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Tuesday, February 13, 2007

When 'Angels' Get Permanent Wings


At 101, Soldiers' Angel "Aunt Mary" was an avid troop supporter, and a legend among the Angels.

This past Friday, Aunt Mary left us, leaving behind a legacy of unfailing dedication to supporting our troops, and some pretty big shoes to fill.

Our hearts are with Aunt Mary's family. She will be sorely missed.

Laurie over at Soldiers' Angels New York has more, including links to others who are remembering Aunt Mary.

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Golden Dragons Care for Local Residents
Photo by Spc. Chris McCann
February 13, 2007 A resident of Sadr Al-Yusufiyah, Iraq, brings his elderly father to receive medical treatment during a medical operation held in the village, Feb. 10.

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Golden Dragons Care for Local Residents

Air Force ads to feature Charleston Airmen

Staff Sgt. Michael Seaton is among the Airmen from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., who are being feature in an upcoming Air Force advertising campaign, filmed Feb. 9 by GSD&M Advertising. Sergeant Seaton is a loadmaster assigned to the 17th Airlift Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Christopher Moore)


by Airman Melissa B. Harper
437th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

2/13/2007 - CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFNEWS) -- Filming for the next campaign of Air Force commercials began here Feb. 9.

The Air Force's contract ad agency, GSD & M Advertising, flew with active-duty and Reserve Airmen from here onboard three C-17 Globemaster IIIs to the North Auxiliary Field in North, S.C., where crewmembers performed airdrops and assault landings.

"We filmed two different scenarios: one focused on loadmasters and one focused on pilots," said Tim Sabo, the GSD&M creative director. "Both pieces showed the capabilities of the C-17 and the importance of teamwork to accomplish the mission."

The C-17s and their aircrews were filmed by a 16-person film crew.

To display the Airmen's teamwork in action, a loadmaster was filmed as he loaded cargo while a pilot prepared the C-17 for takeoff. The loadmaster and pilot were also interviewed as part of the commercials.

"We're saving lives and delivering freedom every day," said Col. Glen Joerger, the 437th Airlift Wing commander. "What better way to get young people excited about the Air Force than to show the great things our Charleston Airmen are doing?"

The crew took more than seven hours to film what will become two 30-second spots.
The focus of the commercials is to show the team aspect of the Air Force.

"It would be very difficult for just one person to operate everything on a C-17, so this commercial will show the importance of teamwork to fulfill the mission," said Mr. Sabo. "This commercial was filmed to showcase a part of the Air Force that the public doesn't really get to see. We want to be able to help everyone realize how important the Air Force mission is and how every single member is important."

The new focus of Air Force advertising is on the role it plays in national defense instead of just trying to recruit individuals.

"C-17s and their crews are an important part of that because they can take anything, anytime, anywhere," said Mr. Sabo.

On filming day, C-17s airdropped a Howitzer cannon, container delivery system bundles and other cargo for filming at North Field. All three C-17s then performed combat landings, which were filmed from the ground and the air.

After a short break, the crew filmed an aerial refueling, a tactical descent and interviewed aircrew members.

"It was exciting to be part of the Air Force advertising campaign," said 1st Lt. Sueann Lamia, a C-17 pilot with the 17th Airlift Squadron here. "C-17s have an awesome mission, and hopefully the spots will show the public some of our capabilities. It was a unique experience, and I'm proud our base was part of it."

GSD&M representatives said choosing Charleston AFB for the spots was a no-brainer.

"We filmed this at Charleston because we were looking for a base with C-17s to focus on air mobility," said Norah Rudyk, a GSD&M account specialist. "We had worked with Charleston before and were very pleased with their cooperation and willingness to assist us in accomplishing this production."

GSD&M hopes to have the commercials prepared to air on television at the beginning of March, after approval by Air Force senior leaders. To see other commercials in the Air Force's ad campaign, visit www.dosomethingamazing.com.

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Welcome Home!!

Navy Capt. Ollis J. Mozon, Chaplain, 1st Marine Logistics Group, helps a child with a heavy seabag. Marines and sailors with 1st Marine Logistics Group returned home from Iraq and met with family and friends for the first time in months at the 22 Area Parade Deck Feb. 2.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Chris Mann, MCB Camp Pendleton, 02/02/2007

Read the story associated with this photo

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My Two Cents: The Gathering Storm

I find myself looking at the news these days with a darkened spirit. The transient in the city streets, holding a sign that says "The End is Near" has become somewhat of an American colloquialism. Now, it's as if I'm suddenly seeing him before me, but he isn't talking about the end of the world...he's talking about the end of the America I know and love.

