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Detainees at a camp in Baghdad, Iraq have found a way to get under the skin of guard troops from Wisconsin. And it has to do with football and a painful chapter for some Green Bay Packers fans who consider Brett Favre a traitor for joining the rival Minnesota Vikings. First Lieutenant Tim Boehnen of New Richmond says the detainees are familiar with Favre and picked up on the troops' discussion about the quarterback's performance with the Vikings. Lt. Col. Tim Donovan says the detainees at Camp Cropper needle the guards about Favre's success as a Viking.

We shut the aircraft down and what we saw was 350 plus people ranging in ages from 6 months to old and gray standing silently at a fence watching our every movement. I walked around the nose of my aircraft a mere 150 feet away from this crowd, I gave a simple smile and raised my arm up over my head and was greeted with the most substantial roar of levity that I have ever heard in my life. 350 plus people were cheering. Not because I play an instrument in some notable band, acted in a big Hollywood movie,...

November 17, 2009 MURTHA CONTINUES TO UNDERMINE TROOPS By William RussellIn recent interviews defending President Obama’s slow decision making on Afghanistan, Congressman John Murtha continues to undermine our troops, embolden our enemies, and place our country in greater danger. He does this by drawing on the wrong lessons from his own experience in Vietnam, and endorsing the enemy’s propaganda.  By continually questioning the request for more troops, Mr. Obama and Mr. Murtha are signaling the possibility that America might withdraw as we did in Vietnam. But unlike Vietnam, we do not have the choice of leaving and withdrawing to our...

Iraqi Police work to assemble their bicycles during training at the Kirkuk Police Academy, Nov. 15. This group will be the first to graduate and become bicycle police officers in Kirkuk City. Photo by Pfc. Justin Naylor, 1st Cavalry Division. KIRKUK — Iraqi Police (IP) officers recently attended the Bicycle Police Course at the Police Academy here, part of an ongoing effort to establish better policing practices in the city. Many of the police officers had never seen or heard of a bicycle cop before, but soon they themselves will be the first group to begin operating as Bicycle Police...

One of the first-ever female Iraqi Police officers to attend and complete training at the Baghdad Police College proudly poses for a photo following the BPC’s latest graduation ceremony, Nov. 9. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Edwin L. Wriston, Joint Combat Camera Center - Iraq. BAGHDAD – Fifty female Iraqi Police (IP) officers became the first women to graduate from the Baghdad Police College here, Nov. 9. The new female officers and more than 1,000 male students culminated their training with a ceremony marking their successful completion of the rigorous nine-month training program.Dozens of senior Iraqi political leaders, U.S....

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq, Nov. 19, 2009 – Women in Iraq have struggled for centuries to carve out a life of their own. Even with the advent of democracy, that struggle continues, and without attention and assistance, there is no telling how prolonged it may be. Army Capt. Ann Demapan takes a few photos of the rugs at a factory managed and staffed entirely by Iraqi women near Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq, Oct. 16, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Gavriel Bar Tzur  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. With that in mind, Task Force Pathfinder members of...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2009 – American forces are waiting to see what effect the veto of Iraqi election legislation may have on the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq said in Baghdad yesterday. “I think we’re set up and we’re flexible enough between now and the first of May,” Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said. “So … we won’t have to make any decisions until the late spring.” Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi’s veto of an election law recently passed by Iraq’s legislature that would allow the election to take place has thrown the...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq – The acting bishop of Basra held Catholic Mass here Nov. 7 in honor of the service members and civilians working toward a safer, more secure Iraq. Bishop Imad Al Banna, a Chaldean priest, spoke Aramaic, an ancient language spoken in Palestine 2,000 years ago and still spoken in parts of Iraq to this day. Al Banna began his sermon with a message of peaceful coexistence. “Peace can be achieved only by respecting other people’s opinions,” said Al Banna. “All nations who respect themselves take care of all of their citizens. National must also learn...

Holiday Mail for Heroes is back! In this season of hope and giving the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, Inc. have joined forces to invite Americans to “send a touch of home” to United States service members and veterans across the country and abroad. In its third year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program is an opportunity to share joy and thanks with our service members throughout the holiday season by way of a greeting card.Today over 1.4 million men and women serve in the U.S. armed forces and over 24 million veterans have served in the past....

