A combat engineer from Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, sweeps for weapons caches in a palm grove July 30 during Operation Pegasus Bridge, near Karmah, Iraq. The operation, which concluded after five days, upturned numerous caches, homemade explosives and other indications of evil activity in the Al Anbar province. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew O. Holly


U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Parker Dial, a native of Katy, Texas, inspects a fresh mix of homemade explosive material, Aug. 3, during Operation Pegasus Bridge, near Karmah, Iraq. Dial, a rifleman from second platoon, India Company, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, discovered the mix, said to be 400 pounds, during a routine route observation mission. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew O. Holly


Marines from 2nd Platoon, India Company, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, cross the operation's namesake, Pegasus Bridge, near Karmah, Iraq, Aug. 2, 2007, during a counter-insurgency sweep. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Andy Hurt


Navy Corpsman Justin Booker (center) passes a dish of cold water to Lance Cpl. Adam Wano (left) and Cpl. Kristopher VanBeekom (right), all members of 2nd Platoon, India Company, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. During Operation Pegasus Bridge, intense heat multiplied the danger of heat-related injuries, and corpsmen took extra precautions to ensure the safety of the troops. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Andy Hurt



More photo essays at DefendAmerica

Labels: 3-1 Marines, Iraq, Karmah, Operation Pegasus Bridge, photo essays, photos, USMC

VETERINARY CARE — Coalition soldiers hold a cow steady while administering her de-worming medicine during a veterinary civic action program in Helmand Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 4, 2007. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Steven M. Boone

Labels: Afghanistan, Coalition Forces, Helmand Province, military veterinarians, photos

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse. When a people are used as mere human instruments for firing cannon or thrusting bayonets, in the service and for the selfish purposes of a master, such war degrades a people. A war to protect other human beings against tyrannical injustice – a war to give victory to their own ideas of right and good, and which is their own war, carried on for an honest purpose by their free choice – is often the means of their regeneration. A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. As long as justice and injustice have not terminated their ever-renewing fight for ascendancy in the affairs of mankind, human beings must be willing, when need is, to do battle for the one against the other."
News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Security Council Expands U.N. Role in Iraq
U.S. commander claims success in key Iraq province
Military.com Shock: Nearly Fragged by Friendlies
Trends encouraging in Baghdad hotspots

Operation Enduring Freedom
Taliban: Korean Hostages Could Be Freed Soon
Pakistan's Musharraf to attend Afghan peace meet

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
NYC Officials Take Precautions Over Terror Threat
Gunmen kill Somali radio journalist
Biological detection program delayed

Troops on Trial
Marine released early from brig

Fallen Heroes
Report: Army Reprimands in Tillman Case Mild

Other Military News
Bring Back the Draft? - Bush war czar supports military draft
Texas Megachurch Cancels Memorial for Gay Navy Vet
Envoys visit Kosovo on last hunt for compromise
Canada plans Arctic bases, expanded patrol force

Politics / Government
Sierra Leone votes in test of post-war recovery
Bush and Sarkozy set for "casual lunch" in Maine - Video
Republicans hit Iowa fair ahead of straw poll
Edwards attacks Giuliani over Sept 11 comment
Giuliani: I misspoke about ground zero
Obama defends foreign policy talk

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Hold the Cheese, Please
Missing Missouri Mother Never Arrived at Son's Birthday Party
Christian Boot Camp Officials Accused of Dragging Teen Behind Van
Report: Possible Sexual Assault Before Newark College Kids Were Killed
Texas Flower Delivery Order Leads to Million Dollar Suit, Messy Divorce
Judge doubles Broadcom award in Qualcomm lawsuit
Small Ga. town struggles with scandal
Playboy Mansion investigation dropped

Adventures in Political Correctness
NYC Principal at Center of 'Intifada' T-Shirt Controversy Resigns

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
Couple Dead in Murder-Suicide After They Were Featured on The O'Reilly Factor
Fund invests $100 mln in NBC, News Corp site: source
'Second Life' sex program spawns lawsuit

Science / Medicine / Technology
NASA Finds Damage on Shuttle
Shuttle Endeavour docks with space station - VIDEO
Astronauts prepare for first spacewalk
Perseid Meteor shower peaks this weekend
FDA Issues Warning Over Raw Oysters
Taxes trigger big drop in U.S. smoking: report
Eating fish: good for heart, bad for environment?
Fly me to the moon: space hotel sees 2012 opening
Foot and mouth tests prove negative on fourth UK farm

News from My Neck of the Woods
Octogenarian eager to see killer hubby

Oddities
Karaoke Singer Attacked By Woman Who Didn't Like His Act
Australian Slang 'Fair Dinkum' Gets Airline Passenger Into Trouble
Scientist Arrested in Brazil Over Monkey Names
Spanish thief saw himself as Robin Hood-like bandit
Jet set hit by Saint-Tropez helicopter crackdown

Other News of Note
Three Workers Killed in Indiana Mine Basket Fall
Another victim found in bridge collapse
Ex-Senator, Steroid Sleuth Mitchell Stricken With Cancer
Drilling May Have Strayed From Trapped Utah Miners
Second Drill Reaches Area of Trapped MinersM - PHOTOS

Fox News
Britain's Big Ben Loses Its Bong
Tiger Grabs Lead at PGA Championship - LEADERBOARD
Video Shows Britney Spears Ignoring Other Car in Fender Bender
Pop Tarts: Jennifer Lopez Fears Hollywood Hate
Judges Argue, Threaten to Arrest Each Other, Over Courtroom Scheduling

Reuters: Top News
Stocks endure wild day on credit angst - Video
Rebels kill 13, wound 15 in India's northeast
Travel Postcard: 48 Hours in Washington
Hank Williams III carves his notch on family tree
Elvis, the enterprise, looms bigger 30 years on
Spice Girl Bunton gives birth to baby Beau
More trouble ahead for Wall Street?
Yen falls after Fed injections calm credit fears
Accredited Home sees up to $60 mln loss for quarter
Oil erases most early losses on central bank moves
ABN shares fall on Fortis financing worries: analysts
Dealmaking halts amid credit crunch
Financials volatile, but investors see value
FTSE tumbles 3.7 pct as credit worries squeeze
Retail investors take gyrations in stride
Central banks act to head off global credit crisis - Video
Lessons for today's market in 1907 panic
Fed vows, then pumps massive funds to calm markets
Countrywide, WaMu fall on heightened mortgage worry

AP World News
Iraq militants target Sunni sheik's home
Hurricane Flossie now a Category 3 storm
Pfizer facing 4 court cases in Nigeria
Chris Noth to reprise Mr. Big role
Infamous Mustang Ranch brothel revived
50 Cent: I'll quit if outsold by West
A-Rod not upset with Chipper's comments
Christina Applegate divorce a done deal
Obituaries in the news

Military.com
DT: Osprey Cruising to War
Review: "No End in Sight"
VA Home Loans: Buyer's Market? Game on!
Deployment Preps Made a Bit Easier
Beat Back to School Blues with Discounts
Movie Review: Rush Hour 3

CENTCOM: News Releases
SOLDIERS APPREHEND BICYCLE BOMBER
OPERATION WILLIAM WALLACE CLEARS ABU TINA
SENATORS VISIT IBN SINA HOSPITAL IN BAGHDAD
U.S. HELICOPTER EXECUTES FORCED LANDING, TWO INJURED
CACHE SEIZED, SUSPECT DETAINED

USJFCOM
Noble Resolve 07-2 aims at making communication easier - podcast
Newsmaker Profile: Col. L. Ross Roberts - podcast

Multi-National Force-Iraq
Operation Banzeen ensures no illegal activity at gas station
Soldier on mission of goodwill for Iraqi children
Iraqi Police, Paratroopers help neighborhood clean up its act
‘Operation Banzeen’ -- Unit ensures no illegal activity at gas station
Coalition targets senior al-Qaeda: 2 terrorists killed, 10 suspects detained
Task Force Lightning Soldier dies in non-combat related incident
GOI, U.S., facilitate aid to local businesses
Baqouba Guardians help secure city
Car bomb in Kirkuk strikes local market