The Left's ever-echoing refrain about the November 2006 elections is that America voted for change - a new direction. I'm not convinced that America, as a whole, voted for anything. Rather, America showed an alarming amount of apathy. In an election that was excruciatingly important - not just with regard to Iraq, but to the future of this country. 2006 voter turnout was approximately 40%. Forty percent of America gave a hoot. Sixty percent simply abdicated their choice - their freedom to have a choice.

I'm not sure if it's a collective lack of motivation, or simply a belief that this country is invulnerable. After all, it's been a long time since this country was attacked on its own soil, right?

Or has it?

I seem to remember a sunny day in September, a little over five years ago...but then, we're not supposed to mention that anymore. It's become unseemly to mention September 11th, and all but illegal to mention it and Iraq in the same sentence - there's no direct connection, so therefore the entire War in Iraq has been invalidated, right?

I've said it before - we've forgotten the days when we called for blood. We've forgotten the days when we listened to the President tell us that this would be a long war, would have many fronts, and would not look like any war we'd seen before, and our only response was the rallying cry of that horrible day - "Let's roll."

The cynic in me says that it's simply a matter of the American desire to back a clear winner. Sometimes we're really petty as a country. If Iraq looked like Normandy, with grand assaults, happy little films at the beginning of movies, posters telling the average Joe he could be part of the war effort by using a little less butter on his toast, I guarantee you that we'd be seeing different numbers in the polls. But Iraq is a land of suicide bombers, shifting loyalties, and hard-fought gains. It's a land where the government of the country we're supposed to be backing alternately backs and criticizes us, where gains in building a native army suffer the setbacks of insurgent infiltration. Doesn't make for a nifty little fifteen-minute P.R. spot.

And Afghanistan has simply been forgotten in the public consciousness. Five years, and we've forgotten. My husband predicted it two weeks after 9/11. He said that in five years, no one would care - if it took that long.

The Anti-war movement is gaining steam again, bolstered by what they see as a vote for them in November 2006. Democrats act as if they never cast a vote to go to war, and Republicans backpeddle as quickly as they can. Gone are those who loudly, consistently, said that what we were doing was important - that we needed to fight to win. Even the President has stepped away from the straight talk that infuriated the Left, and inspired the Right.

And meanwhile, the clouds are massing.

I have always believed, always known, that no foreign power would destroy my country. I have always known that my country was something amazing - something unique, and possessed of an innate will, an innate strength, which would always make her a fearsome enemy.

Others have known that too. Japan, in World War II, feared invading this country because they believed that Americans were - well, a little bit nuts. The American populace has guns, and they believed the nutty Americans would use those guns if invaded.

During the Clinton impeachment, the rest of the world laughed at us for caring about a President's impropriety - all politicians, wise Europe knew, were corrupt. How could we expect our President not to be? We were silly, naive children for expecting a principled leader. Secretly, they rejoiced at the fact that America was finally brought down a peg. Finally, we weren't better than they were. Finally, we looked fallable.

From the days that a few colonists got their noses out of joint, the world has feared this country. Remember our origins. Never in the history of the world had a colony broken free. And the colonists over in the New World were taking on the British Empire - the massive empire over which the sun never set. It was insane - it was suicide - it had to fail.

But it didn't.

A scraggly little group of colonists had thrown off the largest Empire in the world. And then it did it again.

A violent Civil War ripped the country apart when it was not even a century old - over a group of people the entire civilized world saw as second-class citizens, no less! Granted, there were other issues - the very identity of the new nation was at stake. The world watched for the end of the little nation which stood for freedom, convinced that the war would tear it asunder.

But it didn't.

Rising from the ashes of the war-torn land came a unified nation, if bruised. The wounds of that war are still healing - the scars visible in the divided natures of those north and south. Certainly, the nation as a whole has seen the disgrace of slavery for what it is, but ill feelings linger in pockets here and there. And yet...

Half a world away, civilized Europe burned. Nations which supposedly had learned the ills of war, had learned to get along, suddenly erupted in a maelstrom of brewing hatred and resentment. The little nation that could entered the fray on the side of its former sovereign empire. And the world watched as suddenly it wasn't so little anymore. In the aftermath, the land of the free walked away from a negotiation table when Europe wanted to punish, not reconcile.

It would soon be back.

