Knee Deep in the Hooah!

Your good news round up of the week! This week’s is a little short, but not due to the lack of good news available. I hope you enjoy and we’ll wait and see what great news next week will bring us. Have a blessed weekend.

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School’s in Session in Sadr City
Friday, 10 October 2008
By Sgt. Zach Mott
4th Infantry Division

Students from the Jawala’la School
in the Jamilla neighborhood of the Sadr
City district of Baghdad are happy to attend their
refurbished school, Oct. 9, 2008.
Photo by Sgt. Zachary,
4th Infantry Division Public Affairs.

BAGHDAD — “I think education is the greatest weapon in the people’s hands,” said Buad Abdul Sadr, the senior engineer in charge of refurbishing the Jawala’la school in Sadr City.

Schools are now in session in Sadr City, an area that six months ago was home to some of the fiercest fighting here. The rooms that children now fill at this school in northeastern Baghdad were once home to militia fighters who would daily launch attacks against the government of Iraq, Iraqi security and Coalition forces.

Now, after two months of work by Buad and his crew, the Jawala’la school and its 12 classrooms are filled with students wearing new uniforms provided by the Modern Sewing Company in the neighboring Adhamiyah District.

“Now we are able to send our children to school to get educated. Before we were not able to send them to the schools and now we can,” said Ali Sewadi, a member of the Sadr City District Advisory Council.

Sewadi and other members of the District Council as well as the Iraqi Army’s 3rd Battalion, 42nd Brigade, 11th Division, helped hand out backpacks and uniforms to the school children during a visit there, Oct. 9.

“I think, the children when you give them something, they are very happy,” said Raya Suhad Alani, the Women’s Committee chairman for the Sadr City DAC, who also helped organize the uniform delivery for the students. Read More
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Iraqi Police Making Waves
Thursday, 09 October 2008

Excerpt
HADITHA DAM — The Euphrates River fulfills many of the economic needs for the people of Iraq. For all of its advantages though, it does create a challenge for the Iraqi Police (IP) who are in charge of security for the area.

To remedy this situation, Sailors with Riverine Squadron 3, Riverine Detachment 2, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 have been holding classes for the IP on basic seamanship.

“We are teaching them the basics so when we leave they will be able to take over patrolling the river,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason H. Gialenes, 24, from Huntington Beach, Calif., who is a gunner and instructor with Riverine Squadron 3.

The policemen in the class came from all over western al-Anbar province to learn everything from knot tying to boat maneuvers as they learn to adapt their police knowledge to aquatic patrolling. For many of the policemen, the 21-day class is there first experience working on boats.

“They are already police officers, so they know how to patrol and move on the land,” said Gialenes. “We are trying to get them comfortable with operating the boats.”

With policemen from several different departments in western al-Anbar province and different backgrounds, the Riverines, as the Sailors like to called, make a point of teaching the policemen to work together. Read More
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Service Members Boost Morale With Army 10 Miler
Posted on 10.11.2008 at 05:23AM
By Amanda Tucker
3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

Excerpt
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – The 20th Quartermaster Company hosted a deployed version of the Army 10 miler on Joint Base Balad Oct. 5, 2008.

A large amount of effort was made to ensure that the event was available to everyone. A Balad all message was sent out with a link for online registration. Soldiers were also stationed at the East Side Circuit Gym until 8 p.m. the night before the race for last minute applicants.

Sgt. 1st Class Luciano Reyna, an Austin, Texas native and a 20th QMC platoon sergeant, and 1st Lt. Mary Lou Drilling, a Milford, Ohio, native and platoon leader for the 20th QMC, 101st Airborne Division, based out of Fort Campbell, Ky., were chosen to coordinate the event. It seems appropriate, given the fact Drilling participated in the Army 10 mile run in Washington, D.C., with the Fort Lee team.

“It was an amazing experience, but the only way that we knew to build it up here was to have the volunteer water points and have the people involved,” said Drilling Read More
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Soldier Promoted to NCO by Younger Brother
Posted on 10.10.2008 at 11:37AM
By Pfc. Amanda Tucker
3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Spc. James Gregerson, a Terrehaute, Ind., native and the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) support operations administrative assistant, was promoted to the rank of sergeant by his younger brother, Oct. 1, 2008.

With his colleagues surrounding him in the conference room of the 3rd ESC headquarters; and his mother, father, wife and children watching through video teleconference, Sgt. Joshua Gregerson stepped from the right side of his brother to relieve him of his rank of specialist, and playfully punch the rank of sergeant in its place.

James’ promotion was the first time he was able to see his little brother, Joshua, a communications representative for Bravo Company, 47th Forward Support Battalion, in approximately two and a half years-largely due to the brothers’ deployments.

James is stationed at Fort Knox, Ky., and his little brother is stationed at Baumholder, Germany, making it hard for the two to see each other in the states. Amazingly, the only opportunity the two brothers have had to bond were during deployments to Iraq.

During their last deployment Joshua was in charge of bringing electronics equipment to a depot in Balad, Iraq. James was stationed in Balad at the time, and the two were able to spend some time together.

This time around the two spent their first day together catching up on what had been going on with each other. The next day, they visited the morale, welfare and recreation center to play video games.

“We’re very competitive,” said Joshua. “It doesn’t matter what it is … I’m going to beat him.” Read More
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Police Deliver School Supplies and Teddy Bears to Iraqi Children
Posted on 10.10.2008 at 08:20AM
Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris
50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

BAGHDAD – Life in the International Zone got a little warmer and fuzzier when members of the Joint Area Support Group – Central Security Forces donated stuffed animals and school supplies to students at the Al-Watan elementary school, locatd in the Quadisiya area, Oct. 8, 2008.

