Directive Boosts Priority of Stability Operations

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 - Stability operations are now a major priority for the Defense Department, on par with combat operations, and will receive more planning and funding, two DoD officials said here today.

The officials were explaining DoD Directive 3000.05, which was signed Nov. 28. The directive provides guidance on stability operations and assigns responsibility for planning, training and preparing to conduct and support stability operations.

The origins of the directive come from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, said Jeffrey Nadaner, deputy assistant secretary of defense for stability operations. Before Sept. 11, many people within DoD thought of stability operations as optional, Nadaner said, but after the terrorist attacks, they were seen as a necessity.

The ability of the United States and its partners to conduct stability operations can prevent failed and failing states from becoming havens for terrorists and criminals, and can ensure the U.S. is safe at home and successful in its military missions, he said.

Stability operations are defined operations other than combat operations that involve violence or the threat of violence and can come in various sizes and forms, Nadaner said. Examples of stability operations are rebuilding institutions such as security forces, correctional facilities and judicial systems; reviving or building the private sector, including encouraging citizen-driven economic activity and building necessary infrastructure; and developing representative governmental institutions, according to the directive.

The directive lays out important policies, Nadaner said. Among those are that stability operations are a core military mission and shall be given priority comparable to combat missions, and that although stability operations are best performed by indigenous, foreign or U.S. civilian professionals, U.S. military forces will be prepared to perform all tasks required to maintain order when civilians cannot do so, he explained.

One of the key requirements in all stability operations is the need for indigenous security forces to be established quickly, Nadaner said. This is a lesson learned from the war in Iraq that will be incorporated into future operations, he said.

The directive includes a requirement that the stability operations portions of war plans are fully completed by the U.S. military, Nadaner said. The secretary of defense will receive periodic reports about these plans so his level of information about stability operations is equal with that of combat operations, he added.

Another important aspect of the directive is that it encourages different government agencies to participate in stability operations, Nadaner said. "The directive has a flavor throughout that's very inter-agency, because we recognize that stability operations are inherently and intensely inter-agency," he said.

DoD wants to help other government agencies develop their own capabilities for stability operations, Nadaner said. One plan is to develop civilian-military teams, much like the provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan, to be ready to deploy to stability operations, he said.

The State Department and DoD already work together and even share money when it comes to stability operations, Nadaner said. State Department officials participate in DoD exercises, and DoD is seeking authority from Congress to transfer $200 million to the State Department to prepare for a potential stability crisis, he said.

To implement the requirements of this directive will require a series of efforts within DoD and other government agencies, Nadaner said. Some of the initiatives are going to be difficult, he said, so all the changes won't be visible right away, but DoD is at a good starting point.

"We're looking to see the changes done right, and we think we have a good framework to do so," he said.

This directive should be considered initial guidance and will evolve over time, said Air Force Col. J. Scott Norwood, deputy director for international negotiations and multilateral affairs, strategic plans and policy directorate, the Joint Staff.

Norwood's office will oversee the implementation of the initiatives, he said, which will involve a range of activities. DoD will have to reassess its doctrine, training structure and processes, educational programs and war plans, he said. Also, officials will need to incorporate lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan, he noted.

Norwood warned against interpreting the directive to mean stability operations are the goal in themselves, Norwood said. The United States works hard to develop weak states and prevent failed states, he pointed out, so stability operations are not necessary. But measures need to be in place if that doesn't work, he said.

"We recognize those strategies may not work, and when we have to conduct stability operations, we don't want it to be a pick-up game; we want varsity capabilities from the onset," he said.

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3652.html.

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Iraq Combat Veteran Turns Attention to Army Training, Doctrine

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 - The general who led U.S. ground forces into Baghdad during the opening days of Operation Iraqi Freedom has some big and unconventional plans ahead for the command that oversees Army training, leadership development and the doctrine that drives Army operations.

Gen. William "Scott" Wallace, who took command of the Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Va., in mid-October, told Pentagon reporters today he recognizes the command's critical role in preparing soldiers for current operations.

Wallace commanded the Army's 5th Corps as it lead the Army forces in 2003 during major combat in Iraq and understands firsthand the importance of preparing troops for their combat mission.