A few short decades later, Europe shuddered as that same foe rose again. Burning from the sting of the retribution of the previous conflict, and seeking a little vengeance of its own, that foe chose as its leader a man who promised greatness - and delivered. Europe capitulated, surrendered, knuckled under, gave way.

In the still-young land of the free, there was indecision, hesitation. Many voices said that this was not an American fight - not an American concern. It was Europe's problem. In the shadows, tales of great horrors were whispered. People were being killed - rounded up and sent to work camps. People were being exterminated for how they chose to worship. Even in the dark days that had led to a shipload of intrepid men and women coming American shores, it had never been like this. America watched with concern, but hesitated. Was war really worth it to save people that lived that far away?

At any rate, America was busy with other atrocities. Another empire was creating havoc. While America only half-heard the evils from Europe, it knew full well those in the East. Still, calmer heads prevailed, and it came to the table to speak.

It was about to learn a hard lesson in double-talk. Even while civilized discussions were being conducted, Japan was preparing for war.

This time, the Americans would be destroyed. Estimates of the American ability to recover from the attack on its Pacific fleet put the time needed at many, many years. The Americans would be crippled by an attack on Pearl Harbor. They would never be able to rebuild their navy in time. By the time they once again had fleets to send, there would be no point. One voice said that the American ingenuity was being underestimated. He was overruled.

America reeled when the bombs fell at Pearl Harbor. Massive casualties, indescribable horror, and incomprehensible damage. It should have been enough to send America scrambling for cover.

But it didn't.

In the previous World War, one sunken ship had been the impetus for war. One. Now there were many, many sunken or damaged warships. There were thousands killed or injured. And almost instantly, the world knew that this attack had been a grave miscalculation.

America had risen. The sleeping giant had been awoken. And finally, she realized that evil like this was everyone's problem. That an affront to others' freedom was a threat to freedom as a whole. And she cast her eyes on the enemy with a clear gaze.

On two fronts, the Americans fought. In Normandy, Iwo Jima, and hundreds of other locations, American troops taught the world a lesson about invoking the wrath of freedom's greatest defender.

And then, things started to change. An ugly little war in Asia, under the new U.N.'s watch, didn't play nearly as well in the press. The growing power of ideologies like Communism and Socialism took root in the nation that protected free speech. War had been so brutal that people began to once again forget that sometimes, there was no other option.

Another ugly war in the East. This time, the forked-tongues were ready. Preaching peace, and yet violently reacting to warriors, they hijacked public sentiment. A war that was decisively won on every measurable scale, until the party America had come to help made its choice to give in, became an abomination - an orgy of American atrocities. No one spoke of the atrocities commited ON the troops. No one spoke of the atrocities commited in the wake of the American departure. America became desensitized to the sacrifices of her heroes in daily broadcasts, lists of names that soon meant little. A departure that came as a result of the enemy being forcibly brought to the negotiation table became a return in disgrace.

Years of hijacked planes, bombings, rhetoric, and vitriol went unanswered. The giant slept again. America intervened here and there - but the efforts were halting, tentative, and devoid of her former strength. Not on the part of the boots on the ground, but in the heart of the nation, and in the commitment of its leaders.

Until a sunny day in September. Again, the sleeping giant rose in indignant rage. Again, the world trembled. Again, the nation that consistently defied civilized European wisdom showed that it knew how to deal with its enemies.

All but one. America has never, ever learned how to deal with the enemy within.

The finest country ever to exist has one great flaw - ironically, it is the very same freedom that makes her so spectacular. Out of that sweet freedom has come a twisted perversion - "political correctness" twists the nation that has offended the world from day 1 into a nation that fears offending anyone - even those who seek to destroy her.

She has always saved herself in the nick of time - until now. But she has never been so beguiled by lies as she is now. Now, she contemplates "dialogue" with those that will never abandon what they see as a religious duty to obliterate her. Now, she speaks of lives "wasted" in her defense. Now, she allows a friendly nation to be besieged by terrorists, and sends envoys to temper that nation's reaction. Now, she contemplates abandoning a war - in the face of her most dangerous enemy - and creating another generation of heroes who will wonder if they did the right thing. Now, more than half of her population abdicates its voting rights in one of the most important elections in her history. She once again hears the voices of the appeasers, the redistributors of wealth, those who snicker at the very freedom which allows them speech - but now she says nothing; her leaders run for the path of least resistance.

Where is my country? Where is my America?

