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7/25/2008 - JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFPN) -- Air Force and Army firefighters worked in the searing sun July 22 to contain a fire that engulfed six closely situated structures here. A call to the Joint Base Balad Fire Department at 12:30 p.m. set into motion an emergency-management response of firefighters and civilian volunteers. No one was seriously injured in the blaze, which caused approximately $1 million in damage, said Master Sgt. David Clifford, the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron assistant fire chief. However, three firefighters were treated at the Air Force Theater Hospital for heat stress-related symptoms and later...

WASHINGTON — Al-Qaida terrorists have been largely marginalized in Iraq’s Babil province, thanks to the joint efforts of Iraqi and U.S. security forces, as well as local “Sons of Iraq” citizen security groups, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Iraq said July 24. “The organization related to al-Qaida is severely disrupted, … as well as the [extremist] militia” in Babil province,” Army Col. Tom James, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, said during a satellite-carried news conference with Pentagon reporters. “Overall, we are extremely optimistic about the security situation in Babil province, because of the...

Four Iraqi children enjoy some fresh drinking water that’s now available in their community in northern Basrah Province. USACE photo by A. Al Bahrani. BASRAH — Al-Zierji, a town located in northern Basrah Province, has fresh drinking water for the first time ever. “This is one of seven USACE water projects in the province,� said James Hodges, chief construction representative with the Gulf Region Division’s Basrah Area Office. “The $1.2 million reverse-osmosis plant is providing potable water for more than 20,000 Iraqis. It was completed June 20 and is now fully operational, producing 200 cubic meters per hour.�Salah Ali, chief...

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2008 – An Iraqi organization tasked with consolidating and coordinating that country’s counterterrorism effort is now capable of conducting unilateral missions, a U.S. military official said yesterday. “[The Iraqi National Counterterrorism Force’s] primary mission is to synchronize and focus all elements of Iraqi national power to defeat terrorism here in Iraq,” U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Simeon Trombitas, director of the Iraqi National Counterterrorism Force Transition Team, told online journalist and bloggers. The Iraqi unit was formed in 2003 and has since been trained by U.S. Special Forces soldiers, Trombitas said. While U.S. forces still train with the...

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2008 – U.S. soldiers in Baghdad today detained a suspect linked to roadside-bomb attacks against coalition forces during an operation in the city’s Risalah sector, military officials said. The detainee was taken to a coalition base for questioning. In yesterday’s operations: -- U.S. soldiers in Baghdad found an explosive device on the side of a road in Baghdad’s Jazair community. An explosive ordnance team disposed of the bomb. -- U.S. soldiers patrolling Baghdad’s East Rashid sector seized two AK-47 rifles, four magazines and 246 7.62 mm rounds. -- U.S. soldiers found an improvised explosive device-making workshop in...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, July 25, 2008 – Every morning, the soldiers of 1st Platoon, C Company, 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, make their way across a scorching flight line to the platoon’s three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. Army Sgt. Adam Connaughton, a medic with 1st Platoon, C Company, 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, checks the injured eye of a Marine during a medical evacuation mission to Outpost Vegas, near Jalalabad, Afghanistan, July 22, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Spc. George Welcome, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Pilots, crew chiefs and medics all take part...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, July 25, 2008 – As the sun begins to set beyond the Baghdad horizon, the sound of laughter and conversation emanates from the corrugated steel sleeping trailers of Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s Company C, 3rd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade. Army Sgt. David Brocato, crew chief, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multinational Division Baghdad, mans the gunner's seat of a Black Hawk helicopter before the start of a mission on Camp Taji, Iraq, July 20, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt....

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, July 25, 2008 – Multinational Division Baghdad engineers with the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team journeyed to the Grand Canal Bridge in Taji Qada, northwest of Baghdad, on July 22 to monitor repair progress. Construction workers from a local construction company weld steel that is going to be used to fix the hole in the northbound lane of the Grand Canal Bridge in Taji, northwest of Baghdad, July 22, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Lyndsey R. Dransfield, Multinational Division Baghdad  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The bridge, which spans a portion...

