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THE 7000 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk have farewelled Sydney – and about $10 million of their money during their five day stay. Escorted by a flotilla of small boats, the Kitty Hawk left Sydney Harbour after five days docked at the Garden Island Naval Base. It is estimated the 7000 sailors spent $2 million a day during their visit to Sydney – or around $280 a crew member, a day. The sailors also engaged in various charitable works around the city, including a visit to sick children at the Children's Hospital at Westmead. This was probably...

AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar, April 17, 2006 – People use the term "decompress" a lot at U.S. Central Command's Rest and Recuperation Center here. Servicemembers enjoy video games in the USO lounge at the As Sayliyah Rest and Recuperation Center in Qatar. Personnel from Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa can get four-day passes to the facility. Photo by Jim Garamone  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The center allows servicemembers and Defense Department civilians to leave the stress of service in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa behind, said Army Capt. Pernita Duggal, in charge of the...

A BLACK-CLAD figure amid a sea of brilliant white uniforms, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was given a hero's welcome aboard two US warships in Sydney Harbour yesterday. The crews of USS Port Royal and USS Ruben James greeted Dr Rice with cheers and whistles. She told the sailors they were owed a great debt of thanks by the American people, the President and all who desired freedom. "Because you are stalwart, because you have volunteered for this fight (in the global war on terror), we are going to win this great struggle," she said. "We are going...

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2006 – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal today during the ship's regularly scheduled port visit here. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaks to the crew of the guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal during a visit to the ship March 16. Port Royal was in Sydney for a regularly scheduled port visit. The secretary made brief but encouraging comments to the crew and visiting media on the ship's main deck before going below decks for a special lunch with the sailors. "This group of wonderful young men and women who represent...

Dozens of donated plastic models are available for deployed service members to assemble in their free time. U.S. Army photo U.S. Soldier Starts Tikrit Chapter of Hobby Club The Tikrit chapter of the International Plastic Models Society has fifty members and that number is growing. By U.S. Army Spc. William Jones 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment TIKRIT, Iraq, March 2, 2006 — Some U.S. soldiers assigned to the 101st Airborne Division are passing the time during their deployment by doing something they enjoyed doing as kids – building plastic models. “It is something that totally immerses you in to...

Reporter: Lisa Millar PETER CAVE: Brisbane is bracing for an American onslaught today after the arrival late yesterday of the USS Ronald Reagan - the biggest and newest aircraft carrier in the world. It's on its maiden voyage and Brisbane is the first port of call. Lisa Millar reports. LISA MILLAR: Queensland's newest tourism attraction is a mammoth aircraft carrier docked in Brisbane for the next five days. The nuclear powered ship has sailed from San Diego - Brisbane is its first port of call. Larger than three football fields and higher than a 20-story building, it has firepower too....

060123-N-0610T-139 Brisbane, Australia (Jan. 23, 2006) - The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), arrives in Brisbane, Australia, for a scheduled port visit. While in port, Reagan's crew will have a chance to participate in friendship-building and goodwill-generating activities. Reagan is currently on its maiden deployment in support of global war on terrorism and maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class James Thierry (RELEASED) 060123-N-0610T-088 Brisbane, Australia (Jan. 23, 2006) – The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), arrives in Brisbane, Australia, for a scheduled port visit. Reagan While in port, Reagan...

MORE than 5300 sailors, airmen and soldiers from the USS Kitty Hawk carrier group descended on Sydney last night, determined to bleed up to $30million in back-pay over the next four days in "the most sought-after port". "They haven't been paid for 40 days, so they'll be enjoying some great liberty," said Lieutenant Commander Terrence Dudley, the ship's media liaison boss. Rear Admiral Jamie Kelly, the commander of carrier strike group five - which the Kitty Hawk or "Battle Cat" heads - said his people were "eager to take advantage of the local attractions". "The strike group's visit is expected...

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - One young man cannonballed into the cool blue pool, another applied suntan lotion to his girlfriend's shoulders - and a third swung his machine gun onto a lawn chair. A pair of Black Hawk helicopters hovered above. The men and women could have passed for American college students, but they were U.S. soldiers at Camp Liberty in western Baghdad, seeking a break from the war raging just beyond the blast walls. Hours later, some would don helmets and flak jackets, jump into armored vehicles and patrol through violent Baghdad neighborhoods. "When I come here I don't...

