David at the Thunder Run writes of a moonbat commenter who crossed his path...

A commenter name Warren felt he needed to post a reply to Mr. Stokely’s post Mr. Robert Stokely -v- Instead of War. I’m cool with that, but Warren felt he needed to post about the news that came out yesterday of the Marine Corps decision to call up their IRR troopers. As a reminder Mr. Stokely’s post was written and posted on April 3rd of 2006 and if there is one thing I can’t stand, it’s the anti-war types that post comments about current events on posts that no one else is ever going to read.

Warren writes:

How can you say that retention and enlistment is up or meeting goals when stop loss and now the Marines calling up people who have completed their tours?

At least be honest about one thing in this mess.

Well Warren you asked for it...

Check out David's response, at the Thunder Run

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad attends a ceremony earlier this year marking the official re-opening of Al Huriya Youth Center. U.S. Army photo by Norris Jones


By Norris Jones
Gulf Region Central District
US Army Corps of Engineer

BAGHDAD, Aug. 24, 2006 — Bettering the lives of Iraqi youngsters is what Peter Debski says is the best part of his job.

He’s been involved in overseeing millions of dollars of reconstruction work in and around Baghdad over the past 10 months including new water and sewer networks, electrical distribution projects, police and fire stations, and primary healthcare centers. But he says “renovating two youth centers and four schools were definitely the most personally rewarding projects, seeing the joy on the children’s faces, knowing we’re bringing a little normalcy to their lives.”

Debski is a project engineer with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Central District. One day he’ll always remember was when they celebrated the re-opening of Al Huriya Youth Center March 25 and U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad spoke. “The United States stands with Iraqis as they attempt to improve their community. The various sporting activities that Iraqi children will engage in here offer several useful and timely lessons.

This center will provide activities for youth of all sects and ethnic groups and teach them the benefit of teamwork. The sports that will be played here encourage children to compete but within an established system of rules. Finally, sports will allow us to succeed or fail – not based on who we are or where we come from – but rather on our merits as individuals.”

That $442,000 project, financed by the 10th Mountain Division through their CERP (Commander’s Emergency Relief Program) funds, included upgrading the plumbing and electrical systems, installing new air conditioners, repairing and replacing floors, as well a replastering and painting both interior and exterior walls. In addition, a new basketball/volleyball court was built.

“The youth center project was selected because the community itself identified it as a top priority. They know how important it is to their community,” Debski said. “It’s a legacy we’re leaving behind as Al Huriya families will use that youth center for years to come.” About 1500 young people are involved in various sporting activities there on a daily basis including wrestling, boxing, soccer, weightlifting, basketball, volleyball and judo.

Debski says he’s grateful to be part of USACE’s historic mission and for the opportunity to work alongside some incredible Iraqis.

“I’m in awe of the courage our Iraqi project engineers demonstrate every day reporting to work and getting the job done. They’re professional, highly educated, care about their work, and know they’re making a difference. I admire each and every one of them.”

“This has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a great experience. I’ve worked for contractors on construction projects in Antarctica, Pacific Islands, and Europe, but nothing compares to what we’re doing here.”

Project Engineer Peter Debski makes a final inspection earlier this year at the Shu’la Youth Center in Kadamiyah District of Baghdad. Get Ace Engineering had the $410,000 contract to renovate that facility building a new restroom, renovating interior and exterior walls and floors, repairs to the roof, plumbing and electrical system, new air conditioners, new fence around the playground, painting the bleachers. About 1500 youths are involved in programs there. U.S. Army photo by Norris Jones

GAINING ENTRY — Sgt. Michael R. Beauton, military policeman assigned to 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, uses a breaching round to open a lock in the industrial area of Fallujah, Iraq. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brian Reimers

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Top U.S. general hails progress in Baghdad clampdown - Video
Iraqi girl once deaf hears after surgery
Carroll Recalls End of Kidnap Ordeal
British Leave Iraqi Base
Little Creek Petty Officer Killed in Iraq
Shays Urges Iraq Withdrawal

Operation Enduring Freedom
Unnamed Taliban Spokesperson Makes False Claims to Media
Taliban Make Additional False Claims
Seven Suspected Al Qaeda Facilitators Killed in Kunar Province
IED Found in Kunar

Homeland Security / War on Terror
N.O. Mayor Nagin Takes Swipe at 9/11 NYC Rebuilding
Flight From New York Evacuated Following Threat
Pakistan Withholding British Terror Suspects' Information
Japan police arrest 5 over nuclear devices
Unclear if German train bombers part of global network: police