FORT HUACHUCA — Some of the most dangerous detainees in American custody in Iraq have established sharia courts within the compounds in which they are held and have tried and executed fellow detainees who refused to join them, the Army’s senior military police officer said Wednesday. “Detainees do not stop fighting just because they are detained. Their new environment is merely an extension of the battlefield,” said Brig. Gen. Rodney L. Johnson, the provost marshal general of the Army and the commander of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. He made his comments to about 300 people attending the first...

TIKRIT — More than 1,100 former fighters have reconciled with Iraqi Security and Coalition forces in the Salah ad Din province since May. Musalahah, meaning reconciliation in Arabic, is a combined effort between the Qadah level Government of Iraq, the leadership of the Iraqi Police, the 4th Iraqi Army Division and the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. By turning themselves into the Joint Coordination Centers across the province, Iraqis are seeking to clear their names. Men who are thought to have committed crimes are given a court date, so they can plead their cases before an Iraqi judge....

A student of the Al Abbas primary school explains locations on a map that is painted on the outside of the newly refurbished school, July 17. Photo by Staff Sgt. J.B. Jaso III. CAMP TAJI — The schoolhouse is run down. Water leaks through numerous cracks in the roof and air conditioners do not operate, effectively causing temperatures inside the building to climb to unbearable lengths.The walls covered with mold, no doors to the classrooms, broken windows, and cracks in the walls large enough to see the surrounding farmlands.Despite all this, approximately 600 students at the Al Abbas primary school,...

7/24/2008 - JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFPN) -- The Joint Base Balad Town Hall filled with brothers and sisters mourning the loss of a military family member July 20. Tech. Sgt. Jackie Larsen, a paralegal working with the Law and Order Task Force of the 732nd Expeditionary Support Squadron, died from non-combat related causes July 17. Sergeant Larsen, deployed from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., operated out of Forward Operating Base Shield and was the NCO in charge of all personnel movements for the LAOTF. The LAOTF trains Iraqi lawyers, paralegals and investigators in proper investigations and documentation of evidence...

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2008 – Al-Qaida terrorists have been largely marginalized in Iraq’s Babil province, thanks to the joint efforts of Iraqi and U.S. security forces, as well as local “Sons of Iraq” citizen security groups, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Iraq said today. “The organization related to al-Qaida is severely disrupted, … as well as the [extremist] militia” in Babil province,” Army Col. Tom James, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, said during a satellite-carried news conference with Pentagon reporters. “Overall, we are extremely optimistic about the security situation in Babil province, because...

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2008 – Coalition and Iraqi forces detained five suspected terrorists and found weapons caches during recent operations in Iraq, military officials said. Yesterday in Baghdad, coalition and Iraqi forces captured five suspected terrorists and uncovered an insurgent rocket-launch site, officials said. Iraqi troops discovered and blocked off the site after spotting a rocket and rail system in the city’s Jihad neighborhood. Soldiers from 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team searched the surrounding communities, eventually detaining the suspects – three in the Saydiyah neighborhood and two in the Zubaida community, officials said. Coalition troops found two roadside...

BAGHDAD, July 24, 2008 – In another sign of progress in Iraq, 62 tribes and 68 sheiks have organized four private trucking companies to form the Iraqi Transportation Network. A driver for the Iraqi Transportation Network, an Iraqi-owned and operated logistics network, watches as containers are loaded onto his truck July 15, 2008, at Camp Liberty, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrea Merritt  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The sheiks approached the U.S. military with a proposition for the ITN to haul their cargo throughout Iraq, guaranteeing safe shipment and taking financial responsibility for any loss. They...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq, July 24, 2008 – Medics and doctors play a key role in maintaining the health and safety of U.S. soldiers throughout Iraq. A doctor from Montgomery Village, Md., brings especially important skills to the combat theater. Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Margaret Swanberg, of Montgomery Village, Md., checks the pupils of Army Spc. Michael Woywood, of San Antonio, for dilation during a military acute concussion evaluation demonstration at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, July 18, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Michael Schuch, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution...

