Free Republic

HEIDELBERG, Germany (AFP) - The United States is going to reduce the number of American ground soldiers stationed in Europe to 24,000 from the current 64,000 troops within the next five to 10 years, a US army spokeswoman said. The proposed troop reduction would result in only four of the 13 main operating bases remaining. The four bases would be; Wiesbaden in central Germany, which would become the European headquarters for US ground forces, and Kaiserslautern in western Germany, Grafenwoehr in southern Germany and Vicenza in northern Italy, according to the spokeswoman, Elke Herberger. The number of US army barracks...

WIESBADEN, Germany — It was a huge mission, the defense said, a big part of the reason the 1st Armored Division had to extend past a year in Iraq. It was “traffic control,” the prosecution said, with the hope of detaining a high-value target. “The sum total of the operation?” prosecutor Capt. Dan Sennott asked Monday in his opening statement in the court-martial of Capt. Roger Maynulet, who is accused of assault with attempt to commit murder in the death of an Iraqi man last May. “Two detainees, a dead driver and — after searching 30 houses — one 9...

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield on Wednesday dressed all in black. She was wearing a black skirt that hit just above the knee, and it was topped with a black coat that fell to mid-calf. The coat, with its seven gold buttons running down the front and its band collar, called to mind a Marine's dress uniform or the "save humanity" ensemble worn by Keanu Reeves in "The Matrix." As Rice walked out to greet the troops, the coat blew open in a rather swashbuckling way to reveal the top of a pair of...

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield on Wednesday dressed all in black. She was wearing a black skirt that hit just above the knee, and it was topped with a black coat that fell to mid-calf. The coat, with its seven gold buttons running down the front and its band collar, called to mind a Marine's dress uniform or the "save humanity" ensemble worn by Keanu Reeves in "The Matrix." ... The boots had a high, slender heel that is not particularly practical. But it is a popular silhouette because it tends to elongate and...

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield on Wednesday dressed all in black. She was wearing a black skirt that hit just above the knee, and it was topped with a black coat that fell to mid-calf. The coat, with its seven gold buttons running down the front and its band collar, called to mind a Marine's dress uniform or the "save humanity" ensemble worn by Keanu Reeves in "The Matrix."

WIESBADEN, Germany — President Bush on Wednesday firmly defended his decision to invade Iraq, displaying his military pride on a tour of European nations that disputed the war. Speaking to about 3,000 U.S. troops and their families at Wiesbaden Air Base, Bush called the U.S.-led invasion that created tensions with many European allies “a decisive moment in the history of freedom.” “One of the key lessons of Sept. 11th is that we must confront threats before they fully materialize,” Bush said. “In Iraq we found a threat to the entire world.” He said that despite a violent insurgency that continues...

I pick up today's WaPo out of the snow, and this was the front page image:Click for bigger. I don't think that anyone, anywhere, could ask for better imagery. Just look at the placement it got. Even more interesting, there is not a story about the Secretary of State on the front page. Applauding soldiers, the American flag, stylish in all black - those boots are made for walking, no doubt. I know the editorial board over at the Post loved General Powell, but he never got anything like this.

Bush is speaking in Germany LIVE right now. The troops are goin nuts over him!

U.S. President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush greet American troops based in Germany at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005. Bush met earlier with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to work out post-Iraq) differences, including disputes over NATO's future and coaxing Iran to end its program to develop nuclear fuel. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WIESBADEN, Germany — President Bush praised thousands of troops and their families during a Wednesday afternoon pit stop at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield during his three-country European tour. Before heading off to the Slovak Republic, the president and other White House officials stopped to thank war-weary troops and give them a bit of entertainment for a job well done. “Laura and I were in the neighborhood, thought we’d drop by and say hello — howdy,” said the military’s commander in chief to cheering troops and family members. Bush had spent most of the day meeting with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder...