USS Hartford in the Persian Gulf

The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Hartford is underway in the Persian Gulf after a collision with the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans. Hartford sustained damage to her sail, but the propulsion plant of the nuclear-powered submarine was unaffected by this collision.

USS Hartford and USS New Orleans Arrive in Port Bahrain

The U.S. Navy submarine and U.S. amphibious ship that collided in the Strait of Hormuz March 20, arrived in port Bahrain.

US Navy Sub and Ship Collide + Afghanistan and Iraq Updates

Sgt. Stryker here. It seems there was a little fender bender involving a sub in the Hormuz Strait. The collision involved the USS Hartford, a Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine, and the USS New Orleans, an amphibious ship, according to a release issued by the Bahrain-based U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet.

The Hartford’s nuclear propulsion plant was unaffected by the collision. Fifteen submariners aboard the Hartford were slightly injured and have been returned to duty, the release said. No service members aboard the New Orleans were injured. The New Orleans reportedly sustained damage to a diesel fuel tank, which caused a leakage of about 25,000 gallons of fuel.

The incident is under investigation. The Strait of Hormuz is a relatively narrow and strategic corridor of water that connects the Middle East’s Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The Hormuz Strait is bordered by the Iranian coast to the north and the United Arab Emirates and a part of Oman to the south.

Things continue to heat up in Afghanistan as more U.S. troops are headed that way to get things under control. Afghan and coalition forces killed 36 enemy fighters and detained eight suspects in operations in Afghanistan, according to U.S. military officials.

March 20, 2009 Afghanistan Update

Four International Security Assistance Force service members from Canada were killed in two separate improvised explosive device attacks March 20 in southern Afghanistan. “With deep sorrow, we offer our condolences to the families and friends of those killed, and our support to those wounded in these incidents,” said Brigadier-General Richard Blanchette, ISAF Spokesperson. “We will honor these soldiers’ lives by steadfastly continuing our mission, to bring security and hope to the people of Afghanistan.” Next of kin have been notified.

Afghan forces, with a small contingent of coalition forces, killed a man who engaged them during the clearance portion of an operation in the Marah Warah district of Konar province. The operation’s goal was to disrupt bombing and foreign-fighter networks near Afghanistan’s eastern border. Three suspected militants were detained. The force destroyed weapons and bomb-making materials found at the site and protected six women and six children during the operation.

Afghan and coalition forces killed three militants and detained one suspect during an operation targeting mid- and high-level members of a Kabul-based bomb-making cell operating in Lowgar province. In the province’s Baraki Barak district, the combined force assaulted a compound where militants were reported to be staying. The force called for noncombatants to come out of the buildings, and women and children were moved to safety. During a search, an armed man hiding behind livestock was killed. Forces pursued two militants seen moving from the roof of a building on to an adjacent compound and called for their surrender. The militants barricaded themselves inside a building, and the force engaged and killed them. Seven women and 14 children were protected.

March 19, 2009 Afghanistan Update

Afghan soldiers advised by coalition forces killed 30 armed militants in Helmand province’s Gereshk district. Numerous armed militants engaged an Afghan-led reconnaissance patrol with heavy small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. The combined force moved forward, and a firefight ensued when militants re-engaged the patrol with small-arms and RPG fire. After positively identifying the enemy fighting position and assuring there were no noncombatants in the area, the combined forces returned fire with small-arms and close-air support, killing 30 militants. An Afghan soldier suffered minor injuries during the engagement and was treated at a nearby coalition medical facility.

Afghan forces, with a small contingent of coalition forces, conducted operations in the Bati Kowt district of Nangarhar province to disable an al-Qaida cell that facilitates suicide bombers and plans roadside-bomb attacks. Two armed militants engaged the force and were killed, and four suspected militants were detained. The force found two AK-47 assault rifles, a Marakov pistol and a vehicle that had been altered to be used as a bomb. The vehicle was removed from the compound. The forces also found about 15 pounds of opium, which they destroyed on site, and protected 11 women and 36 children during the operation.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, according to Multinational Corps Iraq news releases, Iraqi soldiers and police, along with U.S. soldiers, seized numerous enemy stockpiles in Baghdad and in southern Iraq in recent days.

Iraqi National Police officers and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers captured a massive weapons cache, including a sizable quantity of rockets, on March 19, 2009, in eastern Baghdad’s 9 Nissan district. Acting on a tip from a local resident, police officers and U.S. soldiers uncovered weapons at three sites in the district. After securing the sites, the police officers filled their vehicles to capacity to transport the munitions to a nearby joint security station.

The officers and their U.S. partners safely removed 29 rockets, more than 620 mortar rounds, 20 pounds of TNT, 15 anti-tank rounds, 44 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, along with primers, mortar fuses, gunpowder, additional explosive materials and bomb-making components.

In southern Iraq’s Maysan province on March 16, Iraqi soldiers — with the help of the Qalat Salih and Amarah police departments and the Amarah special weapons and tactics team — recovered a large weapons cache.

The soldiers and police seized 255 grenades, 23 fuses, two cases of AK-47 assault rifle ammunition, a large bag of 12.7 mm ammunition, 12 82 mm mortar rounds, a mortar sighting device, 1,000 rounds of 14.5 mm armor-piercing ammunition, three AK-47s and 10 AK-47 magazines on a farm just north of Qalat Saleh.

The troops and law enforcement officers also detained three suspected criminals during the operation.
The operation involved more than 400 personnel and multiple simultaneous objectives, officials said, and the joint effort disrupted a major smuggling effort the army and police were working to defeat.

This is Sgt. Stryker signing out and saying stay safe out there.

Ironhorse Military Police Gear Up for Iraq

The military police platoon from 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, line up and engage their targets on the close quarters marksman range during the personal security detachment lane in Kuwait. The range teaches the Soldiers how to properly fire within thirty feet of their target while moving.
Photo by Cpl. Shejal Pulivarti.

Afghan Army M16 Fielding Continues to Press Ahead at Kabul Military Training Center

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Derek Renaud, 34, of Angola, New York, looks on as an Afghan national army soldier tries zeroing his weapon at Kabul Military Training Center, March 17. Renaud, officer in charge of the range during qualification and zeroing of M16s, mentors ANA recruits as they learn to use their new M16s. He’s a member of the Camp Alamo Mentor Group’s Basic Warrior Training branch.
Photo by Guy Volb.