Troops on Trial
Officer Recommends Court-Martial Against War Objector

Other Military News
Army reviewing casualty reports

Mid-East Ceasefire
Syria May Close Lebanese Border if U.N. Troops Deploy
French troops join Lebanon force
Chirac: 15,000 peacekeepers 'excessive'
EU seen boosting Lebanon troop pledges - Full Article Video
Lebanon, Israel on Edge Over U.N. Delay
Hamas sees progress in bid to free Gaza hostages - Video
U.S. investigating Israeli use of cluster bombs: NYT - Video
More than 60 pct of Israelis want Olmert to quit: poll
Israel Buys Nuke-Ready Subs
Family Appeals to Kidnappers to Free Journalists
Video: Missing in Gaza

Immigration / Border Control
Chertoff: Policies Deterring Illegals

Worldwide Wackos
S. Korea: North May Have 2 Nuclear Bombs
Russia rules out Iran sanctions for now - Video

In the Courts
Judge detains five over ringing phones

Media in the Media
NY Times Researcher Jailed

Mother Nature
Out of Business - Empty storefronts in Katrina's wake
Some who returned to New Orleans consider leaving
Hurricane-proof homes too costly, experts say
Botched Katrina response still haunts Bush
Minn. tornadoes kill 1, damage homes

Oddities
Under fire, Indian eatery drops Hitler from name
Tokyo subway to display naked Spears ad

Other News of Note
JonBenet Suspect Back in Colorado
Karr spends first night in jail
Video: Cops Knew Karr's 'Fascination'
Brother: Karr didn't kill JonBenet
2 Killed in Vermont Rampage
Report: Driver Forced Blacks to Back of School Bus

Fox News
Tony Blair's Son Hospitalized
Stocks to Watch: J. Crew

Reuters: Top News
DNA tests confirm Austrian kidnap girl's identity
U.S., Southeast Asia sign trade-liberalisation pact
Astronomers strip Pluto of its status as a planet
Pluto still a high-flyer for astrologers
Addicted maybe, but users say BlackBerries improve life
Apple recalls 1.8 mln PC batteries made by Sony
HIV drug stops cervical cancer in laboratory test
Doctor warns on Everest deaths
Stock futures flat before Bernanke speech - Video
ISoft shares surge on financing and contracts
Softbank slides almost 10 pct
Sony shares fall on battery recall - Video
J Crew, McData shares fall
On the radar: Imperial Tobacco
Show me the money, by Paul DeMartino
Central bankers head to Jackson Hole
Sony shares fall on battery recall
BHP Billiton CEO: won't favor buybacks over growth
Ryanair seeks compensation for security crackdown
Belgacom pays Vodafone $2.6 bln for Proximus stake
Advertisers out of the closet with gay-themed ads

AP World News
'Idol' winner Hicks sues ex-producer
Widow of Pluto's discoverer 'shook up'
Mets sweep Cards, Reds close in
Plan B pill advocates seek more access
Attacks on homeless up, activists say
Despite ban, gambling abounds in Hawaii
Apple recalls 1.8 million Sony batteries
Red Sox won't let Weaver make history
New rules issued for rocket launches
Believe it: Deadball era's not dead yet
Rice says goodbye to football as a Niner
NYC officials want new 'Survivor' pulled
Obituaries in the news

Military.com
Jessica Lynch Pregnant
Health Data Bottleneck
Marines Plan Major Budget Changes

CENTCOM: News Releases
COALITION FORCES RECOVER WEAPONS CACHE

CF SEIZE WEAPONS, MUNITIONS, DETAIN 6 SUSPECTED TERRORISTS

IRAQI LEADER TAKES ACTION TOWARD PEACE

TERRORIST ATTACK FOILED IN MOSUL

IRAQI GOVERNMENT, MND-B SOLDIERS PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN AID TO ZAFARANIYA

TRIPARTITE COMMISSION MEETS FOR 18TH TIME

IA, MND-B SOLDIERS FIND, DISARM 7 EXPLOSIVE DEVICES IN BAGHDAD AREA

IRAQI LEADER TAKES ACTION TOWARDS PEACE

MND-B SOLDIERS NAB 5 TERRORISTS AFTER SMALL-ARMS FIRE ENGAGEMENT

USJFCOM
Speech-to-speech translation capability makes its way to Iraq breaking down language barriers

