Military Updates Around the World
Military Updates
The US Military currently has troops stationed all over the world. Here’s a look at some of the thing going on in the military the last few days.
United States:
A new website, One Freedom, was launched this week. The website is, “is a portal for our nation’s warriors and for everyone who cares about them to connect with a wealth of knowledge and new possibilities for strength and healing,” according to Elizabeth Hawkins, executive director of “One Freedom.
The website contains a listing of One Freedom programs for military service members, veterans, families and care providers. It’s also easy for them to use the Internet to register for programs they might be eligible for.
The World:
U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright (Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) is halfway through his six countries in eight days tour with the USO.
“One of the key reasons we’re up here is to make sure you understand that we understand how important your mission is,” Cartwright said in a release. “It’s a critical activity. It’s one of those deals where nobody notices unless it goes bad. The good news is it’s never gone bad.”
The focus of this tour is to visit remote installations that don’t get that many visitors, bringing a “slice of home” with the USO entertainers.
Iraq:
The Al Aima Bridge, closed in 2005 after 1,000 people were killed in a stampede while on a pilgrimage.
“The opening of this bridge is symbolic of the unity in Baghdad,” Army Lt. Col. John Vermeesch, said in a news release. “Opening this bridge also indicates sectarian relations and security have improved due to the hard work of local leaders and coalition forces.”
“The people were in a celebratory mood, waving Iraqi flags as they drove across the bridge,” Vermeesch continued. “This event, along with others scheduled for the future in the Kadhamiyah district of northwest Baghdad, will continue to promote security and good sectarian relations in the area.”
Army Maj. Koné Faulkner of the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team had this to say, “Iraqi security forces have played an instrumental role in not only making an event like this possible, but also in helping the bridge reconstruction project run smoothly.”
Also in Iraq, the Multinational Force, including Iraqi troops, went after insurgents. They captured five suspected terrorists in operations near Taji, north of Baghdad. They also apprehended a man thought to be involved in al-Qaida in Iraq leadership.
Multinational Forces also captured a suspected car bomber in the Tigris River Valley city of Beiji and detained another man in Mosul. In Sadiyah, an area northeast of Baghdad, troops captured a wanted man believed to be associated with a Diyala-based bomb network.
Earlier this week, acting on specific intelligence information, coalition forces targeted a key Kataib Hezbollah leader. As troops approached the home of the suspected terrorist, they were confronted by a man in a nearby house who showed them a hand gun. Perceiving hostile intent, the troops shot the man.
Also in Iraq this week, according to US officials, multinational coalition forces targeted al-Qaida throughout Iraq. They killed one militant, captured five wanted terrorists and detained 13 additional suspects.
Afghanistan:
The Afghan National Army is “increasing its boot print” across Afghanistan according to reports.
“The [Afghan army is] leading about 60 percent of the operations they participate in, and have proven themselves as an effective fighting force,” Army Maj. Gen. Robert W. Cone, commander of Multinational Security Transition Command Afghanistan, said in a news conference with Pentagon reporters via video-conference from Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan.
The Afghan National Army is currently 68,000 soldiers strong. The end goal is to increase that number to 134,000 Afghan troops. Around 26,000 Afghan soldiers were trained in 2008, with around that many planned to be trained in 2009.
Along with increased numbers, the Afghan National Army is also being helped with modernization efforts. The need for trustworthy troops on the Afghan-Pakistan is more important than ever and things are being put into place to ensure that the troops guarding the border are doing their job correctly.
“I think all of us are relatively pleased with what the Afghans have performed in this last year,” Cone said. “But right now, I would think that’s about as fast as we can go in a responsible manner, given the constraints that we have, and I think we’ll reassess again as the security situation on the ground changes and the assumptions we make about Afghan development become clearer.
“All in all,” he continued, “we have made positive strides in fielding professional security forces that are competent, diverse and capable of providing security throughout Afghanistan. We have a long way to go, though. This effort requires sustained support not just from the United States but from the international community.”
This is Sgt Stryker Signing Out