Afghanistan War ‘Absolutely Winnable’ + Updates

Sgt. Stryker here. There’s talk that the war in Afghanistan is perhaps at a stalemate, but that it’s still winnable. Looking at progress throughout the country, it’s easy to be able to believe those words.

The operation in Afghanistan “is absolutely winnable and will be won,” Army Gen. David D. McKiernan, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan said March 17, 2009, on PBS’s Jim Lehrer Newshour. “It’s going to take security, it’s going to take governance, and it’s going to take socio-economic progress – all three of those in a comprehensive way,” he said.

As commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, McKiernan said, he’s not seeing a greater al-Qaida presence in Afghanistan. “But we do know that al-Qaida provides facilitators, provides trainers, provides resources that assist different insurgent groups inside of Afghanistan,” he said. “I don’t see any increase in it, but it is persistent.”

The insurgency is regional, straddling the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, he said. “And I’ve always said that unless there is a resolution of the militant sanctuaries that exist across the border in the tribal areas of Pakistan, it’s hard for me to envision a degree of stability and security in this region,” the general said.

The 17,000 additional soldiers and Marines that President Barack Obama has authorized for the mission will be positioned in the southern and southwestern part of the country. The goal, McKiernan said, is to reinforce coalition efforts in the south and break a “stalemate” there. Security and freedom of movement is not improving in that area, McKiernan conceded.

McKiernan emphasized that Afghan civilian casualties are taken very seriously, and every effort is made to minimize them. “We do everything we can to avoid that,” he said. Tactical units are trained to use an appropriate escalation of force and exercise good judgment in their operations, he said.

A little-known fact, he said, is that a full 80 percent of civilian casualties in Afghanistan are caused by insurgents. But in the unfortunate instances that ISAF or U.S. actions cause civilian losses, McKiernan said, action is taken to determine why and ensure a repeat doesn’t happen.

Ultimately, the general said, getting it right in Afghanistan is critical to the region.

“If we don’t have a successful outcome in Pakistan and Afghanistan, that will allow a terrorist organization like al-Qaida to continue to have effects globally,” he said. “That’s why we’re still here – as part of that, we are committed to achieving a level of security and stability in the country of Afghanistan.”

Afghanistan News Updates:

Afghan and coalition Forces killed seven Taliban militants and detained three suspected militants during operations the morning of March 17, 2009. They were trying to disrupt an improvised explosive device-making cell responsible for targeting Afghan civilians and coalition forces in Kandahar province.

In Khakriz District, Kandahar province, approximately 40 kilometers north of Kandahar, the combined assault force raided a compound that housed IED facilitators. When the force arrived at the intended target, two armed militants engaged the force with grenades. Both militants were killed in the ensuing firefight. One female non-combatant sustained a non-life-threatening injury and was treated by medical personnel on site. Determining additional treatment was needed, forces arranged for her evacuation to a coalition hospital.

Several militants who had fled the compound were pursued by the assault force. Armed with grenades or assault rifles, five militants were killed when they maneuvered on the force. Three suspected militants were detained near the compound.

A search of the target revealed multiple rocket-propelled grenades and approximately 500 pounds (230 kilograms) of potential explosive material. Forces destroyed the building housing the explosive material along with the RPGs.

The female non-combatant is currently listed in stable condition at a coalition hospital. Respecting cultural sensitivities, a male relative accompanied her and will remain with her while she receives treatment. Four other women and 18 children were protected.

On March 16, 2009, one person was injured and several others arrested after a demonstration in Logar province in Afghanistan was marred by violence when militants in the crowd fired at Afghan and International Security Assistance Forces.

More than 200 people walked from Baraki Barak to Pul-E-Alam in what started as a peaceful demonstration, but was interrupted by rock-throwing at an ISAF vehicle and small-arms fire from militants who had used the opportunity to blend in with the civilian crowd.

One person was slightly injured after militant members of the crowd opened fire at Afghan and ISAF troops in the area. As the crowd encircled an ISAF outpost, two armed protestors began firing their rifles toward the troops. The ISAF soldiers responded with three deliberate shots, grazing one of the attackers in the leg.

The injured shooter was treated at the scene and taken into custody by Afghan national police, who transported him to a local clinic. Several other people were arrested by Afghan national security forces after being spotted carrying rocket-propelled grenade launchers near the district center. The ANP dispersed the crowd peacefully after a few hours.

Also on March 16, 2009, Afghan and coalition forces conducted operations in Logar (Lowgar) and Paktya (Paktia) provinces to disable an improvised explosive device-making cell and further disrupt the Haqqani network operating in Afghanistan.

In Baraki Barak District, Logar (Lowgar) province, Afghan and coalition forces conducted a raid to locate and detain a Taliban weapons facilitator associated with a commander responsible for IED attacks on Afghan civilians. The combined assault force arrived at the village where suspected militants were staying and began a search of the targeted compounds.

Residents in one of the compounds failed to comply when the force called out for all non-combatants to exit the buildings. With caution, the force deliberately entered the compound and began a search. There were several men observed hiding behind women, presumably using them as human shields.

The combined force ensured all women and children were moved to a safe area and with no shots fired, detained six suspected militants. The force continued to search the compound, finding an IED, which was safely removed.Twenty-five women and 12 children were protected.

In Zadran District, Paktya (Paktia) province, approximately 130 kilometers south of Kabul, Afghan and coalition forces conducted an assault on two compounds to further neutralize the Haqqani network. Without incident, the combined force searched the compounds. Two suspected militants were detained with no shots fired. Four women and eight children were protected.

Hunting in Harm’s Way: 731st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company

Staff Sgt. Clayton Hendricks, a combat engineer from Placerville, Calif., assigned to the 731st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, takes time away from searching for bombs with the EOD technicians to say, “Hi” to a friend March 3, in Baghdad.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell

National Police, Paratroopers Team Up for Operation Dub Chabeer 2

Sgt. 1st Class Eric Stein, a platoon sergeant assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, gives a high five to Iraqi schoolboys lined up to receive book bags from national police officers assigned to the 2nd Bn., 8th NP Bde., 2nd NP Div., and Paratroopers of Co. B., during “Operation Dub Chabeer 2” March 8 in the 9 Nissan District of eastern Baghdad. The combined operation distributed hundreds of school supplies to seven area schools in the poverty stricken district to enhance the children’s education.
Photo by Staff Sgt. James Selesnick

Afghanistan, Iran + Drone from Iran Shot Down

Sgt. Stryker here. Well, it was finally brought out into the open and confirmed – that an Iranian drone was shot down in Iraqi airspace last month. Gates recently said Iran posed a real problem. We shall see what happens. We’ll also take a look at continued operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan – yeah, those countries to the West and East of Iran.