A week ago, Noel Borden was sleeping in a bunker in Baghdad. On Sunday night, he and his fiancée, Sarah Harmon, slept on a pillow-top bed in a luxurious third-floor suite at the Ann Bean Mansion Bed and Breakfast in Stillwater. They lit a fire, tried out the hot tub and ate a gourmet meal — poached pears with a berry compote and vegetable quiche — for breakfast. Borden, a radio operator in the Minnesota National Guard's Delta 216 unit, is home on a two-week leave, and his St. Croix River Valley getaway was free, compliments of the innkeepers. "It's...

CAMP RED CLOUD, South Korea — The 2nd Brigade soldier who created www.beerforsoldiers.com, a Web site that lets people buy a beer online for a U.S. soldier, has been ordered to stop running his site. Sgt. Dale Rogers, in Iraq with Company C, 1st Battalion (air assault), 503rd Infantry Regiment, posted a notice on the site last week informing readers that he is turning it over to his brother. A spokesman for the 2nd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, which includes 1-503, said in an e-mail that lawyers from the unit rendered a legal opinion that the Web site...

CAMP HABBANIYAH, Iraq — To Sgt. Dale Rogers of Company C, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, the near beer that soldiers sometimes get in Kuwait and Iraq tastes like something drained through a wet sock. But that’s the closest the beer-loving Strike Force (2nd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team) soldier will get to his favorite drink during the next few months of his deployment in Iraq. The cyber-savvy soldier, though, has plans to make up for the lost consumption during mid-tour leave to Qatar and when he and his mates return to the States next year. And it won’t...

Sunday, September 19, 2004 Oktoberfest offers ultimate R&R for troops who’ve served in Iraq By Charlie Coon, Stars and StripesEuropean edition, Sunday, September 19, 2004 Charlie Coon / S&S The Lowenbrau float rolls by during Saturday's parade to open the 2004 Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Charlie Coon / S&S Front row from left, Pfc. Jason Cain of Roanoke, Va., Sgt. Sylvia Hughes of Clarksville, Tenn., and Pfc. Kyra Sisco of Fremont, Calif.; back row from left, Pfc. Chase Wilson of Missouri City, Texas, Pfc. Cassandra Sisco, who is Kyra's sister, and Spc. Eric Lauberstein of San Diego, on Saturday at...

  CENTCOM R&R program sends 100,000th Soldier home on leave By Cpl. Matt Millham KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (Army News Service, Aug. 26, 2004) -- Almost a year after its inception, the rest and recuperation program for American troops engaged in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom reached a milestone when the 100,000th troop in the program flew out of the Central Command theater of operations Aug. 26. The 100,000 R&R Soldier is Sgt. Charles Petty, who has been stationed at Camp Steel Dragon in Baghdad and attached to the 89th Military Police Brigade. Army Col. Louis Yuengert, who formally...

Marines taking steps to counter combat stress in IraqSubmitted by: 1st Marine DivisionStory Identification #: 20046263550Story by Cpl. Macario P. Mora Jr. CAMP AL ASAD, Iraq (June 24, 2004) -- Navy doctors in Iraq are fighting an enemy just as debilitating as hostile fire. It's called combat stress and measures taken to reduce the effect of combat stress on today's Marines in Iraq are unlike that of any previous campaign. Essentially, Marines should expect to encounter two types of extreme stresses in Iraq, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gary B. Hoyt, a psychologist for Regimental Combat Team 7. They are...

Soldiers ‘Band’ Together for RelaxationBy Spc. Bryan D. Kinkade1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs      FORWARD OPERATING BASE HEADHUNTER, Baghdad, Iraq – Some guitars, a drum kit and somebody to blare out vocals is all it took for five members of this coalition base camp to get things started. What they started was their band, called Headhunter Main. “Not only is it a morale booster for us to play, it’s a morale booster for everyone on the FOB,” said Spc. Travis Conway, from headquarters company, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment.     The band started up a month and a half ago and...

