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Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Haitian-born Marine pays it forward in Iraq

From Marine Corps News:


Lance Cpl. Clfford Sajous, a 19-year old from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, holds security near Observation Post Redskins, Iraq Sept. 30. He joined the Marine Corps after seeing Marines come to his country's rescue in 1994. He now resides in Elmont, N.Y. Sajous is currently serving as a rifleman in the Habbaniyah, Iraq area with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment under Regiment Combat Team 5 for the next several months.


Oct. 4, 2006
Story ID#: 200610116223
By Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis, 1st Marine Division


OBSERVATION POST REDSKINS, Iraq (Oct. 4, 2006) -- Lance Cpl. Clifford Sajous clearly remembers the first Marines he saw. They were patrolling through the streets of his home in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1994.

He knew then that they were there to help. Twelve years later, he’s wearing that Marine uniform and doing the same thing for Iraqis here.

“I saw the Marines and they looked hard,” Sajous said. “The guys in the turret, their gear, their glasses, they looked high speed. I wanted to be just like them.”

And nothing would change his mind.

“When I want something, I get it,” he said.

Now 19, Sajous is a lance corporal and serves as a rifleman with the Marines of L Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment in Habbiniyah, Iraq under Regimental Combat Team 5.

He does daily patrols, sweating with his unit under sweltering heat conducting operations to help Iraqis get back on their feet. He does it while fulfilling the concerns of the locals and more importantly the kids there in the same way Marines once did for him.

“He was a kid seeing Marines as a kid helping out his country,” said Lance Cpl. Bryan D. Bridges, a rifleman with L Company. “Now he’s here doing the same thing for other kids who need it in a country that’s war-torn.”

The 19-year-old squad automatic weapon gunner from Shelby, N.C., thinks what Sajous did is great.

Others agree.

“I think it’s an admirable thing to do,” said Staff Sgt. John L. Allnutt, Sajous’ platoon sergeant. “And he likes what he does.”

The 36-year-old from Gaithersburg, Md., said Sajous is just paying it forward.

He was raised by a single mother in Haiti.

“My mother struggled with me because I didn’t have a dad,” he said. “I only just met my dad when I was 11.”

On top of that, killings were nearly everyday occurrences there.

Gangs would provide the homeless shelter and guns if the homeless would take care of the gangs’ dirty work, Sajous said.

He vividly remembers house burglaries and the smell of rubber tires burning in the street.

His mother decided it would be best for his family to move to the United States, not only for their safety but for better job opportunities.

They now reside there with his grandmother in the middle-class suburbs of Elmont, N.Y.

However, he feels he has now taken on a bread-winner role for the family.

He said his mom influenced him to join the Corps.

“I wanted to help her out and make her proud of me,” Sajous said.

He made the life-changing decision on his own, though.

“I was in the 11th grade,” Sajous said. “I saw the commercial, ‘the few, the proud, the Marines,’ so I called the ‘1-800’ number and they gave me a number to a recruiter in the area.”

Then he called the recruiter and told the recruiter he wanted to join the Marine Corps as a “grunt.”

“They were surprised because they don’t really get calls like that,” Sajous said. “After that they asked for my info. They told me I wasn’t old enough and come back when I got a high school diploma.”

He called the recruiter once again in March 2005 in his senior year.

“I took the test and passed it,” Sajous said. “I did the physical and all that, and when I graduated June 26 I went to boot camp the next day, June 27.”

“I was so eager to become a Marine,” he said. “I was motivated and excited. It was something that presented a challenge. I went to boot camp and graduated.”

Sajous said he got the best graduation present a Marine could get. His mom was there.

“My mom started crying,” he said. “She said I walked and talked different. The way I carried myself was different. My whole perspective changed. I basically grew up in three months.”

His father was there.

Sajous hadn’t seen his father for eight years.

“My dad flew from Haiti to Parris Island,” he said. “He surprised me. I was happy. He was happy to see me. We hugged and talked for a little while. He gave me money for graduation.”