On March 16, 2009 Multinational Force Iraq officials confirmed that coalition jet fighters had shot down an Iranian drone that was hovering over Iraq on February 25, 2009. The incident occurred about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad, officials said in a statement.

Two coalition aircraft were directed to visually identify the unmanned aerial vehicle after it was detected hovering inside the Iraqi border. The pilots confirmed that it wasn’t a coalition aircraft and that no collateral damage would result from a shoot-down.

Coalition air forces tracked the UAV for nearly one hour and 10 minutes before the pilots engaged and shot it down “well inside Iraqi airspace,” officials said. Officials said they believe the drone to be an Iranian-made Ababil 3 model UAV.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and military leaders have long accused Iran of interference in Iraq. Iran poses “a real problem,” Gates said earlier this month.

“I think it’s one of the significant challenges that we’re going to face over the next several years,” he said on PBS’ Tavis Smiley Show on March 11, 2009.

Meanwhile, in Iraq on March 16, 2009, military officials reported coalition and Iraqi forces arrested two suspected terrorists, seized weapons and destroyed thousands of pounds of explosives in operations in Iraq in the past five days.

A Mosul special weapons and tactics team, aided by coalition forces, yesterday arrested two suspected terrorists listed on a Central Criminal Court of Iraq warrant in Ninevah province. When the team moved to arrest a third suspect, the suspect resisted with small-arms fire from inside a house. A SWAT member was shot in the leg, and an Iraqi woman was wounded. She was treated on site but died en route to a hospital.

Also in Iraq – March 12 – 14:

The Iraqi army requested the help of a coalition forces EOD team March 12 to destroy a large quantity of homemade explosives, various types of munitions, an improvised explosive device and IED-making materials in Baghdad. Iraqi forces found the materials over the past month. In two days, members of Team 4, Joint Task Force Troy, destroyed about 6,000 pounds of homemade explosives, 1,000 primers, 600 blasting caps, 26 grenades, 25 rounds of ordnance and the IED.

In the Karmah region, Iraqi security forces and police, aided by U.S. Marines, seized two weapons caches and a homemade bomb March 13. The caches contained 16 rocket-propelled grenade warheads, two rocket launchers with accessories, four 120 mm mortars and a grenade. Led by civilians’ tips, the forces also found a homemade bomb. An EOD team destroyed the munitions.

Iraqi police found a weapons cache March 14 in Subayhat that contained 35 artillery projectiles, 148 mortars, a tank round, a rocket-propelled grenade, six rockets, and various small-arms ammunition and weapons accessories. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the munitions.

A little to the east, in Afghanistan, Afghan and coalition forces killed 11 militants, detained suspected militants, and netted drugs and weapons in operations over the past week, according to U.S. military officials.

In Lowgar province’s Baraki district on March 16, 2009, Afghan and coalition forces conducted a raid to find and detain a suspected Taliban weapons smuggler. The suspect is believed to be involved with a Taliban commander responsible for attacks on Afghan civilians.

During a compound search, the forces asked the occupants of the buildings to leave. The occupants in one failed to comply. The forces entered the compound and saw several men hiding behind women. The forces moved the women to a safe area and detained six suspected militants. They also found an explosive device, which they safely removed. The forces protected 25 women and 12 children during the operation.

Also on Monday, March 16, Afghan and coalition forces conducted an assault on two compounds to disrupt the Haqqani terrorist network in Paktia province’s Zadran district, which is south of Kabul. The combined force searched the compounds and detained two suspected militants. No shots were fired. The combined forces protected four women and eight children during the operation.

March 15, 2009 Afghanistan Operations:

In Kandahar province’s Maywan district, west of Kandahar, Afghan special operations and coalition forces conducted an operation to disrupt a foreign fighter and weapons smuggling network in western Kandahar. Upon arrival, the forces asked noncombatants to leave the buildings. The forces killed five militants who maneuvered on them during the operation. The forces also detained three suspected militants and protected 19 women and 38 children during the operation.

Afghan and coalition forces conducted a raid to disrupt the Haqqani terrorist network in Khowst province. The forces detained four suspects and seized an AK-47 assault rifle, a pistol and 15,000 Pakistan ruppe, which is about $200. Five women and 10 children were protected during the operation.

March 14, 2009 Afghanistan Operations:

Afghan and coalition forces conducted operations against militants suspected of making bombs in Lowgar province, southwest of Kabul. The forces received information that the militants were staying on a compound in Charkh district. Upon arrival, the forces asked noncombatants to leave the area. Armed militants engaged the forces. Five enemy combatants were killed in the firefight. The forces also seized and destroyed multiple weapons and grenades. Eight women and nine children were protected during the operation.

In Kandahar province, west of Kandahar, Afghan special operations forces and coalition forces conducted a raid on a compound used as a storage area and staging site for Taliban operations against coalition forces in Zhari and Panjwayi districts. Led by a civilian’s tip, the combined force arrived at the targeted compound and encountered and killed an armed enemy combatant. The forces also detained 10 suspected militants and destroyed 176 pounds of a potentially explosive material used in the production of homemade bombs. The forces protected 19 women and 29 children during the operation.

Afghan army commandos, aided by coalition forces, netted drugs and weapons during a search of an enemy compound in Helmand province’s Nawa district. The commandos seized 20 pounds of black tar heroin in a drug lab, as well as an AK-47 with magazines. Following the search, the villagers told the commandos that the Taliban had been demanding money, food and water from them.

In Oruzgan province’s Tarin Kowt district, Afghan National Police, aided by coalition forces, found and destroyed an improvised explosive device cache that contained five large containers of homemade explosives and more than 10 107 mm rockets. Later that day, one of the ANP vehicles struck an IED. The police officers inside the vehicle sustained minor injuries and were able to continue their mission. No other injuries were reported.

This is Sgt. Stryker signing out.

