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An Army general in Iraq backed away from his threat today to court martial female soldiers who get pregnant. "I see absolutely no circumstance where I would punish a female soldier by court martial for a violation ... none," Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo III wrote to ABC News in an exclusive statement. " I fully intend to handle these cases through lesser disciplinary action." Cucolo triggered debate, some of it angry, when his Nov. 4 policy forbidding pregnancy among his soldiers became public recently. His policy statement said violation of the rule could be punishable by court martial, and that...

12/18/2009 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) -- Imagine driving home from the base exchange with your spouse and child. It's Christmastime -- the first away from the rest of your family -- and the thought pops into your mind, "What can I do for others who are away from their families as well?" It was at this moment that Project Rudolph was born, as founder Tawny Archibald Campbell, her husband and their daughter decided to give a "piece" of the holidays to deployed troops in the form of goodie bags. The bags are filled with American and German candy;...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTENAC, Afghanistan, Dec. 18, 2009 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff praised the soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry, for their service in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province here yesterday, saying the unit has made a difference. U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, re-enlists 10 soldiers stationed on Forward Operating Base Frontenac in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Dec. 17, 2009. The soldiers are assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division's 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq, Dec. 17, 2009 – With Iraq’s national elections approaching, U.S. soldiers are preparing to support the Iraqi army and police while remaining in the background. Four women from Najaf, Iraq, walk down the street as U.S. soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, drive past during a reconnaissance mission, Dec. 3, 2009. The soldiers were checking out polling sites in the area for Iraq’s upcoming elections. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Natalie Hedrick  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The soldiers of the 3rd Infantry...

PLEASE TAKE 30 seconds and send our troops a card for free. It means a lot to know people care. Support our military. It's free and easy!

An excited child receives a bag of toys and school supplies from Spc. Michael Petro (right), of West Chester, Pa., as Staff Sgt. Marvin McCorvey, of Graham, N.C. manages the already growing crowd of children outside Forward Operating Base Falcon, in southern Baghdad, Dec. 12. Photo by Spc. Kelly LeCompte, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team. BAGHDAD — Two Soldiers with Company B, 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, recently organized a surprise toy delivery for children living here just outside the walls of Forward Operating Base Falcon. Spc. Michael Petro, an infantryman, said he had the idea to start collecting goodies...

The Department of Defense announced today the alert for mobilization of a replacement unit scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Approximately 2,600 soldiers from the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, headquartered at Edgewood, Md., will begin deploying in the summer of 2011.

Sarah made a very popular visit to Ft Hood, Texas to sign books and raise money for victims and families of those whose lives were forever changed by the first terror attack on American soil since September 11, 2001.

“Treachery.” That is the bridge between December 1941 and December 2009. “Treachery” in this new century has not come in the form of a surprise attack on America by a recognized military armada. Treachery is being unleashed on American troops by less than gallant men, well versed in the art of dissimulation. The tragedy is that in too many instances, the word of this enemy, an enemy who is without valor and honor, is taken over the words of American troops. More and more American troops are being charged and put away for long stretches for winning on the battlefield...

War photos of U.S. soldiers in Iraq are circulating on the web unlike those you may have seen before. The undated pictures give "Proof of abuse by our troops." Unlike the pictures from Abu-Ghraib with grabbed the attention of the media, these are largely unpublicized due to their sensitive nature. The photos which show our soldiers actively engaged with Iraqi citizens are especially intriguing because they appear to clarify the nature of the relationships between our men and women in uniform and the Middle Eastern people who actually live in the areas occupied by our troops. These are photos you...

U.S. Army Spc. Scott Guthrie stands watch on the roof of an Iraqi police station in Tunis, Iraq, Feb. 28, 2009. Guthrie is assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class James Wagner Thomas Ricks posted a nice response by Lt. Joseph Somers, in reaction to a shootout in Diyala province between Iraqi Police (IP) and Iraqi Army (IA), questioning its meaning. Lt. Somers sheds some light on the cause of the shootout; but the real gem is the second half of his letter: I am the platoon leader responsible...

OK would like to send out a big thank you to our troops serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and throughout the world. We’re thankful for these men and women who fight for our freedom. We hoped that Obama would also express his gratitude, but he used his Thanksgiving Eve speech to send out a Haijj message to Muslims around the world. In fact, in spite – and in some cases, because – of Barack Obama’s bad- and non-decision-making, there are at least eleven other reasons to be thankful on this holiday. With that in mind, here’s our Top Reasons to Be...

”I have chosen to speak because to look on us as husband and wife was an understatement. He said we were a unit. ”In my eyes my husband, my son’s father, was a warrior. Warrior are unique; our protectors, not destroyers. "Oz and troops like him join to serve traditional warrior values; to passionately protect the country they love, its ideals, and especially their families, communities and each other.