Department of Defense
NEWS UPDATES
General Talks Medical Progress - Story
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
Community Takes Action Toward Peace - Story
Baghdad Operation Improving Security - Story
Air Force ‘Legal Eagles’ Meet Afghan Lawyers - Story

IN IRAQ
Civil Affairs Soldiers Monitor Progress
Iraq's Army Striding Towards Independence
Baghdad Shows Progress, Battle Not Over

IN AFGHANISTAN
A-10 Thunderbolts Surge for Afghan Offensive
Chief Master Sgt. Praises Afghan Progress
Security Forces ‘Fly Away’ to Support Mission

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
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
Officials Identify Casualties - 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

Today in History
1580 - In the Battle of Alcantara, Spain defeats Portugal.
1609 - Galileo demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.
1689 - The Iroquois take Montreal.
1718 - Hundreds of French colonists arrive in Louisiana, founding New Orleans.
1825 - Uruguay declares independence from Brazil.
1830 - Belgium revolts against the Netherlands.
1862 - The U.S. Secretary of War authorizes General Rufus Saxton to arm 5,000 slaves.
1864 - Petersburg Campaign-Battle of Ream's Station
1875 - Matthew Webb becomes the first to swim the English Channel - in 21 hours, 45 minutes.
1912 - For the first time, an aircraft recovers from a spin.
1915 - A hurricane kills 275 and causes $50 million in damage in Galveston, TX.
1916 - The National Park Service is established in the Department of the Interior.
1919 - The first scheduled passenger service by airplane occurs (Paris-London).
1920 - Ethelda Bleibtrey becomes the first U.S. woman to win at the Olympics.
1921 - The U.S. signs peace a treaty with Germany.
1929 - The Graf Zeppelin passes over San Francisco, bound for L.A., after its trans-Pacific voyage.
1940 - The first parachute wedding takes place.
1943 - U.S. forces overrun New Georgia in the Solomon Islands.
1944 - Paris is liberated from Nazi occupation.
1945 - Jewish immigrants are permitted to leave Mauritius for Palestine.
1950 - President Truman orders the Army to seize control of the railroad to avert a strike.
1967 - Paraguay accepts its constitution.
1981 - Voyager-2' makes its closest approach to Saturn (63,000 miles/100,000 km).
1983 - The U.S. and U.S.S.R. sign a $10 billion grain pact.
1988 - The Challenger Center opens its classroom doors in Houston; NASA launches space vehicle S-214.
1989 - Voyager-2 makes its closest approach to Neptune.
1990 - The U.N. security council authorizes military action against Iraq.

Birthdays
1530 - Ivan IV (the Terrible), first Czar of Russia (1533-84)
1841 - Theodor Kocher, Swiss surgeon / thyroid specialist, Nobel Prize winner (1909)
1845 - Ludwig II, mad king of Bavaria (1864-86)
1906 - William J. Brennan, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1957-90)
1912 - Erich Honecker, East German political leader
1919 - George C. Wallace (Gov-AL), Presidential candidate
1930 - Sean Connery, actor (James Bond)
1931 - Regis Philbin, TV host (Live with Regis and Kelly)
1934 - Valery F. Bykovsky, cosmonaut (Vostok V, Soyuz 22 31/39)
1949 - Gene Simmons, rocker (KISS)
1951 - Rob Halford, heavy metal rocker (Judas Priest)
1970 - Claudia Schiffer, super model (Elle, Rolling Stone)

Passings
1789 - Mary Ball Washington (George's mother)
1822 - William Herschel, discoverer of Uranus.
1900 - Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher
1967 - George Lincoln Rockwell, head of the American Nazi Party, assassinated
1988 - Price Daniel (Gov/Sen-TX)

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Bullard, William H., USN (CA); A4E crashed due to mechanical problems, Killed, body not recovered

1967
Bois, Claire Ronald A., USN (AZ); RA3B shot down (aircrew); KIA, body not recovered

Jacobs, Edward James, Jr., USN (WA); RA3B shot down (pilot); KIA, body not recovered

Zavocky, James John, USN (OH); RA3B shot down (aircrew); KIA, body not recovered

1968
Gregory, Kenneth R., US Army (OK); released May, 1969

Johnson, Bobby L., US Army (MI); released by PRG February, 1973

Jones, Thomas N., US Army (IN); released January, 1969

1972
Doyle, Michael W., USN (PA); F4B shot down (pilot, w/Ensch), POW, remains returned August, 1985

Ensch, John C., USN (IL); F4B shot down (RIO, w/Doyle), released by DRV March, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998