Sons of Iraq Payday in Multaka

Members of the Sons of Iraq gather at their headquarters in Multaka, Iraq, to register for their monthly salaries, March 6, 2009.
Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Short

Dual Role in Securing, Developing Iraq

U.S. Army Capt. Eric Currence, commander of the 641st Civil Affairs Team, shakes hands with Jameel Bashar, the village sheik’s brother, after the ribbon-cutting ceremony at a new water filtration facility in Kalamat Village March 9.
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson

Unrest on U.S. / Mexico Border + Updates from Iraq

Sgt. Stryker here, with some military news a little closer to the U.S. homeland. Arizona’s governor, Jan Brewer, has recently requested about 250 more National Guard troops for its border with Mexico. Rick Perry, the governor of Texas is considering a similar request for help on the border with Mexico. This is unsettling news, but it will be interesting to see which way President Obama goes with this. The violence is continuing to get bad down there.

“We’re going to examine whether, and if, National Guard deployments would make sense and in what circumstances they would make sense as part of this overall review of our border situation,” Obama told reporters on March 11, 2009, according to media reports. The White House confirmed his comments, made during a media roundtable session.

“I haven’t drawn any conclusions yet,” Obama said. “I don’t have a particular tipping point in mind.”

While emphasizing that he does not want to “militarize” the border, Obama called it “unacceptable if you’ve got drug gangs crossing our borders and killing our citizens.”

“I think if one U.S. citizen is killed because of foreign nationals who are engaging in violent crime, that’s enough of a concern to do something about it,” he said.

The president noted that Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Mexico last week to meet with his Mexican counterparts about the situation and to discuss additional support the United States could provide.

Meanwhile, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates requesting 250 more National Guard soldiers to be posted along the 350-mile Arizona-Mexico border.

Although Brewer has the authority to call up the troops, she asked Gates to mobilize them as part of the federally funded Joint Counter Narco-terrorism Task Force. That force currently includes about 150 Army and Air National Guard members.

“Arizona communities and citizens are negatively affected by the impacts of the illegal drug trade and related border violence, and enforcement agencies in all jurisdictions are stretched as they attempt to address the enormity of the problems,” Brewer said. “The support these additional soldiers can provide to law enforcement agency operations would prove invaluable.”

In neighboring Texas, Gov. Rick Perry has expressed the need for more troops or border agents along its border with Mexico. Perry reiterated at a ceremony last week the need for more help to disrupt operations of the Mexican Mafia, Texas Syndicate, Barrio Azteca, MS-13 and other violent transnational gangs.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters on March 12, 2009, that it was too soon to know if additional military support would be granted by President Obama. The United States is exploring other ways it can help Mexico deal with escalating violence, he said. “We continue to offer Mexico assistance in any number of ways,” he told reporters.

The Merida Initiative, for example, provides Mexico and several other countries funding to counter drug trafficking, and the U.S. military has a strong military-to-military partnership with Mexico. The United States also is providing Mexico foreign military financing for five helicopters, a maritime surveillance aircraft and handheld scanners used for detection purposes, Whitman said.

“The U.S. government as a whole is concerned about the escalating violence and its effect on public security as well as the Southwest U.S. border,” he said. “I think that what you are seeing is a recognition of the problem that is facing the Mexican government, and as good neighbors, the United States is looking at any number of ways in which we might be able to render some additional assistance.”

Meanwhile, in Iraq, Iraqi forces, with coalition support, captured a man and nine others wanted for bomb attacks, dismantled two make-shift bombs, and seized weapons caches in Iraq in recent days, according to U.S. military officials.

Combined forces detained the ten men as they were attempting to flee the town of Murbat-Garha on March 7, 2009, officials said. The troops had warrants for the suspects and were searching for hidden weapons in the area. Iraqi soldiers cordoned off the town, and detained the 10 as they were attempting to flee. The soldiers uncovered a 120 mm round, an automatic weapon, and a video hidden in an irrigation ditch in a farmer’s field.

In other Iraq operations:

Iraqi forces found and disposed of a roadside bomb in eastern Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib district on March 11, 2009. There were no injuries and no damage reported.

Acting on a civilian’s tip, Iraqi forces discovered and destroyed a roadside bomb March 10 in northwestern Baghdad’s Kadhamiyah district. The bomb was beneath the driver’s seat of the informant’s vehicle. Iraqi police immediately notified coalition forces in the area and requested assistance with the removal and safe transport of the device. A coalition explosive ordnance disposal team dismantled the device, then moved it to a nearby base to be examined.

Provisional security forces in Saqlawiya discovered multiple weapons caches during a two-day sweep March 8 and 9 with the U.S. 7th Marine Regiment. The eight sites yielded 165 grenades and rockets, nearly 40 mortar rounds, 14 artillery rounds, several hundred rounds of small-arms and anti-aircraft ammunition, more than 225 pounds of rocket propellant and explosives, various weapons accessories, and a large stockpile of bomb components. Explosive ordnance disposal teams conducted controlled detonations to destroy the munitions.

Iraqi and U.S. soldiers have discovered two weapons caches in Kirkuk in less than a week. The most recent cache, found March 6, included grenades, rockets, 82 mm and 60 mm mortars, a machine gun, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and various types of small-arms ammunition.

This is Sgt. Stryker saying stay safe out there, wherever you might be serving.

Bagram Leaders Visit Soldiers at FOB Lion
Tech. Sgt. Charles Lambe, Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team security forces superintendent, and Army Capt. Chris Mercado, Panjshir PRT operations officer, provide security during a visit by Brig. Gen. Mike Holmes, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, to Panjshir province, Afghanistan, March 8. Sgt. Lambe is deployed from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., and Capt. Mercado is deployed from Fort Carson, Colo. Soldiers and Airmen assigned to Forward Operating Base Lion are working together to improve the quality of life for villagers in the Rokha District.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Lake

Site Visit to FOB Lion
Chief Master Sgt. John Blair, 755th Air Expeditionary Group command chief master sergeant, and Master Sgt. Lance Turner, 755th AEG first sergeant, hand out pencils and pens to children during a site visit on March 8 to Forward Operating Base Lion and the neighborhoods of Rokha. The two, also accompanied by Col. James Reed, 755th AEG commander, and 455th Air Expeditionary Wing leadership, visited the Abdawa micro hydro power plant site, Pyawusht health clinic and several other construction and repair projects in the Rokha District of Panjshir province, Afghanistan.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Lake

USNS Impeccable and Afghanistan Updates

Sgt. Stryker here. The ripples from the taunting of the USNS Impeccable are still flowing outward. It looks like there will be official talks about the incidents – the latest of which involved five Chinese vessels and Chinese seamen stripping to their underwear.

The incident in the South China Sea involving a U.S. ocean surveillance ship is serious enough to merit face-to-face discussions between U.S. and Chinese officials, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said on Wednesday, March 11, 2009.