At the same time, he said he recognizes that TRADOC has another, longer-term responsibility to the Army: looking ahead to future conflicts to ensure the proper training and doctrine are in place for the troops who will fight it.

"Part of what we do at TRADOC is not only (concentrating) on the current fight and getting people ready, but also thinking about the future," he said. "We have a responsibility within TRADOC to focus our energies on being an engine for change in the Army."

Toward that end, Wallace has assembled five teams with his command to focus on specific areas he said warrant close evaluation.

One team is evaluating how to support the Army Force Generation model - the Army's plan for providing combat power for deployments around the world in support of combatant commanders. "It seems that TRADOC has a vital role to play in that: from the perspective of producing the right soldier out of the training base to man our organizations all the way to the ability to train formations before they deploy," Wallace said.

Another team is looking into how young people who have grown up in a technological world learn, and the best way to teach them. "We at TRADOC have to have a better appreciation for the techniques of learning that are most applicable to the environment we find ourselves in today," Wallace said. "There's something out there (that) we better understand, because we ought to be the experts in that field."

Still another TRADOC team is coming up with ways to capitalize on Base Realignment and Closure initiatives already under way, including the consolidation of several Army schools into unified maneuver, network fire and logistics coordination centers.

"We need to take advantage of that co-location and try to gain those efficiencies that we can, but also to do it in a smart way," Wallace said. "I regard BRAC as an opportunity rather than a problem for TRADOC."

Two other groups are evaluating less concrete processes: TRADOC's role helping ensure deploying troops have the most up-to-date equipment and weaponry they need, and in supporting the operational Army as it carries out its mission.

TRADOC should represent soldiers' interests in the Army process that identifies requirements within the force, develops gear to meet those needs and fields it to operational units, he said.

"I believe it's TRADOC's job to make sure those things absolutely essential to our deployed formations are well-known within the requirements process," Wallace said. "We can champion (emerging technologies) and those requirements on behalf of the soldier and bring them to rapid fruition and put them in the hands of soldiers as quickly as we possibly can."

Wallace said he's witnessed a blurring of the lines between the operational Army and the institutional Army that supports it, and believes it's a trend that will and should continue. "Folks in TRADOC need to regard themselves as responsible to the operational Army and reaching out to the operational Army to find out areas where we can assist them to do their jobs better," he said. "We are all in this fight together."

How TRADOC responds to these challenges will have a major impact, not only on today's Army but also, tomorrow's Army, Wallace said.

"I absolutely, truly believe that victory starts in TRADOC," he said. "It starts in our classrooms, it starts on our ranges, it starts in our leader development programs. And we're talking about victory for the fight that is going to happen tomorrow, the one that is going to happen next Thursday, and the one that is going to happen 10 years from now."

That's "an awesome responsibility," Wallace said, but one he said TRADOC is committed to carrying out, for the Army and the nation.

Biography:

Gen. William S. Wallace [http://www.tradoc.army.mil/Bio.htm]

Related Site:

Training and Doctrine Command [http://www-tradoc.army.mil/index.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3651.html.

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Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Pace Receives Award for Distinguished Service

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 - U.S. servicemembers are doing their jobs credibly and honorably and are the reason America has the greatest military in the world, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said upon receiving an award here Dec. 12.

Marine Gen. Peter Pace received the 23rd Annual Henry M. Jackson Distinguished Service Award for service throughout his career from the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs.

In presenting the award, Stephen Bryen, president of Finmeccania, an aerospace firm and JINSA's major corporate sponsor, said that Pace's job is a hard one that requires clarity, acuity and decisiveness, and that Pace's service is not unrecognized.

"Taking the burden is not easy, but such leadership is readily recognized by the men and women of our armed forces, who are justly proud of Gen. Pace," Bryen said. "From beginning to end, his career in the Marines has been exemplary and magnificent."

Accepting the award, Pace said that early in his career he promised himself never to accept an award he hadn't earned. But he learned over time, he said, that the military is a team, and no matter what his accomplishments have been, they always add up to much more when coupled with the exceptional service of every U.S. servicemember.

"There are 2.4 million Americans -- active, Guard and Reserve -- who serve this nation tonight," Pace said. "They have earned this award, and it is my great honor on their behalf to accept it for them."

The U.S. has the greatest military the world has ever seen, Pace said, and that is primarily because of the quality of people in the military. "Our troops are simply incredible," he said. "I don't know where we find men and women like this, but it gives my mornings and my afternoons focus and purpose."

Hearing about the sacrifices of servicemembers such as the six honored earlier in the evening gives him the motivation to do everything he can to ensure they are properly supported and led, Pace said. Those servicemembers received the Grateful Nation Award, which JINSA established three years ago to express appreciation for the men and women of the armed forces. They represented each service branch, including the Coast Guard, and the U.S. Special Operations Command.

Proof that troops are currently getting the support and leadership they need is in re-enlistment statistics. "The folks in Afghanistan and Iraq are re-enlisting in greater numbers than any other part of the armed forces," he said. "And our armed forces are re-enlisting in greater numbers than historically we have needed to sustain the force."

Those who stay in the military are doing so because they understand and believe in the mission, Pace said.

He asked the audience for help in making Americans see the true value of service to the nation, whether it be in uniform or not. "If all of our youth were led to believe and understand the great honor that it is to serve for a part of your life a country that has given you all you have, it would be a wonderful gift that we would give to them," he said.

The U.S. military could not enjoy such success without the help of partners in industry and coalition partners, many of whom were represented at the dinner, Pace said. He thanked them for their service and all they've done for America.

"As good as we are, there is no nation in the world that is so big or so powerful that it can do anything all on its own," he said. "And in this long, cruel war on terrorism, we all need as many friends as we can find."

The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs is a non-profit, non-partisan and non-sectarian educational organization committed to explaining the need for a prudent national security policy for the U.S., addressing the security requirements of both the U.S. and Israel, and strengthening the strategic cooperation relationship between the two countries.

Biography:

Gen. Peter Pace, USMC [http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/pace_bio.html]

Related Article:

Servicemembers Honored at Awards Dinner [http://www.dod.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3647.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3650.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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America Supports You: Company Donates Gift Certificates

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 - A company based in Monahans, Texas, has partnered with a grassroots-level America Supports You organization to distribute 300 gift certificates for tactical gear to deployed servicemembers.

Through its AmericaSupportsYou.mil Web site, the Defense Department showcases efforts of American citizens and industries to support the nation's armed forces.

Spec.-Ops. Brand provided the gift certificates for its line of nylon tactical gear to the Soldiers' Angels organization to distribute in care packages for deployed servicemembers.

"We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Spec.-Ops. Brand to provide holiday gifts of their products that we know our troops will really appreciate," said Don McKay, executive director of Soldiers' Angels. "Soldiers' Angels supports our troops as they defend the gift of freedom so far from home."

The gift certificates can be used to choose from among five popular Spec.-Ops. Brand products: the Universal MAMBA Combat Fighting Sling, the Pack-Rat Drop-In Organizer, the Better BDU Belt, the Recon-Wrap, or the T.H.E. (Tactical Holds Everything) Wallet.

The 300 certificates, redeemable at the Spec.-Ops Brand Web site, add up to about $10,000 in merchandise.

The five items for which servicemembers can redeem the certificates are among the company's most popular products, judging by sales on the company's Web site and in Army and Air Force exchanges, said Jeff Wemmer, Spec.-Ops. Brand chief executive officer. "Troops in Iraq or Afghanistan are buying them already, so we know they'll make great gifts," he added.

Wemmer said his company is grateful for the confidence American servicemen and women had placed in his products and saw the holiday gift as a way to say thanks. "This is a small way of thanking U.S. military men and women for both their continuing patronage over the years and, more importantly, for their selfless service to our country," he said.

(From a Spec.-Ops. Brand news release.)

Related Sites:

Soldiers' Angels [http://www.soldiersangels.org/heroes/index.php]

America Supports You [http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3648.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Iraqi Security Forces Are Greatly Improved, Official Says

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 - Iraqi security forces are proving their effectiveness against the terrorists trying to topple the country's new democratic government, a senior defense official said in Baghdad today.

"We have crossed some threshold with the Iraqi security forces that enables us to leave them behind to be the persistent presence in these towns along the Euphrates River Valley, particularly up in Tal Afar," said the official, speaking on background.

Iraqi soldiers and police have made great strides in recent months, the official said. They've also assisted coalition troops, he said, in reducing terrorist presence and influence in the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah -- former hotbeds of anti-government activity -- in the days leading up to the country's Oct. 15 constitutional referendum.

"They had a great effect on Ramadi during the referendum vote," said the official. And thanks to the efforts of Iraqi security forces, he predicted, safe and secure voting will take place in Ramadi and at other polling sites during the Dec. 15 elections.

Expanded Iraqi security presence in Fallujah also has raised expectations of a larger voter turnout there than during the Oct. 15 referendum, the official said. He estimated that 10 million Iraqis countrywide, including large numbers of Sunnis who had previously boycotted the country's elections, will cast ballots on Dec. 15.

The official said Iraqi security forces are adept at securing real estate taken from the terrorists, which he said is a key to stability. Iraqi police and soldiers are gaining the trust of the local citizenry, he said, who in growing numbers are identifying terrorists in their midst to authorities.

"The key to all of this is the ability to hold the ground we've cleared. And that ability has been enabled by the Iraqi security forces," the official said.

Related Site:

Multinational Force Iraq [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3649.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

====================================================
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and information about America's response to the war against terrorism: "Defend America" at http://www.DefendAmerica.mil.

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Servicemembers Honored at Awards Dinner

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 - Six servicemembers were lauded for their distinguished military service at a Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs dinner here Dec. 12.

The servicemembers received the Grateful Nation Award, which JINSA established three years ago to express appreciation for the men and women of the armed forces.

Each military branch and U.S. Special Operations Command chose one person to be honored. All the award recipients distinguished themselves by exceptional service and an outstanding demonstration of the values of their service branches, Norman Hascoe, the organization's president, said.

David Steinmann, chairman of the JINSA board of advisers, presented the awards and said that in this time of war, America needs people like the awardees to sustain the national will to win.

"In short, America needs heroes," Steinmann said. "We are beyond fortunate tonight, because we are recognizing six people like that here tonight. They represent everything America wants and needs in our uniformed services."

He called the awardees "the very best people our country produces."

"In addition to shouldering the burdens and responsibilities that come with the uniforms they wear," Steinmann said, "they also have to shoulder the additional, unsought and sometimes unwanted burden of being our heroes."

Award recipients at the dinner were:
- Marine Staff Sgt. Mark H. Graunke Jr.;
- Navy Lt. Walter H. Allman III;
- Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Aaron Dwoskin;
- Air Force Senior Airman Joshua Beach; and
- Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Kyle.

Also honored was Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, who was given the award posthumously. Smith earned the Medal of Honor after being killed while defending his troops outside Baghdad on April 4, 2003, in the first weeks of the Iraqi war. Smith's widow, Birgit, accepted the award on his behalf. Birgit addressed the crowd, thanking them for the award and honor for her husband.

She offered her own message of support for the troops. "I want the world to know that we, the families and fellow Americans, continue to support them in their courageous effort to bring about democracy to people that have suffered under choking tyranny," she said.

The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs is a nonprofit, nonpartisan and nonsectarian educational organization committed to explaining the need for a prudent national security policy for the U.S., addressing the security requirements of both the U.S. and Israel, and strengthening the strategic cooperation relationship between the two countries.

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3647.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

====================================================
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and information about America's response to the war against terrorism: "Defend America" at http://www.DefendAmerica.mil.

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Servicemembers Honored at Awards Dinner

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 - Six servicemembers were lauded for their distinguished military service at a Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs dinner here Dec. 12.

The servicemembers received the Grateful Nation Award, which JINSA established three years ago to express appreciation for the men and women of the armed forces.

Each military branch and U.S. Special Operations Command chose one person to be honored. All the award recipients distinguished themselves by exceptional service and an outstanding demonstration of the values of their service branches, Norman Hascoe, the organization's president, said.

David Steinmann, chairman of the JINSA board of advisers, presented the awards and said that in this time of war, America needs people like the awardees to sustain the national will to win.

"In short, America needs heroes," Steinmann said. "We are beyond fortunate tonight, because we are recognizing six people like that here tonight. They represent everything America wants and needs in our uniformed services."

He called the awardees "the very best people our country produces."

"In addition to shouldering the burdens and responsibilities that come with the uniforms they wear," Steinmann said, "they also have to shoulder the additional, unsought and sometimes unwanted burden of being our heroes."

Award recipients at the dinner were:
Marine Staff Sgt. Mark H. Graunke Jr.;
Navy Lt. Walter H. Allman III;
Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Aaron Dwoskin;
Air Force Senior Airman Joshua Beach; and
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Kyle.

Also honored was Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, who was given the award posthumously. Smith earned the Medal of Honor after being killed while defending his troops outside Baghdad on April 4, 2003, in the first weeks of the Iraqi war. Smith's widow, Birgit, accepted the award on his behalf. Birgit addressed the crowd, thanking them for the award and honor for her husband.

She offered her own message of support for the troops. "I want the world to know that we, the families and fellow Americans, continue to support them in their courageous effort to bring about democracy to people that have suffered under choking tyranny," she said.

The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs is a nonprofit, nonpartisan and nonsectarian educational organization committed to explaining the need for a prudent national security policy for the U.S., addressing the security requirements of both the U.S. and Israel, and strengthening the strategic cooperation relationship between the two countries.

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3647.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

====================================================
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Human Rights Expert Accepts U.S. Offer to Visit Guantanamo

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 - A human rights specialist from Europe has accepted the U. S. offer to visit the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba, a senior Defense Department official said here today.

Anne-Marie Lizin, a Belgian politician and a representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, will be able to tour the facility and ask questions of its command and staff, but she'll not be permitted to visit with detainees, DoD spokesman Bryan Whitman told Pentagon reporters.

"She'll have access similarly to what you guys have when you go down there and observe our operations," Whitman told the reporters. He said he didn't know when Lizin, a member of Belgium's parliament and a human rights expert, would visit Guantanamo.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, Whitman said, is the only organization that's allowed to conduct interviews with the detainees. About 500 detainees are housed at Guantanamo today, according to officials.

"The ICRC remains the entity that has the privilege and the responsibilities of interfacing directly with the detainees," Whitman said. The ICRC has conducted routine visits to the Guantanamo detention facility since it opened in 2002. It releases its findings of those visits only to the United States.

The Defense Department had announced the U.S. government's decision to extend its invitation to Lizin in a news release Dec. 9.

"Although department policy does not provide for such visits to military detention facilities, the department has determined on an exceptional basis to extend this invitation," the DoD release stated. "The department strives for transparency in our operations to the extent possible in light of security and operational requirements and the need to ensure the safety of our forces."

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe can trace its beginning to the 1970s during the Cold War. Its predecessor, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, was established in 1972 to foster dialogue in Europe between East and West. Today the OSCE has 55 members, including the United States.

The U.S. government provides a multiagency OSCE liaison team, with representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the State Department and other agencies, according to the U.S. Mission to the OSCE's Web site.

Related Sites:

U.S. Mission to the OSCE [http://www.usosce.rpo.at/]

DoD Release About Lizin Visit [http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051209-5222.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3646.html.

====================================================

Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

====================================================
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and information about America's response to the war against terrorism: "Defend America" at http://www.DefendAmerica.mil.

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America Supports You: Musician Inspired to Support Troops

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 - Inspired by lonely childhood holidays, the daughter of a former airman has written a song that deployed troops will hear this holiday season, thanks to a grassroots partner in the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program.

Gina Stewart of the Charlotte, N.C., band Volatile Baby, describes her song - "Christmas Without You" -- as a traditional, harmonized country arrangement.

"The message is basically 'I really miss you, I know that you're gone for a good reason, and it's not that I don't understand, but it's a real pain to be standing under the mistletoe alone,'" she said.

Stewart said she spent many "fatherless" Christmases while her father served overseas during his 25-year Air Force career. Her intent in getting the song to troops overseas is to keep the servicemembers from feeling that same sense of longing she felt as a child.

"I know from growing up in that environment what a lonely time (the holidays) can be," she said.

The singer-songwriter had hoped to get a copy of the song to all servicemembers away from home this holiday season, she said. Her friend, Julie Boles, also from a military family, understood Stewart's dream. But the window to accomplish their goal was too short to accomplish this year, Stewart said.

Boles did, however, find several companies that, on short notice, were able to co-sponsor the production of 500 CDs. "At this point, we still had no idea how we would get the CD to the troops," Boles said.

When she contacted Defense Department agencies looking for help shipping the CDs, she was directed to the America Supports You Web site at www.americasupportsyou.mil. There, she connected with Carolyn Blashek, founder of a troop-support organization called Operation Gratitude. Blashek's group has included the 500 CDs in care packages it assembled and sent to deployed forces.

"This, in particular, is a very difficult time of year to be away from loved ones or even just away from home," Blashek said. "Receiving these expressions of appreciation that are clearly filled with a lot of love and respect, I think, just provide that feeling of home."

Stewart and Boles are planning to join forces with Operation Gratitude and another support organization, 4 The Troops, to send 47,000 CDs of "Christmas Without You" to troops overseas for the 2006 holiday season, Stewart said.

Related Sites:

"Christmas Without You" [http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/americasupportsyou/america/music/Christmas_song_mastered_256.mp3]

Operation Gratitude [http://opgratitude.com/]

4 The Troops [http://www.4thetroops.net/]

America Supports You [http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3645.html.

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Officials in Iraq Report on Recent Mosul-Area Operations

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 - U.S. troops and Iraqi soldiers and police captured dozens of suspected terrorists and seized large caches of weapons during raids and military operations over the past week in and around Mosul, Iraqi's third largest city, military officials reported today.

Iraqi security forces and soldiers from Task Force Freedom teamed up to capture 46 suspected terrorists and seized weapons caches in northern Iraq during that period.

In Mosul, Iraqi army soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Division, along with U.S. soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, seized a large weapons cache Dec. 12.

The cache included Russian-made AK-47 assault rifles with multiple loaded magazines, a sniper rifle with loaded magazines, an anti-aircraft missile launcher with four missiles, more than 100 rounds of ammunition, 500 more linked rounds of ammunition, a semi-automatic pistol, an automatic rifle, hand grenades, rocket propelled grenade launchers with ammunition and high explosives. Suspects are in custody with no Iraqi or U.S. injuries reported.

Iraqi soldiers from 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, captured three more suspected terrorists Dec. 9.

Iraqi soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, detained two suspected terrorists during a raid Dec. 8.

Iraqi soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, and Iraqi police captured three suspected terrorists and seized loaded AK-47 rifle magazines during a raid Dec. 5.

Elsewhere in Mosul, Iraqi police arrested an individual suspected of placing several improvised explosive devices near an election site Dec.10.

Also in Mosul, Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, detained three people suspected of terrorist activity during operations Dec. 10.

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, detained five men suspected of terrorist activities. The soldiers seized an anti-tank mine, detonators and a timer Dec. 5. The soldiers also are credited with detaining eight individuals suspected of terrorist activity during operations Dec. 6-10.

Officials said the unit detained another 10 suspected terrorists during a raid Dec. 7. Soldiers from 4th Squadron, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, detained an individual suspected of terrorist activity during operations Dec. 9.

In Tal Afar, soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, detained a suspected terrorist Dec. 5. The infantry soldiers also discovered a cache of AK-47 bandoleers, a 120 mm round, TNT-filled canisters, sticks of TNT, anti-U.S. propaganda and various improvised explosive device materials.

More IED-making materials were found and six insurgents were captured by soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, during operations Dec. 9.

In other Iraq operations over the past week, Task Force Baghdad soldiers and Iraqi security forces detained 13 suspected terrorists and located a weapons cache during pre-election operations Dec. 9 and 10.

Soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, captured three suspected terrorists during a cordon-and-search operation Dec. 9.

During two different operations Dec. 10, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry, soldiers detained six additional suspects and seized a weapons cache that included six AK-47 assault rifles, 13 AK-47 magazines, a bag of money and a hand grenade. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, also conducted an assault operation that led to the capture of three suspects in the Dora neighborhood Dec. 9.

