Free Republic

U.S. Army Col. David Gray, commander, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, addresses the crowd during a ceremony honoring the new Emergency Response Unit. The unit covers all of Kirkuk province and acts much like a 9-1-1 center. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Anna-Marie Hizer Iraqi Unit Trained to Deal with Crisis Situations KirkukÂ’s Emergency Response Unit (ERU) is a new group of police officers trained to deal with crisis situations. By U.S. Army Spc. Anna-Marie Hizer 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment KIRKUK, Iraq, July 5, 2006 -- When a call comes in to a 9-1-1 center in...

NEW YORK - A CIA unit that had hunted for Osama bin Laden and his top deputies for a decade has been disbanded, according to a published report. Citing unnamed intelligence officials, The New York Times reported Tuesday that the unit, known as "Alec Station," was shut down late last year. The decision to close the unit, which predated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was first reported Monday by National Public Radio. The officials told the Times that the change reflects a view that al-Qaida's hierarchy has changed, and terrorist attacks inspired by the group are now being carried out...

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Raymond Mathews (left) and Staff Sgt. Jason Parker, assigned to 66th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, cover the windshield to a HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter at Balad Air Base, Iraq, June 20, 2006. Elite, unique and one-of-a-kind in Iraq, the squadron is the only combat search and rescue unit in Iraq and is trained to save the people no one else can reach. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Andrew Oquendo Rescue Unit at Balad Serves as ‘911’ for Iraq Called in for only those facing extreme danger, the pararescuemen are the “911” unit...

Ex-soldier fights to make Japan remember its past By Colin Joyce in Tokyo (Filed: 07/06/2006) Japan's amnesia over its militarist past is being challenged by a compelling documentary film which suggests that the Japanese army breached the terms of surrender in 1945 by leaving soldiers to fight on in China. The Ants, to be released next month, records the struggle of the Japanese veteran Waichi Okumura to put atrocities on record and to tell the story of the forgotten soldiers left behind in China. Now 81, Mr Okumura revisited Shanxi province where he fought, including a pilgrimage to the place...

SAN LUIS — Military bulldozers, road graders and other heavy equipment rumbled along the Mexican border early Monday as more than 50 National Guardsmen from Utah became the first unit to get to work under President Bush’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The soldiers with the 116th Construction Support Equipment Company will hit their work sites by 5:30 a.m. during their two weeks of duty. They will improve a dirt road running parallel to the border, fill in gaps in fortified fencing and run wiring for new lighting to help the Border Patrol spot illegal crossers. “It’s exciting to do something...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, May 28, 2006 – Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines stationed here remembered their fellow Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the freedom of our nation, during a Memorial Day weekend ceremony today. Army Staff Sgt. Wayne A. White plays taps during a Memorial Day ceremony at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, May 28. White is a native of Park Hills, Mo., assigned to the 10th Mountain Division Band, based in Fort Drum, N.Y. Photo by Staff Sgt. Robert R. Ramon, USA   "For the past 138 years, our nation has paused at this time of...

WESLACO, Texas - In the Rio Grande Valley, an area known for both blended cultures and intense U.S. patriotism, National Guard soldiers recently back from Afghanistan are taking stock of President Bush's plan to use their ranks to patrol the Mexican border. Bush has promised that 6,000 National Guard troops would help out to secure the border. The deployment would last two years, with no clear end date, according to a Pentagon memo obtained Friday by The Associated Press. "This is one battalion that can always be counted on," said Maj. Albert Lara. "Military service is a big tradition in...

I’m pretty selective about what I watch on the tube these days. At my age – 65 – one learns to apportion one’s diminishing allotment of time on the planet veeerrry carefully. These days it’s mostly wife, children, grandkids (aren’t they great?), a few friends and this computer. Of the new shows this season, one of my favorites is “The Unit.” Created by David Mamet -- “The Untouchables” (the Kevin Costner film) and Shawn Ryan --“The Shield” (with which I have a number of problems related to the X-rated dialog), it portrays the activities of a Delta Force team as...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, May 19, 2006 – In this war on terror, a house call may be more important than a combat fire mission. Sheikh Majoob (center, in the golden robe) listens as Army Capt. Juan Santiago makes a point during a meeting near Taji, Iraq. Photo by Jim Garamone  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. That's why Army Capt. Juan Santiago, commander of Aztec Battery, 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery, was going to visit Sheikh Majoob. The sheikh is the leader of what Americans would call a tribe. The tribes are an extension of the family for both...

CORONADO, Calif. (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Dr. Donald C. Winter presented one of the nation’s highest military awards to a Naval Special Warfare task group and its subordinate tactical and support elements May 10 during a ceremony at Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Command. SECNAV praised the Sailors’ bravery and dedication as he presented the Presidential Unit Citation to NSW Task Group-Central, NSW Squadron 3, and NSW Unit 3 for their actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. “I hope people get a sense of the significance of what these men have done, and the tremendous contribution that it has provided...

