FIGHTING POSITIONS
Soldiers take up fighting positions during an air assault near the banks of the Tigris River in Bayji, Iraq, Oct. 14, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Richard Rzepka

Labels: 1-327 Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, Bayji, Iraq, photos, Tigris River

UNDER COVER
A U.S. soldier takes cover after a mortar attack during a search for weapons caches in northwest Shulla, Iraq, May 16, 2008. The soldier is assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's Bravo Troop, 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, 75th Cavalry Regiment, Iraq, photos, Shulla, US Army

ALL EYES & EARS
U.S. soldiers assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, stand in formation and wait for further orders before an air assault mission on May 11th, 2008. U.S. Army Photo by Specialist Richard Del Vecchio



ROUTINE VISIT
The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Albany arrives for a routine port visit, May 10, 2008. Albany is on a scheduled six-month deployment as part of the NASSAU Expeditionary Strike Group conducting maritime security operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Paul Farley



PRECISION FLYING
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly in formation over California, May 2, 2008. The Thunderbirds are the Air Force's premier demonstration squadron and represent the Air Force throughout the nation and abroad. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Matthew Smith



TRAINING FIRES
The Marine Corps Base Japan Fire Department and emergency medical technicians work quickly to remove simulated victims from overturned vehicles while simultaneously putting out fires before they could enter the building to save any survivors during Constant Vigilance 2008 on Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan, May 6, 2008. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Ricardo Morales

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, At Work In..., Constant Vigilance 2008, Marine Corps Base Japan, NASSAU Expeditionary Strike Group, photos, Thunderbirds, US Army, US Navy, USAF, USMC, USS Albany

Story Board
A U.S. Army Soldier from 3-320 Field Artillery, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, Lighting 1-6, 101st Airborne Division, patrols a neighborhood in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, Feb. 25, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Luke Thornberry. Date: 03/05/2008

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, 3-320 Field Artillery, Iraq, Lighting 1-6, Mahmudiyah, photos, US Army

BUSY TIKRIT NEIGHBORHOOD - Seen through a night vision device, a U.S. soldier keeps an eye on a busy neighborhood in Tikrit, Iraq, April 24, 2008, where local citizens are shifting their concerns from security to economics. The soldier is assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Richard Rzepka

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, Iraq, photos, Tikrit, US Army

Servicemembers in Iraq become U.S. citizens
Photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy D. Crisp
April 12, 2008

Spc. Vivek Mishra (right) with the 101st Airborne Division, shakes hands with Pfc. Henry Michael, 72nd Military Police Company, during a naturalization ceremony held April 12 at the Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory, Iraq. The Soldiers were part of a group of 259 servicemembers, representing 71 countries, who gained their American citizenship.

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, 72nd Military Police Company, Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory, photos, US Army

From Multi-National Force - Iraq:

With the ball, Spc. Cortez Cox, a water purification specialist, and Staff Sgt. Howard Benjamin, a section leader, both with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), teach Radwaniyah children how to defend and take the ball away during day two of a three-day basketball camp at Patrol Base Lion’s Den. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Tony M. Lindback, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT).


Friday, 11 April 2008
By Staff Sgt. Tony M. Lindback
3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT)

PATROL BASE LION’S DEN — Radwaniyah area children were treated to something a little out of the ordinary when U.S. Soldiers at Patrol Base Lion’s Den held a basketball camp recently.

Holding a basketball camp where Soldiers could teach lessons in teamwork, discipline and hard work, resulted from Staff Sgt. Christopher Dickerson and his company commander, Capt. Sean Morrow, putting their heads together.

Dickerson and Morrow wanted Company B, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), to give back to the community and get the kids in the area together. Their idea captured the support of many company Soldiers, some of whom, like Sgt. Dwight Williams, added ideas and manpower to make the camp a hit.

Williams, originally from Birmingham, Ala., has a brother who holds a basketball camp at home every summer. Williams said he tries to make it to the camp to help each year, but donates $500 to sponsor five children when he can’t be there.

“Being over here this time, I got to work with the Iraqi kids and I felt just like I was back at home,” Williams said. “I was able to give back to the community.”

Giving back to Radwaniyah has involved more than just teaching basketball. One sheikh said the security the Americans had established was the first gift to the community.

“Thanks to God, the Iraqi Army and the Coalition forces, the security is very good,” said Sheikh Hameed Shalal Al-Tharib, a local leader in Radwaniyah. “That makes a good situation where our kids can play soccer, or come here and learn basketball.”

Teaching the children basketball, an American game, instead of soccer - a much more common game in Iraq - had its purpose. The Soldiers wanted to share American culture, but they also wanted to get everyone on common ground, starting off as beginners. They brought in Iraqi Army Soldiers and sheikhs to give the youth figures to look to for learning.

“We wanted to bring them in and have the IA with us so they could serve as good role models,” said Atlanta native, 1st Lt. Trivius Caldwell, 3rd Platoon leader for Co. B, 2-69th Armor Regt. “We wanted to teach them basic elements of life – teamwork, discipline, hard work – things of that nature. I think we accomplished that.”

