Coasties to the Rescue!

Posted By Blackfive

AIRLIFT
A fishing vessel crewmember who sustained an eye injury aboard the vessel Sapphire II 580 miles southwest of Oahu, April 29, 2008, is airlifted aboard an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Barbers Point , May 1, 2008.   Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard cutter Walnut.

The Last Voyage

Posted By Blackfive

The last voyage has been completed.  The USS Kitty Hawk returns from it's last mission after 48 years of service (launched May 21, 1960).  The 80,000 ton air craft carrier is the last conventional carrier in the fleet and will return to San Diego to be decommissioned.

The aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk enters Truman Bay, May 12, after completing her last deployment before being replaced this summer by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington. Kitty Hawk is the last conventional-powered aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy. Date Taken: May 12th, 2008. Location: YOKOSUKA, JP. Photographer: Seaman Kyle Gahlau, Navy Visual News Service.

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An aircraft director signals a Strike Fighter Squadron 195 F/A-18C Hornet to taxi to launching position on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk. Aircraft directors are responsible for safely moving aircraft on the flight deck. Kitty Hawk is on its spring deployment its last before it is relieved by the USS George Washington this summer. Kitty Hawk operates from Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. Carrier Air Wing 5 operates from Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan. Photographer: Seaman Kyle Gahlau, Navy Visual News Service.

More awesome Kitty Hawk photos by Kyle Gahlau after the Jump.

Continue reading "The Last Voyage"

More Korengal Valley Photos

Posted By Blackfive

A soldier from the Headquarters Company (HHC) 2-503rd RCP surveys their area for possible improvised explosive devices (IED) while on a route clearance patrol on February 18, 2008, outside Asadabad, Afghanistan. The soldiers from the HHC have to be in a constant state of readiness to combat the tactics of the Al-Qaeda terrorists. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Jordan Carter)

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Soldiers from the Afghanistan national army (ANA) gather for a quick photo on February 16, 2008, outside the Korungal Outpost, Afghanistan. The areas outside of the KOP are prime targets for both coalition forces and the terrorists they combat. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Jordan Carter)

PJ and Pave Hawk Rescue Cuban Refugees

Posted By Blackfive

PAVE HAWK RESCUE
A U.S. Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk picks up a pararescueman and a survivor off a ship about 260 miles south of New Orleans during a rescue mission, April 25, 2008. Responding to a U.S. Coast Guard request, the rescue team performed a 10-hour mission to retrieve Cuban migrants in distress who were picked up by a passing ship.   U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Gina Chiaverotti.

Saberhawk Hoist

Posted By Blackfive

Petty Officer 3rd Class Justin Sherman, assigned to the "Saberhawks" of Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Light 47 is hoisted back into an SH-60B Seahawk during an air power demonstration by ships and aircraft assigned to Abraham Lincoln Strike Group. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and Carrier Strike Group 9 are on a scheduled seven-month deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.  Date Taken: April 22nd, 2008. Location: PACIFIC OCEAN, Photographer: Petty Officer 3rd Class James Evans, Navy Visual News Service.

The Carousel

Posted By Blackfive

A carousel in Habbaniyah's Tourist Village rests dormant and in a state of disrepair April 6, but provides testament to better times in the once-popular vacation and honeymoon spot. Families and newlyweds frequented the resort in the 1980s, and Tourist Village continued to attract tourists throughout the Middle East until the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Some of the necessary repairs and planning have begun with help from Marines with Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division – deployed to Camp Taqaddum with the 1st Marine Logistics Group – but Marine and Iraqi officials said further improvements to the existing facilities must be made to bring the resort back to its former prominence. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph/Cpl. Jason W. Fudge)

Gilligan's Island (in Iraq)

Posted By Blackfive

Chief Warrant Officer Tom Boise, an OH-58 pilot standsby in his Kiowa helicopter as Sgt. William Grigsby reloads the bird with a 17 pound rocket. Both Soldiers are in 4th Squadron, 6th Air Cavalry Regiment from Fort Lewis, Wash.  Date Taken: April 6th, 2008  Location: Mosul, IQ.  Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

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An OH-58 Kiowa helicopter flies over the Tigris River flowing through Mosul, Iraq, April 6. The Kiowas of 4th Squadron, 6th Air Cavalry Regiment from Fort Lewis, Wash., fly patrols over Ninewa province, providing ground troops with extra security and a view of the battlefield from the sky. Date Taken: April 6th, 2008. Location: Mosul, IQ.  Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

