Free Republic

BAGHDAD, March 24, 2009 – President Barack Obama's recent announcement to end combat operations in Iraq by August 2010 has raised some concerns for troops serving in Iraq, including when they can expect to return home and the length of time between future deployments. To help allay concerns and outline some of the Army's future goals, Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston visited Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers March 22 during a battlefield tour in Iraq. Preston visited troops at Camp Taji, Joint Security Station Sadr City, Joint Security Station Loyalty and Camp Liberty. One of the first topics...

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq, Dec. 17, 2007 – Entertaining troops for the sixth consecutive year, the 2007 Hope and Freedom USO Tour stopped off here yesterday to entertain Multinational Division Center soldiers. The Army band “Downrange” performs its final song with other tour members and soldiers during the Sergeant Major of the Army Hope and Freedom tour, Dec. 16, 2007, at Camp Striker, in Baghdad. Photo by Pfc. Monica K. Smith, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The crowd was engaging, with a few of its own comics, and kept entertainers such as singer Darryl Worley and comedian Sheryl...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2007 – Jack L. Tilley left the Army twice -- first after a tour in Vietnam, then again in 2004. But he still thinks he's a soldier. Then-Sgt. Maj. of the Army Jack L. Tilley (center) speaks with interpreter Behar Gashi (left) and Army Spc. Tom Hanelly of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, outside a Serbian church in the unit’s sector of Multinational Brigade East, in Kosovo, on Oct. 18, 2003. Tilley retired in January 2004 but continues to support soldiers. File photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Cole, USA  (Click photo for...

BOGOTA, Colombia, Jan. 18, 2007 – Troops serving in Afghanistan understand the importance of their mission and say they would rather fight terrorists overseas than at home, the senior enlisted servicemember in DoD reported today. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thanks a Marine Corps first lieutenant and other deployed troops at Camp Eggers, Afghanistan, for their service. Photo by Staff Sgt. Myles Cullen, USAF  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey arrived back in Washington early...