When the neo-Cons, a group of liberal Democrats, realized Margret Thatcher was right in saying, “The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money,” they decided Liberalism is, as Michael Savage contends, a mental disorder. In the 1970s and 80s they abandoned the Good Ship Democrat proclaiming themselves Born-Again Republicans. Generally they still carry the baggage of their former psychosis when it comes to social issues but when it comes to foreign affairs and military matters they sound like Errol Flynn playing George Custer in They Died With Their Boots On, “Don’t wait for orders...

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Thousands of people braved a cold, drizzly Monday for a chance to meet former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who was signing copies of her memoir at a Fort Bragg store. Some people camped out overnight, and the line snaked around the North Post-Exchange by the time Palin arrived at 11:15 a.m. The crowd chanted Palin's name when her "Going Rogue" tour bus pulled up outside the PX. "We love Sarah because she's a woman and she's smart," Sandra Harvath said. "She loves this country. I voted for her last time, and I'd vote for...

George Watkins worked through the weekend on his Eagle Scout project. His project was to place pavers that were donated as a fundraiser for the Historical Soldiers Memorial Cemetery section at the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista. He placed more than 4,000 pavers, a job that took two days to complete with the assistance of several Scouts and adult leaders. Photo by Mark Levy, Herald/Review

The Warrior Song Project http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTs6a0ORdQU would like to thank all of the following individuals for their selfless contributions to this effort: James De Vito, US Marine Corps, for vocals Sachiko De Vito, for being brilliant Rock Williams, for vocals Sean Hurwitz, for the guitars Bernie Pershey, for the marching snares Kashan Curry, US Marine Corps, for images & advice Justin Sullivan, for “The Wobble Beat” Robb Hendrick, for advice & creative design LYRICS: I’ve got the reach and the teeth of a killin’ machine, with a need to bleed you when the light goes green best believe, I’m in...

Subject: Vietnam Facts vs Fiction FYI, We do not live in Viet Nam, Viet Nam lives in us. Vietnam Facts vs Fiction. I found this article very interesting. The most notable fact is that 2.7 million Americans actually served in the Vietnam Theater of war. In the last census nearly 14 million Americans claimed they served in Vietnam . Four out of five are lying. I wonder why. Vietnam Facts vs Fiction For over 30 years I..like many Vietnam veterans..seldom spoke of Vietnam , except with other veterans, when training soldiers, and in public speeches. These past five years I...

If you want to send a holiday card to one of our troops, please send it to Holiday Mail for Heroes, P.O. Box 5456, Capital Heights, MD 20791-5456, but it must be postmarked no later than Dec. 7th.

Moldovan soldiers has been issued with an extra ration of onions and garlic to ward off swine flu, the defence ministry's chief doctor said Thursday. "We have introduced an extra 25 grams (one ounce) of onion and 15 grams of garlic in their daily ration," Sergiu Vasilita told AFP. So far, 24 soldiers have completed treatment for swine flu, while 19 are in hospital with acute respiratory infections, he said.

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...

PHOENIX - Three Army soldiers were among those arrested during Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's most recent crime sweep. In all 51 suspects were arrested, including 37 illegal aliens. Deputies arrested the three soldiers on drug, money laundering and conspiracy charges. The soldiers, Dwayne Campbell, Llewellyn Stamoulis and Romaine May were discovered to have 680 pounds of marijuana and $10,000 in cash during a traffic stop in north Phoenix. They were wearing military clothing and identified themselves with U.S. Government issued military identification. The driver of that vehicle was also charged with driving on a suspended driver's license. "It is...

Capt. John Gaffaney Capt. John Gaffaney, 56, was a psychiatric nurse who worked for San Diego County, Calif., for more than 20 years and had arrived at Fort Hood the day before the shooting to prepare for a deployment to Iraq. Born in Williston, N.D., Gaffney had served in the Navy and later the California National Guard as a younger man, his family said.

ABOARD USS NIMITZ IN THE INDIAN OCEAN, Nov. 16, 2009 – Two soldiers working deep inside this aircraft carrier serve as liaisons between the aviators of Carrier Air Wing 11 and coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan. Army Maj. Johnnie Gallegos and Army Sgt. 1st Class Percy Patterson joined Nimitz Carrier Strike Group as ground liaison officers when Nimitz entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. Their work directly supports a tactical directive issued in July by Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan, that places limitations on the use of force that could...

