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President, Americans Remembered, Inc. - http://www.americansremembered.org
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15 Jan 2004 17:33:17 GMT
Foreign fighters remain Iraq threat - U.S. general
By C. Bryson Hull
TIKRIT, Iraq, Jan 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Army general in charge of central Iraq said on Thursday resistance from the former government was breaking up, but warned U.S. forces faced a future threat from Iraqi nationalists and foreign fighters.
Major General Raymond Odierno, commander of the 4th Infantry Division based in Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit, said the capture of the former dictator and other Baath Party loyalists had sharply reduced attacks on coalition troops in his area.
"I believe the former regime elements are fractured now. Coordination is down, their money is running out, their weapons are running out, so we're seeing a lot less contacts," Odierno said in interview with reporters at his headquarters.
But he warned that those Iraqis who may not have been loyal to Saddam but are still opposed to the U.S.-led occupation, and foreign fighters who have infiltrated the country in recent months, still posed a threat.
"(Iraqis) do not like foreigners in their country, and especially Syrians, Iranians, anyone who is on their border. They want Iraq for Iraqis," Odierno said.
There are also those who will continue to attack because they do not like Westerners, he said, potentially including members of al Qaeda and other international groups.
"I do believe that they believe that this is the place they want to fight Western culture," Odierno said. "I do think we'll see more of a push on the part of the al Qaeda network trying to get in here in the next eight to 12 months."
Odierno said the capture of Saddam had taken away a rallying point for Baathists, and their dwindling hope that the party would ever return to power.
The general, a man of imposing size and height with a head shaven clean, will turn over his region, which stretches from north of Baghdad to the northern city of Kirkuk and east to the Iranian border, to the 1st Infantry Division in two months.
Capturing Saddam last month as he hid in a small hole near Tikrit was the single biggest accomplishment of his tenure, he said, and reward for all the soldiers who had lost comrades in the war and risked their lives daily.
"Knowing that we were able to capture him, which has made a difference both in will back in the United States and here on the ground, kind of validates why we're here," he said.
It also made a dent in attacks against U.S. troops, which Odierno said dropped by half from November to December and appear to be dropping further in January.
The hunt for Saddam's right-hand man, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, is growing hotter, and his capture would mark "the end of the former regime element resistance."
"That doesn't mean it will mark the end of the entire resistance, but the Baathists will be over. It won't be over, but it will be different," he said, referring to Iraqi nationalists and foreign jihadists.
Odierno said he was ahead of where he thought he would be in cleaning up the area, but acknowledged he was behind schedule in terms of rebuilding Iraq's battered infrastructure.
His rebuilding plans had counted on aid from the United Nations and non-governmental organisations, which have mostly steered clear of Iraq because of safety concerns.
The biggest challenges the incoming 1st Infantry Division will face include redeveloping infrastructure, creating more jobs and maintaining an ethnic balance as Iraq is rebuilt.
"They're going to have to make sure they maintain an ethnic balance, address all the ethnic backgrounds and make sure they are part of the new Iraq," he said.
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Here is the AP story that came out of the same interview as the Reuters one above:
Texas-Based Army Division Leaves Iraq
By PAUL GARWOOD
Associated Press Writer
TIKRIT, Iraq (AP)--As his troops prepare to leave Iraq, the commander of the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division says his soldiers achieved more than expected but challenges remain--from battling insurgents to improving infrastructure and providing jobs. The division, which arrived in April, is scheduled to leave Iraq in mid-March for neighboring Kuwait before returning home the next month. They will be replaced by the Germany-based 1st Infantry Division in the first troop rotation since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq last March.
``We are further along than I thought I would be,'' said Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the commander of the 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas. Odierno's troops cover a vast swath of Iraq, including the restive city of Baqouba, the former Iraqi dictator's hometown of Tikrit and the northern Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk.
Speaking to reporters, Odierno said he believes the United States would maintain a large troop presence in Iraq through 2004 and about half as many in 2005, depending on ``internal and external factors and the development of the Iraqi army.''