Sajous couldn’t help to feel a little proud.

He later went on to recruiter assistance and then to the fleet.

When all seemed full circle he was called to deploy with his unit to Iraq. His family was proud but sad to see him go.

“She knows I don’t like to see her cry,” Sajous said. “I hugged for a little while. She cried later.”

He still made the best of the situation. Sajous took his eight-year-old sister out for some fun.

“I took my sister to Chuckie Cheese, movies and shopping,” he said. “She was happy.

“She says that I’m her hero and stuff,” he said. “I don’t know how to feel. I’m happy, shocked.”

His sister was shocked too.

“She started crying,” Sajous said. “I gave her a hug and told her that I’ll see her when I get back and we’re going to go shopping, Six Flags or Splish-Splash.”

He has plans of expanding his education so he can take up a career in criminology or private security when he gets back.

He is learning Spanish to add another language to the other three languages he already knows.

He’s proficient in French, Creole and English.

“That will put me at the top of the list,” he said.

Sajous stays focused for now.

“I’m eager to help my family, but (we’ve) still got work to do here,” he said.



Lance Cpl. Clfford Sajous, a 19-year old from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, joined the Marine Corps after seeing Marines come to his country's rescue in 1994. He now resides in Elmont, N.Y. Sajous is currently serving as a rifleman in the Habbaniyah, Iraq area with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment under Regiment Combat Team 5 for the next several months. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis



Lance Cpl. Clfford Sajous, a 19-year old from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, joined the Marine Corps after seeing Marines come to his country's rescue in 1994. He now resides in Elmont, N.Y. Sajous is currently serving as a rifleman in the Habbaniyah, Iraq area with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment under Regiment Combat Team 5 for the next several months. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis



Lance Cpl. Clfford Sajous, a 19-year old from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, keeps a door way clear near Observation Post Redskins, Iraq Sept. 30. He joined the Marine Corps after seeing Marines come to his country's rescue in 1994. He now resides in Elmont, N.Y. Sajous is currently serving as a rifleman in the Habbaniyah, Iraq area with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment under Regiment Combat Team 5 for the next several months. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis

Soldiers' Angels Needs You Now!

Recently, Soldiers' Angels has received huge numbers of submissions from Heroes looking to be adopted, and your help is needed now! If you support our troops, if you've looked for a way to thank them, this is one of the best ways I know of.

You can provide support directly to a deployed Hero, and you won't believe how great it feels to be doing something to help them. Let them know they're never forgotten - adopt a Hero today!

Here's some more information (repost from earlier this year):

Have You Got What It Takes to be a Soldiers' Angel?



Soldiers' Angels has received over five hundred submissions of Heroes waiting to be adopted in the past week.

Five hundred.

And those Heroes need Angels.

The organization's name is a slight misnomer - granted, Soldiers' Sailors' Airmen's and Marines' Angels would be a bit cumbersome. There are Heroes from all branches of the military looking for Angels. I always tell people that joining SA, and adopting the heroes I've adopted, is probably the thing I've done that I'm most proud of.

If you support our Heroes, and you want to do something to show that, in a very real and meaningful way, SA is the place for you.

One of the most frequently asked questions is when you can expect to hear from your adoptee, and the SA answer is - "In a word - Never." While you are never guaranteed a reply, there is no doubt that what you do as an Angel is appreciated. We hear this from our adoptees, their families, their commanding officers, their friends. And while most Angels do hear from their adoptees at some point, there's no guarantee. But then again, them thanking us isn't really what this is about - it's about US thanking THEM. And the reward of knowing that you are helping them is immeasurable.

As I said in my earlier post today, I've had a total of five "officials" - one active Army, two Army National Guard, one Army Reserves, and one Airman I don't know much about yet. (Update: I now have had six return safely home, and currently have two Marines, one Soldier, and one Sailor)

I've also had several "unofficials" - Army, Marine, and Navy, that I was in regular contact with after sending a letter as part of the Letter Writing Team. I think now I've written to several hundred as part of the program, and have been very lucky in that I've heard from quite a few of them. I have been honored, and sometimes very humbled, to know all of them.