Williams said he felt the Iraqi children may have had a misunderstanding of why Americans are in Iraq and the basketball camp was one way to show them what kind of people Americans really are.

“The kids really enjoyed it because they had heard about Americans,” Williams said. “But there’s a big difference between hearing about us and standing there with us and shaking our hands. I think they really enjoyed that more than the basketball camp – getting to interact with us.”

Eighteen children showed up for the first day of the three-day camp, 27 came on the second day and there were 47 by the last day.

“It’s just like spreading the word back home; if one kid likes it, he’s going to tell a friend and then he’ll tell a friend,” Williams said. “We were just glad to have so many kids come out.”

The children formed teams and played a championship game at the culmination of camp, allowing them to show off what they had learned. They were then treated to a cookout and given awards. Twenty-five children got one more thing, something they held dearly as they walked away – their very own Quran.

“In my brother’s camp (in Birmingham) we give out Bibles,” Williams said. “Here, a lot of families don’t have Qurans, so we gave out Qurans … Giving out a Quran is letting them know, ‘I respect your religion, just like I respect mine.’”

Local sheikhs happily brought the Qurans in at the request of Morrow.

“It’s a great thing to give the Quran to the children at the end of the basketball camp,” Sheik Al-Tharib said. “We want to teach our kids about more than sports … Since the people here are poor, it’s good that each kid can now have his own Quran – something his family maybe didn’t have before.”

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, 2-69th Armor Regiment, children, Good News, Iraq, Islam, Patrol Base Lion's Den, Radwaniyah, US Army

MP PATROL - U.S. Army soldiers assigned to 56th Military Police Company, attached to the 101st Airborne Division, conduct a patrol in Casadia, Iraq, March 14, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jordan Huettl

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, 56th Military Police Company, Casadia, Iraq, photos, US Army

PUPPY TIME
Sgt. Steven Olesen with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, plays with two puppies at Joint Security Station Ghazaliyah 1 in western Baghdad, Feb. 24, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. James P. Hunter

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, 2BCT, Baghdad, Iraq, Joint Security Station Ghazaliyah, photos, US Army

DISCOVERED CACHE - Soldiers with 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, uncover a huge cache of spent and unused munitions, west of Owesat, Iraq,Feb. 25, 2008. Photo by 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Public Affairs

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, 3-187 Infantry, 3BCT, Iraq, Owesat, photos, weapons cache

STRYKER TALK
U.S. Army soldiers talk about the M1128 Stryker Mobile Gun System Vehicle capabilities in Salah ah Din province, Iraq, Feb. 12, 2008. The soldiers are from the 2nd Infantry Division and 101st Airborne Division. U.S. Army photo by Maj. Johnpaul Arnold

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, 2ID, Iraq, M1128, photos, Salah ah Din province, Stryker Mobile Gun System Vehicle, US Army

From Multi-National Force - Iraq:


Sgt. 1st Class Boe, a therapeutic dog being used in Iraq to help Soldiers relieve stress, sits in the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Operations Center, Jan. 10. Photo by Spc. Richard Rzepka, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.


Saturday, 12 January 2008

COB SPEICHER — Ever had a Sergeant 1st Class lick your face? For many Soldiers here, these are not freakish events, but regular occurrences. Sgt. 1st Class Boe is the newest member of the 85th Medical Detachment Combat Stress Control unit at COB Speicher, and is one of two K-9 therapists being used by the Army to help prevent and control the stresses of living in a combat zone.

Along with Staff Sgt. Mike Calaway, an occupational therapy assistant with the Combat Stress Control unit, Boe is part of a new Army program, which encourages Soldiers to interact with dogs in order to help relieve the psychological stresses of war.

The dogs, two Black Labrador Retrievers, were donated and trained by America’s VetDogs and are the first dogs to be used in a combat zone for therapeutic purposes. The organization is part of the larger non-profit group, Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, which has been helping provide guide dogs for the blind since the 1940s. Recognizing a growing need for specialized service dogs for America’s fighting forces, VetDogs recently initiated the therapy dog concept.

The dogs are intended to provide comfort and relaxation through physical interaction, whether it’s a game of fetch or just a peaceful few minutes of petting.

“I felt more relaxed after being able spend some time with her,” said Sgt. 1st Class Brenda Rich, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Medical Operations. “For a few minutes it was just me and the dog and nothing in this environment seemed to matter.”

Calaway spent two weeks training with Boe in New York City to develop a bond, before the pair was sent to Iraq to take on the challenge of helping Soldiers cope with a deployment.

“She’s a very well trained and very intelligent animal,” said Calaway, who recently introduced Boe to Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at COB Speicher. “So far we’ve had an outstanding response from Soldiers,” he said, “whether they need help or not.”

Deployments can create several different kinds of stressors, said Calaway, and Boe helps to break the ice, allowing Soldiers to open up about ongoing issues in their lives.

The major types of stress deployed Soldiers must deal with include operational stress, homefront stress and sleeping issues, said Calaway.