Morrell also said the U.S. defense attaché in Beijing has been talking with China’s defense ministry about the incident. The Chinese defense attaché is also talking with U.S. Defense Department officials.
“[The incident] is serious enough that we believe it requires face-to-face talks to find out what was going on here and to ensure that there are no further incidents of this nature in the future,” Morrell said.

“We hope that the Chinese would behave in a similar way, that is, according to international law,” he said. “Furthermore, this incident is not at all consistent with the expressed desire of both governments to build a closer relationship, particularly a closer military-to-military relationship.”

The U.S. position is that if a ship is lawfully operating in international waters, “that that is legal and permitted, and there should be no … reason to interfere with those operations,” Morrell said.

The statements follow statements by Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman on March 10, 2009. Whitman said the March 8 incident in the South China Sea won’t hinder the United States from using international sea lanes.

The Chinese allege the American ship was operating illegally in China’s Economic Exclusion Zone. China claims a 125-mile zone.

“Our activities were in international waters, and we will continue to operate in international waters as appropriate,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said on March 9, 2009. “Our ships obviously operate fairly regularly in international waters where these incidents took place. We’re going to continue to operate in those international waters, and we expect the Chinese to observe international law around them.”

The area is about 70 miles south of Hainan Island. In 2001, two Chinese fighter aircraft challenged a U.S. Navy EP-3 patrol plane in the area. There was a collision between one of the Chinese fighters and the P-3, killing the Chinese pilot. The P-3 made an emergency landing on Hainan Island, and the Chinese detained the 24-member crew of the American patrol plane for 12 days.

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, the military continues its mission while talks about the Taliban and the future of Afghanistan continue. There’s a lot going on out there.

March 10, 2009 Afghanistan Update

According to U.S. military officials, Afghan commandos, aided by coalition forces, detained 19 suspected bomb makers in eastern Afghanistan. The combined forces conducted an early morning search of a compound suspected of harboring insurgents in Ghazni province’s Andar district.

The commandos conducted the search after receiving information from local villagers that the compound served as a meeting place where violent extremists planned crimes against both civilian and government targets.

During the search, the combined forces detained 19 bomb makers they believe planned to assemble and then detonate the lethal devices in public areas.

The forces were able to capture the suspects without firing a shot. The members of one of the Taliban’s auxiliary cells, responsible for providing lethal aid to the insurgent network, did not resist during the detention process. The commandos safeguarded all women and children in the compound. No casualties were reported.

Also in eastern Afghanistan according to U.S. officials, Afghan and coalition forces captured 10 suspects during operations to degrade terrorist networks.

In Nanagarhar province’s Shiwzad district, southeast of Kabul, Afghan special operations and coalition forces targeted a compound to disrupt an al-Qaida foreign-fighter network believed to be responsible for a March 2, 2009 suicide bombing in Jalalabad City that injured six civilians.

Based on a tip by a local resident, the combined forces targeted a compound where militants were known to stay. When the forces arrived, the occupants ignored orders to come out. The combined forces entered the compound and ensured all women and children were moved to safety. They then cleared the buildings and detained five suspects with no shots fired.

The forces inspected several vehicles on the compound and found one prepared for use as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, as in the March 2 bombing. The forces safely destroyed the vehicle and seized three AK-47 assault rifles, two other rifles, a pistol and two chest racks.

Seven women and nine children on the compound were protected.

In Khowst province, southeast of Kabul, Afghan special operations and coalition forces conducted operations to disable a suspected high-level commander of the Haqqani terrorist group with strong ties to Hezb-I-Islam Gulbuddin and Taliban militants, and to dismantle a bomb cell believed to be responsible for attacks against coalition forces.

A tip from a local resident enabled the forces to identify several compounds to search. Upon arriving at the targeted location, the combined forces cleared all buildings without incident, detained five suspects and seized an AK-47 assault rifle and chest rack.

Thirteen women and 38 children were protected during the operation.

March 9, 2009 Afghanistan News Update

U.S. soldiers operating in a small village in southern Afghanistan seized five caches containing weapons, documents and medical supplies believed to help Taliban fighters in the area.

After inspecting for traps, two soldiers were lowered into a water system where they found munitions and feed bags full of supplies. As they cleared the water system, they found additional caches and enemy sleeping quarters.

Soldiers found the documents and medical supplies in a small, underground bunker and in another compound in the village.

Closing Thoughts

There’s a lot going on all over the world right now. This is a “hoorah” for all the troops out there.

Sgt. Stryker out.

USNS Impeccable Harassed
Two Chinese trawlers stop directly in front of the military Sealift Command ocean surveillance ship , forcing the ship to conduct an emergency “all stop” in order to avoid collision. The incident took place in international waters in the South China Sea about 75 miles south of Hainan Island. The trawlers came within 25 feet of Impeccable, as part of an apparent coordinated effort to harass the unarmed ocean surveillance ship.
Courtesy Photo

Harassing the USNS Impeccable
A crewmember on a Chinese trawler uses a grapple hook in an apparent attempt to snag the towed acoustic array of the military Sealift Command ocean surveillance ship USNS Impeccable. Impeccable was conducting routine survey operations in international waters 75 miles south of Hainan Island when it was harassed by five Chinese vessels.
Courtesy Photo

Chinese Crew Strips and Harasses Navy Ship, Part of a Pattern + Updates in Afghanistan

Sgt. Stryker here. Seems like the Chinese are acting up, testing President Barack Obama’s resolve. (Anyone remember the Chinese spy place incident when Bush first become President?) On March 8, 2009, Five Chinese vessels shadowed and aggressively maneuvered close to the USNS Impeccable in the South China Sea yesterday.

What exactly are the Chinese up to? Is this an isolated incident? Not really. It seems the Chinese have been harassing a lot of ships this month. Is this a sign of something larger brewing in the Pacific?

Here’s the story. The USNS Impeccable was 70 miles south of Hainan Island while conducting routine operations. It was in international waters when the Chinese ships approached, according to Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman.

“We view these as unprofessional maneuvers by the Chinese vessels and violations under international law to operate with due regard for the rights and safety of other lawful users of the ocean,” Whitman said.

The incident began as the ships surrounded the Impeccable, which has a civilian crew. Two of the Chinese craft closed to within 50 feet, Whitman said. The Chinese ships included a Chinese navy intelligence collection ship, a Bureau of Maritime Fisheries patrol vessel, a State Oceanographic Administration patrol vessel and two small Chinese-flagged trawlers.