Adoption is a basic commitment of 1-2 letters a week, and 1-2 packages a month, ongoing throughout a troop's deployment. New Angels get a mentor (I'm one of them) to help with getting into the swing of things, and with answering questions (we help with deciphering the alphabet soup that is a military address, too!)

MaryAnn over at Soldiers' Angels Germany has a great post with information about the organization - go check it out if you'd like more information.

Or, if you're ready to sign up, fill out the adoption form here.

Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, patrol Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Photo by Marine Corps Cpl. Trenton Elijah Harris.

Harvey becomes first four-time winner of Army Ten-Miler

By Tim Hipps

October 10, 2006

ARLINGTON, Va. (Army News Service, Oct. 10, 2006) – Alisa Harvey became the first four-time winner of the Army Ten-Miler in a masters women's record time of 59 minutes while Jared Nyamboki coasted to the men's victory in 48:24.

The 22nd running of America's largest 10-mile road race started and finished Oct. 8 at the Pentagon. There were 15,134 official finishers in the field of 16,676 runners.

"It's more than just a road race for me," said Harvey, 41 a mother of two from Manassas, Va. "I love the military aspect when I get out there with the men who are all 'Hooah!' They're excited about the race and they're competitive even with the women. It's a whole new feel, so I just love being a part of all that."

Harvey also was grateful that second-place finisher Army Capt. Emily Brzozowski of Fort Carson, Colo., set the women's pace for most of the first seven miles.

"I was so happy that she was there because the 10-mile distance is still a stretch for me, being a miler, so I wanted to hang with her," Harvey said. "I have a tendency to go out too hard. She set a perfect pace for a perfect race. She helped me a lot."

Harvey passed and pulled away from Brzozowski during the eighth mile along Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C., just past the U.S. Capitol Building.

"After the eighth mile, I stopped hearing her," Harvey said. "I didn't look back."

Harvey was an NCAA track champion in 1986 at the University of Tennessee and recently was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. She struck gold in the mile and silver in the 800 meters at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba. She qualified for the 2000 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials with a 2:49 clocking in the 1999 Richmond Marathon. "I nearly died doing it, but I had a good time," recalled Harvey, who also set American masters records for the mile (4:46.29) and the 1,500 meters (4:26.49) at the 2006 Penn Relays.

Brzozowski, 27, a 2001 West Point graduate now training as a modern pentathlete in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, held onto second place with a time of 59:26. She finished third here last year and won the Armed Forces women's crown at the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon.

"I wanted to win for the Army, that's what I was thinking the whole time,” said Brzozowski. “I love this race. It's fun. There's a lot of camaraderie. Some people are out here to race it. Some people are out here just to have fun and run. It's really a great race."

Erin Swain, 24, a former cross country standout at N.C. State University and nearby Lake Braddock (Va.) High, finished third among women with a time of 59:52. She, too, knew the women's chase was over when Harvey made her move.

"I run a lot of races in Northern Virginia so I've raced against her a lot and finished second to her a lot," Swain said. "I think she's amazing. I hope when I'm 41, I'm running as fast as her and winning just as many races as her."

Johanna Allen (1:00:03), 25, of Woodbridge, Va., and Mickey Kelly (1:00:44), 28, another WCAP modern pentathlete stationed at Fort Carson, rounded out the women's top five.

They were followed by Lt. Col. Heidi Grimm (1:00:47), 39, a WCAP triathlete from Fort Carson; Amanda Cooley (1:00:54), 29, of Fountain Inn, S.C.; Trisha Stavinoha (1:01:14), 30, of San Antonio, Texas; former women's masters record-holder Martha Merz (1:01:35), 44, of Annandale, Va.; and Lauren Manero (1:01:35), 25, of Alexandria, Va.

Nyamboki, 30, of Peachtree City, Ga. was running for Foot Solutions. He left the men's pack during the second mile and ran unchallenged throughout.