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Chief Warrant Officer Tom Boise flies his OH-58 Kiowa helicopter over Mosul, Iraq, April 6. Boise, a pilot of 4th Squadron, 6th Air Cavalry Regiment from Fort Lewis, Wash., provides security and an eye from the sky for ground troops conducting operations in the Mosul and Ninewa province area.  Date Taken: April 6th, 2008. Location: Mosul, IQ.  Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

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An OH-58 Kiowa helicopter fires a 17 pound rocket over the city of Mosul, Iraq, April 6. The rocket was fired into a test fire pit, ensuring the bird’s weapons systems are functional before moving out into the Mosul area to provide security for ground troops.  Date Taken: April 6th, 2008.  Location: Mosul, IQ.  Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

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A 17 pound rocket is fired from an OH-58 Kiowa helicopter at a small island on the Tigris River running through Mosul, Iraq, April 6. The small island dubbed Gilligan's island, is used by helicopter pilots as a test fire pit before executing patrols over Ninewah province. Date Taken: April 6th, 2008. Location: Mosul, IQ.  Photographer: Spc. John Crosby, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

New Citizens

Posted By Blackfive

Related to the post below about a US Marine and new citizen...

Service members from throughout Iraq met at the Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory April 12 in which 259 troops became U.S citizens during the largest overseas U.S. naturalization ceremony in history. Photographer: Staff Sgt. Jeremy Crisp, 18th Airborne Corps

Largest IED Cache in MND-C Found

Posted By Blackfive

Just received this from Task Force Marne:

ISF find largest EFP cache to date in MND-C
4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – A tip led Iraqi Security Forces to the largest explosively-formed penetrator cache found to date in Multi-National Division – Center’s area of operation, April 2. The munitions were discovered in a 6-ton truck in a garage in al Qasim.

The cache contained more than 1000 EFP components, more than 3000 pounds of explosives and 45 Katusha 107 mm rockets and stands. Also included in the cache were more than 10 devices used to detonate improvised explosive devices, 250 PKC rounds, 10 60 mm mortar shells and one 60 mm stand. The rockets are believed to have been manufactured in Iran.

“The ISF continue to confiscate the lethal tools of the enemy, disrupt the enemy’s freedom of maneuver, and apprehend key members of the (criminal) leadership,” said Capt. Michael Ranado, battle captain for 31st Military Transition Team, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division. “The IP (Iraqi Police) and IA (Iraqi Army) have successfully provided security for the people of the Babil province and continue vigilantly to do so.”

The cache was moved to the Joint Coordination Center in Hillah.

Here's two photos of the cache that Iraqi Security Forces found in a 6-ton truck in a garage in al Qasim, Iraq, April 2. The cache contained more than 1000 EFP components, more than 3000 pounds of explosives, 45 Katusha 107 mm rockets and stands. (Courtesy photos):

Combat Controllers

Posted By Blackfive

Air Force Special Operations Command combat controllers give a C-130 Hercules take off clearance and provide air traffic control during a mission to establish and assess an airfield, March 15, at a forward deployed location in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock)

Building Summers Part II

Posted By Blackfive

RE:  Building Summers

Soldiers from Company A, 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, prepare to sling-load a trailer onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, March 22. The trailer is filled with supplies destined for troops at the newly-built Combat Outpost Summers. (Photo courtesy of 3rd ID PAO).

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A Ch-47 sling-loaded with a trailer departs Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, March 22. The trailer is filled with supplies destined for troops at the newly-built Combat Outpost Summers. (Photo courtesy of 3rd ID PAO).

Building Summers

Posted By Blackfive

Pallets of building materials float to the desert floor near Patrol Base Summers on March 16. The patrol base is currently under construction near Suwayrah, 20 miles south of Baghdad. Photographer: Sgt. Ben Brody, Multi-National Division-Central.

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Staff Sgt. David Aleman of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, attached to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, pulls security at a farmhouse during Operation Marne Rugged, March 15. Photographer: Sgt. Ben Brody, Multi-National Division-Central.

The story of setting up a patrol base in a new territory is after the Jump.

Continue reading "Building Summers"

Black Hats in Afghanistan

Posted By Blackfive

Cool.