We have volunteer Soldier "contacts" on the "Where to Send" page. Click through the names and select the one(s) you wish to support. They list what the folks they represent want and need. We even have a search capability so you can easily identify what the troops need most. All the Soldiers involved in this effort are military volunteers stationed in areas that are in harm's way. You send your support (letters and/or packages) addressed to them and when they see the "Attn: Any Soldier®" line in their address they put your letters and packages into the hands of Soldiers...

Sgt. James Glomski, of Alpena, Mich., with the 1434th Engineer Company, observes Iraqi Pfc. Omar Khodair Abbas making his first cut using a circular saw during a "train the trainer" carpentry course for the Iraqi Army in Baghdad, Nov. 14. Photo courtesy of the 16th Engineer Brigade. BAGHDAD — Iraq Soldiers here ended two days of basic carpentry training with a practical exercise of building dormitory-style rooms in the old Ministry of Defense, Nov. 14. Soldiers of the 1434th Engineer Company taught a "train the trainer" course to the 11th Field Engineer Regiment, 11th Iraqi Army Division, so the IA...

WASHINGTON — Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) arrested 11 terrorism suspects in operations over the last two days, military officials reported. Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched several buildings throughout Baghdad yesterday during a series of operations to search for a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) leader believed responsible for multiple vehicle-borne bomb attacks in the region. Credible intelligence led the security team to several locations across Baghdad in pursuit of the suspected cell leader. When a vehicle traveling at an excessive speed approached a restricted area established by the security team in the city’s Mansour district, the team attempted to...

Sarah Mohammad, 3rd Infantry Division Women's Initiative coordinator, demonstrates products that can be sold on U.S. Military installation during a Business Workshop for Iraqi women in Dujayl, Nov. 11. Photo by Capt. Rebecca Walsh, 1st Infantry Division. DUJAYL — A meeting room inside the library here was filled with lively conversations, Nov. 14, as Iraqi women discussed business opportunities available to them within the Salah ad-Din province. Women from Balad, Samarra, and Dujayl gathered together for a business workshop to exchange ideas about the possibilities of selling hand-made goods on Contingency Operating Base Speicher at the Iraqi Souq Bazaar.For Provincial...

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger talks with Spc. Ferrell Mapp, a resident of Richmond, Calif., and a member of the California National Guard, 49th Military Police Brigade, during a breakfast event held on Camp Victory, Baghdad, Nov. 17. At right is Brig. Gen. Donald Currier, commander of the 49th, and close aide to the governor in his civilian job. Photo by Sgt. Kenneth Bince, 49the Military Police Brigade. BAGHDAD — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger shared breakfast and conversation with his State’s Soldiers during a visit here to Camp Victory, Nov. 17. Schwarzenegger said he visited the Fairfield, Calif.-based 49th Military Police...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq, Nov. 18, 2009 – National Guard soldiers bring a variety of life and work experiences with them on deployment, and even the smallest unit can include a surprising array of skills and experience. Chief Warrant Officer Nathan McKean runs through a preflight safety check prior to departing for a mission at Combat Operating Base Adder, Iraq, Oct. 10, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Neil Gussman  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. In October, Task Force Keystone’s Alaska-based C Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, needed a crew for a routine flight to two of...

JOINT SECURITY STATION CHILAT, Iraq, Nov. 18, 2009 – Soldiers here have taken the adage “Improve your foxhole” to heart as they strive to improve this small security station in southern Iraq. Army Spc. Damon Krach builds a set of shelves for a tent at Joint Security Station Chilat, Iraq, Oct. 5, 2009. U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Nathan McEwen  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The station’s remote location means soldiers of C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment, often have to rely on themselves to do the improvements. This involves many different types of manual labor, such...

2nd Circuit to Civil Rights Lawyer Lynne Stewart: Go Directly to Jail A federal appeals court says bail for civil rights lawyer Lynne Stewart should be revoked and she should begin serving her sentence “forthwith” for passing messages from an imprisoned terrorist to his followers. The New York City-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Stewart’s conviction in an opinion (PDF) released today, rejecting her argument that the First Amendment protected her release of statements by an imprisoned sheik. Stewart was convicted in 2005 of providing material support to terrorists by passing messages from Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman to...

