U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Willie Frederick, 31st Civil Engineer Squadron, reunites with his wife after returning to Aviano Air Base, Italy, May 18, 2007. The airmen served for the past four months at a forward operating location in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Michael S. Dorus


U.S. Air Force Master Sgt Andrew Bizier, 31st Civil Engineer Squadron, reunites with his wife after returning to Aviano Air Base, Italy, May 18, 2007. The airmen served for the past four months at a forward operating location in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Michael S. Dorus


U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew Huard, 31st Civil Engineer Squadron, with his daughter after returning to Aviano Air Base, Italy, May 18, 2007. The airmen served for the past four months at a forward operating location in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Michael S. Dorus


U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Richard Verduzco, 31st Civil Engineer Squadron, reunites with his son and daughter after returning to Aviano Air Base, Italy, May 18, 2007. The airmen served for the past four months at a forward operating location in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Michael S. Dorus


U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew Huard, 31st Civil Engineer Squadron, with his daughter after returning to Aviano Air Base, Italy, May 18, 2007. The airmen served for the past four months at a forward operating location in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Michael S. Dorus


Thank you, Welcome Home, and Job Well Done to these brave Heroes!


More photo essays at DefendAmerica

Labels: 31st Civil Engineer Squadron, Operation Enduring Freedom, photos, US Air Force, Welcome Home

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Al-Sadr in the Crosshairs - U.S. raids radical cleric's Baghdad stronghold (Heeeere, Mookie)
Al Qaeda: War Funding Bill Will 'Change Nothing at All'
U.S. says militant held in Iraq has Iranian ties
U.S., British forces battle Mehdi Army in Baghdad, Basra
Bush mulling sharp cuts in troops in Iraq: report
IRAQI ARMY, COALTION FORCES CLEAR MUQDADIYA
SEVEN HOSTAGES RESCUED IN BAQOUBA
GIANT CACHE COMPLEX, EXPLOSIVE FACTORY FOUND DURING SEARCH FOR TROOPS
IRAQI SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES KILL INSURGENT COMMANDER

Operation Enduring Freedom
Afghan insecurity disrupts vital aid: U.N.
Prosecutor asks up to 3 years in jail for Libby
AFGHAN BORDER POLICE DETAIN NANGARHAR TALIBAN LEADER
MILITANT DETAINED IN AFGHANISTAN
AFGHAN BORDER POLICE DETAIN NANGARHAR PROVINCE TALIBAN LEADER

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Hamas Rules Out Truce
NY pressed to review deaths of Ground Zero workers
Israel pounds Gaza, arrests Palestinian minister
Senate moves to expand detainee rights (In my view, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY STINKING RIGHTS!!!)
8 killed in market explosion in India

Fallen Heroes
9-11 memorial takes shape at Pentagon
Bush pays tribute to fallen U.S. troops
TAPS Helps Families Cope

Supporting Our Heroes
Son Seeks to Honor Mom's WWII Service

Other Military News
Pentagon Report Says China's January Missile Test on Satellite, Other Actions Cause for Concern
Prewar U.S. intelligence warned of Iraq war effects
U.S. show of force in Gulf alarming: Afghan paper (OK, let me get this straight....Iran's bullcrap isn't alarming, but a couple of U.S. ships are???? How does THAT make any sense???)
U.S. chopper crashes during Jordan exercises

Worldwide Wackos
North Korea fired one missile, not several: report
Castro blasts Bush about Iraq war funds (If Castro doesn't like what we're doing, we're doing something right.)

Homegrown Moonbats
Rosie Won't Be Back on 'The View' - VIDEO

Politics / Government
White House Hopefuls Battle Over Iraq War
Voters would invite Giuliani, Obama to picnic: poll (Perhaps one of the dumbest headlines ever...)
Obama, Clinton side with anti-war Democrats
Clinton says she's not blowing off Iowa (Not anymore, anyway)

Illegal Immigration / Border Control
Border Patrol may tighten Vt. village

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Orlando Police Release Surveillance Video in Hopes of Finding Woman Missing for 16 Months
New Efforts in Aruba to Find Missing U.S. Teen 2 Years After Disappearance
Stanford Probes Claim Woman Conned Her Way Into Living in Dorms
Former Texas Stripper Gets Jail Time for Embezzling Money to Start NASCAR Team
Body of Intruder Found in Ductwork on Roof of Arizona Elementary School
Male Astronaut in Love Triangle to Leave NASA
Manhunt in Missing Madeleine Case - VIDEO
Find Missing Woman; Collect $1M - VIDEO

Adventures in Political Correctness
Sweden Secedes From the 'Universe'

Science / Medicine / Technology
Company Recalls Premature Infant Formula
Glaxo's Avandia study in jeopardy: official
Some Frito-Lay products to bear heart claim
Phones that tell you where to drive, meet, eat
CDC warns about contact lens solution

