Free Republic

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Aug. 15, 2008 – Since the dawn of aviation more than 100 years ago, militaries throughout the world have pursued the development of unmanned aerial vehicles to give them an edge over the enemy when conducting combat operations. Army Spc. Raymond Poltera, tactical unmanned aerial vehicle operator serving in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, launches an RQ-7B Shadow 200 tactical UAV from a pneumatic launcher at the aircraft's primary launch and recovery site on Camp Taji, Iraq, Aug. 11, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jason Dangel, Multinational Division...

FORT HOOD – Five-year-old Gaven Cox was given one wish to do anything he wanted. Instead of asking to go to Sea World or to meet Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Gaven modestly asked for some McDonald's food. The child's parents laughed and told him to make another choice. "He told us he wanted to be an Army soldier," said Melissa Heminger, Gaven's mom. "I was a little bit surprised that he asked for McDonald's, but in reality, he wanted to be a soldier since he was 3." Gaven, who is diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, was granted one wish by...

Driving down to Austin lately has become a real trip. I-35 is usually packed for most of the 185 miles, and what used to take three or four hours now can take five or six. Flying down can take almost as long, when you figure in airline security delays, more flight delays, and the time it takes getting into and out of crowded airports. But what if it took 45 minutes to travel from the Metroplex to Austin by train or an hour to make a trip to Houston? Advocates of high-speed rail lines are floating these ideas once again...

    ~The FReeper Canteen Presents~ Road Trip: Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas Fort Hood, named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, is a U.S. Army post located halfway between Austin and Waco, in Killeen, Texas. John Bell Hood (June 1, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness, and was considered one of the best brigade and division commanders in the Confederate States Army.A 340 square mile installation (217,337 acres), Fort Hood is the only post in the United States...

Some Texans are afraid of losing their land to the Trans-Texas Corridor while others loathe the thought of a quarter-mile-wide swath of toll roads and railway lines transforming the countryside into a superhighway. People continue to turn out in droves at public meetings concerning the controversial Trans-Texas Corridor proposal, specifically the portion known as the TTC-69 proposed from Brownsville to Texarkana. A meeting Monday, Jan. 28, at the fairgrounds in Austin County was no exception, drawing more than 1,000 people. Opposition to the proposed corridor has come from people in all walks of life, said Chris Steinbach, chief of staff...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2008 – Wounded servicemembers at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center on Fort Hood, Texas, recently got some help staying connected with loved ones during their recovery. A Dell computer corporation representative helps to present 30 wounded soldiers recovering at Carl R. Darnall Medical Center at Fort Hood, Texas, with laptop computers on Dec. 21, 2007. The donations were made through Operation Homelink, a group that refurbishes donated computers and donates them to recovering servicemembers or families of deployed troops. Photo by Jon Connor  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Operation Homelink, in collaboration with the...

FORT HOOD -- The last 12 hours of 15 months is a very long time. "I have not slept," said Dianne Hunt, whose eyes welled up at the slightest provocation and who was prone to jumping up and down in anticipation. "My heart is just a-goin'!" All over the parade field in front of the 1st Cavalry Division headquarters, wives and moms, girlfriends and grade-schoolers proved that sometimes the best Christmas gifts don't require a minute's shopping. Sometimes the Army delivers the gifts home, just in time. "The kids are so excited," said Sarah Rogers, who confessed to her own...

FORT HOOD – Sondra Huston just wants to cook breakfast and have her whole family sitting at the table. One person hasn't been there for the past year – her husband, Staff Sgt. Patrick Huston. Patrick deployed to Iraq for the first time in his military career and returned to Fort Hood late Saturday night with more than 150 other soldiers from the 36th Engineer Brigade's 20th Engineer Battalion and III Corps' 3rd Signal Brigade. Families and friends waited in the 13th Sustainment Command's gymnasium that night for the soldiers to return. Among them were Sondra, 9-year-old Katie, 7-year-old Kassie,...

