The Yusufiyah, Iraq, thermal power plant, a Russian project abandoned in 1982, is now secured and maintained by various elements of 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division as a key tactical element in the process ending a long standing history of insurgent activities in Yusufiyah, Iraq, Oct. 23, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac B. Scruggs

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Grant, assigned to the Distribution Platoon, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, guides a pallet of dry goods off a truck during a supply delivery to the thermal power plant in Yusufiyah, Iraq, Oct. 23, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac B. Scruggs

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the Distribution Platoon, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division guide a pallet of dry goods off a truck during a supply delivery to the thermal power plant in Yusufiyah, Iraq, Oct. 23, 2006. U.S. and coalition forces maintain the plant as a key element in controlling a long-standing history of insurgent activities in Yusufiyah. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac B. Scruggs

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Grant, assigned to the Distribution Platoon, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, directs a crane operator in offloading a pallet of dry goods off a truck during a supply delivery to the thermal power plant in Yusufiyah, Iraq, Oct. 23, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac B. Scruggs

A U.S. Army soldier assigned to the Distribution Platoon, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division operates a crane to unload pallets of dry goods during a supply delivery to the thermal power plant in Yusufiyah, Iraq, Oct. 23, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac B. Scruggs

U.S. Army soldiers mechanically breech a structure at the thermal power plant in Yusufiyah, Iraq, Oct. 23, 2006, after securing it as a key element to subdue a long standing history of insurgent activities. The soldiers are assigned to the 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac B. Scruggs

U.S. Army soldiers mechanically breech a welded steel door at the thermal power plant in Yusufiyah, Iraq, Oct. 23, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac B. Scruggs

U.S. Army Pvt. Eban Stillwell, assigned to the 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, walks back to an administrative building after securing the thermal power plant in Yusufiyah, Iraq, Oct. 23, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac B. Scruggs

OVER IRAQ — After taking on gas from a KC-135 Stratotanker four miles above Iraq, an F-16 Fighting Falcon deployed from Canon Air Force Base, N.M., pulls away to resume its close-air support mission for coalition forces on the ground. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Scottt Wagers - Story

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
PM Maliki: I'm Not 'America's Man in Iraq'
Bush Reaffirms Support for Iraqi PM
Iraqi PM, Bush agree to speed up security training
98 U.S. GIs killed in Iraq this month
Bush, Iraq leader talk, try to ease rift
Opinion: Iraq is not Vietnam
Blog: Battling the Mahdi Army in Baquba

Operation Enduring Freedom
Taliban says no to peace talks with Kabul - Video

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Suspicious Substance Scare at Clinton Office
Cheney says did not refer to water boarding
Bush: U.S. doesn't torture prisoners
U.S. seen balking at challenge by Islamist Web

Troops on Trial
Case Against AF Academy Dismissed

Other Military News
U.S. hails airborne laser as weapons milestone
Pentagon expands war-funding push - Video
Report: Halliburton unit exploited rules
Woman First, Military Wife Second

Mid-East Ceasefire / Hamas Rising / Israel at War
Palestinians differ over end to hostage crisis

Religion of Peace??
France reports few incidents on riot anniversary - Video
6 police hurt in violence across France

Worldwide Wackos
Report: Movement at N. Korea Site
Iran Confirms Recent Uranium Enrichment

Homegrown Moonbats
Ado at NBC over ad for Dixie Chicks film

Politics / Government
Control of Senate hinges on 4 races
Webb: Democrats will provide Iraq remedy (Well, but I sure as heck don't want HIM writing the proposal!)

U.N. News
U.N. considers peace mission in Chad

Mother Nature
Calmer Winds in SoCal Help Fire Crews Battle Blaze
Police searching for two suspects of arson - VIDEO
Video: What Charges Might Arsonists Face in SoCal Fires?
'Anything Can Happen': Science Behind the Santa Ana Winds

Oddities
Because we don't already have enough fried foods..
Where the living share space with the dead

Other News of Note
Cardinals Win 2006 World Series
Police: D.C. Sniper Confessed to 2002 Ariz. Murder
No Halloween for paroled sex offenders

Fox News
42 Dead as Bus Plunges Off Road in Nepal
Fox Sends Federal Forces Into Mexico's Oaxaca
Pope: Sex Scandal Left Church With Deep Wounds
Clocks Get Turned Back 1 Hour on Sunday
Serial Killer Confesses Before Execution

Reuters: Top News
Carbon monoxide killed UK children in Corfu: coroner
NASA mulls fate of coveted Hubble Space Telescope
Gamemaker courts new controversy - boys kissing
Vinyl vaults into digital age with new devices
In Philippines, the living share space with the dead
Georgia seeks new markets to beat Russian sanctions
Emergency care should use trauma as example: doctors
Large amounts of bacteria expelled during sneezing
Oscar buzz grows for Penelope Cruz in "Volver"
Snoop Dogg arrested in California
Sector rotation may resume; jobs data ahead
Stocks fall on weak GDP data, Intel drops
Goldman cuts PC board outlook; tech firms hit
Oil rises toward $61 on Saudi threat
Hartford, Chubb stock down on future earnings fears
Shopping for retailer stocks
On the radar: TelMex
Toyota to build two plants in North America: report
Weak home building drags down economic growth
Cemex's Zambrano takes on risk, and Wall Street
Fed's Stern lauds benefits of inflation targets
Efficient cars a tough sell with U.S. buyers: panel
Chevron profit beats the Street