The 49-year-old West Point graduate said his forces have captured or killed most of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party loyalists and strangled their money and weapons sources. But threats remain from ``nationalist'' insurgents and terrorist groups like Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, he said.
Odierno said the Dec. 13 capture of Saddam and the detentions of other high-ranking Baath party members ``has really had an effect on the former regime elements.''
``I think al-Qaida and foreign fighters are trying to get involved in Iraq,'' Odierno said. ``I think in the next six to eight months, they (will) start to really try to infiltrate the area.'' The most immediate threat facing U.S. forces, however, could come from Iraqis.
``There are still people out there who just want to attack us because we are Westerners and we are in Iraq and we are Americans,'' he said. ``So they will continue to attack us and I think that will go on for some time.''
The arrest of Iraq's current most-wanted man, former vice President Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, could be the final blow for pro-Saddam loyalists. ``I think they are having a lot of trouble coordinating,'' Odierno said. ``I think the will is no longer there in most cases. I think we have turned a corner with former regime elements.''
He said that since April, U.S. forces have trained 2,000 Iraqi border guards, 5,000 Iraqi Civil Defense Corps soldiers and hired about 10,000 police. His soldiers have established interim provincial governments and city councils and overseen the appointment of mayors in every town in their jurisdiction. Judges have been vetted and are hearing cases.
The results of Iraq's reconstruction will be felt throughout the Middle East, he said. ``Iraq has incredible potential with its natural resources and its educated populace, so it will have a profound effect on the region,'' he added.
The Army has spent $80 million in the area controlled by the division on infrastructure projects, including water treatment plants, schools, police stations and other government buildings. ``We have had soldiers working very, very hard for a year,'' Odierno said.
AP-NY-01-16-04 0458EST
Copyright 2004, The Associated Press.
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From an AP Article dated 1-15-04:
.....Meanwhile, in Tikrit, a bus was taking home students from the University of Tikrit when it hit a mine planted in the road, throwing the vehicle into the air, Lt. Col. Steve Russell, commander of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division, told reporters.
The bus driver had already dropped most of the students off at their homes before the explosion, Russell said. Two students and the driver were killed. The only other student on the bus had been sitting at the rear of the bus and was wounded but was expected to live, he said.
"What it shows us is how evil and sick minded these people (the attackers) are that they would target innocent university students,'' Russell said.
Tikrit is part of the so-called Sunni triangle in central Iraq, home to diehard Saddam loyalists who have been blamed for most of the insurgent attacks on civilians and U.S. forces.
U.S. troops conducted some 28 raids on Wednesday around Baqouba, 45 miles southeast of Tikrit, capturing 31 Saddam loyalists, the military said. The raids came hours after a car bomb attack against a police station in Baqouba that killed three people, including the car's driver.
In one of the raids, troops clashed with attackers, killing four, in the village of Abu Kharma, said an Army spokesman, Master Sgt. Robert Cargie.
In Khalas, 6 miles northwest of Baqouba, a patrol shot and killed two Iraqis digging a hole in the ground, apparently to plant bombs, Cargie said. He said the men did not fire at the troops but attempted to run away on spotting the patrol.
In Jalula, near Tikrit, U.S. soldiers returned fire at two people who attacked them with automatic weapons, killing one of them and injuring the other, Cargie said.
Elsewhere, two foreign civilian drivers were killed Wednesday during an attack near Tikrit on a convoy operated by U.S. contractor Kellogg, Brown & Root. On Tuesday, cars driving past a U.S. patrol in Samarra began shooting at the soldiers, who returned fire, killing eight Iraqis.
Also Thursday, bank notes bearing Saddam's portrait became obsolete as a three-month period to exchange them for the new dinar ended. More than 10,000 tons of worthless notes are being destroyed, said a joint statement by the Central Bank of Iraq and the Coalition Provisional Authority.
01/15/04 14:08 EST
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.