WEST FORT HOOD – Capt. Manuel R. Ramirez loves Halloween. It was only fitting that the company commander returned to Fort Hood from a 15-month deployment to Iraq on Oct. 31. He missed last Halloween, but Ramirez got home just in time to celebrate with his family: wife, Helen; 5-year-old son, Gabriel; and 18-month-old daughter, Aurora. Ramirez is commander of the 504th Military Intelligence Brigade's Headquarters Support Company, 303rd Military Intelligence Battalion. Ramirez was one of more than 400 soldiers from the 504th Military Intelligence Brigade and 20th Engineer Battalion who returned to Central Texas. Half arrived late in the...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2007 – Defense Department officials announced today that 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, will deploy to Iraq in summer 2008. The deployment of the Fort Hood, Texas, unit is part of the normal rotation of forces, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. There are about 3,500 soldiers in the brigade. Before deploying to Iraq, the unit will re-flag and become 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. “This could cause some confusion, because the 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry, is already in Iraq,” Whitman said. That unit, based at Fort Bliss, Texas, is due to redeploy back to the United States...

FORT HOOD, Texas - Army Sgt. Lawrence Sprader set out under the searing Texas sun on a map-reading exercise, carrying a cell phone in case he got hopelessly lost or fell ill in the hills and ravines of Fort Hood. And still he didn't make it out alive. For more than an hour, a disoriented and dehydrated Sprader used his phone to repeatedly call superiors and tell them of his plight before the 24-year-old Iraq war veteran finally collapsed in the thick underbrush, where his decomposing body was discovered four days later. How could that have happened? A 1,700-page Army...

An unprecedented search and rescue effort continued through the weekend on Fort Hood in an effort to locate a soldier who went missing Friday. While engaging in a solo navigational mission on a remote section of Fort Hood Friday afternoon, Sgt. Lawrence G. Sprader, 24, lost contact with his command unit. His last contact came at 5 p.m. Friday, indicating he had veered from his designated coordinates. A massive coordinated effort to find the missing soldier has been underway as more than 600 soldiers, more than a dozen ATVs; multiple helicopters, both military and Texas Department of Public Safety, tactical...

KILLEEN, TX — America's fallen warriors have left behind more than 2,000 children. Fort Hood has seen more fallen warriors than anyplace else. Now, school counselors warn that the children of soldiers are paying a price. As more parents deploy again and again for extended tours, the Killeen school district desperately needs more counselors to help absorb the blows. "My dad's been gone," said Shatonna Jones. "Went to Korea and then Iraq. He's been gone all four years of school." Shatonna's dad has deployed four times. While he's at war, the 18-year-old high school student has cared for her little...

<p>We are so very fortunate that Freeper "leofl" has arranged to give us a tour of Fort Hood. Fort Hood is located near Killeen, West of I-35 exits at Temple, Belton area. Thanks so much Leo, for making this happen. Please note if you are interested in joining us. We're still working on a few details but for now here's Leo's note to us......</p>

Code Pink comes to Fort Hood Last night I got a call from Kristinn about a possible invasion of my city by the Code pink freaks. After talking to Dr. Raul and looking it up on the Net, I was astonished to learn that this was true. Code pink Austin Chapter has decided to stage a protest outside the East Gate of the large Military Base in the Free world. As the only know Freeper here, I took it upon myself to make sure that this does not go unnoted so here is a little info for all of you...

Desiree Fairooz, of CodePink, a woman-initiated grassroots organization, traveled from Arlington to participate. After reading from a prepared statement, Fairooz lambasted the war, the president and government leaders who she said were in Iraq with the sole intent to steal oil, build an embassy and make the country "America's 52nd state."

