURE SIX OTHERS

COALITION FORCES CAPTURE WANTED TERRORIST LEADER

COALITION FORCES SUCCESSFULLY TARGET TERRORIST IN BAGHDAD

IAD, MND-B SOLDIERS FIND IED MATERIALS, DETAIN TWO AFTER DRIVE BY SHOOTING

CCCI CONVICTS 24 INSURGENTS, ONE SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT

AFGHAN, COALITION FORCES RECOVER WEAPON CACHES, IEDS

Department of Defense
NEWS UPDATES
Forces Kill Terrorists in Iraq - Story
Coalition Troops Detain Suspects - Story
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
Iraqi, Cavalry Troops Patrol Jihad 'Hood' - Story
Iraqi Cadre to Begin Training Enlisted - Story
Munitions, Weapons Airmen Secure Bombs - Story
Air Force Specialists Keep Planes in Flight
Airmen Work to Ensure Planes Meet Mission
Volunteers Help Task Force with Health Visit - Story

IN IRAQ
Conference Highlights Upcoming Deployment
Comedians Entertain Troops at Camp Speicher
Iraqis Receive Excavation Equipment
Battalion Helps Iraqis Take the Lead

IN AFGHANISTAN
Chairman Thanks Troops in Afghanistan
Afghans Making Much Progress, Pace Says

BACKGROUND
IRAQ
Renewal In Iraq
Iraq: Security, Stability
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq (PDF)
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report (PDF)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Weekly Reconstruction Report (PDF)
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Fact Sheet: Budget Request
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

CASUALTIES
Servicemember Killed in Iraq - 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

Gitmo

Today in History
1492 - Jews are expelled from Spain.
1776 - The Declaration of Independence is formally signed.
1819 - The first parachute jump in the U.S.
1832 - 1,300 Illinois militiamen defeat the Sac & Fox indians, ending the Black Hawk War. 1858 - The firsst street mailboxes are placed in Boston, MA.
1876 - Wild Bill Hickok is shot dead from behind during a poker game - his hand was a pair of Aces and a pair of 8's.
1877 - The San Francisco Public Library opens.
1909 - The first Lincoln pennies are minted; the Army Air Corps is formed as the Army takes its first delivery from the Wright Brothers.
1934 - In the first airplane train, a plane tows three mail gliders.
1939 - The Hatch Act prohibits political activity by Federal workers.
1941 - Jews are expelled from Hungarian Ruthenia.
1943 - PT-109 (on which John F. Kennedy serves) is rammed and sunk.
1962 - NASA civilian test pilot Joseph A. Walker takes the X-15 to 32,600 m.
1964 - In the Gulf of Tonkin, North Vietnam fires on a U.S. destroyer.
1965 - Morley Safer sends the first Vietnam report indicating the U.S. is losing.
1985 - NASA launches the space vehicle S-209.
1989 - NASA confirms Voyager 2's discovery of three more Neptune moons.
1990 - Iraq invades Kuwait.
1991 - The Space Shuttle STS 43 (Atlantis 9) is launched.

Birthdays
1696 - Mahmud I, Ottoman sultan
1754 - Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the architect who laid out Washington, DC.
1878 - Princess Ingeborg of Sweden
1922 - Paul Laxalt (Sen-NV)
1932 - Peter O'Toole, actor (Lord Jim, Beckett, Lawrence of Arabia)
1934 - Albert W. Hall actor (Apocalypse Now)
1934 - Valery Bykovsky, cosmonaut (Vostok 5, Soyuz 22, 31)
1949 - Bertalan Farkas, first Hungarian in space (Soyuz 36)

Passings
1876 - Wild Bill Hickok, shot
1923 - President Warren G. Harding
1934 - Paul Von Hindenburg; Hitler takes over the presidency

Reported Missing in Action
1965
Daughtrey, Robert Nolan, USAF (TX); F105 shot down, released (injured) by DRV February, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

Hail, William Warren, USAF (CA); A1H disappeared ten minutes after takeoff

1967
Cunningham, Carey A., USAF (AL); RF4C crashed while attacking convoy (radar navigator), remains returned 1989, ID'd April, 1998

Hynds, Wallace G., Jr., USAF (SC);RF4C crashed while attacking convoy (pilot)

1969
Talken, George Francis, USN (CA); A7A shot down, KIA, body not recovered

nocashfortrash.org