Crewmen aboard the Impeccable used fire hoses to spray one of the vessels as a protective measure. The Chinese crew members disrobed to their underwear and continued closing to within 25 feet.

The Chinese vessels dropped pieces of wood in the water directly in the Impeccable’s path, and two of the ships stopped directly in the U.S. vessel’s path, forcing it to stop.

Whitman said the Chinese used poles in an attempt to snag the Impeccable’s towed acoustic array sonars. Impeccable’s master used bridge-to-bridge radio circuits to inform the Chinese ships in a friendly manner that it was leaving the area and requested a safe path to navigate.

“These are dangerous close maneuvers that these vessels engaged in,” Whitman said.

The incident was the culmination of earlier harassment. A Chinese patrol vessel shined a high-intensity spotlight on the USNS Victorious on March 4 while it was operating in the Yellow Sea 125 miles from China’s coast. Chinese maritime aircraft also “buzzed by” the ship twelve times on March 5, 2009.

Also on March 5, a Chinese frigate crossed the bow of the Impeccable at a range of about 100 yards. Maritime aircraft also buzzed the ship after that incident.

On March 7, 2009, another Chinese ship challenged Impeccable over bridge-to-bridge radio, calling its operations illegal and directing the American ship to leave the area or “suffer the consequences,” according to U.S. officials.

The Impeccable is one of six surveillance ships that gather underwater acoustical data, Whitman said. U.S. ships routinely operate in the area.

“We expect Chinese ships to act responsibly and refrain from provocative activities that could lead to miscalculation or a collision at sea, endangering vessels and the lives of U.S. and Chinese mariners,” a Defense Department official said.

U.S. embassy officials lodged a protest against these actions with the Foreign Ministry in China, and Defense Department officials have protested with the Chinese embassy here.

Afghanistan Updates March 7, 2009:

U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan killed 16 enemy fighters in several operations, according to U.S. military officials. A combined Afghan and coalition force arrived at a targeted compound in Khowst province and was engaged by multiple armed militants using small-arms fire in a populated, urban area. The combined force returned fire, killing four militants and injuring one.

The injured militant was treated by a coalition medical team and was detained. Another militant who had fled the compound on foot was captured and detained, and three other militants were detained without incident.

A search revealed weapons, explosives and bomb-making materials, which were taken off the compound to prevent their use against Afghan citizens, Afghan security forces and coalition forces. Fourteen women and 26 children were protected during the operation.

In Kandahar province, a combined Afghan and coalition force conducted two operations to disable a mid-level Taliban commander responsible for conducting operations in the province’s Maywand district. Based on information provided by a local resident, forces targeted a compound where a militant was staying. When the force reached the compound, an enemy combatant engaged them and was killed. A search of the compound revealed multiple weapons and grenades, which were destroyed outside the compound, minimizing collateral damage.

At a second location, two armed militants were killed during combat operations. A search of the compound revealed weapons and grenades, which were destroyed a safe distance from people and structures. Eight women and 14 children were protected.

Also, forces led by Afghan National Police killed five armed extremists during a patrol in the Tarin Kowt district of Oruzgan province. The combined forces patrol was ambushed by small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire in a highly populated area. Taking into account the large number of innocent civilians nearby, the Afghan National Police used precisely controlled small-arms fire to suppress and ultimately defeat the five enemy combatants.

Following the engagement, the police officers secured the area and found a bomb on a well-traveled roadside near where the attack took place. The device, which officials said was designed as an indiscriminate “victim-activated” bomb, was destroyed in a controlled detonation. No civilian or security force casualties were reported.

In other Afghanistan news, the Afghan Border Police participated in a joint combat operation with coalition forces against a known militant compound in Khowst province. Four armed militants were killed when they attempted to kill members of the joint force, and five other suspected bomb makers were detained. The combined force found and confiscated weapons, explosives and bomb-making materials.

“Instigators stirred up a group of protestors complaining that Afghans were not involved in the incident and that innocent civilians were killed, but these were, indeed, armed militants as reported by the border policemen and coalition forces who were involved in the raid,” Army Col. Greg. Julian, a U.S. Forces Afghanistan spokesman, said.

This is Sgt. Stryker signing out. Stay safe out there.

Joint Operation in Baghdad, Iraq
An Iraqi soldier listens to his commanding officer during a joint operation with the Iraqi army and U.S. Soldiers of 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, in Rusafa, eastern Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 28. The Soldiers are searching for weapons caches and targeted insurgents.
Photo by Staff Sgt. James Selesnick

Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders come to Camp Basra in Basra, Iraq, to show their support for U.S. and U.K. soldiers on March 5.
Photo by Karah Cohen

Sgt. Stryker here. Spring is almost upon us and all over the world, the military continues their fine tradition of getting things done – be it keeping the peace, protecting citizens, or spreading democracy.

The good news is that it all seems to be working in Iraq. On Sunday, March 8, 2009, it was announced that two Army brigades leaving Iraq in the next six months won’t be replaced. Related enabling forces – think logistics, engineers and intelligence soldiers – will leave along with the brigades. Also, an Air Force F-16 squadron that recently returned to its home station also will not be replaced.

This will reduce the total number of U.S. brigade combat teams in Iraq from 14 to 12. A British combat brigade also will return home without replacement, further increasing the number of coalition troops leaving the country.

U.S. officials said the increased level of security and stability in Iraq over the last 12 months, the growth in capability and capacity of the Iraqi security forces, and the transition from counterinsurgency to stability operations throughout most of Iraq made the reduction possible.

Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, made the recommendations to reduce these forces within the next six months, a total of 16,000 less troops – 12,000 fewer U.S. and 4,000 fewer British forces in Iraq.

Officials called the force reduction a significant step in the implementation of the U.S.-Iraq security agreement that took effect Jan. 1, and of President Barack Obama’s decision to conduct a responsible drawdown of U.S. combat forces in Iraq.

“The time and conditions are right for coalition forces to reduce the number of troops in Iraq,” Odierno said. “The successful provincial elections demonstrated the increased capability of the Iraqi army and police to provide security. In the coming months, Iraqis will see the number of U.S. forces go down in the cities, while more and more Iraqi flags will go up at formerly shared security stations.”

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Iraq, U.S. and Iraqi soldiers uncovered a weapons cache in Iraq’s Diyala province on March 5, 2009 according to military officials. The cache consisted of 47 blasting caps, 36 pressure plates, explosives, nine rockets, two bags of propellant and two hand grenades.