Where are those voices who have always risen? Where are the "cowboys" who remind the world of who we are, and are not afraid to defend us against any enemy? Where are those who will call evils like Communism what they are, and recognize that things like "universal" healthcare are means to punish those who dare to get ahead? Where are those who recognize such things as the very antithesis of what this country is, and ought to be?

Do they not see the storm on the horizon?

Radical nations (some of whom have already shown themselves to be a firm enemy) are ready. They call for the destruction of the land of the free, and of all those who would dare to stand with her. Civilized Europe, for the most part, does what it has always done in modern history - trade freedom for a place out of the direct line of fire; trade doing the right thing for doing what is expedient.

One nation (oddly enough, one born out of the same Empire, and of similarly humble stock), speaks as loudly as America used to. Australia sees the black, boiling threat on the horizon.

If we fail in Iraq, we lose a battle in the most important war in our history. This one is not just about a sandy land in the Middle East. This one is once again about the little experiment that started in some British colonies a little over 200 years ago. If we fail in Iraq, we don't immediately lose the war, but we end up at a disadvantage that may eventually prove fatal.

If things continue as they are now, the population that is apathetic at best may end up with a pacifist President - one who despises the very fire that forged this nation. Follow that progression and the results are catastrophic. Political correctness will rule the day. Capitalism will give way to "redistribution," "fairness," and so called "justice." Said "justice" will consist of giving everything to those who work for nothing, and leaving those who work for everything with nothing left to lose. Voices like mine (and many far more talented) will be silenced under the guise of "fairness," so that the only option is watered-down, airbrushed, "progressive" language. The arms of the people will be seized under the guise of ensuring safety, and they will be left vulnerable. Freedom will perish, and fear will rule.

We will be weakened by those within our own lands, and vulnerable to those who gather and wait for the first stumble, the first sign that we can be defeated. They have always been wrong in the past. But if we are weakened from within, it will not matter what armor we have on the outside. Like a hollow tree, we will crumble.

Our enemies - all of our enemies - hate what we are. They hate that we continue to snub convention. They hate that we flourish, because it exposes their failures. They hate that we exalt the individual achievement, because they see their own weaknesses. They hate that we do not apologize for greatness, because they see their own inadequacies. They hate our courage, because it exposes their cowardice. They hate those of us who speak plainly, who call terrorists and murderers and cowards what they are, because it exposes the thin veil of their lies.

Half a world away, men and women willingly risk their lives for a country that we would simply give away. To do so is the ultimate betrayal. It is an offense that is unforgiveable.

I have a fear now that I have never known - a fear that my nation, my America, who I know can never be defeated, will simply choose to commit suicide. Like eternal Rome, crippled by a welfare state she couldn't support, and paranoia that sabotaged her united identity, this nation may very well buckle under the weight of political correctness, self-deprecation, and cowardice. I fear that years from now, children will learn of a once-great nation that stood for freedom only in history class, and then only in harsh tones that ridicule her for her idealism.

And yet, I hope. For in me is that spark, handed down from the generations that preceded me - from my ancestors who were among the earliest explorers to seek a better life here - the defiant spark that has on occasion burned like a bonfire in the hearts of the greatest among us.

We have beaten the odds before. But the clock of the world is ticking, and we are running out of time. If my nation is to be twisted into something vile, something cowardly, something weak and subservient to lick the hands of its enemies, then it may very well be better for her to be destroyed. For if that happens, she will already be dead inside, and the destruction would be a mercy killing.

Either we wake up, and we stop apologizing for who and what we are, or we dissolve into apathy and eventual obliteration. Either we take a stand against those who once again threaten to bring us down from within, or we betray all of those who have risked life and limb to defend this country against any and all enemies. Either we deal with those who threaten us - without mincing words and without playing games, or they win. Either we learn from history, or like France, we simply rewrite it and wipe from the slate any record of the upstart nation that dared to speak for freedom, and dared to refuse to apologize for it.

Either we face the gathering storm head-on, or like the cowards who change position with the shifting winds, we simply watch the destruction.

Half a world away, those who represent the best in us are waiting for an answer.

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Cebu, Philippines (Feb. 12, 2007) – Crew members from USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) rescue and assistance team respond to a shipboard fire aboard the passenger ferry Manila Bay One. Blue Ridge firefighters working alongside local Coast Guard and the Manila Bay One crew battled the casualty for more than six hours before finally extinguishing the blaze. Blue Ridge and embarked U.S. 7th Fleet staff are in the Philippines as part of Project Friendship, a humanitarian assistance/community service project with the Armed forces of the Philippines. During Project Friendship in the Philippines, the ship's approximately 1000 crew and U.S. 7th Fleet staff along with embarked Marines and Seabees will participate in friendship-building and goodwill-generating activities. U.S Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrew Meyers

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Michael Yon: What in the World is This?