Donation to Baghdad R&R site is music to Soldiers’ ears Story and photo by Sgt. Shauna McRoberts 1st Armor Division PAO BAGHDAD, Iraq – When Brian Freshley was 18 months old he picked up a toy tennis racket and tried to play it like a violin, using a plastic golf club as a bow. Amused, his maternal grandmother gave him a violin that once belonged to his grandfather, a World War II veteran. His parents had the violin restored and put it away in a closet until Brian was old enough to play it. But Brian, a native of...

<p>TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) -- There's a 24-hour gym with aerobic classes, an indoor swimming pool and even a driving range. And for troops who over exert themselves, a masseur is on hand to soothe aching muscles.</p> <p>U.S. soldiers stationed at a riverside palace complex here that once belonged to Saddam Hussein face constant danger from Iraqi insurgents whenever they leave the base.</p>

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Behind tall concrete barriers and rolls of razor wire, the United States Army has converted a former Iraqi Republican Guard officers' club here in the heart of Baghdad into a little American oasis for war-weary soldiers. The sprawling complex has been stripped of portraits of Saddam Hussein and Baath Party paraphernalia. It now serves as the First Armored Division's version of a five-star hotel for as many as 100 soldiers at a time who are lucky enough to get a three-day, two-night pass. More than 1,800 troops have cycled through since the hotel opened in mid-October.Called Freedom...

January 11, 2004 G.I.'s Enjoy Plush Respite of Iraqi Army By ERIC SCHMITT AGHDAD, Iraq — Behind tall concrete barriers and rolls of razor wire, the United States Army has converted a former officers' club of the Iraqi Republican Guard into a little oasis for weary G.I.'s. The sprawling complex here in the heart of Baghdad has been stripped of its portraits of Saddam Hussein and its Baath Party trappings. It now serves as the First Armored Division's version of a five-star hotel for as many as 100 soldiers at a time who are lucky enough to get a three-day,...

One of Indiana's own heroes is back from Iraq for a little R&R. Sergeant Jeramey Butler of Cloverdale has been injured twice while serving at the front line since the war began and took part in the attack on Saddam Hussein's sons. Butler is only 22 years old, but he says he has seen the best and the worst the world has to offer. “Some of the things that I've seen, I wish not to talk about because I would not want any person in the world, even my worst enemy to see it,” he said. Sgt. Butler leads a...

WASHINGTON - In an effort to bolster military morale, the Pentagon (news - web sites) soon will begin paying travel expenses for troops to get all the way home on leave from Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites).

Lt. Christian Dietz, on his way to rejoin his unit in Iraq after two weeks R&R with his family in Washington Township, Mich., assumed he would miss Thanksgiving. Lt. Dietz, 26, was walking to buy a sandwich at a fast food restaurant at BWI Airport yesterday when an employee from Southwest Airlines directed him to an employee's lounge. There Lt. Dietz and his fellow soldiers were given plates piled high with generous portions of turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings. "This is great," said Lt. Dietz, of the 40th Engineering Battalion, as he worked on his food. "This is the...

President Grants Extra Time Off for War on Terror Returnees American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2003 -- Federal employees returning from Guard and Reserve duty in the terror war are receiving an extra five days' "uncharged" civilian leave. President Bush directed the move in a Nov. 14 memorandum issued to the heads of all executive departments and agencies. "As we welcome home returning federal civil servants who were called to active duty in the continuing global war on terrorism," the president wrote, "we recognize the contributions they have made in the defense of freedom. "Whether they served...

Let it be known to all Freepers that Army Specialist Pudgeless of the Illinois National Guard's 333rd Military Police Company has returned to Freeport for R&R. Tomorrow night Rambette66 and I will be attending a reception in his honor, and I would love to bring him a printed FR thread of messages for him and his unit. When you leave a message, please include some indication (one sentence or so) of who you are and (if you're comnfortable doing it) where you're posting from; Despite the cool callsign, he's not a Freeper and would have no bleedin' idea who any...