(FORT HOOD, TEXAS) -- One person is in custody after a sniper opened fire on troops this morning at Ft. Hood, the country's largest military instillation, 1200 WOAI news reported this morning. Base Public Affairs Officer Delena Kanaus says the shots were fired at morning troop formation of the 13th Corps Support Command, a unit which performs supply, transportation, and other support functions for III Corps, which is based at Ft. Hood. Kanaus says nobody was injured in the shooting. "The post closed all outgoing traffic today as military police searched for suspects in the shooting," Kanaus said. "Post authorities...

FORT HOOD, Texas - As he prepared to head off to war in Iraq, Army Pfc. Perry Rasmussen was still sorting through conflicting emotions. “As a person, I'm a little afraid and I'm worried about my family and friends,” said Rasmussen, a 21-year-old gunner from Portland, Ore. “But as a soldier, I've got to suck it up and do my job.” Rasmussen was among several hundred soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division who said goodbye to loved ones and boarded planes Tuesday to fly to the Middle East. By the end of December, nearly 21,000 troops from the division are...

More Fort Hood Soldiers Leave For Iraq Wednesday Fort Hood Troops Board Planes For Iraq Tuesday Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s Fires Brigade and 2nd Brigade Combat Team will leave Fort Hood Wednesday for a yearlong deployment to Iraq. Hundreds of 4th ID soldiers said goodbye to loved ones and boarded planes Monday for the trip to Iraq. Baskets were laid out on tables for soldiers to pick up writing paper, packets of sunscreen, American flags and decks of playing cards as parting gifts. Other volunteers offered rosary beads and Bibles with camouflage covers. By the end of December,...

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Sept. 2, 2005) – Thousands of National Guard and active-duty Soldiers from across the nation are deploying to the Gulf coast to help with Hurricane Katrina recovery operations. Troops from the 1st Cavalry Division and 4th Infantry Division based out of Fort Hood, Texas, are now part of Joint Task Force Katrina, headquartered at Camp Shelby, Miss. Helicopters and crews from Hood’s 1st Air Cavalry Brigade are the lead air element of the task force. More than 19,500 National Guard Soldiers were on duty to assist with the hurricane recovery in Louisiana and Mississippi as of...

A military commander has reduced the sentence of a soldier convicted of murder for killing a severely wounded Iraqi teenager. Staff Sgt. Johnny Horne Jr., 31, received a three-year sentence after pleading guilty to unpremeditated murder at his court-martial in December. Some veterans backed Horne. James Watson, a Vietnam veteran, said Horne's act was a “mercy killing” common among soldiers throughout U.S. history. Maj. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, reduced the sentence to one year. Horne is scheduled for release Sept. 14.

A pro-troops/pro-Bush rally will be held this Saturday in Crawford, Texas by Killeen radio station KLFX 107.3 FM and sister station KWTX 1230 AM.The rally will begin at noon and will be held at a parking lot next to the Crawford Bank. Free hamburgers and sodas will be given away until supplies are exhausted.A spokesman for KLFX said that those who are calling this an anti-Cindy Sheehan rally are wrong. The station wanted to have an event to offer a means for the public to show their support for the troops serving at nearby Fort Hood and their commander-in-chief in...

Last Memorial Day, we remembered the sacrifice paid by 81 soldiers from Fort Hood. A year later, that number has grown to 151. Since Fort Hood began its deployments in January 2003, 141 soldiers have died in Iraq, another three in Kuwait and seven in Texas. The first casualties of the Iraq war happened April 25, 2003 when members of the 720th Military Police Battalion and the 4th Infantry Division, which spent a year in Iraq from April 2003 to April 2004, died in separate accidents. Losses for the 1st Cavalry Division first occurred in January 2004, two months before...

FORT HOOD, Texas (Army News Service, May 6, 2005) -- When the 1st Cavalry Division first started preparing to go to Iraq in 2003, Chris Caesar, a Killeen High School world geography teacher, saw an opportunity to turn the deployment into a teaching experience. His efforts culminated May 4, when a group of his students met with more than 20 recently returned First Team Soldiers to document their experiences in Iraq. The students, in groups of three, used video cameras to preserve Soldiers’ accounts of their time in Iraq as part of an oral history project. Caesar said it all...