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Words fall far short in tribute to 6-foot-6 GI
By Rich Tosches, Rocky Mountain News
January 16, 2004
COLORADO SPRINGS - Inside a Fort Carson chapel choked with sorrow, more than 200 people gathered Thursday to say goodbye to the biggest man - and perhaps the best man - most of them had ever known. Army Capt. Eric Paliwoda, a West Point graduate who stood 6-foot-6 and weighed more than 250 pounds, was killed Jan. 2 by enemy mortar fire in Balad, Iraq. He was 28.
Paliwoda was buried 10 days later at West Point.
Thursday, friends and family said farewell to the man they called the "gentle giant." Fort Carson, where Paliwoda had lived since 2001, has mourned the deaths of 38 of its soldiers in the Iraqi war.
"Dwight Eisenhower once asked of such soldiers, 'Where do we get such men?' " said Maj. Joe Golden, who had known Paliwoda since the big man arrived at the post. Then he began to cry. "Indeed," Golden said, his voice softened to a whisper, "where do we get such men?"
Paliwoda, born in Hartford, Conn., was an all-state basketball player and continued with the sport at West Point. He also starred on the academy's track team. He was sent last April to Iraq, where he served as a company commander in the 4th Engineer Battalion, part of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. Paliwoda was to be married in June.
Capt. Tim Knoth attended West Point with Paliwoda and had served with him in Iraq since April. "I was his classmate and I was his good buddy," Knoth said. "I spent 10 months in combat with Eric, and I never imagined my return trip to Colorado would be to bring my big brother to his final resting place. I'm sorry we weren't able to come home together and alive."
Paliwoda was posthumously awarded two Bronze stars, one with a V device for valor, a Purple Heart and a Meritorious Service Medal.
"He loved all of his soldiers," said Sgt. Shane Carvella, who served under Paliwoda from June until November. "And earning the Bronze Star with valor, well, valor is not a big enough word for this man."
Attending the service were Paliwoda's parents, Alfred and Mary, who live in Arizona; his sister, Allison Choka, of Tennessee; his fiance, Wendy Rosen, of Hartsdale, N.Y.; and his uncle, Tom Luneburg.
"It's impossible to express the sadness we feel today," Luneburg said. "Our grief is profound, the hurt is deep and it will never go away. But as we lay Eric to rest, hold your heads high and be proud that you knew him."
Knoth, who wrote a poem to honor his fallen comrade, looked at the boots, rifle and helmet on the chapel altar and, in a choking voice, said this: "Rest well, my dear friend. You will be missed."
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LADIES OF THE IRONHORSE
For those of you who have heard of this project it is still not too late to make submissions. For those of you who have not heard of this project, here is the
information.
I am asking for submissions in written form or artwork that we can collect on what has encouraged you during this deployment. I am also interested in the unique
experiences you have had that relate to the deployment, being an FRG leader, the R and R program, or army wife life. I would like to cover the scope of who the army wife is today. She can be active duty, working outside the home, or a homemaker. The
submissions can be funny, touching, or mundane but I would like them to reflect a positive attitude about being an army wife during this deployment. The purpose of this collection will be to encourage wives who come after us that they can get through a deployment and not just survive but grow from the experience. I want to hear from our attached units TF Ironhorse wives, too. My projected deadline will be April 15.
Bob has told us several times in his updates that our soldiers need to get full names and address from their buddies over in Iraq. We need to do this also because once our soldiers return many will be moving and this will not get done.
If you have questions or wish to submit something you can send it to rheggle@yahoo.com. Thanks for anything you can send my way.
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Mailing List Maintenance This Weekend
Over the next few days I will send out a special note to everyone on my mailing list giving you an opportunity to return the note to me if you want to be removed from my mailing list. If you want to continue to receive the updates, no action is required. If you want to be removed, just reply to the note I send - make sure you include the batch number that will be in the subject line. Subject of note will be:
4ID Update - Mailing List Test (with a batch number). It is important that you return the batch number so I can easily find your address and remove it from my distribution list.
I will also delete those notes that come back to me as undeliverable. If for some reason your system isn't working right and I delete you inadvertently, please send me a note on Monday if you do not get the update and still want it.
