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Bob Babcock - "Deeds not Words"
President, Americans Remembered, Inc. - http://www.americansremembered.org
President, 22nd Inf Regt Society - http://www.22ndinfantry.org
Past President/Historian - Nat'l 4th Inf Div Assn - http://www.4thinfantry.org
babcock224@aol.com
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U.S. Arrests 13 Iraqis in Tikrit Raid
By PAUL GARWOOD
.c The Associated Press
TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) - U.S. soldiers late Thursday launched one of the biggest raids since the American-led war was started, arresting 13 Iraqis wanted for bombing or shooting at coalition forces in Saddam Hussein's hometown.
More than 300 soldiers launched a series of raids on 20 houses and three shops across half of this city shortly before midnight Thursday seeking 18 men and teenagers suspected of attacking U.S. soldiers.
Thirteen Iraqis were taken into U.S. military custody early Friday for interrogation. Some of those detained were brothers.
Since April, insurgents in Tikrit have killed five American soldiers and wounded 52, making the city one of the toughest places for coalition forces to control following the collapse of Saddam's three decade-long dictatorship.
``We see this as a good sweep of the area,'' said Lt. Col. Steve Russell, commander of the U.S. Army's Tikrit-based 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division.
Assisting Russell's soldiers in the raids, which The Associated Press accompanied, were helicopters, Bradley fighting vehicles and humvees.
Men and teenage boys were dragged out of their homes by soldiers into the drizzly Tikrit streets during the overnight curfew. Of those caught up in the sweep, nine were later turned over to Iraqi police after being found to have played no role in the attacks on U.S. forces.
"Tikrit will be a safer place tomorrow as a result'' of these operations, Russell said after returning to the U.S. Army base following the four hour-long operation.
He said the operation had targeted individuals "operating in a cell ... involved in attacks on coalition forces'' and counterfeiting identification papers, including fake police identity cards.
Other items involved in bomb making, including wireless door bells commonly used as triggers to detonate roadside bombs, plus computers and a handful of weapons were seized.
The operation was planned during the past two weeks and was aided by intelligence provided by local Iraqi citizens and officers from the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, the country's new internal security force. ICDC and Iraqi police officers also played minor roles in the raids.
Russell said more raids would be coming.
01/08/04 23:10 EST
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.
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Military Begins Huge Rotation of Forces
By ROBERT BURNS
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - The military has begun a rotation of forces in Iraq and Afghanistan that amounts to the largest movement of American troops in decades, Army officials said Thursday.
The changes present an enormous logistics challenge not only for the Army and Marine Corps, but also for the Air Force and Navy, whose planes and ships are ferrying the troops to and from Iraq.
They also add to the security concerns of commanders on the ground in Iraq, who worry that fighters opposed to the U.S. occupation will look for security gaps created by the months long rotation.
The transition began this week with the return from Iraq of the first 200 members of the 101st Airborne Division to their home base at Fort Campbell, Ky., and the departure from Fort Bragg, N.C., of paratroopers of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne. Ships carrying equipment for the 25th Infantry Division left Hawaii this week, officials said.
In a related matter, Army officials said a military team has arrived in Iraq to advise ground commanders on ways to cope with the homemade bombs that insurgents have detonated along roads used by U.S. convoys over the past several months, often killing or maiming soldiers.
The team is also doing forensic studies of actual detonated explosives and consulting with commanders on potential improved technical means of defeating these low-tech, improvised bombs.
The Army, working with the other military services, has been planning the rotation of forces in Iraq for many months. The Pentagon originally hoped that some of the troops there now could be replaced by international forces, but few have been offered for the dangerous duty.
The approximately 130,000 U.S. troops in Iraq now will be heading home over the coming four months, to be replaced by a more mobile, less heavily armed force of about 110,000. That force will include about 20,000 Marines and an increased proportion of National Guard and Reserve troops.
A senior Army official provided details of the rotation Thursday on condition of anonymity. He said the movement would involve the equivalent of 8 1/2 of the Army's 10 active-duty divisions. The Army also has troops committed in South Korea, Germany, the Balkans and elsewhere.
It also includes Marines of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Pendleton, Calif., and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Miramar, Calif. - some of whom participated in the invasion of Iraq last March and the dash to Baghdad. Marines left Iraq late last summer; they are being called on again because the Army is too stretched to meet all the troop requirements.
