Tag Archives: Infantry Division

News, Politics, Government

US military deaths in Afghanistan at 2,070

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As of Wednesday, April 17, 2013, at least 2,070 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count.

The AP count is three less than the Defense Department‘s tally, last updated Tuesday at 10 a.m. EDT.

At least 1,716 military service members have died in Afghanistan as a result of hostile action, according to the military’s numbers.

Outside of Afghanistan, the department reports at least 119 more members of the U.S. military died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those, 11 were the result of hostile action.

The AP count of total OEF casualties outside of Afghanistan is four more than the department’s tally.

The Defense Department also counts three military civilian deaths.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, 18,418 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department.

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The latest identifications reported by the military:

— Two soldiers died April 9 in Pachir Wa Agam District, Nangarhar province; they were assigned to the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 104th Aviation Regiment, 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, 28th Infantry Division, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.; killed were: Chief Warrant Officer Matthew P. Ruffner, 34, of Harrisburg, Pa., and Chief Warrant Officer Jarett M. Yoder, 26, of Mohnton, Pa.

— Three soldiers died April 6 in Kandahar of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit in Zabul with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device; they were assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; killed were: Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Ward, 24, of Oak Ridge, Tenn., Spc. Wilbel A. Robles-Santa, 25, of Juncos, Puerto Rico, and Spc. Delfin M. Santos Jr., 24, of San Jose, Calif.

— Capt. James Michael Steel, 29, of Tampa, Fla., died April 3 in the crash of an F-16 near Bagram Air Field; assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

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From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/IDhPuGZL_Hg/

News, Politics, Government

Army identifies victim in Fort Knox shooting

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A civilian employee fatally shot in a Fort Knox parking lot had worked at the Kentucky military post for nearly a decade, the Army said Friday.

Lloyd R. Gibert, 51, was shot on Wednesday outside the Army Human Resources Command building. He had worked in the human resources division at Fort Knox since 2004, according to a statement from the Army.

Police arrested a 36-year-old Fort Knox soldier, Marquinta E. Jacobs, on Thursday in Portland, Tenn., where Jacobs’ mother lives.

Investigators found eight shell casings at the scene, and a witness said Gibert had a “verbal exchange” with Jacobs before he was shot multiple times, authorities said.

The slaying prompted a brief lockdown at the post, and security was heightened after the gates were reopened.

The FBI said in a criminal complaint against Jacobs that he fled the scene after the shooting, went home and then drove his motorcycle to Tennessee. The bike was later found at his mother’s house, and he was apprehended a short time later in a different vehicle.

Jacobs made his initial appearance in federal court Friday, where a magistrate judge transferred Jacobs to military custody. He will face premeditated murder and aggravated assault charges, authorities said.

The FBI said Jacobs, an Army sergeant, fired a .45-caliber handgun at Gibert, “striking him several times.” Gibert was transported to Fort Knox‘s hospital, where he died that evening.

Army investigators said the shooting arose from a “domestic incident.”

Investigators found ammunition at the home for a .45-caliber Glock pistol that matched the kind used at the crime scene.

Jacobs enlisted in the Army in 2004 and has been at Fort Knox since 2009. He worked as an equipment maintenance specialist in the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, according to Fort Knox.

Army investigators will perform an Article 32 investigation, similar to a civilian grand jury, to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed with a court-martial against Jacobs, Fort Knox said in a statement Friday.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

Soldier held for questioning in connection with Fort Knox shooting

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A soldier was held for questioning Thursday in connection with a shooting at Fort Knox that left one Army civilian employee dead, Army officials said.

Authorities in Tennessee were questioning the soldier, who is assigned to Fort Knox‘s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.

“Special Agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command are continuing the investigation and as previously released, the shooting appears to be a domestic issue and not a random act of violence,” said Chris Grey, spokesman for the independent Army investigative agency.

An employee of the U.S. Army Human Resources Command was shot and killed in a parking lot at Kentucky’s Fort Knox on Wednesday.

The identity of the victim was being withheld pending notification of family.