Soldiers, civilian workers and visiting actors Jeffrey Donovan (left) and Bruce Campbell (far right), of the USA show Burn Notice, enjoy a charity bazaar hosted by the Daughters of Iraq at Combat Outpost Meade, Nov. 13. Photo by Sgt. Robert Jordan, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team. BAGHDAD — The Daughters of Iraq, a national womens' organization here, held a bazaar on Combat Outpost Meade to raise money for local widows and orphans, Nov. 13. Soldiers of the 113th Field Artillery Battalion's Civil Affairs Team, based at the COP, hosted the bazaar that featured the work of several female Baghdad-area artists...

An Iraqi Soldier exits a U.S. Marine helicopter during joint air-assault training between Iraqi Commandos and Scouts, and Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division (Advise and Assist Brigade), Nov. 15, on Camp Ramadi. Photo by Spc. Mike MacLeod, 82nd Airborne Division. CAMP RAMADI — Iraqi Commandos and Reconnaissance Scouts partnered with the "All American" paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division here, Nov. 15, to train for future joint helicopter air-assault operations. The 1st Iraqi Army Division Soldiers trained with Paratroopers of the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (Advise and Assist Brigade), on loading and...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2009 – Iraqi security forces arrested 11 terrorism suspects in operations over the last two days, military officials reported. Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched several buildings throughout Baghdad today during a series of operations to search for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader believed responsible for multiple vehicle-borne bomb attacks in the region. Credible intelligence led the security team to several locations across Baghdad in pursuit of the suspected cell leader. When a vehicle traveling at an excessive speed approached a restricted area established by the security team in the city’s Mansour district, the team attempted...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq, Nov. 17, 2009 – Through a coordinated effort to improve relationships between Iraqi police and judges, the provincial reconstruction team in Iraq’s Basra province and the 17th Fires Brigade legal team set up a conference Nov. 7. Chief Judge Khazal Dabol Qasim and Iraqi Police Brig. Gen. Eedan talk during a law-enforcement community conference in Iraq’s Basra province, Nov. 7, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Maurice A. Galloway  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The four-hour conference covered topics such as the responsibilities of their respective investigation officers and the state of the facilities...

"Obsessed by their hatred and floundering in illogicality, these dupes forget that the United States, acting in her own self-interest, is also acting in the interest of us Europeans and in the interests of many other countries, threatened, or already subverted and ruined, by terrorism." -Jean-Francois Revel Gwynne Dyer from the Salt Lake Tribune doesn't deny that Nidal Hasan's faith played a role in his going postal jihadi: Let's see, now. A devout Muslim officer, born in the United States but of Palestinian ancestry, is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in the near future. He opens fire on his fellow...

November 16, 2009 Arnold Schwarzenegger visits Iraq - and aims to transfer military tactics to California Oliver August in Baghdad The governor of California trots out his most famous one-liner wherever he goes but, at the Victory military base in Baghdad today, he apparently meant it. “I’ll be back,” Arnold Schwarzenegger growled after working out with a group of American soldiers on active duty in Iraq, all with necks and trunks as thick as his. The muscleman who rose to Hollywood fame as The Terminator came to the site of America’s bloodiest war in a generation to cheer up troops,...

Vilified as a nuclear bomb-seeking threat to world peace before the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraq now wants access to civilian nuclear power for its economic and energy needs. Science and Technology Minister Raed Fahmi, in an interview with AFP, called for the international community to lift the Saddam-era UN resolutions which still stand in its path. "Our nuclear strategy is for civilian application of atomic energy and we believe we have the right and that certain obstacles contained in Resolution 707 should be lifted," he said. "We have a clear and transparent political strategy in close...