The Navy's 3rd Fleet announced on Wednesday that the helicopter carrier USS Boxer will head for the Persian Gulf next week from San Diego with equipment for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. The ship will carry 200 Marines; the rest of them will fly there in a few months.
The Marines are to operate in the area west of Baghdad, replacing soldiers of the 82nd Airborne, the 1st Infantry Division and the 2nd Light Cavalry Regiment. That area includes Fallujah, Ar Ramadi and other cities that represent a stronghold of the anti-American insurgency.
Two brigades of the 1st Infantry, along with a brigade of the 25th Infantry and the 30th Infantry Brigade of the North Carolina National Guard, will operate in the area around Tikrit and Kirkuk in northern Iraq, replacing the 4th Infantry Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
A brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, known as the Stryker Brigade, will operate in the Mosul area of northern Iraq where the 101st Airborne has had its headquarters. The 101st is one of the last major Army units left in Iraq that also participated in the initial invasion and defeat of Baghdad. The Stryker Brigade is already in Iraq and moving north to Mosul.
The 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas, will replace the 1st Armored Division in Baghdad. Working with the 1st Cavalry will be the 39th Infantry Brigade of the Arkansas National Guard.
Also, a new senior Army commander for all forces in Iraq will arrive in the weeks ahead, officials said Thursday. He is Lt. Gen. Thomas F. Metz, commanding general of III Corps, based at Fort Hood. He will replace Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commanding general of Germany-based V Corps.
On the Net:
Defense Department: http://www.defenselink.mil
01/08/04 18:41 EST
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.
(Editor's Note: Some of you have expressed a concern that this is too much information being passed out. Keep in mind that security will be maintained throughout the redeployment by both our troops and the new units who are taking our place. And, it is impossible to hide movements of this magnitude so nothing is being revealed that the enemy couldn't see with his own eyes and resources).
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I Hit a Nerve Yesterday:
Lots of you agree with my comment at the start of yesterday's update. Here is a cross section of some of the comments you sent back to me:
* Hi Bob......I share your frustration. Back in "our" war, the damn media did nothing but cover the anti-war stuff, like the campus demonstrations, draft card burnings, etc. Now Brittany Spears trumps us being kept informed on how things are going in Iraq. The battle between the media and the military continues, and I'm not sure they'll ever get it right. Our celebrity driven society at times makes my blood boil.....
* I feel the same way Bob. It makes me feel that America does not care anymore. Who care about Brittany getting married and then get it annulled. I think America has lost something along the way. Our men/women are still fighting and keeping peace to make us safe here at home. Thank you for the support, that keeps us going.
* You took the thoughts right out of my mind – I thought – WHO CARES??? – what is this world coming to – you are absolutely right, you hear more about those losers on the news and our soldiers being killed only as a little side blurb, also, nothing about all the good things they are doing. My family and I are so sick of it too.
* I could not agree with you more, about the media! It is pathetic the headlines that are on our papers and magazine these days, while we have troops in harm's way. But as my husband has always said, he is a soldier to protect the rights of the stupid people as well.
* I couldn't agree with you more Bob. I was just talking with a co-worker about that this morning. I had printed a story about the army offering a $10,000 signing bonus to soldiers that would contract for another three years. I said to her that after listening to all the useless trivia and "issues" that our entertainment stars have, read this article and get a dose of a different reality. Give me a break.
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9 Dead in Black Hawk Crash Near Fallujah
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2004 – An Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed southeast of Fallujah, Iraq, today, killing all nine aboard, coalition officials said during a press conference in Baghdad. Officials do not know what caused the crash. A quick-reaction team secured the area, and investigators are on the scene. Early reports that the chopper was from the 82nd Airborne Division are not true, said Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy operations director for Combined Joint Task Force 7. (No indication at press time who the chopper belonged to but I have been assured it was NOT 4ID or TF Ironhorse).
In other news from Iraq, an Air Force C-5 Galaxy transport departing from Baghdad International Airport declared an in-flight emergency shortly after taking off. The crew said there was "excessive vibration" in their No. 4 engine, combined press information center officials said. The craft returned safely to the airport, with no injuries among the 63 passengers and crew aboard. Air operations at the facility continue, said officials.