BAQUBAH, Iraq, May 12, 2006 – Sending the Iraqi army forth to take care of security operations is the key to the safety of the Iraqi people and the groundwork for the establishment of a free government, many senior military officials have said. Iraqi army soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, are independently conducting operations in their area of Diyala province. They are performing gathering their own intelligence, patrolling their streets and hunting for insurgents and terrorists. A brigade-sized operation conducted recently throughout the village of Tahrir yielded a handful of suspected insurgents who were...

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 3, 2006 – A unique Afghan National Army communications unit reached a milestone recently by demonstrating its capability to plan, deploy and establish a communications station. Maj. Abdul Anan (left) and Capt. Gul Mohammed, officers with the Afghan National Army's Communications Support Element, perform radio checks during the unit's first deployment recently. Courtesy photo   The Communication Support Element is providing ANA leadership with the capability to extend command and control systems to a deployed operations center anywhere in Afghanistan. The battalion-sized unit is being developed to support the needs of the National Military Command Center in...

HADITHA, Iraq (April 27, 2006) -- Staff Sgt. Jason C. Ramseyer will be remembered for the countless sacrifices he made for his brethren Marines. His final sacrifice came when he was killed April 21, 2006, by an improvised explosive device while on a convoy in Haditha in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province. Ramseyer, 28, was honored by his fellow Marines during a memorial service at the Haditha Dam here April 23, 2006. The Lenoir, N.C., native was remembered as a committed leader and devout family man by those who served with him. “He was by far the greatest leader of Marines...

From left, U.S. Army Sgts. Jack Rauschenbach and Scott Buck and Spc. Michelle Frank help build housing for soldiers at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, April 12, 2006. The soldiers are assigned to the 961st Engineer Detachment, deployed from Milwaukee. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samuel Hays Army Engineer Unit Ready for Afghan Duty The 961st Engineer Detachment looks ahead to "great things" during their Afghan deployment. By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nicholas Lutton 345th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, April 21, 2006 — U.S. soldiers assigned to the 1224th Engineer Detachment transferred authority to...

TIKRIT, Iraq, April 5, 2006 – An Iraqi army brigade has begun the first phase of assuming responsibility for security operations in Iraq's Salah Ad Din province. The Salah Ad Din province is a key area in the security of Iraq, U.S. officials said. It is in the heart of the country and contains many of Iraq's natural resources and industries that could bring much needed revenue to the country. The 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, has been partnered with the "Rakkasans" of the U.S. Army's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, since December. During that time, 1st...

FORT HUACHUCA — When Gen. William S. Wallace commanded V Corps during its push into Iraq, he said the military police who were part of his forces were critical to the mission’s success. “I’ve always had great admiration and respect for MPs,” he said Wednesday. Standing before the commander of the Training and Doctrine Command were soldiers of the post’s 18th Military Police Detachment who received the Brig. Gen. David Stem Award for being the most outstanding military police unit in the command. This is the 21st time the award has been presented to a TRADOC MP unit. “The 18th...

Eric Haney, a retired command sergeant major of the U.S. Army, was a founding member of Delta Force, the military's elite covert counter-terrorist unit. He culled his experiences for "Inside Delta Force" (Delta; $14), a memoir rich with harrowing stories, though in an interview, Haney declines with a shrug to estimate the number of times he was almost killed. (Perhaps the most high-profile incident that almost claimed his life was the 1980 failed rescue of the hostages in Iran.) Today, he's doing nothing nearly as dangerous: He serves as an executive producer and technical adviser for "The Unit," CBS' new...

An Iraqi soldier from the 1st Motorized Transportation Regiment waves to onlookers as his unit returns to Camp Taji, Iraq, from a supply mission, March 23, 2006. The mission was the unit's first operation executed independently from coalition forces. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joshua Salmons Iraqi Unit Completes Independent Mission The operation, a supply-delivery mission to the 6th Iraqi army division, was theculmination of months of efforts from the 4th Sustainment Brigade’s Taji-based battalions. By U.S. Army Sgt. Joshua Salmons 4th Sustainment Brigade CAMP TAJI, Iraq, March 27, 2006 — Like parents waiting for their children to return...

MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. (March 16, 2006) -- As the platoons form on an early Tuesday morning, a Marine lieutenant colonel stands up and walks towards the first platoon, time on deck is 9:30 a.m. The Marine comes to attention in front of the first member of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps; the student salutes and continues on to say his rank and name. Then the Marine starts to drill the student with questions about basic military knowledge. "Who is the Secretary of Defense? What is your fifth general order?" said the inspecting Marine, Lt. Col. Danny...

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2006 – Retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey, famous for his role as a drill instructor in the movie "Full Metal Jacket," has joined forces with a Midwest Junior ROTC unit to help support troops and their families. Retired U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey signs autographs for students from Wentworth Military Academy at the "Unmet Needs" benefit concert in Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 25, 2005. The concert, featuring Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band, kicked off Unmet Needs, a VFW program offering financial aid to military families in need. Photo by Phil...