BAGHDAD – The 33rd Iraqi Army confiscated more than 4,000 pounds of homemade explosives made of fertilizer and diesel fuel from a farm near Karbala, Iraq July 22.  Four men were detained and taken to the Karbala Police Directorate for questioning.-30-

BALAD, Iraq – Since the beginning of July, three highly sought after suspected terrorists have surrendered to Iraqi Security and Coalition forces. An emir of the Sinjar area Islamic State of Iraq, a front organization for al-Qaeda in Iraq, surrendered to the Iraqi Army for reconciliation in Kisik July 5, about 43 km west of Mosul. The suspect is reportedly involved in terrorist and foreign fighter facilitation and a leader of rocket and improvised explosive device cells. In Rutbah, a suspected AQI emir of the Rutbah region turned himself in to Coalition forces. The suspect is known to facilitate foreign...

Staff Sergeant Brian Doty (left), of Orange, Va. and Cpl. Sam Weaver, of Fayetteville, N.C., both with Company B, 13th Psychological Operations Battalion, are accompanied by local children while on a foot patrol in the city of Suwayrah in northern Wasit province. Photo by Sgt. David Turner. COMBAT OUTPOST SUMMERS — Walking down the busy streets of Suwayrah at sundown, the city’s residents met Soldiers with handshakes and friendly smiles. Children gathered everywhere the Soldiers stopped to talk to residents. As the patrol of Soldiers from 1st Platoon, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment continued on its way, the...

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – As violence levels maintain a steady decrease across Iraq, coalition forces and the Iraqi government are able to focus their efforts on reconstruction and civil issues, a senior coalition military official in Iraq said today. Iraqi forces are improved, and the government continues to develop and progress, Army Brig. Gen. David Perkins, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said in a news briefing from Baghdad. “Government, security and economic institutions continue to surge forward” throughout Iraq even as the last of the initial five surge brigades – 3rd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team – redeployed...

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – The surge in Iraq has been a success by any measure, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said during a news conference today. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell holds a press briefing on July 23, 2008, to update reporters on the latest news and events within the Department of Defense. Defense Dept. photo by R. D. Ward  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The surge has allowed Iraq to make improvements from security, political and economic standpoints, Morrell said. The last of the five surge brigade combat teams recently left Iraq. The policy, announced by...

BAGHDAD, July 23, 2008 – Water is a critical resource in the desert, and the water level at Camp Victory here has decreased significantly over the past few months, the result of an unseasonably dry winter that saw very little rain. Water from the Jaddriyah Pump Station is pumped into the Al Faw Lake on Camp Victory, Iraq. The water is used by personnel on the Victory Base Complex as well as the Iraqi people who live outside of the installation. U.S. Army photo by Maj. James Daffron, 926th Engineer Brigade  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The water...

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – Iraq’s fledgling navy is gaining prominence within its country’s security forces due to its role in protecting the nation’s oil infrastructure, a coalition advisor said July 22. British Royal Navy Capt. Paul Abraham, director of the Maritime Strategic Transition Team and senior advisor to the Iraqi navy, explained during a conference call with military bloggers that in addition to quickly expanding their naval force, Iraqi marines and sailors also are fast moving into a lead role in defending Iraq’s major ports and oil terminals from insurgent attack. “The Iraqi navy's aim is to be able...

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – Coalition and Afghan forces killed groups of enemy fighters during operations in Afghanistan this week, military officials said. While coalition forces yesterday searched compounds in the Sayed Abad district of Wardak province for a Taliban commander, a cadre of militants inside a barricaded house attacked troops with grenades, machine guns and small-arms fire. Coalition forces fought back using small arms and grenades, and they called in an air strike, killing an unknown number of the enemy fighters, military officials said. Combined forces also came under ambush during a July 21 operation in the Maruf district...

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – Coalition and Iraqi forces caught five suspected terrorists and seized two weapons caches in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said. In separate raids in Baghdad today, troops captured a suspected kidnapping cell member and nabbed a man with alleged ties to al-Qaida leaders in Iraq and other countries. The operations targeted al-Qaida in Iraq's financial infrastructure around the Iraqi capital, military officials said. In a related operation yesterday, coalition forces detained an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq financier and one additional suspect during a raid near Samarra, 70 miles north of Baghdad. Elsewhere...

PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, July 23, 2008 – More than 600 villagers and students attended the July 16 grand opening of the 16-room Obdara High School in the Anaba district of Afghanistan’s Panjshir province. Gov. Hajji Bahlol of Afghanistan’s Panjshir province gives the keynote speech at the grand opening of the $237,000, 16-room Obdara High School July 16, 2008, in Panjshir’s Anaba district. U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Jillian Torango, Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Panjshir Gov. Hajji Bahlol, the keynote speaker, is a native of Anaba and went to the Obdara School when...

AN NAJAF — Provincial and local officials hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony July 19 to open a new Primary Healthcare Center in Sooq-sha’lan. An Najaf Deputy Governor Hassan Abtan pointed out that, prior to the PHC’s opening, residents traveled for an hour to get medical care. “Now it’s just 5 to 10 minutes away,” he added. He praised the quality of the construction, said the Iraqi crew who built it should be proud, and also complimented the partnering effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and provincial officials to ensure the project’s successful completion. Those attending included Abtan, Dr....

BAGHDAD — 1,698 officers, the largest class ever, graduated from the Ministry of Interior’s Baghdad Police College here July 20 and took the loyalty oath to uphold the rule of law and protect the citizens of Iraq. The new course is known as the 1st Qualification Course. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki spoke of this initiative during Basrah operations as a means to promote both reconciliation and new jobs for former government employees and other recruits who met the qualifications. To become lieutenants in the police force, the graduates must complete the retraining and certification in the four-month course. Most were...

BAGHDAD — Serving more than 2000 homes and businesses, two water networks at a cost of $2.6 million are almost complete in the Kadamiyah area of Baghdad. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region Division, and the Baghdad Water Authority are working together to replace the old and damaged pipeline system in the Kadamiyah district to supply a better quality and quantity of water. According to the Gulf Region Central districts International Zone project engineer, Malath Al Rawas, approximately 17,000 linear meters of ductile iron water pipe was laid at each of the sites. Per Baghdad Water Authority requirements,...

BAGHDAD — During a visit to the area July 19, Brig. Gen. Jeffery Buchanan, deputy commanding general for operations for Multi-National Division – Center, met with Brig. Gen. Jabbar Nama, deputy commander for the 10th Iraqi Army Division, to discuss operations and the future well-being of Maysan Province. In the four weeks since Operation First Signs of Peace began in Maysan Province, the Iraqi Security Forces are successfully maintaining just that - peace. During their month-long presence in al-Amarah, battalions from the 10th IA Div. have not seen a single gunfight, not one improvised explosive device attack, nor received any...

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2008 – Training Afghan security forces is the key to success in the country, but the effort continues to be plagued by a shortage of trainers, the general in charge of that training said today. Army Maj. Gen. Robert W. Cone, commander of the Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, said Afghanistan has “made positive strides in fielding professional security forces that are competent, diverse and capable of providing security,” but that much remains to be done. Cone spoke to reporters gathered at the Foreign Press Center here in a teleconference from Kabul. The command is responsible for...

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2008 – Coalition and Iraqi forces detained 14 suspected terrorists and found weapon caches during recent operations in Iraq, military officials said. Today in northern Iraq, coalition and Iraqi forces captured seven suspected terrorists, including an alleged al-Qaida kidnapping cell leader, officials said. U.S. and Iraqi troops detained the alleged cell leader and another suspect in Kirkuk after receiving tips from previously captured associates of the suspects. The alleged cell leader reportedly is tied to kidnappings and terrorist activities in Kirkuk and Salahuddin provinces, officials said. Coalition forces captured five other suspected terrorists during an operation near...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, July 22, 2008 – Like most of Afghanistan's provinces, Konar has historically been unable to meet the medical needs of its 381,000 residents. But the Konar Provincial Reconstruction Team is working to meet those needs. Navy Lt. Gregory Monk, a provincial reconstruction team physician assistant from Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Calif., conducts a village medical outreach visit in the Chowkay district of Afghanistan’s Konar province. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. As recently as 2002 and shortly after the departure of the Taliban, Afghanistan has faced some of the worst health statistics ever recorded...

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2008 – After matching servicemembers re-entering the civilian work force with military friendly employers, “Hire a Hero” is stepping outside its box and trying some matchmaking of a different kind. The troop-support organization has teamed with Dreamworks Television and Mark Burnett Productions to help two deserving military couples have their dream weddings. The gesture is a thank you for their service and commitment to the country, according to the Hire a Hero Web site. “Providing something like this is just great,” said Rob Barr, a Hire a Hero representative. “It’s showing support for the troops, and...

BAGHDAD, July 22, 2008 – Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki waved to cheering crowds July 20 as he stepped off the first plane landing at Najaf International Airport. Iraqi girls smile in celebration of the Najaf International Airport inauguration, July 20, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michel Sauret, Multinational Division Center  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The celebration marked the opening of a new airport that will facilitate travel, boost business opportunities and increase tourism. "The Najaf airport is a starting point for competition among provinces and local governments to make extraordinary progress toward reconstruction. …...

HEIDELBERG, Germany, July 22, 2008 – Camp Victory in Iraq is nearly 2,000 miles from the nearest Army library in Europe. But troops deployed at the sprawling base near Baghdad International Airport soon will have access to a broad spectrum of library resources through an e-Branch kiosk. Movers crate an Army Europe Libraries e-Branch kiosk for shipment to Camp Victory, Iraq. The e-Branch kiosks are designed to support educational opportunities for Soldiers and deliver electronic library services and information to customers who can’t get to a brick-and-mortar library. U.S. Army photo by Amy Drayer  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...

BAGHDAD, July 22, 2008 – When Army Sgt. Victor Faggiano was growing up in Manchester, N.H., he always knew the military was the choice from him in life. Army Sgt. Victor Faggiano (left), a native of Manchester, N.H., patrols through a field of trash using a medal detector to search for possible enemy caches in northern Ghazaliyah, Iraq, July 10, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. James Hunter, Multinational Division Baghdad  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “I pretty much always wanted to join the Army since I was playing with little green Army men, and I never saw...

BASRA, Iraq – A congressional delegation visited the Multi-National Division – South East headquarters in Basra, Iraq, July 21 while on a fact-finding mission during a trip through the area.  Senators Jack Reed, D-R.I., Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., arrived at Basra Air Station on an Air Force C-130. They were escorted by Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander, Multi-National Corps – Iraq, and Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph R. Allen, command sergeant major, MNC-I.   The senators met with MND-SE leaders and Iraqi Army leaders, Lt. Gen. Mohammad, commander, Basra operations, and Maj. Gen. Aziz, commander, 14th Iraqi Army...

The refurbished Old al Kut substation 33kV switchgear provided more reliable electrical power to approximately 300,000 people in al Kut. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson. FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA — The people of al Kut are receiving more reliable electricity, thanks to the upgrade of the Old al Kut substation 33kV switch gear, which increases the availability of power for transmission and distribution. Two sections of the antiquated substation were replaced and came online approximately two weeks ago. Government officials celebrated its completion during a ribbon cutting ceremony, July 16.“The people of al Kut have noticed...

BAGHDAD — “This ancient civilization of Mesopotamia, between the two historic rivers, taught the world how to read and how to write,” said Ahmed Rubayee, the Director General of Baghdad’s Rusafa 2 Education Department at al Neel school opening last week. “That is what we are doing here today, establishing a school, and to once again, be civilized and concentrate on teaching our children to read and write.” During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Director General Rubayee congratulated Officer in Charge of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Loyalty Resident Office Maj. Robert Culberson for the successful completion of the $797,000...

Iraqi children celebrate the transfer of security responsibility to Qadasiyah province from coalition forces in a parade during a ceremony in ad-Diwaniyah, July 16. Photo by Sgt. David Turner. FORWARD OPERATING BASE ECHO — The governor of Qadasiyah province assumed security responsibility from Multi-National Force - Iraq during a ceremony in the provincial capital of ad-Diwaniyah, July 16. Lieutenant General Lloyd Austin, commander of Multi-National Corps - Iraq, signed an agreement with Provincial Governor Hamed al-Khoudari, which gives responsibility of providing security to the people of Qadisiyah and the Government of Iraq.Austin thanked Maj. Gen. Andrjez Malinowski, Polish Army commander...

Iraqi Policemen assigned to 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st National Police Division, lay out weapons they confiscated during a search with their National Police Transition Team partners in the Al Amin area of eastern Baghdad, July 13. By Spc. Grant Okubo. FORWARD OPERATING BASE RUSTAMIYAH — National Policeman and their U.S. National Police Transition Team partners took to the streets of eastern Baghdad to enforce a weapons-free zone in and around Al Amin, July 13. Policemen from 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st National Police Division, led a clearing operation of the Al Amin power station and the surrounding area. Capt....

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2008 – Coalition and Iraqi forces killed six enemy fighters and detained 17 suspected terrorists during recent operations in Iraq, military officials said. Today in Baghdad and Mosul, Coalition forces captured 10 suspected terrorists during separate operations.. U.S. troops in Mosul detained an alleged al-Qaida leader and two other suspects. The suspected leader is believed to be a senior advisor to a terrorist network there, and “is believed to conspire with other terrorist leaders to conduct attacks and impose extremist ideals” on the citizens there, officials said. Coalition forces detained six suspected terrorists in Baghdad. The individuals...

PATROL BASE MEADE, Iraq, July 21, 2008 – Army Chaplain (Capt.) Eric Light gives a weekly sermon and is available for counseling whenever a soldier might need it. But he is not your ordinary chaplain. Army Chaplain (Capt.) Eric Light, chaplain for the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, stands outside his office on Patrol Base Meade, Iraq. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “When I was in college, money was kind of hard to come by, so I became a stunt guy to pay for college,” said Light, who serves...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq, July 21, 2008 – The people of Kut, Iraq, now have more reliable electricity, thanks to the upgrade of a substation switch gear, which increases the availability of power for transmission and distribution. Bob Kagler, right) Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team chief, delivers remarks while Capt. Hayder Adnan Ali Al-Saidy, Iraqi police liaison officer to coalition forces in Iraq’s Wasit province, translates during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a refurbished electrical substation in Kut, Iraq, July 16, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Workers replaced two...

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2008 – Coalition forces in Iraq killed an enemy fighter, detained dozens of terrorism suspects and seized illegal weapons stockpiles in operations over the last few days, military officials reported. In operations today: -- In Beiji, south of Mosul, forces captured a suspected an al-Qaida in Iraq operative. During the operation, the target was injured, and another suspect was killed. Another suspect was detained. -- Two other operations in Beiji targeted al-Qaida in Iraq leaders and netted four suspected terrorists. -- In Baghdad, forces captured two alleged al-Qaida in Iraq leaders wanted for kidnappings and attacks against...

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2008 – An undetermined number of enemy fighters were killed today in separate air strikes in Afghanistan, with one of the engagements prompting an investigation into reports that Afghan National Police officers were killed. Combined Joint Task Force 101 officials said they’ve launched an investigation into an incident in which a combined U.S.-Afghan patrol came under attack by a “non-uniformed hostile force” early this morning in the Ana Dara district of western Afghanistan’s Farah province. The combined patrol signaled their status as coalition forces, but continued to receive fire, officials said. Coalition forces then returned small-arms fire...

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2008 – Setting a timeline for U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq would be “dangerous,” and troop reductions there should continue to be made based on security conditions on the ground, the nation’s top military officer said today. President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki this week agreed to set a general “time horizon" for bringing more U.S. troops home from the war, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” but he added that to his knowledge, the agreement does not include specific dates. “I think the consequences could be very dangerous...

Daniel Skotnick agriculture advisor, and Abdullah Al Asoum, economic bi-lingual, bi-cultural advisor with embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad-5, speak with a farmer in Abernisha Village, northwest of Baghdad, July 13. Two tons of hybrid maize seed were donated to help rebuild Iraq’s agriculture and infrastructure. Photo by Pfc. Lyndsey Dransfield. CAMP TAJI — The Fertile Crescent portion of Iraq is notorious for its strong agricultural heritage throughout history. It has long blessed residents and their livestock with a plethora food.Unfortunately, in recent history investments and resources were diverted away from farming and food production, leaving Iraq's agricultural resources in utter...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON — Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers operating in the Rashid District of southern Baghdad detained five suspected criminals, July 17 – 19, while conducting combat operations. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, MND-B, arrested two insurgent cell members July 17, in the Shurta community. On July 19, Soldiers from Company A, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regt., attached to the 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B, detained a suspected criminal in the Saydiyah neighborhood. Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B, also arrested two...