Sgt. 1st Class Michael Spencer, an instructor at the Jumpmaster Refresher Course held at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, watches as 82nd Airborne Division Jumpmasters practice jumpmaster personnel inspection, Feb. 28. Jumpmasters from the U.S. Army Advanced Airborne School came to Afghanistan to administer the Jumpmaster Refresher Course to 82nd Airborne Division Jumpmasters preparing to return from a 15-month deployment.  Date Taken: February 28th, 2008.  Location: Bagram Airfield, AF. Photographer for photos: Sgt. Jim Wilt, Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO.

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With sweat dripping down his face, Chaplain (Maj.) Michael Klein, a student at a Jumpmaster Refresher Course held at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, checks the elasticity of a pack opening spring band on a modified improved reserve parachute system soft loop center pull reserve parachute during jumpmaster personnel inspection practice, Feb. 28. 

Story after the Jump.

Continue reading "Black Hats in Afghanistan "

82nd LRSD in the Fight

Posted By Blackfive

Sgt. Jonas Jerome Allen, a Paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division's Long Range Surveillance, poses for a photo in front of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. During a battle in Kapisa province, Afghanistan, Allen repaired a fellow gunner's MK-19 grenade launcher while under fire, Sept. 9, 2007. Location: Kapisa province, AF. Photo Courtesy of Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO (March 1, 2008).

The story of Sergeant Allen's fight with the Taliban is after the Jump.

Continue reading "82nd LRSD in the Fight"

The Rock and the Stack

Posted By Blackfive

"AQI is on the run here and they know we have the means and mobility to kill or capture them where they hide." - Charlie Company First Sergeant Timothy Seeber

“My guys would walk to the end of this Earth if they were asked to. They realize that this war is bigger than us.” - Staff Sergeant Tommy Pafford.

Soldiers with Charlie Company "The ROCK", 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division prepare to enter and clear a building Feb. 15, 2008, during Operation Helsinki near the Bichigan peninsula. Location: BALAD, IQ.  Photographer: Spc. Richard Rzepka, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.

[Blackfive note:  Thanks to the Sons of Iraq, the Cav Troopers nabbed an AQI operative.]

Beach Landing in Kuwait

Posted By Blackfive

Marines of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit disembark Landing Craft Unit 1635, which ferried them from the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1). Operations in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility are focused on reassuring regional partners of the coalition's commitment to help set conditions for security and stability. U.S. forces maintain a naval and air presence in the region that deters destabilizing activities while safeguarding the region's vital links to the global economy.  Photographer: Petty Officer 3rd Class Bryan Niegel, Navy Visual News Service

Global Warming in Idaho

Posted By Blackfive

Idaho Army National Guard soldiers of the 145th Brigade Support Battalion shovel snow off Timberlake High School, Feb. 2, in Spirit Lake, Idaho. (U.S. Army photo/Capt. Bill Muthiora).

Fighting Fires on Bagram

Posted By Blackfive

A Bagram Airfield firefighter kneels down after firefighters brought a B-hut fire under control, Feb. 11. A B-hut is a wooden structure used to house up to eight service members. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Photographer: Sgt. Jim Wilt, Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO.

"Uninvited and Unwelcome Intruders"

Posted By Blackfive

The title is taken from the Berkeley Mayor's statement about the Marine Recruiting activities in Berkeley (promted by the thuggish Code Pink).

A Soldier from 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment is led on a tour of an Iraqi boys back yard while on patrol in Huayrah, Diyala Province, Iraq, Jan. 31. Photographer: Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Mulligan, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Maintaining Jump Status

Posted By Blackfive

Troops assigned to Special Operations Command, Pacific, wait to hook up to a static line on a C-17 Globemaster III, Feb. 11, 2008, during a training mission over Oahu, Hawaii. The C-17, from the 535th Airlift Squadron, is helping the command conduct jump currency training.    U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo.

"It's a $h!tty job, but someone has to do it..."

Posted By Blackfive

When U.S. Army Soldier Spc. Alfred Davis from Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, is not on patrol, he takes on more additional duties than some of his fellow soldiers at other forward operating bases. Twice a day soldiers are tasked to get rid of human waste since there is no plumbing nor porta johns at Patrol Base Doria, Rashad, Kirkuk, Iraq, Feb. 4. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet).