A coalition news release today said a soldier died and 30 American personnel were wounded in a Jan. 7 mortar attack on the 3rd Corps Support Command's Logistical Base Seitz in Balad, north of Baghdad. In the release, CJTF 7 officials said 20 of those wounded have returned to duty. Initial reports of 34 service members being wounded were incorrect, the news release reported. Two soldiers were slightly wounded after the attack, but not as a result of the blast, and two others originally listed as wounded were not, thus accounting for the difference, officials explained. The area is the primary supply point for U.S. forces in the country......
In the north-central zone – the area covered by the 4th Infantry Division – there were 157 patrols and one raid, and soldiers captured 10 individuals. Coalition forces captured a Baath party leader near Tikrit, and also captured Salah Shahab, who was wanted for murdering eight Iraqi soldiers who attempted to desert during ground combat operations. Shahab also is believed to be involved in terrorist acts, Kimmitt said.
Members of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps conducted a raid in the area. "The intended target was a suspected weapons dealer," Kimmitt said. "ICDC forces captured two individuals and confiscated extensive small arms and ammunition." ......
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4ID Historical Highlights
.....continued from 1-8-04 update. Today's focus is on Vietnam.
15) Training and Deployment - Fort Lewis, WA., 1966. From a seriously under strength division in 1965, the 4ID was filled with fresh recruits (primarily draftees) in early 1966. The 2nd Brigade was filled with troops ready for advanced individual training who had just completed basic training on other posts (Fort Hood, TX and Fort Jackson, SC were two key posts that supplied the troops). The 1st and 3rd Brigades were given new recruits to give basic and advanced individual training to. All units were to "train and retain" the troops.
Preceeded by an advance party and the 4th Engineers who flew to Vietnam, the 2nd Brigade departed for Vietnam by ship on 21 July 1966. They were followed in September by the 1st Brigade and 4ID headquarters units. In October, the 3rd Brigade completed the movement of 4ID units from Fort Lewis to Vietnam. The 2nd Brigade deployed to the central highlands and established the 4ID base camp, later to be named Camp Enari, south of Pleiku. The 1st Brigade began operations in the Tuy Hoa area, on the coast, and the 3rd Brigade deployed far south of the rest of the 4ID and operated west of Saigon working under operational control of the 25th Infantry Division.
16) The 4ID was in Vietnam from July 1966 until December 7, 1970. During that 4 1/2 year period, the soldiers rotated back to the US after a one year tour and the units stayed in Vietnam and were filled with new soldiers who came in as individual replacements. On 1 August 1967, a switch was made with the 25th Infantry Division. The 3rd Brigade of the 4ID became the 3rd Brigade of 25ID and the 3rd Brigade of the 25ID became the 3rd Brigade of 4ID.
Key maneuver units were:
1st Brigade: 1-8, 3-8, 3-12 Infantry with support from 6-29 Field Artillery (FA).
2nd Brigade: 1-22, 1-12, 2-8 Infantry with support from 4-42 FA.
3rd Brigade (until 1 Aug 67): 2-12, 2-22, 3-22 Infantry with support from 2-77 FA.
3rd Brigade (after 1 Aug 67): 1-14, 1-35, 2-35 Infantry with support from 2-9 FA.
4th Engineers, 4th Aviaition, 1-10 Cav, 1-69 Armor, 4th MP Company, 5-16 FA and other units were in general support of all the 4ID brigades.
All Infantry units were straight leg infantry (now called light infantry) except for 2-8 and 2-22 which were mechanized.
17) During the 4 1/2 years in Vietnam, there were six commanding generals of the 4ID: MG Arthur S. Collins, MG William R. Peers, MG Charles P. Stone, MG Donn R. Pepke, MG Glenn D. Walker, and MG William A. Burke. MG Glenn Walker had previously served in the 4ID in WWII, having landed on D-Day as a captain and being wounded in the Hurtgen Forest as battalion commander of 2-22 Infantry.
18) The 4ID had the largest area of operation of any unit in Vietnam and worked consistently in the dense jungles along the Cambodian and Laotian borders. Their main enemy was the North Vietnamese Army that came down the Ho Chi Minh trail through Laos and Cambodia into Vietnam.
19) Tanks of the 4ID's 1-69 Armor engaged and defeated an attack by Russian made tanks near the Ben Het special forces camp. This was the only occasion in the war in which American tanks countered a North Vietnamese armor attack.
20) Eleven 4ID soldiers earned and were awarded the Medal of Honor in Vietnam. Over 70,000 men had served in the ranks of the 4ID in Vietnam and more than one-fourth of that number had been killed or wounded in action. Casualties included 2,531 killed in action and 15,229 wounded in action.
.....to be continued.
Source: Research by Bob Babcock in the archives of the National 4th Infantry Division Association.
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What Our Families Are Hearing From Our Soldiers in Iraq:
1) Just wanted to let everyone know that Cigars International in Bethlehem, PA sells cigars with the army logo on the band. They come in a sturdy wooden box with the army logo on them. My son distributed the box I sent for Christmas the day Saddam was captured, so I just sent two more boxes. Web site is www.cigarsinternational.com - phone is 1-888-244-2790. Right now, a box of 25 cigars is on sale for $59.95. They also have other service branches, not that they are as important as the army! My assistant's father is a retired career marine, we fight the battle of the services all the time. A word of advice -- don't tell a retired master gunnery sgt. the marines are the bastard child of the navy. They turn purple.
2) My son is in Iraq with C-1/10 CAV. I had to write to you after reading today's update. The woman who wrote about being at Joe's Crab Shack brought tears to my eyes. Yesterday watching the 101st come home made me bawl like a baby. Those guys really needed to be home and I am so thankful they are starting to arrive. My son was home for Thanksgiving for R&R and may be heading for Walter Reed soon for treatment of the "Bagdad Boil". The hardest day for me was sending him back over there knowing what he was in for. My heart goes out to all those families that are in the same boat that we are. I thank God every day that my son is alive and well. Having two sons (one is in the Coast Guard) in the military had taught me more than I ever learned in school about the pride this country has and what our freedom means. I've also learned that it isn't free and understand what that price can be. My Dad is a W.W.II veteran and has flown our flag for as long as I can remember and I have learned this past year exactly why he does that and why he sings our National Anthem louder than anyone I know. God continue to watch over our troops, here and abroad as they are all protecting us.
3) My husband (1/68AR, HHC Medics) mailed me a disposable camera and I just
picked up the photographs yesterday. All I can say is WOW! There a pictures of the children waving, of the streets packed with Iraqi people waving and cheering as their troop moved through! The pictures of the buildings, landscape (well sand with the occasional tree), the river bank and the historical buildings was beyond description! Unfortunately no pictures of Paul though. But just to know that he took these pictures and has a thousand stories to go with each one is enough! There was one picture of a sign of Saddam, it was all shot up! What a wonderful message! I look forward to developing the next camera he mails home! He wrote in a letter that he was in the Biblical area of the Garden of Eden where the rivers meet is amazing to me! I wish he had taken pictures there! I would love to have this country up and running so as to one day be able to actually visit Iraq and view these sites first hand. God willing that will be a reality. (Editor's Notes: I, too, hope to be able to visit those 4ID battlefields and historic sites in Iraq some day).
4) I talked to my daughter-in-law in TX last night. We were both lamenting about nothing on the news about Iraq. I reminded her that "as Col. Bob says, no news is good news"! I too marvel that the media is so enthralled with Brittney, Scott Peterson, and Michael Jackson. I have decided that it is up to us, the parents, spouses, and friends of those serving their country, to continue to lift up this situation to our neighbors, friends, church members, co-workers and the general public. No one knows the stresses and feels the pressure like family members. We have LIVED the war in Iraq from afar. So many have given their lives for our freedoms and I want others to know the sacrifices are not in vain. I plan to contact our local TV stations and e-mail CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC requesting more information. I watched CNN from the time I got home yesterday and did not see the piece on the 1-10 CAV (my son's unit). Does anyone know if and when it aired? (Editor's Note: As of last night, I don't believe it has aired - don't know if it will or not).... On another note--our 101st son is due to leave Iraq by the middle of February. It would be so nice if his older brother (1-10 CAV) could be right behind him!!! God Bless all our soldiers and family members.