Michael Yon is asking for help in identifying one of the many weapons found in Iraq:

In the face of all this “new” controversy about “foreign” weapons in the battle space, I recalled some of the many photos I've taken of caches of weapons captured by Iraqi and American forces in Iraq. The photo above is from one of these.

None of the military persons who've seen the photo were able to identify the weapon depicted in it.

To view the picture, and to see if you can identify the mystery weapon, visit Michael Yon: Online Magazine.

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OBSERVATION POST — An interpreter named Elk surveys Observation Post Tressels while Marines from Regimental Combat Team 6, Personal Security Detail, get ready to leave Fallujah, Iraq, Feb. 2, 2007. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Robert B. Brown

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In Today's News - Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Quote of the Day
"No man's life, liberty, or property are safe
while the legislature is in session."

-- Mark Twain (1866)


News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Suicide truck bomber kills 18 near Baghdad college - Video
Pace questions whether Iran arming Iraq

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Navy May Use Dolphins to Fight Terrorism
Zawahiri Calls for Muslim Unity in New Tape
FBI Offers $5 Million Rewards for Terrorists
6 Dead in Wave of Algerian Bomb Attacks
Lebanon bus blasts kill at least three, wounds 20 - Video
Islamic Jihad threatens to target U.S. over leader
Nigerian kidnappers release 24 Filipino hostages
Somali PM vows to bring Islamists to justice
Questions raised in 9/11 cop's death

Fallen Heroes
U.S. military deaths in Iraq at 3,125

Other Military News
VA Notifying 1.8M of Possible Data Loss
Probe Sought in 1946 Killing of Ga. Black Vet
Vets Face More Health Care Cuts
Military.com - DT: Stopping Copter Threat

Worldwide Wackos
North Korea Nukes Deal (Oh, yeah, this is going to work - and I'm the Queen of the Nile)
U.S. Vows to Loosen Grip on N. Korea's Finances in 30 Days
Anyalysts' reaction to the agreement
Details on the North Korea plan
Senior atom inspector removed from Iran post
Joe Kennedy Fires Back Over Chavez Ad

Politics / Government
Romney to Throw Hat Into Ring
Edwards' Blogger Quits After 'Anti-Catholic' Comments
Pelosi Kicks off House Debate on Iraq War
With eye on 2008, Iowans watch Iraq war debate - Video
Obama draws contrast with Clinton over Iraq war - Video

Immigration / Border Control
Report: BofA Credit Card Targets Illegals
Nashville Mayor Vetoes English-Only Bill

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Teen Gunman Kills 5 In Utah Mall Rampage
Man Kills 3, Self at Philadelphia Board Meeting
Fight over O.J. Simpson's money goes to Hollywood
Goldman family subpoenas Simpson records
Some judges open to cameras in courtroom
Libby to call his former deputy to stand

U.N. News
At least 30 Somalis, Ethiopians drown off Yemen: UN

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
Columnist who reported CIA leak testifies in trial
Sex bloggers bare all on the Internet
Belgian papers win Google copyright suit

Science / Medicine / Technology
Scientists to save 5,000-year-old embrace
Study suggests possible bird flu immunity
Cell phones mobilized to fight AIDS in Africa
Samsung unveils new phones, including world's thinnest
Church to pay $500K over shark poaching

Mother Nature
3 Hurt After Tornado Rips Into N.O. Hotel
Storm hits Midwest with snow, ice, wind

News from My Neck of the Woods
Major Winter Storm Headed For Northeast
New York county acts on `N' word

Oddities
Beware the pitfalls of office romance
Got milk? Got beer!