The Army post’s gates were locked down shortly after the shooting as a security measure.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

US military deaths in Afghanistan at 2,063

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As of Tuesday, April 2, 2013, at least 2,063 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count.

The AP count is the same as the Defense Department‘s tally, last updated Tuesday at 10 a.m. EDT.

At least 1,713 military service members have died in Afghanistan as a result of hostile action, according to the military’s numbers.

Outside of Afghanistan, the department reports at least 119 more members of the U.S. military died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those, 11 were the result of hostile action.

The AP count of total OEF casualties outside of Afghanistan is four more than the department’s tally.

The Defense Department also counts three military civilian deaths.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, 18,360 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department.

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The latest identifications reported by the military:

— Chief Warrant Officer Curtis S. Reagan, 43, of Summerville, S.C., died March 29 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, from a noncombat-related illness; assigned to the 603rd Aviation Support Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

— Sgt. Michael C. Cable, 26, of Philpot, Ky., died March 27, from injuries sustained when his unit was attacked by enemy forces in Shinwar District, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan; assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

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Online:

http://www.defense.gov/news/

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

Remains of American WWII soldier reportedly found on Pacific's Northern Mariana Islands

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By Joshua Rhett Miller

The remains of an American World War II soldier missing in action nearly 70 years have reportedly been identified after they were found on the Pacific’s Northern Mariana Islands.

The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command confirmed to FoxNews.com that its team currently working in Saipan has received “possible human remains” and material evidence consistent with an unresolved case from World War II.

“At this point, we cannot confirm the identity of these remains,” an email to FoxNews.com read. “Our next step is to get the remains and evidence back to JPAC‘s Central Identification Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and conduct the appropriate forensic analyses.”

The team is expected back this week, according to Jamie Dobson, JPAC‘s chief of media operations.

Physical anthropologist Shuichiro Narasaki from the Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Tokyotold the Marianas Variety that a group of Japanese volunteers and members of the CNMI Historic Preservation recovered remains of the solider along with Japanese remains at a burial site in Tanapag – a settlement in Taipan — and on private property in Gualo Rai in the Northern Mariana Islands.

“We have identified the bones to belong to one William T. Carneal based on the information on the U.S. military dog tag found along with the bones, as well as high school ring and American coins,” Narasaki told the newspaper. “Carneal must have been around 18 or 19 when he was buried at the site over 68 years ago.”

Carneal’s dog tag also referred to relatives in Kentucky as his immediate contact. Narasaki said the team also recovered another set of bones believed to belong to an American soldier, but the remains had yet to be identified. The ashes of the two Japanese soldiers, meanwhile, were to be flown to Japan on Tuesday, he said.

It could take months before the findings can be verified, but if the bones happen to belong to a Japanese soldier, JPAC officials will return them to the Japanese government, Narasaki said.

More than 83,000 Americans remain classified as missing from past conflicts, including the wars in the Pacific, according to JPAC officials. Its Central Identification Laboratory is the largest and most diverse forensic skeletal laboratory in the world, according to its website.

Narasaki said an estimated 53,000 Japanese soldiers died in the Northern Mariana Islands during World War II. Of that number, the remains of 29,174 had been recovered since 1952.

Attempts to reach Carneal’s relatives in Kentucky were unsuccessful. According to online records, Carneal was serving in the U.S. Army’s 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division, when he died on July 7, 1944.

Dobson, meanwhile, said a “strict protocol” is followed when analyzing and identifying fallen service members from previous wars.

“Our biggest concern is that a family is not misled, for example, being told early in the investigation that their loved one has been recovered only to find out later that was not true,” Dobson wrote in an email to FoxNews.com.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

Lloyd Austin to Lead U.S. Central Command

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By Valerie Jarrett

Ed. note: The full text of the op-ed by Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett is printed below. The piece is published today on BET.com and can be found HERE.

Today, General Lloyd Austin became the first African-American to lead the U.S. Central Command, which has a wide-ranging area of responsibility for 20 countries in the Middle East and southwest Asia. His appointment is effective immediately.