A commander with the Iowa Army National Guard says training problems at a Texas Army base left his unit ill-prepared for duty in Iraq, according to a copyrighted story in The Des Moines Register. Capt. Aaron Baugher of Ankeny, Iowa, was the commander of the first Iowa infantry division trained at Fort Hood. In a report obtained by the Register, he said the 2004 training "was of very little value and poorly instructed" by soldiers who typically had never served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Baugher's unit of 58 soldiers, the 194th Long-Range Surveillance Detachment of Johnston, returned to Iowa in...

Hundreds of Soldiers recently returned from Iraq stand at attention as 250,000 Texas NASCAR fans applaud their service and sacrifice during prerace festivities at Texas Motor Speedway Sunday. TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, Texas (Army News Service, April 19, 2005) – Many words are used to describe Texas and Texans. ‘Little’ ain’t one of them. On Sunday, 250,000 Texas NASCAR fans formally welcomed home several hundred Fort Hood Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans during pre-race ceremonies here at the Samsung / Radio Shack 500. The crowd at the sold-out event stood and cheered as the Soldiers marched down the speedway’s front stretch single...

THE WASHINGTON TIMES FORT HOOD, Texas -- President Bush yesterday likened the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad two years ago to the fall of the Berlin Wall and called it part of a "global democratic revolution." "Many of you have recently returned from Iraq," Mr. Bush told 25,000 cheering soldiers on a sun-drenched field. "Others are preparing to head out this fall -- some for a second tour of duty." "Whether you're coming or going, you are making an enormous difference for the security of our nation and for the peace of the world," he added. "I came...

President Bush is speaking to soldiers at Ft Hood on the 2nd Anniversary of Liberation of Baghdad

(AP) President Bush speaks about the War on Terror to troops at Fort Hood, Texas, Tuesday, April 12,...Full Image FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - President Bush visited soldiers at the largest U.S. military base Tuesday, marking the two-year anniversary of the end of Saddam Hussein's regime by saying it will be remembered along with the fall of the Berlin Wall as one of history's greatest moments.Bush thanked the soldiers at Fort Hood who have recently returned from Iraq or are heading there this fall, but said it isn't time to start bringing U.S. forces home."Iraqis want to be led...

FORT HOOD, Texas - President Bush (news - web sites) attended an Easter service Sunday at Fort Hood where he offered prayers for peace and the well-being of American soldiers and their families. AP Photo (AP Video)   For a third straight year, the president made the 50-mile helicopter flight from his ranch in Crawford to mark Christianity's highest holiday at the largest active-duty armored post in the military and one that has contributed thousands of troops to U.S. forces in Iraq (news - web sites). "I want to wish all the fellow citizens and their families a happy Easter,"...

FORT HOOD, Texas - President Bush (news - web sites) attended an Easter service Sunday at Fort Hood, the largest active-duty armored post in the military and a base that has contributed thousands of troops to the U.S. force in Iraq (news - web sites).

Army Lt. Col. Gary Volesky of the 1st Cavalry Division's 5th Battalion returned from Iraq this weekend to his wife and son in Fort Hood, Texas. It was a homecoming the family was not sure would ever happen. It is no wonder, since Volesky's battalion — the Army's premier heavy-armored division — was involved in some of the fiercest fighting in Iraq. "We thought it was going to be a rebuilding, reconstruction mission for our guys," said his wife, LeAnn. "And it was nothing like that." Four days after the battalion arrived in Iraq — and just 15 minutes after...

There was another big homecoming at Fort Hood Friday as members of the First Cavalry Division returned from Iraq and the entire 1st Cav Division is expected to be back by the end of March. Starting next week, according to the Division's top general, flights should be arriving almost daily bringing home the rest of the division. Almost 300 1st Cav soldiers marched across a field at the beginning of their welcome home ceremony Friday. Some of the men and women spent almost 15 months in Iraq. For many of these troops, being back is great, but returning home won't...