Suicides reported among active-duty soldiers more than doubled in October, according to Army data released Friday. The Army is investigating 16 potential suicides for October in comparison to the seven suicides reported to Army officials in September of this year. The Army is still investigating four of the suicides reported in September. The newly released October data brings the number of reported suicides in 2009 to 133, 18 more cases than were reported between January 2008 and October 2008. Among soldiers in the Reserve component of the Army, who are not serving on active duty, there were eight potential suicides...

Sorry, it won't link, story here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/255/story/1156644.html Go to the photos tab at top and click "Honoring Aaron Aamot" or... Photos here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/493/gallery/1156623.html#http://media.bellinghamherald.com/smedia/2009/11/12/18/s150-AAMOT_CASKET_0029.standalone.prod_affiliate.39.JPG Had the priviledge of standing with thousands of fellow patriots yesterday to honor Spc. Aaron Aamot, the first soldier from Whatcom County to fall in Afghanistan. Even in one of the most liberal states in the union, small town people still love this country and stand up for their own. We all cried. I just wanted to share.

As a veteran of the U.S. Army, I was brought to tears by the horrific massacre at Fort Hood, Texas. Seeing coverage of my former comrades brutally murdered at my former duty station was almost too much to take. The news that it was allegedly the act of a fellow soldier remains unfathomable. While stationed there a few years back, we knew were sitting ducks for a terrorist attack and that only the appearance of security kept it from happening. Anyone on the inside, like the alleged gunman in this case, knew he could easily pull off such a massacre....

Need a break from the depressing news Dogs welcoming home their "daddies"

I can’t begin to imagine how hard it would be to leave my family for months at a time, especially if my destination were Iraq or Afghanistan. And I don’t know how I could deal with my wife being deployed overseas. These reunion videos—for me, at least—shed a tiny beam of light on how emotionally draining being a military family can be. They’ll also make you want a dog. To commemorate Veterans Day, here are some overjoyed dogs greeting returning soldiers.

Time after time, public murder sprees occur in "gun-free zones" - public places where citizens are not legally able to carry guns. The list is long, including massacres at Virginia Tech and Columbine High School along with many less deadly attacks. Last week's slaughter at Fort Hood Army base in Texas was no different - except that one man bears responsibility for the ugly reality that the men and women charged with defending America were deliberately left defenseless when a terrorist opened fire.

Now more than ever the soldiers of Fort Hood, Texas need help. Many of our service men and women return home from Afghanistan or Iraq to face financial crisis, foreclosure and lack. "Operation Once In A Lifetime" is an organization dedicated to helping those returning to Fort Hood who are in need.

KILLEEN, Texas, Nov. 10, 2009 – Waiting at the airport last night for the last families to arrive for today’s ceremony honoring victims of the fatal shooting rampage at nearby Fort Hood, several soldiers were dealing with their own pain and confusion by reaching out to families of the fallen and to each other. Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Hall, Army Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Rodriquez and Army Spc. Laurence Palmer man a table in Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport in Texas on Nov. 9, 2009, to welcome families arriving for a ceremony scheduled the next day to honor the 13 people...

MORE THOUGHTS CONCERNING FT HOOD Maybe one of these days people will realize that hating one’s country, whether for religious reasons or otherwise, is more than adding another colour thread to society’s rich tapestry but wicked, warped, and very, very dangerous. --NINME, from Quote of the Day–So far via SondrakRemember Obama's Cairo apologia? He'd probably you just as soon forget what he said back in early June. "The attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only...

Former President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush made a private visit to Darnall Army Medical Center at Ft. Hood Friday evening. The former president and first lady visited with soldiers wounded in the incident on Thursday, as well as some of their family members.

FORT HOOD, Texas – The Army released an official list of the 13 people fatally shot at Fort Hood and said 16 victims were still being treated in hospitals, 9 of them in intensive care units. Fort Hood's Deceased The fatal victims of the Fort Hood shooting, as released by the Department of Defense on Saturday. * 1. Lt. Col. Juanita Warman, 55, Havre de Grace, Md. * 2. Maj. Libardo Caraveo, 52, Woodbridge, Va. * 3. Cpt. John P. Gaffaney, 54, San Diego, Calif. * 4. Cpt. Russell Seager, 41, Racine, Wis. * 5. Staff Sgt. Justin Decrow, 32,...

FORT HOOD, Texas – The Army released an official list of the 13 people fatally shot at Fort Hood and said 16 victims were still being treated in hospitals, 9 of them in intensive care units.