All Five Services

Posted By Blackfive

Coast Guard:

MOBILE, Ala.-Feb 8 2008--The U. S. Coast Guard's first national security cutter took to the sea on Friday, operating in concert with the service's new maritime patrol aircraft, the Ocean Sentry HC-144, and a newly re-engined HC-65 helicopter. The flagship in the Coast Guard's first new class of large cutters in 25 years, Bertholf is the Coast Guard's largest ever patrol cutter. The launch in Pascagoula, Miss., began four days of builder trials that will test the cutter's systems and performance in advance of the Coast Guard formally accepting it later this spring, and commissioning the cutter for service this summer. Bertholf will be homeported in Alameda, Calif. USCG photo by PAC Tom Sperduto.

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Navy:

The amphibious assault ship USS Essex and the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Pecos steam together during a refueling at sea, Feb. 6, 2008.    U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua J. Wahl.

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Marines:

Crew members refuel an A V-22 Osprey before a night mission in central Iraq, Feb. 2, 2008.    U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Joe Kane. 

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Air Force:

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Francisco Hernandez, left, and U.S. Air Force Maj. Lanny Greenbaum play with some of the babies at a Djibouti orphanage near Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, Jan. 26, 2008. Hernandez and Greenbaum are assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.    U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jennifer Redente. 

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Army:

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division patrol Muqdadiyah, Iraq, Jan. 29, 2008.    U.S. Army photo by Spc. Shawn M. Cassatt.

Marines in Africa

Posted By Blackfive

A CH-53 Sea Stallion, assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, based at Marine Corps Air Station, Jacksonville, N.C., prepares to refuel while deployed as part of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, based at Camp Lemonier. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock).

Marine Lance Cpl. Quincy A. Hutchings, an Elko, Nev. native and motor transport operator with Battery A, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, conducts a patrol with his fellow leathernecks through Agadere, a refugee camp located in the outskirts of downtown Djibouti, Jan. 29. The Camp Pendleton-based Marines serve as the primary security force for Camp Lemonier. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo/Sgt. Alec Kleinsmith)

Winter in the 'Stan

Posted By Blackfive

A Paratrooper from 2nd Platoon, Able Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), navigates a steep incline during a patrol to Omar in Kunar province in Afghanistan Jan. 11.  Date Taken: January 11th, 2008.  Location: Kunar province, AF.  Photographer: Sgt. Brandon Aird, Joint Combat Camera Center

Canadian Navy in the Arabian Sea

Posted By Blackfive

An approach team, on the right, from HMCS Charlottetown pulls alongside the fishing dhow Al Rahman in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Pakistan. The dhow’s captain told the Canadian's Arabic interpreter that he had just run out of gas. He would have had enough fuel to return to his home port if he had not shared his supply with another dhow he found in distress a few days before. In compliance with the Safety Of Life At Sea Convention, HMCS Charlottetown topped up the dhow’s tanks to ensure it would make port safely. As members of the maritime community, Canada’s sailors are always ready to provide life-saving assistance to fellow mariners on the high seas. HMCS Charlottetown is deployed for six months in the Persian Gulf-Arabian Sea region on Operation ALTAIR, Canada’s maritime contribution to the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism known as Operation Enduring Freedom. The frigate was conducting a maritime security patrol when the distress message was received.  Date Taken: January 24th, 2008.  Location: Northern Arabian Sea, PK.  Photographer: Canadian Forces Cpl Robert LeBlanc, National Defence Canada.

Hellweek

Posted By Blackfive

Students from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) class 267 spend the night carrying heavy boats up and down the beach during the middle of Hellweek. BUD/S students who make it through Hellweek have a 95-percent chance of becoming a Navy SEAL.  Location: Coronado, Calif., US.  Photo courtesy US Navy Visual Service (September 2007).

Riverines in Iraq

Posted By Blackfive

Boats from Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 2 Detachment 3 prepare to insert members ashore at Lake Qadisiyah near Haditha dam Dec. 29. RIVRON-2 regularly patrols the lake and the surrounding inland waterways, protecting their use for legitimate commerce. Riverine forces belong to the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. (U.S. Navy photos/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd class Paul Seeber)

Marines at the Horn of Africa

Posted By Blackfive

Leathernecks with Alpha Battery, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion move into position after exiting a CH- 53 helicopter at Range TC-11, Dec. 26. The helo extraction was followed by a fire and movement exercise. A classic staple in Marine Corps infantry training, fire and movement exercises encompass a variety of battlefield techniques, from proper rushing protocol to communication. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo/Sgt. Alec Kleinsmith)

A nomadic Djiboutian patiently waits for Marines from Alpha Battery, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, to finish their fire and movement exercise Dec. 26. Spent shell casings made of brass are valued by the Djiboutian populace, who trade in the shells for a small, albeit vital payoff. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo/Sgt. Alec Kleinsmith)

Make Sergeant Jill Stevens "America's Choice" for Miss America

Posted By Blackfive

Background Information - See this post about a Utah National Guardsman, OEF (Afghanistan) vet, and beauty queen running in the Miss America pageant.  Sergeant Jill Stevens, aka GI Jill, has a site here.