“This discovery marks a significant step forward for the Iraqi army,” Army Maj. Chris Hyde, spokesman for the 25th Infantry Division’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, said. “With every cache they find, Iraqi security forces become better and better at maintaining a consistent and comprehensive appraisal of their area of operations, particularly when monitoring historic sites for weapons caches.”

Afghanistan Update:

On March 5, 2009, Afghan and coalition forces killed one militant and detained four others during operations to disrupt the Taliban and Haqqani terrorist group networks in Afghanistan’s Kandahar and Khowst provinces.

In Kandahar’s Maywand district, Afghan and coalition forces disabled a bomb-making network run by Taliban operatives. Acting on information from a resident of the area, the assault force entered the compound where militants were known to be staying. Without firing any shots, forces detained two key Taliban operatives involved in making explosives.

Coalition forces provided medical treatment to a militant who wouldn’t comply and suffered a minor injury. When forces approached a separate building on the compound, an armed militant maneuvered on the force and was killed. Bomb-making material was found in a separate building on the compound.

Twelve women and 25 children were protected during the incident.

In Khowst province, Afghan special operations and coalition forces conducted an operation to disrupt the Haqqani bomb network. When the combined force arrived at the targeted compound, they searched several buildings without incident, detaining two suspects. No shots were fired.

Sixteen women and 35 children were protected in the operation.

Barbaric Actions in Afghanistan

Maybe it’s because they’re losing so horrible, but the Taliban and other militants in Afghanistan are stepping up their barbaric actions in Afghanistan.

For example, insurgents routinely place threatening letters onto the exteriors of schools and government buildings during the night, Army Col. John P. Johnson, commander of Combined Task Force Currahee, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference last week.

Johnson’s task force, centered on the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, from Fort Campbell, Ky., has been in Afghanistan nearly a year. His headquarters is at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khowst province. The command covers an area about the size of Maryland and is responsible for activities in Paktia and Paktika provinces, as well.

Insurgents in his area “act in a ruthless and barbaric manner,” Johnson said. During a recent incident in eastern Paktika province, he recalled, insurgents murdered three tribal elders after they’d attended a meeting with Afghan and coalition officials.

The insurgents showed up several days later and “essentially decapitated” the three elders, Johnson said, and then burned their bodies atop a pile of coalition-provided humanitarian goods that was set afire.

“It just demonstrates the viciousness, ruthlessness, a lack of humanity that [the insurgents] can use to intimidate a population,” Johnson said. “This is a country that very much is run in large sense by the rumors that are generated through the population.”

News or rumors of insurgent outrages travel to cities and villages, Johnson said.

“So, it’s a very strong and ruthless form of intimidation” that’s practiced by the insurgents, Johnson said. “They don’t just make idle threats, they actually carry them out in a barbaric fashion,” the colonel said.

Insurgent violence has made some villagers afraid to cooperate with Afghan and coalition officials, Johnson said.

However, he said, increased voter registration in his area of operations indicates how Afghan civilians “really stand in terms of wanting to preserve a right to vote [and] for some representative system that can provide a better way ahead.”

There’s a lot more work to be done in Iraq and Afghanistan, but if any military force in the history of time has been prepared to deal with it, this is the one.

Sgt. Stryker signing out.

Combat Chapel Team Goes Outside Wire for Duty
Chaplain (Capt.) David Haltom, 732nd Air Expeditionary Group, provides spiritual guidance to a Joint Expeditionary Tasked Airman in a combat zone. As one of the only ‘combat’ chapel teams, Chaplain Haltom and Staff Sgt. Porscha Howard, the chapel team for the 732nd AEG, provide chapel support to Joint Expeditionary Tasked Airmen, who are filling Army positions in unique locations.
Courtesy Photo

South America, Iraq and Afghanistan: US Military Around the World

Sgt. Stryker here, hoping wherever you are in the world things are going well. Progress continues in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Also in Afghanistan, soldiers are learning to bond with the locals to help prepare them to take over full control of their country. Finally, Latin America is going to have to be handled differently in the future according to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

On March 3, 2009, Navy Admiral Mike Mullen spoke with American Forces Press Service on his way to Lima, Peru during a trip that also has taken him to Brazil and Chile and will include visits to Colombia and Mexico.

“I grew up in a polarized world that was basically East-West. That’s the Cold War,” Mullen said. “Here it is 20 years later, and we’re still breaking out of that.” The Cold War dominated U.S. military thinking for generations, the chairman added, and military planners still look to Europe and Asia before looking to Latin America.

The need for the United States to focus on Latin America is obvious, Mullen said. South America is the United States’ largest trading partner. Brazil, alone, is the fifth-largest country and 10th-largest economy in the world.

The bottom line in U.S. engagement with countries in the region is the security risks the area presents, according to Mullen.

“This really is a global risk,” he said, “and I think engagement and attention does an awful lot to mitigate and reduce that risk so we don’t get into a big crisis.”

Updates from Iraq:

In Iraq over the last few days U.S. and Iraqi forces deterred several potentially deadly incidents by confiscating two large weapons caches and dismantling a homemade bomb, according to Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.

At least one cache was discovered with the help of an Iraqi civilian who led a combined Iraqi police and U.S. Army patrol February 28 to a large cache west of Samarra. The cache contained more than 200 mortar rounds and about 1,500 pounds of explosives, which were safely disposed of by explosive ordnance technicians.

A joint patrol of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers seized another cache March 3, 2009 during a patrol in the Mumbar Garhat district of Kirkuk province. The cache consisted of launchers, 120 mm shells, 60 mm mortars and firing systems, machine-gun rounds, improvised mortar tubes, blasting caps and several other supporting items. A joint U.S. and Iraqi army team safely disposed of the cache.

Also on March 3, 2009, Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers discovered a homemade bomb while on patrol west of Baghdad. The troops immediately cordoned off the area to prevent injuries, and safely disposed of the bomb.

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan on March 4, 2009, three contractors suffered minor injuries in a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack this afternoon near Bagram Airfield, according to Combined Joint Task Force 101 officials.

The attack occurred outside the perimeter of the base when a vehicle exploded near an entry control point. The driver, who was carrying explosives, abandoned the vehicle before it detonated. The explosive he was carrying detonated as he ran away from the vehicle. The attacker was killed in the second explosion. It is unknown if there were additional personnel in the vehicle.