Mother Nature
Alabama Boy Kills 1,051-Pound Monster Pig, Bigger Than 'Hogzilla' (Holy flippin' crap, if this is real, this pig is HUGE. Check out the kid's website here)
Flash Floods Kill 5 in Central Texas
Cicadas a tasty treat for zoo animals
Calif. farmers fear spread of apple moth
Activists: U.S. to reject climate deal

Oddities
Doctors Deliver Baby on Delta Flight to Atlanta
Dig N.J. beaches? Better know the rules
Bobblehead sends Wash. workers fleeing

Other News of Note
U.S. Mint: 'Silver Surfer' Coin Is Illegal
Ukraine rivals hold talks, troops deployed to Kiev

Fox News
Mexico: Land of Milk and Cheap Gas
GAS PRICE TRACKER
Gas Prices Hit Peak Ahead of Holiday Weekend
Jordin Sparks Plans Next Step After 'Idol' Win
NEWS IN PICTURES: Today's News in Photos
Rep.'s Family Paid With Campaign Funds
Posh PR: Victoria Beckham ‘Spices’ Up Her Sex Life

Reuters: Top News
Irish PM looks for allies as 3rd term beckons
Landis faces lengthy wait for hearing outcome
Bebo and "Lonelygirl15" creators launch UK version - Video
Vienna goes glam for Europe's biggest HIV charity bash
"Star Wars" 30th anniversary party draws thousands
May jobs data to test stocks' rally - Video
Wall St closes up as Nasdaq, Coke spur M&A optimism - Video
U.S. crude jumps $1 on gasoline worries - Video
Dollar slips after weak house data
Amgen to appeal as EU experts reject Vectibix drug
If world has one rate, it looks too low
Banks flock to booming carbon trade
Former Wal-Mart exec accuses CEO of ethics breach
Chrysler wants to boost presence in Russia: report
Money talked in $4.1 billion Coke/Glaceau deal - Video
Home Depot looks to mend investor fences
Endemol's new owners to invest, shop: report
"Flat" world is starting to tilt

AP World News
'The Bachelor,' new fiancee go to Hawaii
Beckham returns to England for big games
Judge to dismiss Carol Burnett's lawsuit
Boss: Torre's safe, but GM's on big hook
38M plan to travel over holiday weekend
6 arrests made in kidney selling case
Pirates overcome Griffey's 574th homer

Military.com
Bush Signs Iraq War Spending Bill
Poll: Memorial Day Too Commercial?
Why Pay for College?
Op-Ed: Misusing Memorial Day
Podcast: Is Al Qaeda Growing?
DT: Next Gen Body Armor
Visit a Military Cemetery Near You

CENTCOM: News Releases
SECRET CELL KEY LEADER DETAINED, AIR STRIKE IN SADR CITY
TWO MILITANTS DETAINED
TWO TERRORISTS KILLED, 23 SUSPECTS DETAINED, EXPLOSIVES DESTROYED
PRT TAKES AFGHAN EDUCATION TO A NEW LEVEL
1-15 INF FINDS, DESTROYS LARGE MUNITIONS CACHE
COALITION FORCES NAB 20 SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA TERRORISTS
MILITANTS ATTACK COALITION BASE IN NORTHEN HELMAND
IRAQI ARMY FINDS WEAPONS CACHES NEAR ABU GHRAIB

USJFCOM
USJFCOM testing Sense Through Structures capabilities - podcast
Liveblogging: Joint Urban Warrior 07
U.S. Joint Forces Command, Marines begin Joint Urban Warrior 07
Unmanned vehicle management system capability under evaluation - podcast

Multi-National Force-Iraq
Iraqi Police reach out to communities through security, presence
Secret cell key leader detained, air strike in Sadr City
Two terrorists killed, 23 suspects detained, explosives destroyed
Giant cache complex, explosive factory found during search for troops
MNF-W Marine dies in non-combat incident
Paratroopers capture seven from IED cell
COALITION FORCES NAB 20 SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA TERRORISTS
Navy SEALs share war stories from Anbar province

DefenseLink
Bush Applauds Bipartisan Supplemental Bill
Gates Urges Graduates To Be Strong, Decisive - Video - Speech Transcript
Desire to Serve, Lead Led Grads to Naval Academy
Officials Confirm Identity of Missing Soldier's Body
Navy SEALs Share War Stories From Iraq
Report: Chinese Military Needs Transparency
Intel Leader Explains Pentagon's New Vision
Pace Urges Reflection in Memorial Day Message
Coalition Positioned to Diffuse Iraq Violence
Despite Violence, Iraq Better Off Without Saddam
Memorial Day: Honor, Remember, Rededicate

More Headline News
Gates, Pace: Local Leaders Critical to Success
Guard’s Lack of Equipment Puts U.S. at Risk
Rebuilding Progress Should Be Taken in Context
Rice, Australian Foreign Minister Visit Marines
President Praises U.S. Coast Guard Graduates

Military News
Sailor Brings Father Home from War, 37 Years Later
USS Anzio Rescues Stranded Ukrainian Sailors
New Stamp Features Air Force One