As the automatic doors leading out of customs at BWI Airport swung open, a loud, sustained cheer rang out. The troops just off the plane from Iraq -- looking gritty in their desert camouflage uniforms -- stopped short. "Welcome back. Good to have you home," said Bill Self, a Vietnam War veteran, extending his hand to each soldier arriving for two weeks of home leave. Beyond him, a second line of veterans was waiting with telephone cards allowing the soldiers to make free calls across the country. At the end of the gantlet stood Ray Shipley, 75, a Korean War...

Veterans Welcome R&R-Bound Troops By K.L. VantranAmerican Forces Press Service BALTIMORE, Nov. 14, 2003 - The moonlight dances with the lights on the tarmac at Baltimore-Washington International Airport as the winds blow rustling leaves across the runway. It's 4 a.m., or "oh-dark thirty" as those in the military like to say. Inside, custodians busily mop floors around passengers who have sacked out on airport chairs. The area is silent, save for a handful of people quietly talking as they wait for the next flight from Iraq in the military's rest and recuperation leave program. Bill and Carolyn Self move...

The writer and his wife live in LA and both work for Uncle Sam. A Day at BaltimoreAirport Dear Friends and Family, I hope that you will spare me a few minutes of your time to tell you about something that I saw on Monday, October 27. I had been attending a conference in Annapolis and was coming home on Sunday. As you may recall, Los Angeles Internat'l Airport was closed on Sunday, October 26, because of the fires that affected air traffic control. Accordingly, my flight, and many others, were canceled and I wound up spending a night in...

Chinook Tragedy Won't Deter Troops' R&R Program By Gerry J. GilmoreAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2003 – The Nov. 2 downing of a U.S. military helicopter that was flying troops en route to stateside leave won't affect a recently expanded rest and recuperation leave program, according to U.S. Central Command. "The (R&R) program remains active," declared CENTCOM spokesperson Air Force Maj. Mike Escudie, who added, "Flights are leaving Kuwait daily." In fact, Escudie noted, the R&R program for service members supporting operations in Iraq was expanded Nov. 2 to handle 470 troops a day headed for two...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 7115 South Boundary Boulevard MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101 Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 October 31, 2003Release Number: 03-10-04 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MILITARY TO EXPAND REST AND RECUPERATION LEAVE PROGRAM MacDill AFB, Tampa – U.S. Central Command has approved an expansion to the Rest and Recuperation Leave program for service members supporting operations in Iraq beginning November 2. The Coalition Forces Land Component Command-Forward (CFLCC-FWD) at Camp Doha, Kuwait, will execute the expansion from approximately 270 soldiers a day to approximately 479. Soldiers will begin departing Iraq on October 31 and...

R&R Program for Troops in Iraq Expanded By PAULINE JELINEK .c The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - The home leave program for troops serving in Iraq is being expanded to fly more people out of the region every day and bring them to more U.S. airports, the military said Friday. Beginning Sunday, some 480 soldiers, up from 280, will leave daily from the Kuwait facility where troops are gathered for departures. ``The expansion of the R&R leave program is an opportunity to get even more of our heroes serving in the region a deserved break,'' said the U.S. Central Command....

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 October 31, 2003Release Number: 03-10-04 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MILITARY TO EXPAND REST AND RECUPERATION LEAVE PROGRAM MacDill AFB, Tampa – U.S. Central Command has approved an expansion to the Rest and Recuperation Leave program for service members supporting operations in Iraq beginning November 2. The Coalition Forces Land Component Command-Forward (CFLCC-FWD) at Camp Doha, Kuwait, will execute the expansion from approximately 270 soldiers a day to approximately 479. Soldiers will begin departing Iraq on October 31 and arrive at Atlanta...

Weary Travelers Support Operation Iraqi Freedom Troops at BWI By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2003 — Nearly everyone has experienced it at one time or another: an airport bogged down by bad weather, delayed and cancelled flights, and cranky, overtired travelers wanting nothing more than to get to their destinations. That's exactly what Will Ross, an administrative judge for the Defense Department's Office of Hearings and Appeals in Los Angeles, encountered Oct. 27 at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. But what he witnessed that day, he said, "made me proud to be an American, and also...