Other News of Note
God, Darwin clash again in Kansas
Wash. chlorine leak prompts evacuations

Fox News
Did Chimps Use Hammers 4,300 Years Ago?
Statement From PETA on Anna Nicole Smith's Death

Reuters: Top News
Japan hosts whaling meet as anti-whalers boycott
Intensive care helps smokers quit, study finds
Weight debate overshadows London's fashion stars
Robbie Williams goes into rehab for drug addiction - Video
Wide open Oscar race highlights range of favorites
Oil steady under $58
Alcoa shares jump on takeover talk
Stocks set for strong open; Alcoa eyed
Gold price hovers near 7-month peak
Ryanair shares at record before Nasdaq 100 debut
Reuters Hotels and Casinos Summit
Sands bets on Macau
Audio: SideStepping to Asia?
Believing in Bernanke
CVS and Caremark triple proposed special dividend
BHP Billiton not currently eyeing Alcoa: source
Applebee's exploring options, including sale
Nasdaq 4th-qtr earnings more than triple
2006 trade gap widens to sets record
Sony to slash chip spending

AP World News
Louisville stuns No. 7 Pitt
Comair and pilots union reach agreement
'Martyball' era ends in San Diego
J&J discloses possible improper payments
Obituaries in the news
Company challenges ferry ban in Hamptons

Military.com
Op-ed: Inappropriate Not Illegal
Blog: Back to Walter Reed
Valentines Day Already? D'oh!
Advisors: SEAL Workout Tips
Slow Market House Sale Help

CENTCOM: Press Releases
IRAQI ARMY, 2-7 CAVALRY TAKE DOWN INSURGENT OPERATION; SOLVE MURDER, UNCOVER LARGE WEAPONS CACHE
TALIBAN SENIOR LEADER TARGETED IN ASSAULT
AIRPOWER SUMMARY FOR FEB. 11
MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS HIT MARKETPLACE, SCORES KILLED
POLISH CIVIL MILITARY COOPERATION GROUP ACCOMPLISHES PROJECTS
RECONSTRUCTION, REINFORCEMENT OF BUHRIZ POLICE STATION UNDERWAY

USJFCOM
President meets with troops - photos
USJFCOM symposium looks to further improve intelligence support for warfighter - podcast
Learn more about JTC-I
USJFCOM sends second rotation to support CENTCOM - podcast

DefenseLink
Gates, Pakistani President Discuss Border Issues - Story
Forces Battle Terrorism near Afghanistan-Pakistan Border
Transcript: Gates Press Conference in Pakistan
Petraeus Takes Command of Multinational Force - Story
Pace: Australia Global Leader in Fight on Terror - Story
Pace Thanks Australians, Seeks Closer Ties
Air Still Safest Travel in Iraq, General Says - Story
Active Military Meets January Recruiting Goals - Story

More Headline News
Iraqis Fulfilling Their Promises, Pace Says
World Much More Complex Than During Cold War
Military, U.S. Agencies Combine Efforts in Africa
Gates Urges NATO Allies to Honor Commitments

Military News
Vietnam Hero to be Awarded Medal of Honor
Technology Helps Soldiers Stay Close to Family
Supplemental Funds Critical to Army Readiness
Wounded Marine Goes Home in Style

War on Terror
Bomb-Making Sites Raided - Story
Two U.S. Soldiers Die in Iraq
Assault Targets Taliban Leader
Suspected Terrorists Captured

America Supports You
New Program Spotlights Team - Story
Success Shows Deep Support
NHL Team Honors Troops
Program Ships Love to Troops

Transformation
Blood Program Web Site Gets New Look, Updated Content - Story
Combat Systems Restructured
Dover Reorganizes for C-17s
Leaders Discuss 1,000-Ship Navy

Face of Defense
Spouses Serve in Iraq
Sailor Earns Bronze Star
Songs Soothe Combat Soldiers

DefendAmerica
NEWS UPDATES
Pace: Iraqis Fulfill Promises - Story
Stability & Security in Iraq Report (pdf)
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
Army Engineers Help Build Potable Water Plant - Story
Taji Unit Works to Keep Supplies on the Road - Story
Residents Reap Benefits of New Petrol Station - Story
Soldiers Secure Area as Doctors Treat Villagers - Story
New Mayor Takes the Lead on Reconstruction - Story
Iraqi, U.S. Soldiers Clean Up Streets of Baghdad - Story
Reconstruction Team Opens New Bridge, Road - Story

IN IRAQ
Unit Assists With Community Relations Project
Three Neighborhoods Get Water, Sewer Upgrade
Stryker Soldiers Make Adhamiyah District Safer
Two Shammar Villages Enjoy School Renovations
Correctional Facilities Help Secure Iraq’s Future
Senior Official at Iraq Ministry of Health Detained
Combined Force Troops Get Commando Training

IN AFGHANISTAN
Zabul Provincial Hospital Welcomes Jordanians
Goodwill Missions Continue in Eastern Afghanistan
Senior Air Force Leaders Address Deployments

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
'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: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

