From FbL:

Valour-IT Fundraising Competition 2006
What: a friendly competition to raise money for Valour-IT.
When: October 30 to November 10.
Where: starting on blogs and spreading everywhere.

Where does the "friendly competition" part come in? We've divided the milbloggers into four teams, according to military service branch to see who can inspire donors to raise the most money. Anybody can join any team, and all the money goes to the same place--wounded servicemembers of any military branch.

Team leaders are:
Army: Blackfive
Navy: Chaotic Synaptic Activity
Marine Corps: Villainous Company
Air Force: Op-For

If you're a donor, click on a link above and donate to Valour-IT. If you're a blogger, you can sign up and join a team here, then go visit your team leader for more info.

Last year, I was blogging for the Army Team. This year, in honor of two of my four Soldiers' Angels adoptees, I'm going Marine. OO-RAH!

MISSION BRIEFING — U.S. Army soldiers from Alpha Company, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team complete a mission briefing on the day's activities at a forward operating base near Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 19, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Mike Buytas

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
October U.S. death toll in Iraq hits 101
Despite Attacks, Maliki Lifts Checkpoints in Sadr City
Second bombing in two days leaves three dead

Operation Enduring Freedom
Civilian deaths turn Afghans against NATO: report (Wait, I thought it was just the bad evil U.S. that people disliked....)

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Militants blame U.S. for Pakistan strike
Thousands Protest in Pakistan
U.S. says Somalia must not be proxy war for others

Troops on Trial
Marine to Plead Guilty in Iraqi Civilian's Death

Other Military News
Army finds 7 incorrect war death reports

Mid-East Ceasefire / Hamas Rising / Israel at War
Arms still smuggled into Lebanon from Syria : U.N.
PM: Israel will stop Palestinian arms

Worldwide Wackos
Iran Vows 'Firm Response' to Any U.N. Sanctions
U.S., allies hold anti-WMD drill at Iran's doorstep
Report accuses N.Korea of crimes against humanity (Well, duh...)
China: North Korea to Rejoin Disarmament Talks

Politics / Government
Iraq Key Issue Heading Into Elections
Cheney Warns Iraq Terror Timed to Sway U.S. Voters - VIDEO
Polls: Nail-Biting, Teeth-Clenching Through Nov. 7
Dems Unleash Bush-Bash Ad Blitz (That's right - when you don't stand for anything, just bash the other party....especially when the guy you're bashing isn't running again. That's the Dems for you - when all else fails, default to 'Hate Bush')
YOU DECIDE 2006: Complete coverage from FOXNews.com
Home Raided in Wildfire Investigation
Rep. Hunter Announces 2008 White House Bid
Bush accuses Democrats of lacking plan for Iraq - Video
Democrat may be first black Massachusetts governor
Dems counter Bush attack with Iraq ads
NYC mayor campaigns with Lieberman

U.N. News
ElBaradei Pushes New Plan for Atomic Energy

Mother Nature
Calif. wildfire nearly contained by weary crews

Oddities / Halloween News
High Schooler Jabs Students With Used Needle
Salem's witches fight for civil rights
The new mating call...

Other News of Note
Second Dancer: Duke Accuser Was 'Talking Crazy'
Duke lacrosse prosecutor standing firm
Mirror test implies elephants self-aware

Fox News
Officials Probe Salmonella Outbreak in 18 States
Stocks to Watch: Merck and Eastman Kodak

Reuters: Top News
St. Louis tops Detroit in violent crime rankings
H5N1 strain could start wave of bird flu outbreaks
Elderly now a fifth of shrinking Japan population
Fifteen-second heart scan may save lives: study
MySpace to block illegal use of copyrighted music
Nokia enters car navigation market
A divided house, and divided lives, in Jerusalem
Chinese fail to embrace hugs from strangers
Hollywood couple Witherspoon, Phillippe split
Jagger illness derails another Stones concert
Oil holds below $59 on OPEC doubt
Gold briefly falls below $600, off 7-week high
Asia shares, oil flat, gold off highs
Kookmin, S.Korean banks drop on earnings worries
Dow ends flat; Nasdaq up with Yahoo - Video
On the radar: Eagle Materials
Battered chips may be set for rebound
White House says U.S. slowdown temporary
Merck to buy Sirna for $1.1 billion in cash
Fidelity's Lange vows to stick with growth stocks
Fed's Fisher encouraged by inflation news
U.S. auto sales seen up for October
MetLife posts 33 percent higher earnings