5) I wanted to let your readers know that I purchased the 4ID baskets - one for myself and one for the commanding general's mother and they are beautiful. The workmanship of the weaving and the engraving of the IV symbol and description was superbly done. I encourage everyone to consider buying one as a keepsake.
6) Bob, I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the, "You know you're a military wife if..." article and share that our cats are named AWOL and Recon. Of course there is a story behind both but they have definitely lived up to their names. If I'm not heading one off at the door I'm pulling the other out of kitchen cabinets (he learned to open them himself)! As for my husband (HHC 2-8 IN) he's been very busy but still manages to email me just to let me know he's thinking of me. He likes staying busy because it makes the time go by faster. It's hard to believe he's been gone nine months today. It's even harder to believe that we only have about three left. I am very excited, but I really need to get into shape! (Editor's Note: Probably a good idea for a lot of us - I started my walking routine again this week to try to get rid of some of the surplus pounds that creeped up on me over the holidays).
7) I wanted to note that last night I talked to my husband who is a SSG , 1/8 IN mortars. I talked to him last night and found out from him that he had worked closely with Capt. Paliwoda on many occasions. He commented that he was a great leader. mentor, and just a wonderful person in general. He hopes to go green to gold and he said that Capt. Paliwoda was one of the best officers he has looked up to. My husband has never lost someone close - family, co-worker, or friend before and he is shaken by this loss. I just want his family to know that Capt Paliwoda effected so many soldiers in a positive way and he will be sorely missed. My heart and respect go out to his family and loved ones.
8) I got a nice 30-minute call from my husband (1-66 AR) this morning. It was a clear connection with no delay so it seems when the phones are up and running, they are running well. He said they are doing the "Same old, Same old" but they are all getting anxious to be home. He said there was nothing too exciting going on which is a good thing after the scares we've had the last few weeks in and around Samarra where they are. He finally got the Christmas package I mailed out a week before Thanksgiving. His DVD player has gotten so much dust in it, it no longer works. He said it's still cold there but they are expecting it to change soon. He said there really isn't an in between - just ice cold and !@%$&# hot. It was great to hear him laugh again. They are dissappointed in the lack of media coverage too. He said it went from having a ton of media around after the big battle in Tikrit the week before Saddam was captured (the only news I really saw about it was in one of your updates, Bob) and for Saddam's capture and it seems everyone has dissappeared again. As usual there is not much media attention to the continuing improvements of the standard of living in Iraq or the positive aspect of things over there.
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Families Sharing R&R Moments:
1) My son is in the 244th EN BN and he had just gotten a Bronze Star. Well, yesterday, Jan 7, my daughter in law, my husband, my mother and my soldier son came walking into where I work and surprised me! My daughter in law had just picked him up from the airport and she called my husband and my mother saying she was in town on "errands" (the kids live out of state) and was wanting to know if we would all like to meet for lunch. She never does this when she is in town as she has limited time when she comes in. My husband came to my office (with his camera) and waited until my son and daughter in law walked in and caught me by surprise. (My husband said he knew something was fishy and he thought he knew what was going on). I had no idea my son was coming home on leave, but my daughter in law said she found out around New Years. My daughter (who stayed back with my son's kids so she could pick them up after school) had even called my job and asked when I go to lunch and for them not to let me out of the office before noon as I had a surprise coming. I let out a scream so loud that people from the other side of the office came over to see what was going on....We took him out for steak (his choice) and then we all went and met at their home where the kids were thrilled to see their daddy. The wouldn't let him go. My son was tired and you could see it, but he played with those kids (ages 5 and almost 3) like he was a kid himself. You know we are going to do lots of fun things while he is home. I now know how good it feels when other people write about their soldier coming home on R&R and surprising them. May they all be home for good soon. God Bless all of our troops.
2) My husband and I were fortunate enough to spend New Year's Eve and New Year's Day with our son at Fort Hood, who was home for 2 weeks leave. He and his wife seemed to have picked up right where they left off and had so much fun together during that time. One look at him for myself assured me that he was really okay. Only 21 years old, he surely has become quite a fine young man. For the first time in my life I saw him as a man first and then my "little boy". He was relaxed, shared many of his experiences with us quite easily and we were all so grateful for this time together. To say goodbye again was hard, but I will treasure those 2 days until he comes home again. His voice, his smile, his laugh and his hug I hold deep in my heart. (No unit given).
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