Commentary: John Kelso They really are supporting our troops out at the airport AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Friday, February 25, 2005 A lot of people blow smoke about supporting our troops, but Sharon Somoskey-Perez, who works at the City of Austin's information booth at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, really is doing something about it. When a soldier passing through the airport shows up at the booth in the baggage claim area and needs a ride to Fort Hood, she gets on the PA system and finds him one. Works every time, Sharon says. She figures she's done this at least 50 times in...

FORT HOOD -- In his quarter century working in military courts, attorney Guy Womack can count on the fingers of one hand the times he has allowed a client to testify. "My knee-jerk reaction is never to do that," said Womack, an ex-Marine Corps lawyer based in Houston. "I've never regretted not doing that." But he may make an exception to his rule for Spc. Charles Graner Jr., the Army reservist accused of leading the much-publicized abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. He says Graner, whose trial begins with opening statements Monday, can explain better than anyone...

Wow this is great! CMT looks good tonight. Whiskey River!

BRUCEVILLE-EDDY – Seven Fort Hood soldiers were killed Monday when their Black Hawk helicopter hit the guy wires of a television broadcast tower and crashed in foggy weather, military officials said. One of the victims was a brigadier general who was an assistant commander of the 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood. The UH-60 Black Hawk was headed for Texarkana when it went down in a central Texas field about 30 miles northeast of Fort Hood near Interstate 35, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington, chief spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division. "Unfortunately, there were no survivors," Col. Withington said....

BRUCEVILLE-EDDY, Texas - A Black Hawk helicopter carrying seven soldiers from Fort Hood crashed Monday in central Texas after hitting a television broadcast tower guy wire, authorities said. Witnesses said they saw four bodies. The UH-60 Black Hawk, bound for Texarkana, went down in a field about 30 miles northeast of Fort Hood in foggy conditions near Interstate 35, said Dan Hassett, a base spokesman. Rock Eicke, who lives about a quarter-mile from the crash site, said he was getting ready for work about 7 a.m. when he was startled by a loud metallic rattling sound. He said he looked...

Below is an email I received at work on the update in Iraq. I'm praying for our troops and their safe return home. Subj: Fw: Update from Iraq All, Sorry it has been a while since the last update - has been the normal busy schedule over here. We are now in the last part of Ramadan .. called Eid al Fitr. For those of you that don't know, during Ramadan Muslims do not smoke, eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan normally lasts about 30 days but we never really know because it is tied to moon cycles....

This statue currently stands outside the Iraqi palace, now home to the 4th Infantry division. It will eventually be shipped home and put in the memorial museum in Fort Hood, Texas. http://members.bigvalley.net/rstauber/statue The statue was created by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam that dotted Baghdad. His family was continually threatened with pain or imprisonment if any of the statues did not please Saddam. Kalat was so grateful for the Americans liberation of his country that he melted 3 of the heads of...

Bible study helps soldiers navigate their faith By Mollie MillerFort Hood Herald In 1997, Sgt. Tom Gutierrez was trying to find his way back to God. With the help of the Fort Hood Navigators Military Ministry, the 4th Infantry Division soldier found his way back to God … and a great deal more. Soon after arriving in Central Texas seven years ago, Gutierrez began attending services at one of the post chapels. Having been away from any kind of services for many years, he said he felt out of place almost immediately. "I didn't know where I was supposed...

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release On the Web: http://www.dod.mil/releases/2004/nr20041015-1394.html Media contact: Army Public Affairs - (703) 692-2000 Public contact: http://www.dod.mil/faq/comment.html or +1 (703) 428-0711 +1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1031-04 IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 15, 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DoD Identifies Army Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Jeremy F. Regnier, 22, of Littleton, N.H., died October 13 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol. Regnier was assigned to the Army’s 4th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery...