If you think you might want to be removed from the distribution list before I do my next file maintenance around the end of February, please remember your batch number so you can tell me that when you request to be deleted later. Unless you can give me the batch number, I will wait until my next maintenance cycle to remove you.
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59 Years Ago Today - 4ID in Luxembourg:
16 January 1945 - D+225
Except for harassing fire from artillery and machine guns, the enemy remained wholly defensive.
The 8th Infantry was relieved by the 346th Infantry Regiment of the 87th Infantry Division. The 8th Infantry less the 3rd Battalion which remained attached to the 5th Infantry Division and less the 2nd Battalion which remained in an assembly area, vicinity of Wecker, moved to its new zone of action, closing therein at 1500, at which time the entire combat team reverted to the control of the 5th Infantry Division.
The 12th Infantry maintained the defense of its sector.
The 22nd Infantry maintained the defense of its sector and patrolled actively. Shortly after dawn, relief of the regiment by the 347th Infantry Regiment of the 87th Infantry Division was initiated. By 2140, the entire relief was completed and movement of the regiment to the vicinity of Savelborn was begun.
Thanks to Philippe Cornil at www.revive-it.com.
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What Our Families Are Hearing From Our Soldiers in Iraq:
1) We got an early morning email from our hero in Baqubah and I wanted to pass this on to you. "I am doing fine. It has been so crazy here lately. We had another car bombing yesterday and a bunch of IED's. We have a robot that gets used when we find bombs. It is a pretty cool thing, instead of sending a person up to see what kind of bomb it is and how it is set up, we send the robot. Well, yesterday, it was working on disarming a hugh bomb, and you can only see through the camera so much. Well there were 6 bombs around it. And the people who set it up, blew our robot up! I guess that's what it was for, instead of one of our guys getting blown up, but it killed our robot. Well, it's still cold and wet her. That's all for now - smile for me" 4th ID
HHC 588 En.
2) I had to share that I heard from my son this morning at 5:30 am. He's with 4ID 1-22 HHC. He surprised me saying he was on his way home for leave! We didn't think he'd be coming home since he was so low on the list. He is looking forward to a Wendy's double cheeseburger and some Taco Bell. I asked him what he wanted to do and he said he just wants to relax and not worry about every noise. He will stay in a hotel one of the nights he's here just to have some total down time and to be alone for awhile. He was afraid it would hurt my feelings, but just to know he's safe for two weeks will be wonderful. He will be either here or visiting his Dad for his 22nd birthday this month. He said that a lot of the guys who went home had a hard time adjusting to driving under normal traffic rules. They are used to driving in the middle of the street, not stopping for any traffic signals and to constantly scan rooftops for snipers. I can hardly wait to see him again!!!!
3) I love technology. Just talked to my boyfriend A Co. 2-8 In (M) for a 1/2 hour on AOL Instant messenger! I was at work.. shhhh dont tell anyone.. I had missed him Sunday but I didnt miss him today! Hes doing good.... It's coming to an end isn't it?! Kind of like a dream I guess I've been waiting to get to the end of for a long time!
4) Happy Birthday to William -- I know how it feels to turn 21 as a member of the 1/22 infantry. It happened to me three days after boarding the General Nelson M Walker on our way to Vietnam. (Editor's Note: And I was an old man, about to turn 23, on the same ship headed for Vietnam).
5) Got a letter from my brother (3-66 AR/Tikrit). It was dated December 25th. Three weeks to make it via post! He mentioned that on Christmas Eve, gifts from companies, churches and support organizations from the nation were distributed to our troops. Each soldier in his unit had 5-6 gifts to open! They were so touched with the kind words and generosity from so many here in the U.S. My brother was grateful for a simple pleasure – receiving a box of chocolate turtles and a box of Whitman samplers amongst his treats. For a split second – he said that it felt like home – as he always received turtles and Whitman samplers from our parents during the holidays. I am thankful that so many people here in the states find the time and means to support our soldiers. God bless our soldiers and those who support them.