This is a summary of significant items concerning Iraqi Security Force (ISF) Developments reported in the September 2009 Quarterly Report to Congress: Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq released 13 November 2009. Author’s comments and analysis is in italics. This report’s data is dated 31 August 2009 and there are changes since then. This report is also the unclassified version and thus excludes Iraqi classified data. The budget issues and legislative delays continue to impact Iraqi Security Force development. Limited funds, the resulting hiring freeze and competition for resources exacerbated services cooperation. More recent developments than the information in this...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2009 – As the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq advances, efforts to build the nation’s police force have made great strides, the team leader of the police training and advisory mission said last week. “The traction that we’re getting is really impressive. It truly is a partnership,” Army Brig. Gen. Michael Smith said during a Nov. 13 “DoDLive” bloggers roundtable. Smith said Iraqi police agencies have impressed him with their growing abilities to recruit and train their own forces and run their own operations. He’s also noted a dissipation of ethnic tension at top levels. “The...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2009 – Iraqi security forces, working with U.S. advisors, arrested 21 terrorism suspects in various operations in recent days, military officials reported. In southern Baghdad today, Iraqi security forces and U.S. advisors searched a building for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader alleged in an arrest warrant to be responsible for multiple vehicle-borne bomb attacks in the region. Based on questioning and evidence found at the scene, they arrested a suspected associate of the wanted man. In western Mosul yesterday, Iraqi police and U.S. advisors searched several buildings for an alleged member of the Islamic State of...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE HUNTER, Iraq, Nov. 16, 2009 – A little bit of home made its way to this remote base in Iraq’s Maysan province recently, as soldiers tested their skills in a barbecue competition. Army Sgt. 1st Class Aric Quitugua tends to hamburgers and sausages during a barbecue cook-off at Contingency Operating Site Hunter, Iraq, Nov. 1, 2009. U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Juan Torres Jr.  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Despite unexpected downpours, violent wind gusts and hail Nov. 1, an afternoon that might otherwise have been lost to inclement weather served instead as a cloudy...

Children from a small school near Forward Operating Base Scania line up to receive school supplies and gifts, Oct. 27, during a Civil Military Operation conducted by the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team and the Iraqi Army. Photo by Spc. Cory Grogan, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team. FOB SCANIA — U.S. Soldiers here are working with the citizens surrounding this Forward Operating Base to ensure local children have the tools needed for a proper education. Oregon National Guard members with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 162 Infantry Regiment, based out of Springfield, Ore., from the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, were...

BAGHDAD — Soldiers with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division took over partnership responsibilities with Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in eastern Baghdad during a transfer ceremony, Nov. 15. The ceremony here at Joint Security Station Loyalty marked the end to the year-long deployment for paratroopers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. "I would like to take a moment to thank ... the entire Panther team for the hard work they put in to making our transition a success,” said Col. David M. Miller, of Evanston, Ill., the commander of 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. “Congratulations...

Acting Bishop of Basrah, Imad Al Banna, holds a Catholic Mass at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Nov. 7. Banna also had lunch with troops and civilians and was given a Liberty Bell statuette by the 28th Combat Air Brigade, Pennsylvania National Guard. Photo by Sgt. Matthew Jones, 28th Combat Aviation Brigade. COB ADDER — The acting Bishop of Basrah held Catholic Mass here in honor of the service members and civilians working toward a safer, more secure Iraq, Nov. 7. Bishop Imad Al Banna, a Chaldean priest, spoke Aramaic, an ancient language spoken in Palestine 2,000 years ago and still...

Members of the Iraqi Emergency Response Brigade stand ready to train on an Iraqi military compound in Baghdad, Nov. 16. Photo courtesy of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula. BAGHDAD — The Emergency Response Brigade (ERB), the counter-terrorism unit here comprised of elite Iraqi Police officers, continues to act proactively against Iraq's insurgent groups to foster a safe and secure region. "The Emergency Response Brigade had a very small change in their operations," said ERB Commander, Staff Brig. Gen. No'aman Jewad, about his brigade’s mission following the June 30 withdraw of U.S. forces from Iraqi cities. “The...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited troops in Iraq today for the first time as governor at Camp Victory, just outside of Baghdad, according to spokesman Aaron McLear and video from the Multi-National Corps Iraq Public Affairs. Schwarzenegger gave a six-minute speech designed to motivate the troops. He delivered cigars, signed autographs and told them he'd return Tuesday morning to work out with some of them before breakfast. "I just wanted to let you know how much we in the United States appreciate the work you are doing," Schwarzenegger said in his speech. "Now I know you are thinking many times, why...