No military or Afghan civilian casualties have been reported. The injured contractors are being treated in the hospital on base.

It’s actions like this that are helping win the real war in Afghanistan.

For example, Task Force Spartan soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, have been working closely with the local populace and security forces in Afghanistan’s Vardak province since their deployment to Regional Command East two months ago.

The “Catamount” battalion has had recent success with the Afghan security forces in the province’s Jalrez and Sayed Abad districts. During a recent visit to the village of Kololan, one team learned that the majority of the villagers are farmers who sell their produce in the local market. But while the town is agriculturally strong, it doesn’t have a resident doctor, which caused the villagers to have to travel long distances to receive medical care. Once the soldiers learned of the town’s plight, they arranged to bring basic medical care during their next patrol.

“Providing humanitarian assistance to Vardak citizens is one of the most important steps we can take in forming positive relations that will lead to a cohesive struggle against economic decline and ultimately the defeat of enemy forces in their area,” said Army 1st Lt. Christopher Stachura, an infantry officer with the Catamount battalion.

The team is helping in other ways as well. After only a few short weeks in the Sayed Abad district, Team Comanche formed a successful partnership with the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police.

In an effort to strengthen efficiency and professionalism within the police force, Team Comanche has developed a five-day program that instructs police officers on weapons maintenance and safety, how to properly search personnel, room clearing, first aid, vehicle maintenance and combatives training.

“During these unstable years of war in Afghanistan, corruption has been an issue in the local government and among the ANP and even the ANA,” said Army 2nd Lt. Chris Wallgreen, Team Comanche platoon leader. “These younger police officers are inspirational, because they want to represent their community and are honest about helping Vardak become more secure.”

The U.S. military is bring the American way (of helping each other) to people all over the world. That’s something to think about.

This is Sgt. Stryker … signing out.

Search of a Former Weapons Manufacturing Facility in Iskandariyah, Iraq
U.S. Army Spc. Nicholas Peroni of Philadelphia, Pa. and 2nd Platoon, 1st Squadron, 10th Calvary Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, watches over the area surrounding a former weapons manufacturing facility through an opening in a wall in Iskandariyah, Iraq on March 2.
Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class James Wagner

Iraq, Afghanistan Deployments Announced + Updates

Sgt. Stryker here with an update on military deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq plus updates on continued success in both countries.

On Monday, March 2, 2009, Defense Department officials announced replacement units scheduled for 12-month deployments later this year to Iraq and Afghanistan. Almost 9,000 soldiers from an Army division headquarters and two Army brigade combat teams have been identified to deploy as part of the Defense Department’s regularly scheduled rotation of forces to those combat theaters, according to Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman.

The 82nd Airborne Division Headquarters from Fort Bragg, N.C., and the 4th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team from Fort Carson, Colo., will begin deploying to Afghanistan in late spring. They are replacing the 101st Airborne Division Headquarters and the division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team from Fort Campbell, Ky.

The 2nd Infantry Division’s 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team from Fort Lewis, Wash., is heading to Iraq in the fall, and will fill in for the division’s 3rd Stryker BCT.

“These units have been identified for some time now to go in as replacement units,” he said. “This isn’t part of the additional capabilities that we’re applying. These are rotational forces and do not alter or change any announcements made last week. … We’re still at the same [troop] levels in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

About 146,000 U.S. troops serve in Iraq. By August 2010, that number should be between 35,000 to 50,000, according to Obama’s Feb. 27 announcement of a drawdown of American combat forces there. In Afghanistan, about 38,000 U.S. troops and about 19,000 others from 42 different countries make up NATO’s International Security Assistance Force. The U.S. military footprint there will increase by 17,000 as early as this spring.

Meanwhile, in Iraq on February 29, 2009, Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers discovered a munitions cache during a patrol northwest of Baghdad, according to Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.

Iraqi soldiers from the 24th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, working with soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, discovered 12 60 mm mortars, one 122 mm high-explosive artillery round, one rocket-motor propellant stick, three TNT booster charges, one electric blasting cap and a bag of plastic explosives.

A coalition forces explosive ordnance disposal team called to the site conducted a controlled detonation of the cache.

February 26, 2009 in Iraq:

Iraqi security forces, partnered with Multinational Division Baghdad troops, found two IEDs while responding to a car fire in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district. The combined force responded to a explosion in the Jaza’ir community near central Baghdad. Police officers conducting a combined patrol with paratroopers arrived to assist with site security.

The driver of the vehicle died of his wounds. After assessing the situation, the combined patrol determined the driver had been transporting an IED that prematurely detonated, causing the fire.

Earlier that day, members of the Zubaida Sons of Iraq, working with paratroopers of the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, discovered an IED while conducting combined operations in the Zubaida neighborhood in Baghdad’s Rashid district. A combined forces EOD team safely disposed of the bomb.

Things are going well in Afghanistan as well. Coalition forces engaged several militants on the morning of March 1, 2009, killing four, while conducting operations in the Maywand district of Afghanistan about 50 miles northwest of Kandahar, according to U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.

Intelligence sources tipped off coalition troops that enemy combatants were using the district’s water irrigation system to hide weapons and munitions. When the assault force arrived at the targeted series of irrigation holes, armed enemies engaged them.

The coalition forces responded with small-arms fire and called in close-air support, killing four militants, officials said. An initial search of the area revealed several AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

In other activity, coalition forces killed one militant and detained six other suspects during operations in Kandahar province on March 1, 2009. Coalition forces searched several compounds in Khakrez district, during which they found and detained militants suspected of involvement in an improvised explosive device network, according to U.S. officials.

When the forces arrived at the location to be searched, they called for all non-combatants to exit the buildings. After searching the compounds and questioning those present, the troops detained five suspects. Coalition forces also tracked several militants who fled the scene, killing one who displayed hostile intentions. They detained a second suspect.

During a search of the compound, the troops found an AK-47 assault rifle and a chest rack. The coalition forces protected 20 women and 39 children during the operation.

Also on March 1, 2009, Afghan National Police, assisted by coalition forces, detained eight militants and prevented an IED attack in Ghazni province. The combined forces were conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol when they saw the suspects placing an IED on the road.

The police convoy followed the suspects to a compound in Ghazni City, where the police searched the compound and found a cache of IED-making materials, including two remote-control devices, wire and pressure plate materials. They also discovered two AK-47 rifles.

The Afghan National Police took eight militants into custody. Combined forces safely removed the IED from the road before it could inflict any injuries.

This is Sgt. Stryker signing out.