You can make her "America's Choice" by going here and voting once per day (click on Utah for Jill's profile and then click on the VOTE button and follow the directions). 

Let's make GI Jill "America's Choice"!

Update:  Here are some photos from her Flickr site (it's really great):

Speaking with Staff Sgt. John Faulkenberry an infantryman from Midland, Texas, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Oct. 24. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Roger Mommaerts Jr.

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Go VOTE!

Afghan Commandos Capture Taliban Leaders

Posted By Blackfive

An Afghan commando assigned to 203rd Corps Commando Kandak guards a weapons cache found during an early-morning raid Dec. 27, 2007, in Khowst province. The commandos led a combined force of Afghan national army, Afghan national police and Afghan national border police. Date Taken: December 31st, 2007.  Official DOD Photo used with permission.

Full story after the Jump.

Continue reading "Afghan Commandos Capture Taliban Leaders"

Patrol in Afhganistan

Posted By Blackfive

Members of the Faryab Provincial and District police mentor team dismount their vehicles behind the Afghan national police during a police patrol near the village of Qala-i-Wali in Ghowrmach District during Operation Four Seasons. The operation was led by Afghan national security forces alongside coalition mentors assigned to Afghan Regional Security Integration Command North, located at Camp Spann in Mazar-e-Sharif. Date Taken: December 9th, 2007.  Location: Qaysar, AF.  Photographer: Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Seymour, Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan.

More about the mission and the photo after the Jump via Petty Officer Seymour.

Continue reading "Patrol in Afhganistan"

RedLegs Pound Insurgents in Iraq

Posted By Blackfive

On December 27th, SPC Rick Rzepka of the 1st BCT, 101st ABN DIV (AA) witnessed some payback and took the photos:

COB SPEICHER, Iraq – U.S. Forces in Northern Iraq destroyed a storage facility containing explosives used in the making of vehicle-borne bombs, and a weapons cache in the open desert near Bayji this morning.

They said intelligence sources informed them of this target, which had been under suspicion for the last few days.

“We have the capabilities to strike anywhere at anytime,” said Lt. Col. Peter Wilhelm, commander of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment. “This week’s VBIED attack in Bayji destroyed more than a hundred innocent civilian lives. It is a top priority to disable the enemy’s bomb-making capabilities in this area, so we can deter these kinds of vicious attacks like this from ever happening again.”

The GMLRS from Detachment 1, Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery Regiment from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, were in support of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) operations, who maintain the peace in the restive city.

Det 1, Alpha Batt sends some love on the way!

USS Truman on Station

Posted By Blackfive

An F/A-18 Hornet prepares to land on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing 3 are underway on a deployment in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Ricardo J. Reyes).  Date Taken: December 20th, 2007, Location: USS Harry S. Truman, U.S. Central Command Air Forces.

"No Slack!" in Samarra

Posted By Blackfive

Very cool photos and a great story (after the jump) by Specialist Richard Rzepka from December 10th:

A “No Slack” Soldier from the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, creeps through the tall grass in an area outside of the restive city of Samarra. The “No Slack” troopers later discovered a fuel tank being used by local insurgents to sell black market fuel to the locals.

A “No Slack” Soldier from the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division takes up an overwatch position in Samarra, Iraq, Dec. 10. The “No Slack” battalion is responsible for the security of the restive city.

Another "No Slack" Soldier from 2-327th maintaining an overwatch in Samarra.

Continue reading ""No Slack!" in Samarra"

Letter from Home...

Posted By Blackfive

With the sun already set over Camp Liberty, Iraq, Staff Sgt. James Ausmann, platoon sergeant and native of Pulaski, Va., with Headquarters Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), reads a letter from his wife prior to moving out to Joint Security Station Adil Mall. Date Taken: December 10th, 2007. Location: Camp Liberty, IQ. Photographer: Sgt. James Hunter, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs

SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Ops

Posted By Blackfive

A Navy diver and special operator from SEAL Delivery Team (SDV) 2 perform SDV operations with the nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) for material certification. Material certification allows operators to perform real-world operations anytime, anywhere. [Location: Key West. Photographer: Senior Chief Petty Officer Andrew Mckaskle, Navy Visual News Service.]