AP World News
Amerigroup fined $48M for discrimination
Brady dismantles Vikings in 31-7 win
Accused N.J. woman faces new charges
Merck to buy biotech firm for $1.1B
Dow drops 4 on lackluster Wal-Mart sales
Red Cross announces management overhaul
Batman helps Ga. town infested by bats
Nigeria pilot reportedly ignored advice
Australians unveil test tube baby koalas
Oprah gives audience members debit cards
Cowboys storm back, rout Panthers 35-14

Military.com
New Missions for Littoral Ships?
Opinion: Iraq's Invasion of Sweden
Blog: Sarah's Blessed Flight
The Veteran's Bill of Rights and You?
With the Marines in Ramadi
The Chinese Finger Trap
Your Buddy's Looking for You

CENTCOM: News Releases
ISF CAPTURES IED CELL

AFGHANISTAN CELEBRATES OPENING OF COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE

TERRORISTS KILLED DURING RAID IN BALAD

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
USJFCOM exhibits Joint Force Projection ACTD - podcast

Department of Defense
NEWS UPDATES
Iraqi Army Captures Bomb Makers; Security Station Opens in Ramadi - Story
Iraqis Anxious for Responsibility - Story
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
Command and General Staff College Opens - Story
Iraqi Army Continues to Grow into Modern Force - Story
Water Facility Produces 50,000 Gallons Daily - Story
Australians Work to Help Rebuild Iraq - Story

IN IRAQ
U.S., Iraqi Soldiers Uncover Weapons Caches
Steady Hand Ensures Refueling of Aircraft
Iraqi Army Non-commissioned Officers Graduate
Soldiers Set Up Medical Ops in Rushdi Mullah

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

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

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
1793- Girondins are executed in Paris, during the Reign of Terror.
1815 - Sir Humphrey Davy of London patents the miner's safety lamp.
1864 - Nevada becomes the 36th U.S. state.
1922 - Benito Mussolini (Il Duce) becomes premier of Italy.
1940 - Deadline for Warsaw Jews to move into the Warsaw Ghetto.
1950 - Collazo and Torresola attempt to kill President Truman in Washington, DC.
1952 - The first thermonuclear bomb is detonated at the Marshall Islands.
1954 - The Algerian Revolution against the French begins.
1956 - Rear Admiral G.J. Dufek becomes the first American to land an airplane at the South Pole; Britain and France begin to bomb Egypt to reopen the Suez Canal.
1959 - In Moscow, Lee Harvey Oswald announces he will never return to the U.S.
1963 - In Indiana, leaking propane gas explodes, killing 64 at the "Holiday on Ice."
1967 - Nguyen Van Thieu takes the oath of office as the first president of South Vietnam's second Republic.
1968 - President Johnson orders a halt to all bombing of North Vietnam.
1982 - Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff to visit Spain.
1984 - The Puerto Rican tanker San Francisco explodes, spilling two million gallons of oil as she ship catches fire.
1988 - In Yugoslavia, journalists demand greater freedom of the press.

Birthdays
1860 - Juliette Gordon Low, Girl Scout founder
1887 - Chiang Kai-shek, president of Nationalist China
1912 - Dale Evans, cowgirl (Roy Rogers Show)
1930 - Michael Collins, Major General USAF / astronaut (Gemini 10, Apollo 11)
1931 - Dan Rather, news anchor (CBS Evening News, 60 Minutes)
1937 - Michael Landon, actor (Bonanza, Highway to Heaven)
1942 - David Ogden Stiers , actor (Winchester-M*A*S*H)

Passings
1865 - William Parson, 3rd Earl of Rosse / maker of large telescopes
1918 - Count Stephen Tisza, Hungarian PM, assassinated
1926 - Erich Weiss (Harry Houdini), magician
1964 - Theodore C. Freeman, astronaut, T-38 jet air crash
1984 - Indira Gandhi, PM of India, assassinated by bodyguards

Reported Missing in Action
1965
Adams, Samuel, USAF (FL); DIC December, 1965

Dusing, Charles G., USAF (SC); DIC December, 1965

Moore, Thomas, USAF (LA); DIC December, 1965

Powers, Trent R., USN (MN); ejected safely, remains returned September, 1987

1967
Fanning, Hugh M., USMC (TX); A6A shot down (pilot, w/Kott)

Kott, Stephen J., USMC (SC); A6A shot down (bombardier / navigator, w/Fanning), remains recovered July, 1984 - family does not accept ID

1968
Swanson, Roger W., US Army (MN); disappeared after being wounded on reconnaissance patrol

1969
Gauthier, Dennis L., US Army (MI); disappeared after his platoon was ambushed