Half a year ago in Cairo, President Obama addressed the Muslim world. Global leftists lauded the speech as heralding instant change in the Middle East. The Obama-adoring pundits were right. Change came. But it's all bad. Instead of listening to the extravagant claims of our leftward-plunging media about how profoundly that speech affected Muslims, let's look at what's actually happened since Obama praised Islam and trashed America: Iran: No nukes? Strategic cooperation? Rule-of-law democracy? Greater freedom for the Iranian people? Naw. President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's regime plays Obama like a card sharp working a hick who just showed up with his...

It's Saturday night at the Alwiyah Club, and 21-year-old Sarah al-Kimackchy is doing the hip thing — playing bingo. The streets outside may still not be as safe as they once were, and the occasional deadly bombing still rips through Baghdad, but al-Kimackchy is here with her family and entirely fixated on her game, wondering if tonight will finally be her night. "Since I was a young girl I've played bingo and even till today, I've never won!" she says. After years of bombings and killings, Baghdad's 85-year-old elite social club is making a comeback — and there's no better...

Some 33 cases of alleged abuse have been reported, including claims of rape. Other civilians say they were stripped naked, abused and photographed. In one of the worst alleged cases, British soldiers are accused of piling Iraqi prisoners on top of each others and then subjecting them to electric shocks. One of the soldiers is then said to have stood on the pile of men, and started shouting and laughing. Female British soldiers - as well as male soldiers - are alleged to have taken part in the abuse. The new allegations date back to 2003 when US and British...

The Iraqi Special Operations Force (ISOF) is still organized and configured as reported in June. However, it appears that the ISOF is starting to form eight light armored special forces battalions. The integration of Federal Police elements into the Counter Terrorism Bureau also appears to be starting.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2009 – Iraqi forces, aided by U.S. advisors, arrested terrorism suspects and a suspected terrorist cell leader in Iraq in recent days, military officials reported. Iraqi security forces arrested eight terrorism suspects today while conducting three combined security operations in pursuit of al-Qaida in Iraq members operating in northern Iraq. In Jananiyah, northwest of Baghdad, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched a building for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member allegedly involved in coordinating vehicle-borne bomb attacks and acquiring weapons for the al-Qaida in Iraq network in Anbar province. Through preliminary questioning and evidence gathered at the...

KIRKUK, Iraq, Nov. 13, 2009 – The public library here is receiving a facelift that highlights the building’s 72-year heritage while hiding modern amenities. The 72-year-old public library in Kirkuk, Iraq, is undergoing a $453,000 renovation designed to highlight the building’s classic look. U.S. Army photo by Rizgar Jan  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The $453,000 project, funded through the Commander’s Emergency Relief Fund, calls for complete renovation of the library’s electrical system, plumbing and heating plant, as well as installation of an air conditioning system and renovation of interior spaces. "For centuries, Iraq's libraries and universities were renowned...

Vatican City, Nov 13, 2009 / 01:44 pm (CNA).- Catholics in the war-torn Archdiocese of Mosul, Iraq received good news on Friday when Pope Benedict approved Fr. Emil Shimoun Nona as the new Archbishop of Mosul. The archbishop-elect will replace Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, who was kidnapped by militants last February and found dead two weeks later.The Vatican's press office announced today that the Holy Father “gave his assent to the canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Church of Fr. Emil Shimoun Nona.” Archbishop-elect Nona, 42, was born in Alqosh, Iraq on November 1, 1967. He...

Even in red-as-heck Utah, President Barack Obama's promises to withdraw troops from Iraq and refocus the military on Afghanistan had a majority of Beehive state voters' support as the 44th president prepared to take office. Less than a year later, Utahns are feeling far less optimistic about Obama's national security leadership, according to a Salt Lake Tribune poll of registered voters. Just 42 percent of Utah voters say they are "very confident" or "somewhat confident" in Obama's policies to protect the country's national security and manage the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the poll. That's a 20 percent...

A Reason to Rally Malcolm A. Kline, November 13, 2009 One piece of hope and change on the campuses that voted overwhelmingly for the party in power is that anti-war rallies centered on the American occupation of Iraq have virtually disappeared. Ironically, there are developments worth protesting in the nascent democracy. For example, the plight of Iraq’s Christian population should be of concern to anyone who claims to be energized by human rights concerns. By all accounts, Iraqi Christians account for less than 10 percent of the country’s population but a much greater proportion of its refugees and internally displaced...