Weather
Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Germany
Ansbach Aschaffenburg Berlin Berlin-Tempelhof Berlin/Schonefeld Bremerhaven
Darmstadt Frankfurt Frankfurt/Main Freiburg/Breisgau Garmisch
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Geilenkirchen Gelnhausen Giessen Kitzingen
Hanau Am Main Heidelberg Mainz Mannheim Nurnberg Stuttgart Trier
Wiesbaden Wurzburg

Gitmo

Guam
Agana Agana Heights Agat Andersen AFB Asan Barrigada

Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Japan
Kadena Air Base Okinawa Tokyo Yokohama

Philippines
Baler Radar Site Catanduanes Radar Site Manila

South Korea
Cheju Upper/Radar Chonju Chunchon Inch'on Kunsan Masan Mokp'o
Osan Pusan Seoul Suwon Taegu Taejon Tonghae Radar Site Ulsan Yosu

Today in History
1130
- Gregorio de' Papareschi elected as Pope Innocent II
1349 - Jews are expelled from Burgsordf, Switzerland
1510 - Charles of Gelre conquerors Oldenzaal
1545 - Willem of Nassau becomes prince of Orange
1566 - St. Augustine, FL founded
1633 - Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome for trial before Inquisition for professing belief that earth revolves around the Sun
1668 - Treaty of Lisbon Spain recognizes Portugal
1678 - Tycho Brahe 1st sketches "Tychonic system" of solar system
1689 - British Parliament adopts Bill of Rights
1692 - MacDonald clan murdered on orders of King William III
1693 - College of William & Mary opens
1706 - Battle at Fraustadt Swedish army beats Russia/Saksen
1755 - Rebel leader Mangkubuni signs Treaty of Gianti, Java
1777 - Marquis de Sade arrested without charge, imprisoned in Vincennes fortress
1782 - French fleet occupies St Christopher
1795 - 1st state university in US opens, University of North Carolina
1799 - 1st US law regulating insurance passed, by Massachusetts
1809 - French take Saragossa, Spain after a long siege
1816 - Teatro San Carlo in Naples destroyed by fire
1826 - American Temperance Society forms in Boston
1832 - 1st appearance of cholera at London
1837 - Riot in New York over high price of flour
1860 - King Basse Kajuara departs Boni South-Celebes
1861 - 1st military action to result in Congressional Medal of Honor, Arizona; Abraham Lincoln declared President; Colonel Bernard Irwin attacks & defeats hostile Chiricahua Indians
1862 - Siege of Ft Donelson, TN
1864 - Meridian Campaign - fighting at Chunky Creek & Wyatt, MS
1866 - Jesse James holds up his 1st bank, Liberty MO ($15,000)
1895 - Moving picture projector patented
1907 - English suffragettes storm British Parliament & 60 women are arrested
1920 - National Negro Baseball League organized; League of Nations recognizes perpetual neutrality of Switzerland; Switzerland rejoins League of Nations
1924 - King Tut's tomb opened
1925 - US Congress makes Surpreme Court appeal more difficult
1927 - Uprising against Portuguese regime of General Carmona defeated
1929 - Cruiser Act OKs construction of 19 new cruisers & an aircraft carrier
1934 - Austrian Dollfuss government bans socialistic party
1935 - Bruno Hauptmann found guilty of kidnap & murder of Lindbergh's infant
1941 - Nazi leaders attack Dutch Jewish Council
1942 - Hitler's Operation Seelöwe (invasion of England) cancelled
1943 - German assault on Sidi Bou Zid Tunisia, General Eisenhower visits front; Women's Marine Corps created
1945 - Allied planes bomb Dresden Germany; 135,000 die; USSR captures Budapest, after 49-day battle with Germany; 159,000 die
1948 - Wright Flyer, 1st plane to fly, returns to US from England
1948 - Men's Figure Skating Championship in Davos won by Richard Button USA
1955 - Israel acquires 4 of 7 Dead Sea scrolls
1959 - Miro Cardon, premier of Cuba, resigns
1961 - Soviet Union fires a rocket from Sputnik V to Venus
1965 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Peggy Fleming
1968 - US sends 10,500 additional soldiers to Vietnam
1969 - Suriname government of Pengel resigns
1971 - Golfing Vice President Spiro Agnew hits 2 tee shots into the crowd, injuring 2; 12,000 South Vietnamese troops cross into Laos
1974 - Dissident Nobel writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn expelled from USSR
1975 - Cyprus premier Denktash proclaims Turkish-Cypriot Federation
1976 - Dorothy Hamill wins Olympics figure-skating gold, Innsbruck, Austria
1977 - Eric Heiden is 1st American to win world speed skating championship
1981 - Longest sentence published by New York Times-1286 words
1984 - Konstantin Chernenko succeeds Yuri Andropov as USSR leader; 6 year old Texan Stormie Jones gets 1st heart & liver transplant
1985 - Polish police arrest 7 Solidarity leaders
1988 - 15th Winter Olympics games open at Calgary, Canada; European Community plans removal of inner boundaries on Jan 1, 1992
1989 - Salvadoran army attacks Encuentros hospital, rapes, kills patients; Kidnapped Belgian Premier Vanden Boeynants freed
1990 - US, England, France & England give Germany the OK to re-unify; 50 killed at Inkatha-UDF battle in Natal, South Africa
1991 - Syria tells Germany they are ready to recognize Israel; US bombs Iraqi air raid shelter, killing 334
1994 - Ship disaster near Ranong Thailand, kills 200
1997 - Discovery captures Hubble Space Telescope