Nyamboki ran the first mile in 4:27, went through two miles in 9:15, and hit the midway mark in 23:21.

"From the two mile mark, I ran alone so it was difficult for me to break the course record," he said of chasing Dan Browne's 47:32 clocking set in 2004.

Nyamboki is training for the Marine Corps Marathon, where he hopes to run 26.2 miles in 2 hours, 10 minutes. On this day, however, he wanted to run with the U.S. Army.

"There are more races around the United States today that have money but my mental thing was to challenge the American guys, the Army guys, because it's better to run with them because America's Army is the best in the world," said Nyamboki, 30, of Peachtree City, Ga. "Maybe I will be wanting to join the military. Who knows? I'm serious."

Nyamboki's Foot Solutions teammates, Belay Kassa (49:37) and Richard Ondimu (50:03), who also live just outside Atlanta, finished second and third.

WCAP Sgt. Sandu Rebenciuc, 37, a former steeplechaser turned modern pentathlete stationed at Fort Carson, led the All-Army Team and finished fourth in 50:18.

"I finished fourth for the fourth time so they need to make a fourth-place award for me or something," said Rebenciuc, who also fell off a horse four days earlier while training for the pentathlon. "It could have been a lot worse. I thought I was going to find the nearest bridge, take a right, and come back home. These guys took it out hard and I wasn't even planning to go with them. A couple of them fell back and I ended up running with one of them the whole time, taking turns leading.

“Most of the times I hurt on the downhills because I couldn't stretch my legs properly. Then towards the end, I started compensating. It was really ugly. I felt like a truck out there. But I ended up out-kicking the guy I worked with the whole time. I'm just happy I led the team and I helped the team."

Tamrat Ayalew, 32, of Fayetteville, Ga., finished fifth in 50:19 and was followed by Brian Butzler (51:14), 23, of Beloit, Wis.; Fikadu Deme (51:36), 26, of Fayetteville, Ga.; Justin Lutz (51:38), 26, of Framingham, Mass.; Keith Matiskella (51:57), 34, of Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; and Ryan Carrara (52:29), 30, of Hudson, Mass.

"It's an incredible event," Harvey concluded. "I'm so proud. My brother is Navy but I've always been pro-military. If they could just keep this going forever and ever, it would be the best thing. It's a wonderful event, it really is."

Marines find signs of insurgents during souk operations
By Cpl. Brian Reimers1st Marine Division
Marines spent most of their day recently searching and clearing the Souk District in the city. The district has a reputation for attacks on Coalition Forces by anti-Iraqi Forces...
Full Story

Violence, Progress Coexist in Iraq, Casey Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2006 – Violence and progress co-exist in Iraq, and those who focus exclusively on the violence miss the larger picture, the coalition commander in Iraq said in an interview today.

Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the commander of Multinational Force Iraq, said the situation in Iraq is more complex today than at any time in his more than two years in the country.

"What we’ve been seeing since the elections, but in a more pronounced way since the bombing of the (Golden Mosque in Samarra, Iraq, in February), is the primary conflict is evolving from an insurgency against us, to a struggle over the division of political and economic power among the Iraqis," he said.

Many groups are trying to stop progress in the nation, and they all have different agendas and methods, Casey said. Sunni extremists, primarily gathered around al Qaeda in Iraq, make up one group. Shiite extremists, including death squads and some of the more militant Shiite militias, also cause problems. Then there is the resistance, which is made up of Sunnis fighting against the coalition.

Added to this mixture are Syria and Iran, which remain unhelpful, Casey said. Syria remains the primary route for foreign fighters coming into Iraq, the general said. The country also shelters former Iraqi Baathist leaders.

On the Iranian side, "there is no doubt in my mind that they are providing weapons, training, money to Shiia extremists groups that are being used against coalition and Iraqi security forces and, frankly, now to kill Iraqi civilians," Casey said.

Religious fervor associated with Ramadan and the ongoing struggle for control in the Baghdad also complicate the situation. "It is a difficult situation and probably will remain a difficult situation for the next couple of months," he said.

