This page www.a-1-8.org: /Docs/activeunit/12-09hearing.php last modified on April 12, 2005 10:42 AM
| A-1-8 Chapter of the 4th Infantry Division |
Active Unit News
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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An excerpt from an Associated Press story:
3 TF Ironhorse Soldiers Die in Accident
.....Three other U.S. soldiers were killed and one injured Monday when two Stryker infantry carrier vehicles they were riding in rolled into a canal near Duluiyah, 30 miles north of Baghdad. Hostile fire was not involved. .....
The rollover of the Stryker vehicles occurred when an embankment collapsed on a rural road during combat patrol northeast of Duluiyah, Lt. Col. William MacDonald said. The names of the soldiers were being withheld pending notification of kin. The soldiers were from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat team. The injured soldier was taken to a hospital in Balad, Iraq, MacDonald said. He did not release the soldier's condition.........
AP-NY-12-09-03 0244EST
Copyright 2003, The Associated Press.
(Editor's Note: The Stryker Brigade from the 2nd Infantry Division is now part of TF Ironhorse. Let us all add the Stryker Brigade to our prayer list).
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Guerrillas in Saddam's hometown behind US attacks
Mon December 08, 2003 05:48 AM ET
By Michael Georgy
TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - A senior U.S. commander in Saddam Hussein's hometown says a dwindling number of Saddam's supporters are behind attacks on American soldiers.
Lieutenant Colonel Steve Russell, commander of the 1-22 (Infantry) Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division, said finding those men would be difficult because they were linked to Saddam by a complex web of family and personal ties.
"In terms of actual cells of people who want to go out there and kill us we are probably dealing with 20 to 40 guys," said Russell, one of a small group of commanders spearheading the hunt for the former dictator. "These are the middlemen down to the trigger puller. A needle in a haystack is harder to find than a thousand needles in a haystack."
Tikrit has been a focal point in the search for Saddam and his fedayeen guerrillas who have killed a more than 190 U.S. troops since major combat was declared over on May 1.
Low-ranking Iraqi officials have taken over planning the attacks in Tikrit since many of Saddam's top ministers and aides surrendered or were captured, Russell said on Monday. Although they are small in number, die-hard Saddam supporters also pay ordinary Iraqis who are living under widespread unemployment to kill American soldiers. That makes it harder for U.S. troops to gather intelligence and defeat an insurgency in Saddam's former powerbase.
CONFUSING NETWORK OF FAMILY, FRIENDS
Russell said it was not clear how long it would take to root out guerrillas and stabilise Tikrit, one of the cities where Saddam tightened his grip by crushing opponents and playing influential tribes off against each other.
"We don't know, but what we do know is that it's a complex family culture. A former high ranking member of the regime has two wives. Six kids from each wife. He is captured or killed. You are now dealing with ten of his sons," said Russell. "Maybe they will harbour somebody or move money or move weapons."
Russell said attacks on U.S. troops have fallen dramatically since the end of the war in April. There are fewer rocket-propelled grenade and AK-47 assaults. But guerrillas are harder to catch because they are using mostly improvised explosive devices, remote-control bombs that are placed in everything from soft drink cans to dead animals.
STILL SCARED OF SADDAM
While more Iraqis are coming forward with intelligence on Saddam loyalists, many are still scared of the old regime.
"I think there are about 350,000 reasons they think that way because they have seen people disappear," said Russell, 40. "They have had people shot, killed, bumped off by the regime, never to know where they ended up." "Until they are convinced those guys are gone, they are going to stay mum."
Russell, who commands about 700 men, said Saddam's henchmen were still terrorising Iraqis. "They say 'if you work with the police we are going to kill you. If you work with the governor we are going to kill you. If you work with the Americans we are going to kill you'. They make threats," he said.
Russell leads many patrols in a bid to capture Saddam's supporters and secure tips on the toppled Iraqi leader. Asked about the search for Saddam, he said: "We are not at a dead end. If he is around he will be found. There is too much momentum against him. I hope he is shivering in a mud hut in the desert, Living like the peasants that he used to commit genocide against."
"He is certainly not living in his palaces. We are. And we are crapping in his toilets."