In other operations, Iraqi forces assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Public Order Brigade, detained a suspected terrorist Dec. 9 in eastern Rasheed.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq and Task Force Baghdad news releases.)

Related Sites:

Multinational Force Iraq [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/]

Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq [http://www.mnstci.iraq.centcom.mil]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3644.html.

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Four Soldiers Killed by Roadside Bomb Northwest of Baghdad

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 - Four Task Force Baghdad soldiers were killed today when their patrol vehicle struck a makeshift bomb northwest of Baghdad, officials said.

The soldiers' names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Officials provided no other details.

In other news, a suicide car bomber missed Iraqi troops patrolling around Baghdad Dec. 12, but wounded five bystanders, officials said today. Troops from the 6th Iraqi Army Division and Iraqi police officers cleared the area and evacuated the injured to a local medical facility for treatment, officials noted. The targeted Iraqi soldiers suffered no injuries, they added.

Elsewhere in Iraq, a suicide car bomber attacked a U.S. convoy Dec. 12 on a street in Fallujah, wounding a Marine and killing the bomber, officials at Camp Blue Diamond, about 70 miles west of Baghdad, said today.

Officials said the bomber was parked on the side of the street in a yellow taxi and detonated the bomb as the convoy passed. The injured Marine was taken to a nearby military hospital for treatment. No report was available on the Marine's condition.

Officials also said Iraqi security forces and Task Force Baghdad soldiers aggressively pursued terrorists in eastern Baghdad Dec. 12.

In the early morning hours, elements of 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, launched a raid to capture three suspected terrorists who are now being processed in the Iraqi judicial system.

Later that morning, elements of Iraq's 3rd Public Order Brigade in Salman Pak discovered a roadside bomb hidden in the carcass of a dog. An Iraqi police explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the bomb, officials said.

Iraqi Army troops and coalition forces jointly found and destroyed an illicit weapons cache Dec. 12, following a tip-off on the location of the stash by coordinates found in a global positioning system device, officials said. Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Intervention Force, and coalition troops used metal detectors to narrow the search areas and pinpointed the weapons stockpile, officials noted.

The cache inventory included a mixed bag of 50 artillery rounds of South African, Russian and Chinese manufacture, 30 pounds of propellant, 2 pounds of plastic explosive, a 122 mm rocket and launcher, various batteries, fuses, and timers.

Elsewhere, Iraqi army and coalition troops caught and detained a man attempting to evade a cordon-and-search operation by jumping from a two-story window Dec. 12, officials said.

Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division, and coalition troops were screening several persons of interest when they saw the suspect leaping from a building window in an effort to evade questioning. The soldiers promptly collared the man and held him for further questioning by authorities.

In the air war over Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 58 close-air-support missions Dec. 12.

Air Force F-15 fighter jets launched precision-guided munitions against a bunker used by enemy forces near Baghdad. An Air Force Predator fired a Hellfire missile against an insurgent improvised explosive device location near Hadithah.

Other Air Force F-15s and U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornets provided close-air support to coalition troops in contact with anti-Iraqi forces near Hawijah and Ramadi. In addition, 10 Air Force and Navy intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Iraq. Royal Air Force fighter aircraft performed in a nontraditional ISR role with their electro-optical and infrared sensors.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq and U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward news releases.)

Related Sites:

Multinational Force Iraq [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/]

Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq [http://www.mnstci.iraq.centcom.mil]

U.S. Central Command Air Forces [http://www.centaf.af.mil/]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3643.html.

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Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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Iraqi Units Taking Lead in Election Security

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Dec. 13, 2005 - Iraqi security units are taking the lead in preparing for the Dec. 15 national elections.

This is the third election this year, and each time the amount of support coalition forces provide has been less, military officials said.

The plan builds on experiences gained in the Jan. 30 National Assembly election and the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum. Iraqi police will provide close-in protection at the polling stations.

Iraqi public order battalions and Iraqi army soldiers will provide the next level of protection. This second ring of police and soldiers will search for suicide bombers and those who want to disrupt the election.

More Iraqi soldiers and coalition forces will be in a third ring of troops. These will provide a quick-reaction force if needed.