But on the positive side, the new government has been in power for nearly 150 days. Government leaders are working hard to build the capacity to govern, but it is a slow process. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is focused on what Casey believes is the most important thing: reconciliation.

The general spoke of three linked words that encompass the end state in Iraq: unity, security and prosperity. “If you want prosperity, you have to have security. And if you want security, you have to have unity,” he said.

Casey said he is pleased with the progress of Iraqi security forces and the way Iraqis are tackling security problems. Six of 10 Iraqi divisions are in the lead in their regions, he said. Thirty of 36 Iraqi brigades and 90 of 112 battalions are in the lead, as well.

"That’s a good thing," Casey said. "It puts us at a little over 75 percent through the second step of a three-step process."

The first step is to form, organize and equip units. "Then, you make them better," he said. "You put them in a position where they can conduct counterinsurgency operations with our support."

This is where Iraqi forces are now, he said.

The third step -- to put Iraqi forces in a position where they can operate independently -- will occur in 2007, he said.

Casey also said Iraqi police are doing okay on local levels. "Two of the provinces have transferred to local Iraqi control," he said. "What that means is the police are able to maintain domestic order in those provinces."

The Iraqis have begun the National Police Reform Program, and the 1st Brigade is already going through training to "re-blue" it. The brigade was trained originally as an infantry unit.

Iraqis are responding to events as they unfold, as well. The minister of the interior "pulled the 8th Brigade off-line because some of the police were found to be complicit in the kidnapping and murder of people," Casey said.

Overall there is progress, he said. "We are on a developmental timeline with the military and police and security institutions and ministries where I think the Iraqis are going to be pretty close to assuming security responsibilities by the end of 2007," he said.


Biographies:
Gen. George W. Casey Jr., USA

Related Sites:
Multinational Force Iraq

Maintainers from the 36th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron park a B-52 Stratofortress Sept. 21 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, after a mission. The squadron has achieved 100 percent mission effectiveness and 100 percent weapons release rates since arriving in September. They are deployed to Andersen AFB as part of the United States' commitment to keeping a continuous bomber presence in the Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Petosky)

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ISF SHUTS DOWN INSURGENT FINANCIAL OPERATION

From CENTCOM:


Tuesday, 10 October 2006

BAGHDAD — Local police, supported by special Iraqi Army forces, conducted a raid Oct. 9 in Tikrit against a local hawala allegedly used by individuals and businesses to provide financial support to insurgent groups and detained 16 individuals.

The hawala, a local financial system for banking and money exchange, was allegedly being used by insurgents and criminals to hide money made through illegal activity and illegally funneled into Iraq . The daylight raid was based on tips from Iraqi citizens.

Iraqi Police and Army forces, with coalition advisers, shut down the suspected illegal financial activity which was directly supporting foreign fighters and the ongoing insurgency. This support was directly responsible for attacks targeting Iraqi civilians as well as Iraqi Security and Coalition forces.

No significant damage was done in the area and there were no civilian, Iraqi forces or Coalition forces casualties.

This operation is an example of the resolve of Iraqi citizens to stop the illegal and violent activity bringing harm to their communities and demonstrates the increased ability of the Iraqi Security Forces to target and combat insurgent activity.

COMBATING CRIME — An Iraqi man talks to an interpreter and U.S. Army soldiers about recent criminal activity in his northeast Baghdad neighborhood, Oct. 2, 2006. The soldiers were on a routine patrol when they encountered locals congregating and stopped to investigate. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Keith W. DeVinney

In Today's News - Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Quote of the Day
"Builders of Freedom"
U.S. Army 44th Engineer Battalion Motto

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Scattered Attacks in Baghdad Kill 6
Explosions Rock U.S. Ammo Base
Video: Explosions, Fire at Ammo Supply Point
Three U.S. Marines killed in western Iraq - Video
In Iraq, contractor deaths near 650, legal fog thickens
Dozens of bodies found in Baghdad - Video
Bombing at Iraq bakery kills at least 11