Delta, Southwest Let Passengers Donate Miles to Soldiers on R&R; Other Airlines Consider IdeaBy Wiley Hall Associated Press WriterPublished: Oct 22, 2003 BALTIMORE (AP) - Travelers will have an opportunity to donate some of their frequent-flier rewards to help troops on leave from Iraq reach their hometowns. A congressman whose district includes Baltimore-Washington International Airport started "Operation Hero Miles" and asked airlines to help set up the pool of frequent-flier miles. Delta Air Lines said Wednesday it would participate. Southwest Airlines, the No. 1 carrier at BWI, will let passengers donate tickets earned through the airline's reward system, said Christine...

<p>More than 30 soldiers who came home from Iraq for two weeks of leave have failed to show up for their flights back to the combat zone, military officials said yesterday.</p> <p>The soldiers, among more than 1,300 troops so far in the first large-scale home leave program since Vietnam, have yet to be declared absent without leave -- a violation of military law, said Army Col. Paris Mack, the Pentagon official overseeing the program.</p>

<p>More than 30 soldiers who came home from Iraq for two weeks of leave have failed to show up for their flights back to the combat zone, military officials said yesterday.</p> <p>The soldiers, among more than 1,300 troops so far in the first large-scale home leave program since Vietnam, have yet to be declared absent without leave -- a violation of military law, said Army Col. Paris Mack, the Pentagon official overseeing the program.</p>

Soldier's R&R turns into case of 'I do' BY GAYE MAXSONCORRESPONDENTMASON CITY - Wedding day. Girls and their mothers dream about it for years, and the actual details often are planned for many months to get everything just right. Everyone who knew Luke Bohm of Easton and Lindsay Blane of Mason City said they were meant to be together, and it was easy to imagine a picture-perfect wedding for the two. But war changes priorities and the best-laid plans. With only 19 days to make arrangements, they were married Sunday while Luke was on a two-week mid-tour leave from his...

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Oct. 14 — Juan Castillo just came home from war. Now he is going back. For the last 14 days, Specialist Castillo, a 21-year-old artilleryman, has been trying to savor each kiss from his wife, each minute with the baby, each inch of his bed and each sip of Mountain Dew. But it has not been easy. Happiness is endless happiness, and it is hard to really enjoy 15 days off from the occupation of Iraq when you know war is back there waiting for you and your vacation is basically a bittersweet countdown. "My strategy," Specialist...

First R&R Soldiers Gather for Return to Iraq By John D. BanusiewiczAmerican Forces Press Service BALTIMORE, Oct. 12, 2003 – The first soldiers to return home from Iraq for rest and recuperation leave checked in at Baltimore-Washington International Airport here today to return to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Army Pfc. Lindsay Clark, 123rd MSB, said her R&R leave was "an injection of good stuff" that will make the six months she has left in Iraq easier than her first six months. Photo by John D. BanusiewiczClick photo for screen-resolution image); high-resolution image available.) The Defense Department began the R&R program...

NEVER FORGET ...Here's a chance for you to help do something DIRECTLY for our Hero Soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan for our FREEDOM and future Safety in Time of War. ...The Quatar, Afghanistan Rest & Recooperation Center (R & R) is hosting 3rd Infantry Division, 10th Mountain Division, etc Soldiers from both Iraq and Afghanistan. Many arrive without a stich of civies (Civilian Clothes) in 120 degree weather. They need summer clothes i.e. T-Shirts (simple without political statements) that they can wear off base or around camp, shorts, swimsuits (No thongs or speedos, please) and more shorts. Everything needs...

Like all major airports, Baltimore-Washington International is used to emotional scenes. But it can have witnessed few in recent years such as the encounters of yesterday, as nearly 200 American soldiers, still in their desert fatigues, returned home for a brief break from Iraq. The opening of the swing doors from the Customs hall was greeted by loud intakes of breath and cheers. Then the spell was broken and a young woman with a six-month-old baby charged past the barrier and fell into an oncoming soldier's arms. Sergeant Corey Rieken was seeing his boy for the first time. He left...

Delta Air Lines Supports United States Military's Rest and Relaxation Program with Discount Fares ATLANTA, Sept. 26, 2003 – Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) will support the United States military's Operation Iraqi Freedom Rest and Relaxation (R&R) program with special discount fares for soldiers returning home for two weeks of R&R. The special fares are available for travel on Delta, Delta Connection and Delta Shuttle flights. "Delta is proud to help the men and women of our military return home to their friends and family," said Harlan Bennett, Delta's vice president-Revenue Management. From Sept. 27, 2003, until Sept. 15, 2004,...