AP World News
Calm winds help crews fight Calif. fire
Rice presses for Hezbollah's disarmament
Cell phone takes security to new heights
'The Daily Show' swinging into Ohio
Wis. city braces for Halloween party
Judge orders limits on L.A. county jails
Judge: 50 Cent no two-bit song stealer
Proud dads watch sons in World Series
Cardinals glad Eckstein on their side
Ill. teen charged with baby's death
Obituaries in the news

Military.com
Audio Excerpt From 'Six Frigates'
Learn to Use Your GI Bill
Play Military Trivia and Win an iPod
Gear in the News - HH-60 Pave Hawk - See More Gear

CENTCOM: News Releases
FIVE HAQQANI NETWORK TERRORISTS CAPTURED IN KHOWST PROVINCE

IPS AMBUSHED BY INSURGENTS, IPS AND CF FIGHT BACK

USJFCOM
Urban Resolve 2015 comes to a close - podcast
USJFCOM supports Australia, USPACOM in developing combined training capability - podcast
Urban warfare experiment draws many players
USJFCOM, USTRANSCOM commanders sign joint vision statement
Command's experiment bringing focus to urban challenges
Command leadership assisted as Navy transforms officer training

Department of Defense
NEWS UPDATES
Mail Terminal Ready for Holidays - Story
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
U.S., Iraqi Soldiers Uncover Weapons Caches - Story - Photos
Steady Hand Ensures Refueling of Aircraft - Story
Combat Comm Readies Airmen for Deployments - Story
Undersea Warfare Unit Deploys to Persian Gulf - Story

IN IRAQ
Iraqi Army Non-commissioned Officers Graduate
Soldiers Set Up Medical Ops in Rushdi Mullah
Engineers Help Fortify Iraqi Police Headquarters
Center Gives Iraqis Place to Voice Concerns
Iraqi Army Training Centers Prepare for Influx

IN AFGHANISTAN
Specialist Delivers Supplies, Hope to Students
Agha Jon School Reopens After Taliban Torching

IN KUWAIT
Navy Leader Visits with Sailors in Kuwait

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
1492 - Christopher Columbus discovers Cuba.
1636 - Harvard University is established.
1776 - Battle of White Plains; Washington retreats to NJ.
1790 - New York gives up its claims to Vermont for $30,000.
1793 - Eli Whitney applies for a patent on the cotton gin.
1886 - The Statue of Liberty is dedicated by President Grover Cleveland; the celebration includes the first ticker tape parade in NYC.
1891 - An earthquake strikes Mino-Owari, Japan, killing 7,300.
1904 - St. Louis police try out a new investigation technique - fingerprints.
1918 - Czechoslovakia gains independence as Austria-Hungary breaks up.
1919 - Congress passes the Volstead Act, beginning prohibition over Wilson's veto.
1922 - For the first time, a football game is broadcast coast-to-coast radio broadcast of a football game; Benito Mussolini takes control of Italy's government
1929 - Miami, FL, is the site of the first childbirth in an aircraft.
1936 - FDR rededicates the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary.
1940 - Greece successfully resists Italy's attack.
1946 - German rocket engineers begin work in the U.S.S.R.
1948 - The Flag of Israel is adopted.
1958 - Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli is elected Pope, taking the name John XXIII.
1962 - Khrushchev orders the withdrawal of missiles from Cuba, ending the Cuban Missile Crisis.
1965 - Pope Paul VI proclaims Jews not collectively guilty for Jesus' crucifixion.
1970 - The U.S. and U.S.S.R. sign an agreement to discuss joint space efforts.
1971 - England becomes the sixth nation to have a satellite in orbit (Prospero).
1981 - Edward M. McIntrye becomes the first Black mayor of Augusta, Georgia.
1982 - NASA launches RCA-E.

Birthdays
1017 - Henry III, Holy Roman emperor (1046-56)
1810 - Brigadier General Adley H. Gladden (killed at Shiloh)
1842 - Anna Elizabeth Dickinson, orator ("Joan of Arc of the Civil War")
1846 - Auguste Escoffier, king of chefs and chef of kings
1914 - Dr. Jonas Salk, medical researcher, developer of the polio vaccine
1936 - Charlie Daniels, country music star (Devil Went Down to Georgia) / supporter of the troops
1940 - Gennadi M. Strekalov, cosmonaut (Soyuz T-3, T-8, T-11)
1949 - Bruce Jenner, decathalete (Olympic-gold-1976)
1955 - Bill Gates, billionaire CEO (Microsoft)
1959 - Walther Bauersfeld 1919 inventor (first modern projection planetarium)
1963 - Veronica Gamba, Playboy playmate (November, 1983)

Passings
0900 - Alfred the Great, English monarch
1957 - Anthony J. Morabito, co-owner of San Francisco 49ers, while watching a game

Reported Missing in Action
1967
Kirk, Thomas H., USAF (VA); F105D shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive and well 1998

1968
Connor, Charles R., USMC (UT); TA4F disappeared over water while on Tactical Airborne Control mission (pilot, w/Ricker)

Ricker, William E., USNR (OR); TA4F disappeared over water while on Tactical Airborne Control mission (co-pilot, w/Connor)

Stonebraker, Kenneth A., USAF (IN); RF4C disappeared during photo-reconnaissance mission (navigator, w/ Stroven)

Stroven, William H., USAF (MI); RF4C disappeared during photo-reconnaissance mission

1972
Hall, James W., USN (CA); A7C shot down, remains returned March, 2000