Promotion for Odierno of Fort Hood's 4th ID September 24, 2004FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - The former commanding general of the massive Fourth Infantry Division at Fort Hood is heading to the Pentagon.Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says President Bush has nominated Major General Ray Odierno to become assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Friday's announcement also says Odierno is being promoted to lieutenant general. About 20,000 Fourth Infantry soldiers were among the first U.S. troops to deploy to Iraq, including Odierno himself. Troops from the Fourth Infantry were credited with capturing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein....

FORT HOOD - Julie Curtis-Win was not in the Army. Her husband, a physician, was never in the Army. Neither was her 25-year-old son. She has no idea what a multiple launch rocket system is or why the soldiers request Q-Tips to clean their rifles. Some of the junior troops are taken aback when she calls them "sir," a courtesy typically reserved for officers. Yet this soft-spoken, hug-happy 47-year-old woman has in less than two years endeared herself to thousands of soldiers at Fort Hood, one of the busiest combat bases in the nation. "We'd like to take her to...

Some unique training is taking place on the hills of Fort Hood, with civilians playing a key role in preparing U.S. soldiers for Iraq. Civilians, who are paid $11.25 an hour, dress up in traditional Arab garb while taunting and tricking troops in a fake Iraqi town. All the dangers of Iraq are here, including booby traps like a grenade hidden inside a cabinet. It is crucial for soldiers to learn how to detect, defuse and avoid improvised explosive devices that are killing an average of two American soldiers a day. The Army says using real civilians provides great benefits,...

Cavalry Soldiers 'Horse Around' at Hood U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Trammell, 1st Cavalry Division's Horse Detachment, trains one of the newest horses for riding at Fort Hood, Texas. The detachment serves as a link to the unit's past, aids in U.S. Army recruiting, and represents the 1st Cavalry Division, III Corps, and the U.S. Army in military and civic ceremonies, parades, and demonstrations. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Greg Heath   opfopfopfopfopfopfopfo U.S. Army Sgt. Charles Edwards, the horse detachment bootmaker, meticulously sews together a new pair of riding boots. According to Edwards, it takes an average...

Last week's announcement that 5,000 new troops will be assigned to Fort Hood was great news for Central Texas. It's important to remember that these welcome developments do not happen by chance. We've been able to achieve a major turnaround during a 10-year period at Fort Hood, and we must recognize the hard work that has brought us this far. If we continue to work cooperatively, I'm convinced last week's news is only the beginning of a great new era for Fort Hood and other military installations in Texas. We learned some hard lessons from the 1995 Base Realignment and...

A statue, now on display at Fort Hood in Texas, pays tribute to the sacrifices made in Iraq by showing an Iraqi girl comforting a U.S. soldier mourning one of his comrades. Ironically, the statue was made by an Iraqi sculptor who previously worked for Saddam Hussein and cast many official statues of the former Iraqi dictator. On top of that, the bronze used in the piece came from statues of Saddam that were melted down and recast. The statue was the idea of Army Sgt. Maj. Glen Simpson, stationed last year in Saddam's hometown of Tikrit. Two statues of...

Increasingly, National Guardsmen are being deployed By Anita Powell AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Saturday, June 12, 2004 FORT HOOD -- Spc. Ryan Duffee motioned to his nine-member squad to fall into single file in the muddy thicket, as the soldiers prepared for their entry into the small town. "Weapons at the ready, guys!" said the 21-year-old, gesturing with his standard-issue M-16A2 assault rifle. "On your shoulders. You're scanning the windows, you're scanning the rooftops." At T-minus one minute, silence fell over the 10 men and women. These members of the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas Army National Guard were part of...

There is word going around locally that there is an abortion mill in the works for the Killeen (near Fort Hood) area. Please pray that this never comes about.