But coalition forces are aiding the effort in other ways as well. Soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, are a microcosm of the effort. Today, soldiers escorted a wrecker to place Jersey barriers at polling stations.

"The barriers channel the people into and out of the centers," said Army Capt. David Underhill, commander of B Battery, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery.

While at the stations, Underhill also eyed other preparations for the voting. He received short briefings from police commanders on the number of police at the stations, vehicles they have, weapons they have and methods of contacting them. "Each time we have done this, the police have gotten better," Underhill said.

Preparations are ahead of previous elections, he said. For example, in many places concertina wire had already been delivered and emplaced. "We had to deliver it in October, and then it was the last minute," he said.

One polling station commander had even placed the Jersey barriers without calling on the American wrecker. "I have no idea how he did this, but the major in charge got it done," Underhill said. "He also has a full complement (of police) in place."

More supplies remain to be delivered. Wands for searching for explosives and more concertina wire are at the top of the list. The police will conduct sweeps of the polling stations and the areas around them.

In other election security preparations, Iraqi officials have imposed a 10 p.m. curfew beginning tonight until after the election. All vehicular traffic will stop beginning at 6 a.m. Dec. 14, and Iraqi officials have cut off movement between provinces and from neighboring countries.

Related Site:

3rd Infantry Division [http://www.stewart.army.mil/ima/sites/division/default.asp]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3642.html.

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Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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First Lady Recognizes Deployed Seabees' Families

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 - To military families who've endured a double whammy - Hurricane Katrina's devastation and their loved ones' deployments - first lady Laura Bush's Dec. 12 visit to Gulfport, Miss., represented a welcomed burst of encouragement.

Bush visited about 50 children of Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalions 133 and 74 at Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport.

NMCB 133 had been slated to leave on a deployment in October, but remained a month longer in Gulfport to provide hurricane relief as part of a "super-Seabee battalion," explained Lt. Cmdr. Kyra Hawn, 22nd Naval Construction Regiment public affairs officer. Its members left for locations around the world, including Iraq, in November and are expected to return home in mid-April.

About 200 members of NMCB 74 returned to Gulfport last week, and the other 450 battalion members are expected to arrive home within the next two weeks, Hawn said.

"They're either getting ready to go, on a deployment, or just returned, and oh, by the way, your area has just been devastated by a hurricane," Hawn said of the Seabees' plight. Many Seabee families lost their homes during Hurricane Katrina and some are still living in trailers at the Gulfport base.

"Life's definitely a lot harder" since the hurricane, with many roads still washed out and school sports programs and other niceties for children still not in place, said Pauline Meno, wife of Lt. Michael Meno, who is deployed to Guam. "There's still an awful lot to do here to bring it back," she said.

Bush's visit "really meant a lot to the families," said Meno. Her two children, ages 5 and 7, "were so excited that she took the time to come and see them," she said. "It shows that she really does appreciate what the families have gone through and what they are contributing."

Hawn called Bush's visit a "big boost" to the families that send a strong message that "she values the sacrifices our Gulfport Seabees have made, both in contributing to Hurricane Katrina relief and in contributing to critical military operations around the world."

The first lady visited with the children as they made Christmas ornaments and wrote letters to their deployed loved ones. She read one letter aloud to media at the center: "All I want for Christmas, Dad, is for you to be home with me."

The first lady added a personal note and signed each letter. "It was very touching," Hawn said.

Bush also showed the film, "A Very Beazley Christmas," about the presidential family dogs, Barney and Miss Beazley.

During her visit, the first lady recognized the hardships the Gulfport children have endured and urged the public to reach out to them and other military families.

"These kids not only have suffered the loss of the hurricane like everybody else here, but many of them have a parent deployed," she said. "A lot of the parents are coming home this weekend, but there's still one battalion that's deployed. And so I hope people around the Gulf Coast will reach out to these families."

The first lady expressed hope that the American people will remember all military families during the Christmas holiday.

"I hope people will keep our military families, these here on the Mississippi Coast, but also the other military families around the United States, in their hearts and in their prayers during this holiday season," she said.

Related Site:

Laura Bush's Remarks [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/12/20051212-6.html]

_______________________________________________________
NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK,
the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051213_3641.html.

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Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad.

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