During the change of command ceremony today, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said, “General Austin brings to this position combat experience gained on the unforgiving battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. He has commanded some of the Army’s most storied formations, including the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain Divisions, as well as the 18th Airborne Corps…With his calm demeanor, strategic vision, regional experience and knowledge, and proven judgment – and with the love and support of Charlene and their children – I am confident General Austin is prepared to lead this command at a time of dramatic change, challenge, and turmoil in its area of responsibility.”

In his 37-year career, General Austin has continually broken barriers for African-Americans in the U.S. Army. He was also the first African-American to serve in his previous position as the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. His historic career includes leading the 3rd Infantry Division in the opening months of the Iraq war where he earned a Silver Star for valor. General Austin later commanded divisions in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and commanded U.S. Forces-Iraq from September 2010 through the completion of the mission in December 2011.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

Note Tucked Into Windshield Goes Viral

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Samantha Ford stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts on Sunday and when she left, she found a note she couldn’t believe stuck under her windshield.
‘No words to describe how I’m feeling’

It’s totally okay to hate humanity on Mondays.

But this little note will make you feel a tiny bit better about the future of mankind.

On Sunday, Samantha Ford, who is romantically involved with a soldier deployed in Afghanistan, shared a photo on Facebook of two $20 bills and a letter from an anonymous veteran.

“I just thought I would share with you all what happened to me today! Came out of Dunkin Donuts and found this under my windshield wiper,” the accompanying post reads.

Story continues after photo
take your hero to dinner

Ford, who lives just outside of Boston, according to TODAY, said the sticker on her car reads “Half my heart is in Afghanistan.”

She continued: “There are no words to describe how I’m feeling right now. Tears in my eyes. I just wish I could thank whoever did this! God bless our troops and all of those who stand behind them.”

By Monday afternoon, more than one million Facebook users had already “liked” the post. One commenter named Kayla Perrin says Ford is her best friend.

“I can’t think of anyone who deserves a random act of kindness more than [Ford] and her boyfriend Albert John DeSimone,” Perrin wrote.

TODAY reported that DeSimone is assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. The unit is based in Fort Stewart, Ga.


More Headlines
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Weekday Newspaper Cuts Back Publication

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at AOL

News, Politics, Government

Promises Kept: Ending the Iraq War and Supporting Our Service Members, Military Families and Veterans

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By Jonathan Powers

Ed. note: Click here to see the timeline of President Obama's promise to end the war in Iraq and support service members as they return home.

Ten years ago my US Army unit was returning from our final training exercise in preparation for deploying in support of Operation Iraq Freedom. We listened intensely as President Bush announced the start of the war 10 years ago today, and my platoon prepared to deploy as part of the 1st Armored Division into the breach of battle. Within a few short weeks, my soldiers and I were rolling across the Kuwaiti border on our way to Baghdad to relieve the 3rd Infantry Division.

My soldiers and I spent most of the next 15 months based out of a Forward Operating Base on the banks of the Tigris River trying to bring stability to a chaotic and complex situation. We had a front row seat as the Iraqi’s celebrated the capture of Saddam Hussein, but also felt the war turn as we went from eating dinners in the homes of everyday Iraqi’s to fighting insurgents on the streets in places like Najaf.

Although there is still much to learn about this war, one thing is certain; President Obama’s commitment and focus on taking care of our service members brought this war to an end. He held to his promise and ensured that by December of 2011, “the last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq—with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops.”

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

Vietnam vet in Florida receives Bronze Star 46 years later

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It’s been 46 years since Robert French was shot during a three-day battle in the Vietnam War.

On Tuesday, he was surprised with the awarding of a Bronze Star at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

French, a radio telephone operator for Charlie Company of the 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division, says he was overwhelmed by the ceremony. He says the real heroes are the men “who never came back.”

The Tampa Tribune reports platoon leader 1st Lt. Jack Benedick nominated French for the Bronze Star after the battle but the paperwork got lost. About a decade ago, he found out French never received the medal and tried again. He wasn’t able to attend Tuesday’s ceremony, but sent a message calling French “a true American.”