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Families Share R&R Moments:
1) My son recently came home for a two week R & R. After arriving in Baltimore he gave me a call at work and asked if I could meet him in Chicago in about 2 hours. Needless to say that was a chore getting off of work and getting his mom replaced at work and his sister out of school and making the 2 1/2 hour journey to Chicago. While driving to the airport to see him, my daughter found out on the internet that his plane was delayed in Baltimore for two hours. This gave us enough time to get there and park and find his terminal gate and place a page to him. It was one of the most wonderful times we have shared as a family in over three years. The last time that I saw him was over 1 1/2 years ago. Even though the letters and occasional phone calls have been great, none of that can replace the feeling of holding what was once your scared little boy and is now one of the world's most respected and feared people ( A United States Soldier). The VERY PROUD parent of a U.S. Soldier.
2) My brother is in the 4ID from Ft. Hood. He had just been transferred to there from Alaska and has been over in Iraq since March of last year and is due home this March or April. The last time anyone had heard from him was last Friday, he said he was going on a mission. Well, on Monday night I checked my email and my mother sent a picture of him sitting at the table with my dad and uncle... What I would have done to see their faces when he showed up. A lot of people don't know just how this affects the family. This has been a long hard year for me and I'm just his sister. I could just begin to feel what my parents have been going through, really my mom, this has been very hard on her. She told me that she saw the boys my brother grew up with pull up in the drive so she just went back to what she was doing. My dad was on the computer. She then looked out the window again and saw someone getting some bags out the back of the truck so she went out the front door and saw him, my brother. She said all she could say was, "my God." He kept his mouth shut. I couldn't believe it. I wish I could have been there. I live in Houston so I for sure will be there when he gets back. He is on two week leave and then will only have a month and half before he comes back. Again, people just don't know what goes on with the mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers of the men and woman that protect our country..for us to be free. How much we all wish it wasn't our own but are so proud it was. God will watch over them all and make sure they come home safe to there families. Thanks, A Big Sister
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Redeployment Tips
1) After this being our fifth major deployment in 12 years, we have learned a few things in the past. It's a remarriage of sorts everytime. You have the honeymoon phase where you are so glad to see each other and you go nowhere without the other. Then you slowly move into the every day life stage where the bills and the kids catch back up to you. You have to learn to live and enjoy every day, every minute, and remember to readjust to giving each other that "living room" around each other. Each one of you had your own schedule to keep and did not answer to the other. Where you were going you just went, now you have to make decisions together again as one person. Your children need to see that unity or they will divide and conquer and that makes readjustment harder, especially for them. The main thing is you have to talk about the household issues. You can't pretend or assume that the other is taking care of them. Wives, please don't get the attititude that he has been gone and you have carried this burden long enough and now it is his turn to carry the kids and the bills. Trust me, he carried his own weight of worry for you and the kids, plus his job. You have to work together as a team. Husbands, please don't come and sit down and just do nothing at home and expect her to wait on you. We know you had a rough time, but so did your wife and children. This was a hard time for everybody, reunion is not a time to get selfish and say now is the time I get mine. Reunion is a time to come together and to bind together and work as one, to be whole again. Honor one another, love one another.
2) From a single soldier, veteran of six deployments: For many of our single soldiers (including officers) this is their first deployment. All of our soldiers who live in the barracks put their belongings in storage and those of us renting turned in our house and put our belongings in storage as well. Vehicles have been sitting in storage for over a year and it is very likely we will be facing lots of dead batteries and flat tires. I’d like to take this opportunity to ask the family members to remember those soldiers who will be returning to no hugs and kisses of loved ones at the gym and an empty room and fridge, and offer some suggestions on how to give them a heroes welcome as well. Talk to your soldier. See if they can give you one or two names of single soldiers in the unit you can “adopt” for a few days after deployment. Make a welcome home sign with their name on it to wave at the gym, (even though they know they don’t have family in the stands, they will still be eagerly scanning the bleachers for a familiar face). One of the hardest moments of redeploying is watching families reunite while you’re standing by yourself waiting for the call to load the bus. Make a little goodie bag to give to single soldiers (along with a hug or two) before they get on the bus to go to their barracks/hotel room with some fruit, chips, a sandwich or two, a drink, and a phone card so they’ll have something to snack on when they get to their rooms and be able to call their family to let them know they are home. (all of our phones were turned off before we left). They will not have a car for a few days to run to the shoppette and for those arriving after hours, it could be a long wait between meals before the dining facility opens.