Breaking News: Military Releases Names of Dead in Fort Hood Shooting

They were soldiers preparing to go to war, sometimes for the second or third time. They were also sons, daughters, fathers and a mother-to-be. They were 21-year-old Jason Dean Hunt, who his sister said was proudest behind the wheel of his Bradley Armored Vehicle, from rural Oklahoma; Francheska Velez, 21, who was looking forward to the birth of her first child, from Chicago; and Amy Krueger, 29, a sports and outdoors enthusiast, from tiny Kiel, Wis. These were three of the 13 people -- a dozen soldiers and a civilian Defense Department police officer -- killed Thursday when an Army...

ACTION ALERT: FT. HOOD SHOOTINGS November 6th, 2009 8 : 09 AM Our Family has a soldier stationed at Ft. Hood. We have contacted him and he is safe. Overnight I have made contact with friends at the 1st Cav and I am collecting cards and letters from the public of support for those who were injured and for the families of those who were killed. We will collect your cards and letters of support and get them to the correct individuals in bulk via Federal Express. Send them today! It costs you 44 cents to support these troops and...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Nov. 4, 2009 – Many U.S. servicemembers working and living alongside Afghan soldiers here find they have much in common with their Afghan counterparts. Army Capt. Jacob White discusses planning with Afghan soldiers Maj. Mohammed Ahmen and Capt. Zalmay at Forward Operating Base Bullard in Afghanistan’s Zabul province, Sept. 29, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Stephen Decatur  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team live on the same bases with their Afghan counterparts and work side by side with them during combat operations. The U.S. soldiers advise and...

This is a two-fold story about an adaptive sports rehabilitation program for severely disabled US soldiers who are veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The first half focuses on a river rafting trip down the Salmon River in Idaho, the second focuses on the medical facility where these men have been rehabilitated. It is a story of how these men reach a point where they can embrace life again and feel a reason to go forward despite their permanent, often horrifying injuries. The three soldiers on the river trip are Major Anthony Smith, 39, an African American man who...

-- Roadside bombs today killed eight U.S. service members in Afghanistan, the military said.

U.S.: 4 Troops Die in Afghan Chopper Collision Hostile fire ruled out in Monday morning crash; two soldiers injured KABUL - The U.S. military said four American troops were killed and two injured in a collision of two helicopters in southern Afghanistan Monday morning. Hostile fire was ruled out in the crash. No further details were released. In an unrelated incident, another helicopter went down Monday during a joint, international security force operation against insurgents in western Afghanistan in which a dozen militants were killed.

How many more US soldiers have to die before B. Hussein Obama does what only his generals—his most qualified voices—tell him to do regarding troop levels?! Dick Cheney is absolutely correct for decrying Obama as dithering while US troops are in battle because all you have to do is count the number of US war dead in Afghanistan from the time that Gen. McChrystal asked Obama for more troops, which was waaaay back on Aug. 30th! It is the opinion of this writer that less US troops would’ve died—so the ones that did die were preventable deaths—if Obama would’ve just...

WASHINGTON (Oct. 17) -- More than 3,000 U.S. troops scheduled to deploy to Iraq won't go after all, as the military tries to draw down troop levels in the war-torn country, a Pentagon spokesman said Saturday. The 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division will not replace a North Carolina National Guard unit already in Iraq, Lt. Col. Eric Butterbaugh told CNN. The 3,500-troop combat team, based in Fort Drum, New York, was to leave in January, he said. "[The cancellation] reflects a thorough assessment of the security environment in Iraq and continued improvement in the ability of the...

The US military on Friday cancelled plans to send a 3,500-strong Army brigade to Iraq because of improving security conditions there, possibly freeing up troops for the war in Afghanistan. The 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team from the 10th Mountain Division based in Fort Drum, New York, had been scheduled to relieve another combat brigade in Iraq in January but will not deploy, the Defense Department said in a statement. With the US commander in Afghanistan asking for major reinforcements, the move could provide another brigade for the troubled mission if President Barack Obama decides to approve the troop request....

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Oct. 15, 2009 – In a country where fewer than 30 percent of people are considered literate, U.S. forces are working to help in rebuilding Afghanistan’s education system, which has been devastated from 30 years of war, anti-education politics and an unstable government. Soldiers with the 649th Regional Support Group are helping children like this boy from a village in the Deh Chopan district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. The soldiers are distributing backpacks filled with school supplies in the province, where many children do not have the resources to attend school. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisebet...

In the chaos of an early morning assault on a remote U.S. outpost in eastern Afghanistan, Staff Sgt. Erich Phillips' M4 carbine quit firing as militant forces surrounded the base. The machine gun he grabbed after tossing the rifle aside didn't work either. When the battle in the small village of Wanat ended, nine U.S. soldiers lay dead and 27 more were wounded. A detailed study of the attack by a military historian found that weapons failed repeatedly at a "critical moment" during the firefight on July 13, 2008, putting the outnumbered American troops at risk of being overrun by...