Other Military News
Army tones down drill sergeants

Mid-East Ceasefire / Hamas Rising / Israel at War
Blast rocks Beirut, no damage reported

Immigration / Border Control
5 Freed After Trapped in Mexico-U.S. Tunnel

Here We Go Again
Denmark warns of new cartoon crisis with Muslims

Worldwide Wackos
Report: N. Korean Official Threatens More Nuke Tests
Video: Rice on Brit Hume
North Korea Nuke Test May Be Less Than Claimed
China: Punish, But Don't Crush North Korea
North Korea Blast a Bust?
Video: U.N. Sanctions
Earthquake Blamed for Second Nuke Test Report
Second N.Korean test feared as U.N. weighs sanctions - Video
McCain blames Clinton policies for N. Korea woes - Video
China: N.Korea must be punished for test
U.S. will accept Venezuelan oil charity: Bodman
Iran won't retreat from nuclear program
Malawian claims Madonna adopted his son

Politics / Government
War, sex scandal sinking GOP in polls - Video
Kolbe says he warned of Foley years ago
Bush says Democrats would raise taxes

Oddities
Four die in armed brawl over a pothole
Leopard on loose at embassy compound
Doctor touts vasectomies for elephants

Other News of Note
'Helpful Leads' in Vermont Search

Fox News
Detroit Tigers Top Oakland Athletics 5-1
911 Tapes Reveal Amish School Shooting Details
Boy Charged in Missouri Middle School Shooting
Stocks to Watch: California Pizza Kitchen, Alcoa
Joe Torre to Remain Manager of Yankees

Reuters: Top News
Egypt detects new human H5N1 bird flu case
Google seen inheriting YouTube's legal challenges
Three plead not guilty in California HP spy case
Multicolored Colombian bird hailed as new species
GameStop's stores sell out PlayStation 3 pre-orders
Sirius straps on Stiletto for portable use
U.S. food supply safer than before, regulators say
Cola consumption linked to weaker bones in women
Jolie, Pitt donate $100,000 to Pearl foundation
Dow ends at record high - Video
Oil drops below $59, awaiting OPEC deal - Video
Dollar hits 10-month high against yen
Anheuser-Busch stock rises on takeout talk
JED Oil suspends drilling at 2 areas
Not much steam
Private equity gunning for Boyd?
Alcoa quarterly profit up, but disappoints
Lucentis helps lift Genentech 3rd-qtr profit
Shareholders sue Harrah's in wake of buy-out offer
Japan's Hitachi to buy Clarion for $465 million
Sprint discloses payments to chairman's relative
New Airbus chief warns of "painful" job cuts

AP World News
Body exhumed in Nevada death probe
Scientists find more bones of big camels
Gibson: I haven't had a drink in 65 days
Alcoa 3Q profit jumps 86 pct. on demand
Inge, Tigers take 2-0 lead over A's
Diocese in Iowa files for bankruptcy
The Boss won't let Torre walk
Dow ends up 9 in its fourth record close
Severe psoriasis linked to heart attacks

Military.com
U.S. Air Power in East Asia has Grown
Study: 655,000 Iraqis Die Because of War
Vietnam Vets Open War Crime Defense Fund

CENTCOM: News Releases
SUSPECTED SUICIDE IED FACILITATORS DETAINED

SOLDIERS MAKE MISSION HAPPEN BY FUELING AROUND

11 TERRORISTS KILLED AFTER ATTACKING COMBINED ISF, CF PATROL

PARATROOPERS DISCOVER WEAPONS CACHE, DETAIN SEVERAL INSURGENTS

U.S. DELIVERS REBUILDING SUPPLIES TO PAKISTAN VILLAGES

16 DETAINED DURING RAID ON AL-QAEDA IN IRAQ MEETING

USJFCOM
Joint Systems Baseline Assessment 2006 comes to successful close - podcast
More about the Joint Systems Integration Command
USJFCOM commander discusses reserve force issues - podcast