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

Articles of Interest

Obama’s CDC Has Stackable Coffins Ready…

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By Suzanne Eovaldi

CDC Obamas CDC has stackable coffins ready...

FEMA clearly is fast becoming the Obama administration’s secret in-country military operations that is scaring citizens out of their wits.  A video narrated by Dale Bohannan has popped up online with photos of what first appear to be porta-potties.  But on closer inspection, the black plastic containers are what the narrator reveals to be as many as 125,000 outsized casket liners that are in no way there to service the needs of live American citizens!

Bohannan drove down a newly cut road through a soybean field in Madison, Georgia and spoke with the field’s owner, who told him the Center for Disease Control (CDC) owned these coffin liners and was leasing his land for their storage!   “These are cremation containers for multiple bodies–patent # 5,425,163–burnable, (and) generate very little pollution.  They are multi-use cremation containers,” says an unidentified commenter to this video.  Further information claims that the lids have been modified so they could be STACKED easily because “Americans can withstand the notion of many bodies being thrown into these coffins far better than they could the sight of bulldozers tossing bodies in big holes as was seen after the large tsunami overseas.”

Images of these black, disposable coffins cement in the minds of many Americans the notion that our government is not to be trusted and that our government is not really looking out for us, but rather is looking out for the higher ups, the politicians, and the elites in Washington, D.C.

The first Amendment guarantees “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”  But the newly updated manual for the 3rd Infantry Division, 1st Brigade Combat Team now stationed in various American states includes, for the first time, protocols for subduing civil unrest and crowd control of US citizens.  A federal manual being used by FEMA and the Joint Terror Task Force, “…gives the government the authority to step in and IMMEDIATELY crush any civil disturbance or turmoil which might occur.  Civil disturbances are defined as riots, acts of violence, insurrection, unlawful obstruction or assemblage or other disorders prejudicial to public law and order.” But who, exactly, will define “unlawful obstruction or assemblage” or “disorders prejudicial to public law and order?”

In 1968, Operation Garden Plot was initiated by the Department of Defense for the purpose of creating “…military preparations for suppressing domestic civil disturbance…” But Americans have begun to ask who our government is preparing to fight and for what reasons! Why did Janet Napolitano’s Department of Homeland Security need 1.6 billion bullets and 7000 fully automatic rifles? (By the way, when purchased for the DHS, these rifles are called “personal defense weapons.” When you and I buy SEMI-automatic rifles, we are accused of owning “assault weapons.”)

What does she need all of those weapons for, all of those bullets? Who is the DHS preparing to kill?

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    Source: FULL ARTICLE at Western Journalism
News, Politics, Government

Remarks by the President at Commander-in-Chief Ball

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By The White House

Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.

8:48 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Let me begin by just saying you all dress up pretty nice. (Applause.) I hope everybody is having a wonderful time. Now, those of you who are in uniform, you look outstanding. Your dates do look better, though. (Applause.) I just want to point this out. (Laughter.)

I’m not going to give a long speech. What I really want to do is come down and express the extraordinary gratitude not just of me as your Commander-in-Chief, but more importantly, the thanks of all the American people.

I want to start by thanking some of our outstanding leaders who are here: our hosts, our Senior Enlisted Advisors from all five branches of our military. (Applause.) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Marty Dempsey, who promised to sing sometime tonight, so you should hold him to it. (Laughter.) The Vice Chairman, Sandy Winnefeld, and all our outstanding members of the Joint Chiefs. Our Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Vietnam veteran, Ric Shinseki, who is here.

And we’re honored to be joined by some truly extraordinary Americans, our wounded warriors, who inspire us with their incredible strength and resolve. (Applause.) Our enlisted men and women and junior officers — the backbone of our military. (Applause.) Our amazing military families — (applause) — including the families of the fallen — our Gold Star families — we will stand with you always.

The members of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen in the house. (Applause.) And the recipients of our nation’s highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor. We are honored by your presence. (Applause.)