Yesterday the New York Times reported the Norwegian financial newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv’s revelations that Peter Galbraith, a former US diplomat and advisor to the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq, stands to make hundreds of millions of dollars in profit from Iraqi oil revenues. Galbraith’s profits would result from his cashing in on his links to the Kurdish regional leadership, and his role in drafting Iraq’s Constitution, shortly after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. In 2004, Galbraith helped the Kurds arrange deals with Norwegian oil firm DNO and prepare for negotiations on the Iraqi Constitution, including controversial provisions on...

Col. Mark Stammer, commander of 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne (Advise and Assist Brigade), answers questions from Los Angeles Times reporter, Liz Sly, and Washington Post reporter, Ernesto Londono, during a media engagement on Camp Ramadi, Nov. 11. Photo by Spc. Mike MacLeod, 82nd Airborne Division. < CAMP RAMADI — U.S. and Iraqi media representatives visited the U.S. Army's first Advise and Assist Brigade here, Nov. 11, to learn about this new mission facing U.S. troops. Journalists with the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Iraqi Al Hurra TV focused their questions to Brig. Gen. Stephen Lanza, spokesman...

AMARAH – A U.S. Military Police Company here has worked with Iraqi Police in Maysan province for months to improve their ability to govern and provide security. The 57th Military Police Company conducts Key Leadership Engagements (KLE) with Iraqi Police leaders at Iraqi Security Force stations. The MPs visit the District Headquarters weekly to collect information on the area, establish training dates and assess the station's daily operations. "Training the Iraqis isn't always easy, but I'm still proud to have the opportunity to pass on my experiences to the people over here," said Dan Escudero, an international police advisor from...

Staff Col. Abbas, 3rd Brigade, 29th Iraqi Army Division, meets one of the young Iraqi children who benefited from the wheelchairs the 29th IA brought to Rutbah, Oct. 25. Photo courtesy of the 82nd Airborne Division. CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE — American troops aren’t the only ones conducting goodwill missions here, as Iraqi troops are out in force to win the hearts and minds of the people. Earlier this month, Soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 29th Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division, entered the town of Rutbah to distribute school supplies and other needed items.The goodwill mission was planned and executed without any...

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 157 service members became America's newest citizens during a naturalization ceremony in Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory, Baghdad. Photo by Lee Craker, MNC-I. BAGHDAD — A naturalization ceremony here on Veterans Day in Camp Victory's Al Faw Palace saw 157 U.S. Soldiers and Marines from 60 countries take the oath to become United States citizens. "How fitting it is that so many, on this Veterans Day, will gain their American citizenship while serving in 'America's Corps'," said Lt. Gen. Charles H. Jacoby, Jr., commanding general of Multi-National Corps - Iraq. "I can think of no...

11/12/2009 - JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) -- All Airmen are responsible for protecting against terrorism, but the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Airmen here have it down to a science -- through random antiterrorism measures. The measures are designed to consistently change the look of an installation's force-protection plan, and is part of a Department of Defense-wide program to defeat surveillance attempts and make it difficult for terrorists to accurately predict the actions of their intended targets. "All servicemembers on base execute RAMs to a certain degree," said Tech. Sgt. Thomas Williamson, the 332nd ESFS NCO in charge of...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2009 – Generations of American servicemembers braved and survived the din, destruction and uncertainty of war to return home to enjoy the freedoms they helped to preserve for their fellow citizens. Retired Navy Rear Adm. Robert H. Shumaker is a famous U.S. military veteran who coined the term “Hanoi Hilton” when he was a prisoner of war from 1965 to 1973 in North Vietnam. Any person –- civilian or military –- who thinks they may have emotional problems should seek professional help, he said. DoD photo by Gerry J. Gilmore  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Yet,...

AMARAH, Iraq, Nov. 12, 2009 – Soldiers of the 57th Military Police Company have spent the past three months building a partnership with the Iraqi police in this Maysan province city to improve their ability to govern and secure the local populace. Iraqi police officers watch a safe-body-search demonstration by Dan Escudero, an international police advisor, at an Iraqi police station, Oct. 15, 2009. U.S. Army photo by 2nd Lt. Len Rothermich  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The MPs engage with key police leaders and visit the district headquarters weekly to collect information on the area, establish training dates...