Birthdays
1480 - Hieronymus Aleander [Girólamo Aleandro], Italian diplomat/cardinal
1599 - Alexander VII [Fabio Chigi], Italian pope (1655-67)
1757 - John C. Hespe, Dutch journalist/politician
1768 - Édouard Mortier, French general, duke, prime minister (1834-35)
1813 - Charles Pierre Schimpf, Governor of Suriname (1855-59)
1831 - John Aaron Rawlins, Union Brevet Major General
1833 - William Whedbee Kirkland, Confederate Brigadier General
1849 - Lord Randolph Churchill, English politician, Winston's father
1852 - Johan L.E. Dreyer, Danish astronomer (New generation catalogue of nebulae)
1874 - Hendrik Spiekman, Dutch politician (S
1887 - Alvin York (Sgt. York), famed US Soldier with 25 kills in WWI
1892 - Robert Houghwout Jackson, 84th Supreme Court justice (1941-54)
1893 - Ana Pauker-Rabensohn, Romanian communist/foreign minister (1945-52)
1902 - Blair Moody, (Senator-MI)
1908 - Pauline Frederick, journalist/correspondent (UN, NBC TV)
1910 - William B. Shockley, US physicist (Nobel 1956 - for research on semiconductors and discovery of the transistor effect along with John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain)
1913 - Guiseppe Dossetti, politician/priest
1922 - Lord Pym of Sandy, British minister of foreign affairs
1923 - Chuck Yeager, US test pilot (1st man to break sound barrier)
1924 - Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, French economist/politician
1929 - Omar Torrijos Herrera, President of Panamá
1933 - Paul Biya, President of Cameroon
1937 - Sigmund Jähn, cosmonaut (Soyuz 31/29)
1939 - Valery Illych Rozhdestvensky, cosmonaut (Soyuz 23)
1942 - Donald E. Williams, Captain USN/astronaut (STS 51D, STS 34)
1952 - David Puilum Choi, murderer (FBI Most Wanted List)

Passings
1130 - Honorius II [Lamberto], Pope (1124-30)
1237 - Jordanus of Saxon 2nd general of Dominicans, drowns
1332 - Andronicus II Paleologus, Byzantine emperor (1282-1328)/monk
1542 - Catherine Howard, queen of England/5th wife of Henry VIII, beheaded
1660 - Charles X Gustaaf, King of Sweden (1654-60), dies at 37
1784 - Charles Gravier, French earl of Vergennes/Minister of Foreign Affairs
1818 - George Rogers Clark, frontier military leader in Revolutionary War
1882 - Henry Highland Garnet, diplomat, dies in Monrovia, Liberia at 66
1891 - David Dixon Porter, US Rear Admiral (Union Army-Civil War), dies at 77
1941 - Naomi Uemura, Japanese mountain climber, dies on Mt. McKinley
1960 - Delmar G. Roos, designer of the jeep, dies at 79
1976 - General Murtala Mohammed head of Nigeria, killed during a coup
1982 - Zeng Jinlian, grew to 8'1" (tallest woman), dies at 17
1995 - Joan A.C. Ramsey nee Hamilton, lady Ramsey of Canterbury, dies at 84

Reported Missing in Action
1967
Carlson, Paul V., USN (MN); F4B crashed in water, Killed, body not recovered

1969
Herlik, Querin, US Army (WI); RU1A shot down, released by Sihanouk March, 1969 - retired as a Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

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