© Reuters
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>From The Australian, 12-8-03
Man with $US1.9m questioned
>From correspondents in Tikirt, Iraq
December 08, 2003
US forces are questioning a man who was found with $US1.9 million ($2.59 million Australian) near the town of Samarra, north of Baghdad, a spokeswoman for the US 4th Infantry Division said today.
The man was captured yesterday during a search for another person suspected of financing anti-coalition activities, and who was not found, said Major Josslyn Aberle.
"They didn't catch the original target but a relative with 1.9 million dollars," she said, adding that the suspect also had several false identity documents. Aberle said the money was seized and the suspect was being held for questioning.
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Boundaries of Sunni Triangle
One of our readers asked me if I knew the boundaries of the Sunni Triangle so he could mark it on his map. I did not know that so sent a note to one of my contacts in Iraq and got this reply:
On your map, take a pecil and starting at the south of Baghdad draw a line
west through Fallujah to Al Ramadi. From Ramadi draw north to Tikrit. >From
Tikrit draw south east through Baqubah and connect the lines. Welcome to
the Sunni triange. As you can see TF Ironhorse has about 3/4ths of it in
our AOR (Area of Responsibility).
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What Our Families Are Hearing From Our Soldiers in Iraq:
1) I got a phone call from my husband last night. First time since August. I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it was to hear his voice. The connection was awful and we got disconnected several times but that didn't matter. I was so greatful to hear him and hear that he was ok. They've been so busy on missions and although I've gotten emails and letters over the last few months, this phone call meant so much to me to know he is still real and is alive and well. He said he still doubts he'll be home for leave, but to keep my chin up since he'll be home in a few more months. Thank God we're approaching the end of their tours. They've accomplished so much over there in their 8-9 months and I pray for all the soldiers every day. And the new soldiers who are preparing to go next. Ft. Hood, Tx HHC 3/67 Armor
2) My wife is HSB 3/16 FA FRG leader and she sends me your updates so I can pass it on to the troops. I have really never felt compelled to respond to you prior to now. But being an LSU alumni as well as the biggest fan I just wanted to send my condolences on the Georgia game. This is the year of the TIGER!!! Thank you for keeping my wife as well as the rest of the unit informed by your timely updates. Just
thought I would throw that in since I am kind of rubbing salt in the wound that LSU gave Georgia and the rest of the SEC. Keep up the good work. Thanks....HSB 3-16 FA, GEAUX TIGERS!!!
3) Hi Bob. I got on my computer this morning, and there he was on IM. My son, who is with the 1-66 near Samarra. We "chatted" for a couple of minutes, and then the phone rang, and it was him!! I was so happy to hear his voice. He sounds great, and was very curious about the Nor'easter we had this weekend. How much snow, etc.....He said his battalion had moved a couple of weeks back to a safer area and said it was much better were they are now...The threat from constant motar attacks has diminished greatly. A relief for me. He may get the two week leave soon, but says he will only have a couple of days notice. He will go back to Ft. Hood to be with his wife. If he gets leave, I will do whatever I can to get to Ft. Hood to be able to see him. I live in Massachusetts. Thank you, Bob, for the updates and giving us a place to go when we are starving for news from the "front".
4) My brother, who is with HHB 3-29FA, is on his way back to Samarra after being home for his 2 week mid-tour leave. When he arrived here in Houston, we had about 17 family members at the airport with signs and flags to meet him. As he walked into the terminal wearing his fatigues, I watched my Mom and Dad welp up with pride and joy. There were 3 other soldiers coming off the plane too, and we shook their hands as well. In the time he spent at home, we went to the Texas A&M game and even though they lost, he had the best time "humpin' it and whooping" with all the other Aggies. We then went to the Univ. of Houston game the next day, and the cheerleaders walked up in the stadium and brought him down on the field! (He wore his desert fatigues, so it was obvious he was home on leave). What a blast he had, and what a great Thanksgiving it was for all of us to have him home. I will say that it was just as difficult to watch him go back again, maybe even a little harder this time, but we're grateful for his visit.