Navy divers and special operators attached to SEAL Delivery Team 2, perform SDV operations with the Ohio-Class nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) for material certification. Material certification allows operators to perform real-world operations anytime, anywhere. [Location: KEY WEST. Photographer: Senior Chief Petty Officer Andrew Mckaskle, Navy Visual News Service]

Taliban Attempts Ambush, Goes Boom!

Posted By Blackfive

[U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael Zuk, 82nd Airborne Division PAO. Date Taken: December 5th, 2007. Location: Farah Province, AF.]

On December 5th, 2007, a combined force of Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition soldiers were conducting a reconnaissance mission for a weapons cache when two squad-size elements of insurgents ambushed them with small-arms, rocket and indirect fire. Our forces returned small-arms and mortar fire, which allowed them to out-maneuver the insurgent forces and engage them with close air support.

The combined forces overwhelmed the insurgents with superior firepower, despite the arrival of enemy reinforcements.

Iraqi Citizens Reveal Booby Traps

Posted By Blackfive

[Date Taken: December 4th, 2007. Location: Forward Operating Base Kalsu, IQ. Photographer: Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs.]

An Iraqi Concerned Local Citizen pulls back part of an armchair revealing unknown bulk explosive (50 pounds) inside the cushion of a chair, Dec. 4, in an insurgent safehouse in Arab Jabour. The IED was designed to kill an entire squad when entering the building.  The building was destroyed by a joint direct attack ammunition bomb once it was found to be booby-trapped.

Sergeant Stabinsky's report about how the local Iraqis are helping Soldiers is after the jump.

Continue reading "Iraqi Citizens Reveal Booby Traps"

Troops Overreact Because of Pressure - Feed Murtha on Thanksgiving

Posted By Blackfive "I swear, Sir, I didn't spit in it."

Representatives John Murtha, Pennsylvania; David Hobson, Ohio; Norm Dicks, Washington; and Sanford Bishop, Georgia, met with Lt. Gen. R. Steven Whitcomb, Third Army/United States Army Central commanding general, and dined with service members from their respective states on Nov. 22.

[Reminder: "Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."]

If any of you in Iraq met with Congressman Murtha, send me an email about it.

High Value Target Nabbed by B 1-15th

Posted By Blackfive

Staff Sgt. Andrew Pearce, from Lewistown, Pa., a squad leader in Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment gives a situation report during a nighttime air assault mission, Nov. 25, in Sayafiyah, a small village southeast of Baghdad. Co. B was able to detain 13 suspects for questioning during the mission. One of the suspects was believed to be a key insurgent on the 3rd Brigade Combat Team’s most wanted list.  Date Taken: November 27th, 2007.  Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, IQ, Photographer: Spc. Ben Hutto, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs.

Marines Help Deliver Aid To Bangladeshis

Posted By Blackfive

Bangladeshi military personnel take charge of a shipment of bottled water delivered by U.S. Marine helicopter crews from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, embarked with the USS Kearsarge, in Parisol, Bangladesh, Nov. 23, 2007. Photo by Cpl. Peter R. Miller, USMC.

Bangladeshi citizens receive aid in hard to reach areas of southern Bangladesh. The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge and elements of Amphibious Squadron 8 and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived off the coast of Bangladesh Nov. 23 to support ongoing disaster relief operations following Cyclone Sidr.    U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ezekiel R. Kitandwe.

Countermeasures

Posted By Blackfive

This MH-53E Sea Dragon, from Helicopter Mine Countermeasure Squadron (HM) 15, performs mine countermeasure training using the MK-105 sled. HM-15 is deployed aboard the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). Wasp is conducting mine countermeasure exercises to demonstrate the U.S. Navy's ability to defend against mine-laying operations and ensure open access to sea lanes. (U.S. Navy Photo/Lt. Cmdr. John L. Kline).  Date Taken: November 12th, 2007.

Opsrey Over Anbar

Posted By Blackfive

An MV-22B Osprey with Marine Medium Tilt rotor Squadron-263, flies over the Al Anbar province of Iraq during a mission out of Al Asad Air Base.  Official US Navy Photo.