Today, we experienced the majesty of our democracy; a ritual only possible in a form of government that is of, and by and for the people; a day made possible because there are patriots like each and every one of you who defend our freedom every single day.

So this little party is just another way to say something we can never say enough: thank you. (Applause.) Thank you for volunteering. Thank you for stepping up. Thank you for keeping us strong. Thank you for always making us proud. I have no greater honor than being your Commander-in-Chief. (Applause.)

It’s because of you that with honor we were able to end the war in Iraq. Because of you that we delivered justice to Osama bin Laden. (Applause.) Because of you that it’s even possible to give Afghans a chance to determine their own destiny. We are going forward, and we’ll keep our military the finest fighting force that the world has ever known.

Now, tonight, we’re also joined by some of our servicemembers in Afghanistan. They can’t see us, but we can see them on this monitor.

Who we got there? General, are you there? Abe?

MAJOR GENERAL ABRAMS: Sir, good evening. Mr. President, congratulations on your inauguration. It is Major General Abrams, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division and Regional Command-South. We’re honored to be able to join you there this evening.

Sir, I’m joined tonight by some fantastic airmen and non-commissioned officers and soldiers serving here in Kandahar.

SERGEANT JACKSON: Congratulations, Mr. President. Sergeant First Class Orlando Jackson from Lake Charles, Louisiana — 3rd Infantry Division, Falcon Brigade, Task Force Light Horse. I just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done.

MASTER SERGEANT SKOWRONSKI: Mr. President, Master Sergeant Robert Skowronski, Superintendent 807th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron, hailing from Detroit, Michigan. I want to say, go Tigers! (Applause.)

SERGEANT WOOD: Good evening, Mr. President. My name is Sergeant First Class David Wood. I'm out of Monument, Colorado — 3rd Infantry Division, Falcon Brigade, Task Force Light Horse. Thank you very much for having us here at your party. Congratulations. (Applause.)

MASTER SERGEANT GODLEWSKI: Good evening, Mr. President — Master Sergeant James Godlewski. I'm the Operations Superintendent, the 807th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron and the world's greatest Air Force. (Applause.) I want to say congratulations on tonight. I hope you guys have a blessed evening. (Applause.)

MAJOR GENERAL ABRAMS: Mr. President, we're honored to be able to join you tonight. And we've got one more thing for all of you there — Rock of the Marne! (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: (Laughter.) Well listen, to all of you who are there, we know it's tough being away from your families. We know the incredible sacrifices and challenges that you meet every single day. But I can tell you that you've got a room full of patriots here. (Applause.) And although I've got to admit that they're a little spiffied up right now — (laughter) — their heart and soul, their dedication, their sense of duty is at one with every single one of the folks who are in Kandahar right now.

And I want you to know that when I was standing on the steps of the Capitol today, looking out over close to a million people, the single-biggest cheer that I always get — and today was no different at my Inauguration — was when I spoke about the extraordinary men and women in uniform that preserve our freedom and keep our country strong. (Applause.) So know that every single day we are thinking of you.

We're going to make sure that you've got the equipment, the strategy, the mission that allows you to succeed and keep our country safe. Know that we are going to be looking after and thinking about your families every single day, and that when you get back home you're going to be greeted by a grateful nation, and that you will be on our minds tonight and every single night until our mission in Afghanistan is completed.

Can everybody please give our comrades-in-arms a huge round of applause? (Applause.) And please, all of you give our very best to your families back home, because I know it's just as tough, if not tougher for them to see you in harm's way and away from the family. God bless you. God bless the United States of America. Thank you. (Applause.)

There's one last thing I've got to do. I've got a date with me here. (Applause.) She inspires me every day. She makes me a better man and a better President. (Applause.) The fact that she is so devoted to taking care of our troops and our military families is just one more sign of her extraordinary love and grace and strength. I'm just lucky to have her. (Applause.)

I said today at the lunch over at the Congress that some may dispute the quality of our President, but nobody disputes the quality of our First Lady. (Applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen, my better half and my dance partner, Michelle Obama. (Applause.)

END
9:00 P.M. EST

Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House Press Office