5) We heard from our son this morning. As I was checking the updates his name pops up and I about fell off the chair. Excerpts from the e-mail....... He stated that
things are good here, but has started to chill off. The monsoon season has started and everything is mud and muck and just another challenge to overcome. He has received all 74 packages we have sent and even opened the Christmas ones early. The mail system was on halt for some time due to RPG fire at the planes, but the mail is slowly picking up again. Tell everyone hi and HAPPY HOLIDAYS. Please eat some pie for me. Thanks for everything and tell everyone I miss them and can't wait to see you all again. Our son is with the 1-68 AR, HHC, Scouts.
6) My soldier is with Alpha Company, 5th Engineer Battalion. I've just received about the best Christmas present I could ever hoped for. Last Monday, after a long 8 months, I picked my boyfriend up at the airport. He's home for medical leave, and we happen to live an hour from the military hospital, so they've allowed him to be treated out patient! The last comforts of Iraq he experienced were in a tent in Tikrit. I think it's safe to say he's enjoying staying in a warm bed with access to all of the wonderful things we take for granted. The first meal he wanted was a McDonald's mcchicken sandwich and a coke, and he was ecstatic. He doesn't want to talk about the things he's seen and done. He'd love to just forget about it, though of course he won't. I think it's best to let him come around at his own pace. Our soldiers have been through so much, I can't begin to express my gratitude. I pray for the safe return of all of our men and women and wish that everyone could see their loved ones this holiday season. It's tough to be away from them any time, but holidays are much harder. I think I've smiled more this week than I have in the last 8 months all together. It's been the best week of my life, and he's even hinted I might get something very special for Christmas - something shiny that goes on my left hand! Woo! Had to share. Merry Christmas everyone!
7) Just wanted to let everyone know, my son (B Co, 1-22, in Bayji) asked me to send money, internet time is $3.00/hour. Four bottles of pepsi are $1.00. And for the rest of the Bayji moms, he says things seem to be calming down in that area.
8) Thank you so much for the updates, they are wonderful if not tear jerking. I am a student on the west coast which I feel is much too under-represented in this group and my fiancé is with the 74th multirole bridge company (from Ft Hood) in Tikrit. Although, I do not have any wonderful news as I haven’t heard from him in quite some time, I wanted to reprimand you for not acknowledging USC’s awesome victory on Saturday (Go Pac 10!!!) and their subsequent shunning by the BCS. And by the way, can you call your buddies over in Georgia and see if they can’t help out a little more and beat LSU next time? Thank you so much. Hopefully next time, I will be able to impress you with my witty soldier repartee rather than my football complaints, but regardless, God Bless Them All and here’s to a safe homecoming in April… (Editor's Note: I didn't know they played big time college football on the west coast, thought it was all in the southwest and southeast...(just kidding). I've never been a fan of the BCS system - and this year shows why. Georgia's not the problem, my Sooners should have played like they're capable of and we wouldn't have the BCS problem now).
9) Just want to let you know I appreciate the news you include from WWII in Germany. I was born in the same area that is in your update today and the city of Wittlich where I was born (1961) was bombed on Christmas Eve 1944. Many buildings in my family's hometown (Grosslittgen) were also destroyed but I'm proud to be an American (naturalized). My aunts and uncles who still live over there love us Americans. Many have either worked for the US on the bases or they rent to Americans. Thank you for all you do and God Bless you and our troops.
10) Today I received 10 rolls of film from my son "Kenya" (1/66 AR Bn) in the Sunni Triangle that had been developed and put onto photo CDs. This is the first I've seen of him for almost a year. We hear how some 4ID soldiers are in Saddam's palaces and the like, but lots of outfits must be in the rough and rudimentary conditions of much of 1/66. The photos show a complete lack of any luxury and could be straight out of a WW2 assignment in some small smashed-up Italian town, for example - boarded windows, squat toilets, bullet-marks and holes where RPGs have hit the building the troops use as "home". It is very sobering as we contemplate everything we take for granted in our lives.