DefenseLink
TOP NEWS: Navajo Code Talkers Visit Pace
IRAQ: General Optimistic About Iraqi Police
Security Depends on Economic Conditions
GATES: Secretary Visits Kansas Training Site
MILITARY NEWS: Services Meet Recruiting Goals

Why We Serve
Sailor Trades Sea for Sand - Story - Special

War on Terror
Afghan Officials, Citizens Gather For Opening of District Center
Iraq's Security Forces Making Great Strides, General Says
Afghans Provide Aid to Villagers
U.S., Iraqi Partnership Yields Results Around Mahmudiyah
Reconstruction Teams Guide Progress

Face of Defense
Marines, Sailor Earn Medals
Marine Follows Dream of Flying
Working Dog Finds Explosives

America Supports You
Ten Troop-Support Groups Receive Grants
Former Chairman Praises USO For Supporting Troops
Group Takes Action for Troops
Firefighters Fund Helps Troops
Freedom Walks Total 157

DefendAmerica
ON THE GROUND
Predators Soar to Record Number of Sorties - Story
District Center Opens, Despite Tragedy - Story
Military Working Dogs Get New Kennel Facility - Story
Afghan Villagers Benefit from Humanitarian Visit - Story

IN IRAQ
Army Logistics Begins New Chapter in Iraq
U.S. Soldiers Help Iraqis Open New Date Plant
Security Forces Airmen Step Outside the Wire
U.S. Marines Clean Up Historic Cemetery
Iraqis Sign Up to be Police Officers
Iraqi Soldiers Host Luncheon for Troops

IN AFGHANISTAN
Local Afghan 'Cop' Show a Big Success
Program Connects Volunteers with Mission

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
War on Terror Reconstruction Report
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
1772 - In Java, an explosive eruption blows 4,000' off Mt. Papandayan Java, killing 3,000
1909 - The S.O.S. is first used by an American ship, the Arapahoe, off Cape Hatteras, NC.
1914 - Jews are expelled from Mitchenick, Poland.
1945 - The Allies refuse Japan's surrender offer (including retention of Emperor Hirohito).
1954 - More than seven years of fighting in Indochina between the French the Communist Vietminh end with a formal peace.
1960 - Chad declares independence.
1962 - Andrian G. Nikolayev, aboard Vostok-3, becomes the third Russian in space.
1975 - The U.S. vetoes the proposed U.N. admission of North and South Vietnam.
1984 - During a radio voice test, President Ronald Reagan jokes that he has "signed legislation that would outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in 5 minutes."
1988 - Meir Kahane renounces U.S. citizenship in order to remain in the Israeli Parliament.
1989 - Voyager 2 discovers two partial rings around Neptune.
1990 - Egyptian and Moroccan troops land in Saudi Arabia in order to help prevent an Iraqi invasion.
1991 - Shite Muslims release American hostage Edward Tracy; the Space Shuttle STS-43 (Atlantis 9) lands.

Birthdays
1833 - Robert Green Ingersoll NY, author/politician/agnostic (Attorney General, IL)
1837 - Sadi Carnot, engineer, French president (1887-94, assassinated)
1921 - Alex Haley, author (Roots)
1930 - William A O'Neal (Gov-CT)
1941 - Elizabeth Holtzman, Bkln DA, Rep-NY, Watergate Committee
1959 - Linda Rhys Vaughn, Playboy playmate (Apr, 1982)
1971 - Julie Anne Clark, Playboy playmate (Mar, 1991)

Passings
1956 - Jackson Pollock, abstract artist, auto accident

Reported Missing in Action
1967
Berube, Kenneth Allen, USMC (MA); A4E crashed, KIA, body not recovered

Labels: Headlines, History