“The Soldiers absolutely love her,” said Maj. Charles Kuhlman, 1st BCT Chaplain.

Often Soldiers on outlying bases will befriend stray dogs for companionship and to get a feel for home, said Kuhlman. “Dogs make a huge difference in morale.”

(Story by Spc. Rick L. Rzepka, 101st Airborne Division Public Affairs)


In Other Recent Developments Here:

BAGHDAD – Coalition forces captured a suspected Special Groups facilitator early Thursday during operations to disrupt criminal element networks in the Baghdad area.

TAJI – The Iraqi Air Force Training School graduated 116 new warrant officers from its basic military training course held in Taji, Jan 8.

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, 85th Medical Detachment, COB Speicher, combat stress, Combat Stress Control, Iraq, service animals, Supporting the troops, therapeutic dog

PATRIOT STRIKE
Army Staff Sgt. Joe Hammond, right front, leads his squad through a gully during Operation Patriot Strike in Ubaydi, Iraq, Dec. 29, 2007. Hammond is assigned to the the 101st Airborne Division's Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army Sgt. Ben Brody

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, 2-502nd Infantry Regiment, Iraq, Operation Patriot Strike, photos, Ubaydi, US Army

Sand Storm
A U.S. Army Soldier from the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division and two local sheiks walk through a sandstorm to attend a meeting in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, Nov. 29, 2007. DoD photo by Spc. Luke Thornberry.

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, 3-187 Infantry, Iraq, Mahmudiyah, photos, sandstorm, US Army

From Multi-National Force Iraq:

Iraqi Army Col. Msfab Yousif reloads his AK-47 after using it to destroy a vehicle that was used in illegal checkpoint activities by insurgents in Ad Dawr near Tikrit. Yousif is the executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigae, 4th Iraqi Army and was leading the raid to find insurgents operating illegal checkpoints. Photo by Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.



TIKRIT — Iraqi Army (IA) Soldiers recently led a raid into an area of Ad Dawr with Iraqi police (IP) and a small contingent of U.S. Soldiers to put a stop to insurgent activities there.

The 1st Battalion of the 1st Brigade, 4th IA led the pre-dawn raid into the area to capture insurgents and disrupt illegal traffic checkpoints used by those insurgents to rob and kill local Iraqis. The IP provided security for the team. The U.S. Army Military Transition Team (MiTT) of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division provided guidance and support for the IA, who planned and executed the mission.

Maj. Jackie Kaina of the 1st Brigade, 4th IA MiTT said the operations are driven by intelligence, which is mostly gathered by the IA. The mission was coordinated by the IA when an informant who had been ostracized by the insurgents came forward with information.

The operation, called Hellstorm, was a success in that the IA captured several of the High-Value Individuals on their list, and in the process seized several vehicles used in the illegal operations. They also discovered an emplaced improvised explosive device (IED) hidden under a bridge. The MiTT called in a U.S. Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, who detonated the IED in place.

The IED is one of the reasons that the MiTT accompanies the IA on larger operations. Their mission is to train, advise and mentor the IA. They bring with them capabilities like aeromedical evacuation, air weapons teams and other military assets that the IA doesn’t have yet, said Kaina.

The present-day IA formed in 2005 when it transitioned to an actual Army, Kaina said, who worked with IA Soldiers during his last deployment.

“As an Army they have come a huge way since 04-05,” said Kaina. “They have come a lot further than I thought they would. Two years later, I really didn’t think they would be at this point. Maturity-wise, the officers act like officers, and the NCO corps is starting to grow.”

Since his last deployment with the IA, Kaina said he has seen them grow by leaps and bounds.

“Their improvement is in their command and control,” Kaina said. “Now they are much more objective focused and much more professional. They are very visible—that is one of the biggest improvements. To the Iraqi populace, they know who the IA is.”

Kaina said that he believes that at this point, The IA is mature enough on the ground that they are taking the lead, and the U.S. forces are no longer in the lead by any stretch of the imagination. The MiTT is there to assist if the IA needs it, but it is the IA making the decisions and conducting the missions on their own.

The IA is already conducting daily patrols and company-sized raids on their own, without the help of the MiTT.

“They are very much in the lead and very much taking control,” Kaina said. “Where before they would have come to us and asked what to do next. Their leadership has matured to the level at which they no longer need to ask us those questions, they have done enough, know enough and are successful enough to know where they are going.”

(By Spc. Eric A. Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)


In Other Recent Developments Here:

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — As a new unit transitions in, the Hawr Rajab Concerned Local Citizens group continues to provide Coalition forces with a helping hand in providing security for their city.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — A house-borne improvised explosive device was destroyed near Maderiyah on the afternoon of Nov. 25.

Labels: 101st Airborne Division, 4th Iraqi Army Division, Ad Dawr, Good News, Iraq, Iraqi Army, MiTTs, Operation Hellstorm, Tikrit, US Army

PATROL PERCH
A U.S. Army soldier from Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 327 Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, gets ready for a patrol in Iraq on Nov. 6, 2007. U.S. Army photo

Labels: 1-327 Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, Iraq, photos, US Army