Technically, the job of transferring the negatives onto digital format computer photos is brilliant - you get huge 1.2 Meg photos of a quality around 5+Megapixels - and these can be used and sent to friends ( compressed of course) or uploaded for prints. So if you have your soldier send negatives or undeveloped films home and you search for a service to transfer these directly to CD, I would say it's surely worth it. I sent him a good quality 35mm "point and shoot" with 200 speed film and the results he sent back and which have been directly turned into JPEG digital prints look like he has an $800+ digital outfit. Plus the better "online" digital services allow you to order calendars, T-shirts,mugs, Xmas cards and what have you from your digital pix. I don't know the name of the exact process, but technically the photoshop has scanned the negatives and produced digital positives of very high quality burnt onto CDs.
It seems like now that much of the Sunni triangle is settling down a bit, the soldier's more than ever live lives of "boredom" ( guard duty, routine patrols etc) relieved by moments of "terror" ( RPG attacks, roadside bombs) - morale becomes important and the pictures have helped me make sure I send even more mail in future, now I know what it looks like on "the other side". A Very Happy Xmas and may your soldiers be safe, to all parents and relatives of 4ID soldiers, from a parent in East Africa.
11) I just thought I'd let you know that 7th ID hosted a Video Teleconference (VTC) this weekend at Fort Carson for the 4th ENG families of A.Co., HHC, and Charlie 104th MI. It was a bittersweet day, with lots of smiles and lots of tears. Each family who had a soldier at the VTC got to talk (and see their soldier) for about 10 minutes. There was a long wait for many of the wives, as A.Co. was almost 2 hours late, which allowed the other companies to complete their talks. Some dads got to see infants for the first time. You should have heard the children telling their dads about school accomplishments, new toys, play dates, etc. I was very excited for them. There was one family who was told their soldier was supposed to participate, and they waited for over 2 hours, only to be told he was preparing for a mission, and could not come to the VTC. That family was hurt, mother and son with broken hearts. But, there were only about 8-10 soldiers from each company who could come to the VTC, so they weren't the only family to not see their soldier, but they had been given hope and expectation. In the end, I think though, that it was a beneficial experience for those who could participate. It was a much needed moment for families to see that their soldiers, though, maybe not complaint-free, were healthy and fit. I think it relieved some worry for those wives, since many of us have been told that our soldiers have lost significant weight, some who didn't have much to lose.
12) For an early Christmas present, I sent my boyfriend in HSB / 3-16 FA a Poloarid camera. He sent me the following email: "Today was fun. a group of Iraqis, to include a few sheikhs (wealthy heads of families) brought by a big feast and we ate with them. They brought lamb, rice, chicken, and pita bread....Iraqis love having their picture taken, and thought it was really cool that a camera would actually spit out a picture that would then develop fully...They all posed for pictures and were very appreciative. I only actually took about ten pictures, but it really had a cool impact. This particular group already liked us, but they really enjoyed getting their pictures taken. So by your Christmas gift you helped US-Iraq relations. How 'bout that?"
13) Birthday and Christmas joy is reaching my son in HHS/2-20FA. He recently celebrated his birthday and said in his note, "The birthday was good. My driver posted little happy birthday signs around the battery area so everyone knew. We finally got mail after about a 10 day gap. Well, I received 8 boxes and a stack of letters that probably had about 50 letters in it. I haven't been able to sit down long enough to read them all. The guys love the hats. (that I made). The 30 hats went quick.I tried to spread them around as much as possible so every section had at least one.....A wife in the battery prepared some little bags of candy and cookies for each soldier so I was able to pass those out to those who did not get hats...so everyone is happy. My wife sent my 12 presents to put under my tree and to open 1 each day leading up to Christmas. Get it, the 12 days of Christmas." It is so wonderful how his wife, our family, all of his friends, and their friends and people he only knows through someone else have been so supportive of him and our troops. Makes it easier on mom. At this busy time of the year everyone is still focused on trying to make life more meaningful for troops. God Bless them and Merry Christmas.
14) I just wanted to let you know I took your advice from the little paragraph in your update on the 3rd and sent my Husbands letter into the lady with People magazine and His letter has been selected to run in the issue!!!! ..... I am SOOOOO excited. Thanks for all your great information that you put out for all of us to enjoy!! Keep up the good work!! STEADFAST AND LOYAL!!! God Bless our troops and God Bless AMERICA!!!
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