Department of Defense
NEWS UPDATES
Iraqi Soldiers Capture Terrorists - Story
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
Task Force Grizzly Soldiers Eliminate Insurgents - Story
Iraqi Soldiers Visit Schools, Hand Out Supplies - Story
Coalition Conference Looks at the New Iraq - Story
Senior NCO Visits 10th Mountain Division Soldiers - Story

IN IRAQ
Iraqi Engineer Juggles Family's Safety with Job
'America's Battalion' Returns to Families in Hawaii
U.S. Soldiers Teach Iraqis About Fiber Optics
Local Doctors Treat Ghazaliyah Residents
Iraqi Army Medics Train to Save Lives
Teams Teach Contracting, Budgeting, Planning

IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghan NCOs Complete Drill Sergeant Course
Afghan Laborers Continue Work on Local Dam

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

National Hurricane Center

Today in History
1737 - An earthquake kills 300,000 in Calcutta, India.
1776 - Brigadier General Arnold's Lake Champlain fleet is defeated by the British.
1797 - British naval forces defeat the Dutch off Camperdown, the Netherlands.
1811 - The Juliana, the first steam-powered ferryboat, begins operation.
1864 - Slavery is abolished in Maryland.
1865 - President Johnson paroles CSA VP Alexander Stephens.
1890 - The Daughters of the American Revolution is founded.
1919 - The first transcontinental air race ends.
1922 - Alaska Davidson becomes the first female FBI "special investigator."
1945 - Chiang Kai-Shek and Mao Tse-Tung are pitted against each other, as a civil war begins in China.
1958 - Pioneer-1, the second U.S. Moon probe, reaches 113,810 km before it falls back.
1961 - USAF Major Robert M. White takes the X-15 to 66,100 m.
1968 - Apollo-7 makes 163 orbits in 260 hours; revolt begins in Panama.
1969 - Soyuz-6 is launched; Soyuz-7 and 8 follow in the next two days.
1975 - "Saturday Night Live" premieres, with guest host George Carlin.
1977 - Soyuz-25 returns to Earth.
1979 - Allan McLeod Cormack and Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield win the Nobel Prize for medicine for developing the CAT scan.
1980 - Cosmonauts Popov and Ryumin set a space endurance record of 184 days.
1982 - The English ship Mary Rose, which sank during an engagement with France in 1545, is raised at Portsmouth, England.
1983 - The last hand-cranked telephones in the U.S. go out of service, as over 400 customers in Bryant Pond, ME, are switched over to direct-dial.
1984 - NASA launches the space vehicle S-208.
1985 - President Reagan bans the importation of South African Krugerrands.
1986 - Reagan and Gorbachev open talks at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland.
1990 - Oil hits a then-record $40.42 per barrel.
1991 - Anita Hill testifies that Clarence Thomas sexually harrassed her.

Birthdays
1821
- Sir George Williams, founder of the YMCA
1844 - Henry John Heinz, founder of the prepared-foods company
1872 - Harlan Fiske Stone, Supreme Court Justice (1925-41); Chief Justice (41-46)
1884 - Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady
1897 - General Nathan F. Twining, USAF (Neither Liberty nor Safety)
1914 - Edward J. Day, U.S. Postmaster General (1961)
1962 - Joan Cusack, comedienne (SNL)
1969 - Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands

Passings
1779 - General Casimir Pulaski
1809 - Meriwether Lewis, Captain of the Lewis & Clark Expedition
1961 - Leonard "Chico" Marx (Marx Brothers)
1985 - Orson Welles, of a heart attack
1988 - Waylon Flowers, puppeteer
1990 - Douglas Edwards, WW II correspondant, of cancer
1991 - Redd Foxx, comedian, from a heart attack

Reported Missing in Action
1968
Ferguson, Willie C., Jr., USMC (OK); KIA in the crash of a UH34D, remains recovered February, 1973

Heller, Ivan Louis, USN (IL); KIA in the crash of a UH34D, remains recovered March, 1973

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