A tragedy occured today in KC A female soldier had returned from Iraq this week and was killed as she crossed a busy highway at 59th and college street in Olathe.... She was on leave and had returned to attend and celebrate her brother's wedding this weekend. She carried no ID and was not identified until her brother reported to police that she was missing

USAREUR Public Affairs September 24, 2003 USAREUR R&R troops arriveStory and photo by Bob Purtiman, USAREUR Public Affairs Spec. John Arquette, 181st Transportation Battalion, shares a long-awaited moment with his wife Jennifer, his son Gavin, and daughter Anna.  Arquette is one of 80 USAREUR soldiers enjoying his 15-day R&R leave. FRANKFURT—After spending months deployed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, the first group of Europe-based soldiers are now enjoying 15 days of rest and recuperation leave.The first aircraft carrying 270 R&R soldiers arrived at Rhein-Main Air Base at 12:30 a.m. Sept. 26. Eighty of the troops belonged to United States Army, Europe...

LINTHICUM, Md. — Soldiers serving in Iraq started coming home Friday morning for two weeks of rest and recreation, with the first arrivals landing just before 6 a.m. EDT. "It's good to be back. My wife just had a baby and I'm really looking forward to seeing her," said Pvt. Larry Burns, 20, of Burlington, Vt., and a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. His daughter Alexia was born two weeks ago. One hundred and ninety-two GIs were on the first flight, which arrived at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (search) and was paid for by the military. Walking off the plane...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 September 25, 2003Release Number: 03-09-22 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE U.S. Central Command Unveils R & R Leave Program In a continuing effort to improve the quality of life and readiness of U.S. service members currently supporting operations in Iraq, the United States Central Command has established a Rest and Recuperation Leave program beginning September 25, 2003. Those service members serving in the Iraqi theater of operations with 12-month orders will be eligible for this program. Service members will have the opportunity...

LINTHICUM, Md. - The first U.S. troops to get a two-week vacation from their work in Iraq landed on the East Coast early Friday and were looking forward to seeing their families, eating home-cooked food and getting some sleep. "The first thing is, get a good nap," said Pvt. Bryan Harper, 23, a member of 173rd Airborne Division from Portland, Ore. U.S. Army 4th Infantry soldier Jim Short holds his eight-week-old baby girl Rachel for the first time after arriving at Baltimore Washington International Airport in Linthicum, Md. Friday, Sept. 26. 2003, after serving in Iraq. Short is from Mechanicsburg,...

Jordan becomes new R&R spot for occupation troops serving in Iraq International troops based in Iraq will have the opportunity to vacation in Jordan during designated rest and recreation (R&R) breaks. The Kingdom could end up replacing Kuwait and Qatar - their current R&R destination -as the holiday destination for soldiers granted leave. According to Mena Report sources, European and US troops will head for Jordanian cities such as Petra once the Baghdad-Amman route opens for traffic. With a price tag estimated at $100 a day per soldier, the guests will be spending either four, seven or fourteen-day breaks...

ASHINGTON, Aug. 10 — The commander of the 101st Airborne Division, which is on patrol in northern Iraq, has proposed an unusual holiday that would allow his troops to visit home once in their lengthy tours of duty. In a letter to families of the division's troops, the commander, Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus, wrote of his efforts to fly the soldiers back to the United States for up to two weeks of leave after they are midway through a 12-month deployment. But he warned of obstacles, in cost and security — including the risk of a plane full of...

FOUR American marines have given an insight into how they infiltrated the inner-sanctum of the NSW Blues to help inspire Andrew Johns' team to a series victory over Queensland. First Sergeant Charles Hessler and Gunnery Sergeants Rick Andersen, Daniel Boening and Erik Jackson say their lives have been changed after a chance meeting with Blues coach Phil Gould and assistant Laurie Daley last Sunday night at an eastern suburbs bar. It began an amazing four days for both parties. The quartet, in Sydney on a stopover from the war in Iraq, gave the Blues a motivational talk on Tuesday night....