Volunteer your precious time. Soldiers will not want to intrude on your family’s time. Offer to drive some single soldiers to the Commissary or auto shop, Wal-mart, laundry or some of the hundred other errands they will have to do. Offer to help get their car in working condition, or take them to get it registered. Invite them to go out for pizza or a movie and share your family, pets and your children’s laughter. Let them borrow some old towels and sheets to use until their HHGs get out of storage. Offer to drive them to the airport if they are leaving to go see their families. Check in on them every few days to see how they are doing and let them know you’re
thinking of them. If you have an extra room, offer to let someone stay at your house while their looking for a new apartment. Small acts of kindness on your part will last a lifetime in the hearts and memories of those you help. (Editor's Note: Wow - obviously spoken from the heart of a soldier who knows the ropes, thanks a million for sending this).
3) From experience of redeployment I think that spouses should be aware that they need to start putting money aside because they will not have that extra income that they are used to having. I would hope that with this deployment, finance will stop the extra money without any interruption in our spouses pay, but when my husband returned from Bosnia the extra money didn't stop for a few months and the Army took it back all at once, leaving us with no pay due for a few months. Thank God I was smart enough to realize that we should not have had that money and put it aside for a rainy day.
4) The following web pages were provided by the Extension Agent, Lane Volunteer Center, Mobilization and Deployment at Fort Hood with the following note: I've attached a document that is a listing of several websites dealing with reunion. The issues for both parents and children and advice and tips. Perhaps your audience will find it useful.
Operation READY Reunion
http://www.smdc.army.mil/FamilyPrograms/OpReady/pdf_ppt/reunion/reunion1.pdf
http://www.apa.org/releases/homecoming.html
Air force Crossroads website link
http://www.afcrossroads.com/famseparation/return_menu.cfm
Guard and Reserve Redeployment Plan
http://www.defenselink.mil/ra/family/toolkit/pdf/A-1-3.pdf
Guard and Reserve Reunion and Homecoming
http://www.defenselink.mil/ra/family/toolkit/pdf/C-2-4.pdf
Post deployment Homecoming and Reunion, ACS Link Operation READY (old version)
http://trol.redstone.army.mil/acslink/opready/homecoming.pdf
New Operation READY resource materials, includes reunion video and materials
http://www.armycommunityservice.org/vacs_deployment/data/modules/pbm/rendered/operation_ready.asp
Reunion Handout
http://www.armycommunityservice.org/vacs_deployment/user/res/res_user_process.asp?action=download_resource&ChannelID=146903&IgnoreTimeout=True&ObjectID=4124
Children's Reactions to the Soldiers Return
http://www.armycommunityservice.org/vacs_deployment/user/res/res_user_process.asp?action=download_resource&ChannelID=146903&IgnoreTimeout=True&ObjectID=4123
Children's Reactions to the Soldiers Return, Handout # 2
http://www.armycommunityservice.org/vacs_deployment/user/res/res_user_process.asp?action=download_resource&ChannelID=146903&IgnoreTimeout=True&ObjectID=4089
Reunion Stress, Handout # 3
http://www.armycommunityservice.org/vacs_deployment/user/res/res_user_process.asp?action=download_resource&ChannelID=146903&IgnoreTimeout=True&ObjectID=4090
Stress Symptoms, Handout # 4
http://www.armycommunityservice.org/vacs_deployment/user/res/res_user_process.asp?action=download_resource&ChannelID=146903&IgnoreTimeout=True&ObjectID=4092
(Editor's Note: I haven't had time to check all the sites to insure they are valid but the ones I have checked were all there so I assume they are all good addresses).
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