America Supports You
Texans Greet Returning Troops
CBS Highlights ASY - Video
Pro Golfer Vows Support
Phone Card Donations Flourish

War on Terror
Coalition, Iraqi Forces Detain 28
Modular Combat Team Surges
Six Soldiers Killed
Coalition Forces Detain 15
Troops Kill, Capture Insurgents

Transformation
Biological Team Protects Airmen
Officials Stand Up Joint Space Office
Thinking Lean, a Must for Force
Navy Launches USNS Byrd

Face of Defense
Reserve Chief Is Business Savvy
Firefighter Lives His Dream
Soldier Shares Experiences
Navy Dad, Marine Son Reunite
Marine Trains in Anti-Terrorism

DefendAmerica
NEWS UPDATES
Pace Urges Reflection InMemorial Day Message - Story

ON THE GROUND
Health Clinic Takes Care of Thousands in Iraq - Story
Army Paratroopers Share Thoughts on Surge - Story
Feeling the Heat: Medics Trained in Fire Rescues - Story
Marine Makes Tribal Connections in Al Anbar - Story

IN IRAQ
Al Qaim Detachment Plays Role in Iraq Transition
Security Brings Desired Results to Al Anbar
Sadoun Street Receives Facelift in Baghdad
'Battlefield Docs' Converge in Iraq to Hone Skills
Group Provides Direction for Buddhist Soldiers
Army Unit Gets New Patch During Ceremony

IN DJIBOUTI
New Water Drilling Rig Arrives In Djibouti
German Navy Donates Vehicles, Suppport
Joint Effort to Repair School Library in Africa
Task Force Showers Orphans With Supplies

IN AFGHANISTAN
Hard Work Creates Progress in Border Provinces
Coalition Forces Defuse Soviet–era Bomb

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

Today in History
0961 - German King Otto II crowned
1798 - British troops kill about 500 Irish insurgents at the Battle of Tara.
1805 - Lewis & Clark first see the ocky Mountains; Napoleon is crowned king of Italy.
1824 - Brazil is recognized by the U.S.
1861 - The Union blockades New Orleans & Mobile.
1864 - The territory of Montana is formed.
1865 - Battle of Galveston, TX.
1868 - President Andrew Johnson avoids impeachment by 1 vote.
1896 - The last Czar of Russia, Nicholas II, is crowned.
1922 - Lenin suffers a stroke.
1924 - President Coolidge signs the Immigration Law (restricting immigration).
1937 - San Francisco Bay's Golden Gate Bridge opens.
1941 - An Ark Royal airplane sights the German battleship Bismarck.
1942 - The Nazis require Belgian Jews to wear a Jewish star; The African corps faces the British Army in a tank battle at Bir Hakeim.
1943 - Jews riot against Germany in Amsterdam.
1944 - 82nd Airborne division landsat La Haye du Puits to Ste Mère Eglise (D-Day).
1945 - The U. S. fire bombs Tokyo.
1946 - A patent is filed in the U.S. for the H-Bomb
1948 - The entire Hagana armed forces are sworn-in as Israeli soldiers; South Africa elects a nationalist government with an apartheid policy.
1961 - A USAF bomber flies the Atlantic in a record of just over 3 hours.
1981 - A Marine jet crashes on the flight deck of the USS Nimitz, killing 14; Soyuz T-4 returns to Earth.
1987 - Supreme Court rules that dangerous defendants can be held without bail.

Birthdays
1566 - Mohammed III, Sultan of Turkey
1835 - Confederate Artillery Brigadier General Edward Porter Alexander
1867 - Mary queen, of Great Britain/North Ireland
1877 - Sadao Araki, Japanese general/minister of War
1899 - Pieter Menten, Dutch war criminal
1903 - Estes Kefauver (Senator-TN)
1910 - Adolfo Lopez Mateos, President of México
1924 - Cooper Evans (Representative-IA)
1951 - Muhammed Ahmad Faris Syria, cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-3); Sally Kristen Ride, first U.S. woman astronaut (STS-7, STS 41G)
1968 - Frederik, Heir Apparent Crown Prince of Denmark

Passings
1421 - Mohammed I, sultan of Turkey
1512 - Bajezid II, Governor of Amasja/8th Sultan of Turkey, dies
1818 - Michael A. Barclay de Tolly, Russian field marshal/War Minister
1883 - Abd el-Kader, Algerian sultan/religious ruler
1939 - Cornelis J. Cutters, supreme commander of Navy
1996 - Halka Grossman, resistance fighter/politician

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Glandon, Gary A., USAF (TN); F4C crashed (Weapons Systems Officer, w/Griffey), Killed / BNR

Griffey, Terrance H., USAF (IA); F4C crashed (pilot, w/Glandon), Killed / BNR

1967
Mecleary, Read Blaine USN (CT); A4E shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired from active duty as a Captain, then served in the USNR, retiring as an O-6 Captain - alive and well in 1998

Labels: Headlines, History