“We had over 150 stuffed animals of all sizes, and several boxes of school supplies such as pencils, paper, and notebooks,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Russell Love from Montgomery, Ala. and a member of the IZ police who coordinated the donation.

“It’s a blessing that we’re able to come in to their school and give them things we have that they’re not as fortunate to have,” he added.

Love and his crew made their way throughout the two-story school, distributing age-appropriate goodies in several classrooms under the guidance of school officials. Both kids and service members seemed to benefit from the spirit of giving.

“It pretty much feels like Christmas,” explained Airman 1st Class Peggy Dunkley of New York City, who has eight brothers, three sisters, four nephews and a niece back home and is normally stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan.

“It’s giving them another reason to smile. They have beautiful smiles,” she added.

There were plenty of smiles to go around, as the children showed their gifts to one another and thanked the service members with hand waves and hugs.

“To be part of what we do on the ground is incredible; to be able to help out the little ones – the kids,” said Love, who is out of Hickam Air Force Base, has been serving in Iraq since June.

“It’s an awesome feeling,” he added.

The IZ police officers are no strangers to donating to the community. On several occasions, they have pooled their resources to help victims of house fires, Love explained. Read More
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Eight Suspected Terrorists Detained by Coalition Forces
Courtesy Story
Posted on 10.10.2008 at 07:24AM
By the Multi-National Force – Iraq Public Affairs Office

BAGHDAD – Coalition forces detained eight suspected terrorists, including one wanted man, during operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq networks Friday.

Coalition forces in Ijhalah Gharbi, about 71 km south of Mosul, captured a wanted man believed to be a member of AQI and have ties to AQI regional leadership. The alleged terrorist identified himself to forces during the operation, which netted five additional suspects.

Forces also targeted two wanted men in Mosul today believed to have ties to the city’s AQI leadership network. Two suspects were detained during the operation. Source Link
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Soldiers in Iraq help comrades vote
by Sgt. David Hodge
4th Infantry Division

Excerpt
FOB FALCON, Iraq (Oct. 6, 2008) – Two Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers streamlined the voting process for hundreds of servicemembers and civilians here Oct. 3-5.

Army Sgts. Asa Rubman and Rachel Littenberg, paralegal specialists assigned to the 4th Infantry Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, said they noticed some apathy among soldiers toward voting in the November general elections and decided to spearhead a voting drive.

“It started out with me being annoyed with the system,” said Rubman, a native of Watertown, Conn. “I registered and tried to get my ballot in May and it never came, so I started putting up flyers in case other people didn’t get theirs.”

The flyers posted throughout the brigade headquarters building enticed other soldiers to stop by the legal office and take 10 minutes to exercise their right to vote.

Even after posting flyers, the two decided they were not reaching out to enough soldiers and decided to take the advice of Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Bobb, the brigade’s senior enlisted leader, and set up a table inside the dining facility.

“People normally have a block of time set aside when they go to chow, so it is easier for them to register to vote then and just eat their grilled cheese a little faster,” Rubman said.

The duo gave soldiers the opportunity to vote in the dining facility for three days, spending six hours a day there while work piled up back at the office. They also provided the necessary paperwork, envelopes and useful information regarding each state’s voting regulations. Read More
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U.S. tries tough love to reduce Iraq’s dependence
By Jim Michaels, USA TODAY

Excerpt
RAMADI, Iraq — In the past, when Iraqi police here ran out of gas, they often turned to the Marines, who generally obliged by filling the trucks and generators — courtesy of the U.S. taxpayer.

The Marines have a new answer for the Iraqis: no.

That’s become one of the best ways “to get their attention,” says Marine Maj. Gen. Martin Post, deputy commander of Multi-National Force-West. “Things get real hard and then what happens is they go, ‘OK, we’ve got to fix this ourselves.’ ”

Now that violence has declined in Anbar province, today’s challenge is reducing Iraqi dependence on American money and assistance so U.S. combat forces can gradually leave, say Post and other U.S. officials.

Despite protests from some Iraqis who say the process could endanger security gains, U.S. commanders are determined. “Although security is good, we are doing an awful lot behind the scenes with the Iraqi security forces,” says Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. “What we want to do is reduce that dependence.”

There’s no shortage of cash. Iraq’s government expects $63 billion in oil revenues this year. That will allow for an increase in budgeted spending to $72 billion, up from $41.1 billion in 2007. “We describe it as a tsunami of cash,” says Ged Smith, the Treasury Department attaché at the U.S. Embassy. Read More
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Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers, Sons of Iraq Detain Suspected Criminal, Discover Weapons Cache
Courtesy Story
Posted on 10.10.2008 at 12:36AM
By the Multi-National Division – Baghdad Public Affairs Office

BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers and members of the Sons of Iraq arrested a suspected criminal and discovered munitions in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad Oct. 9, 2008.

After receiving a tip from a SoI member, Soldiers from Troop B, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, MND-B, arrested a suspected criminal at approximately 2 p.m. in the Hadar community. The patrol returned to a coalition forces combat outpost with the detainee for further processing.

Also in the Hadar community, Soldiers from Troop A, 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt., 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B, acted on another tip from a concerned Iraqi citizen and found a bag of undisclosed powder, two blasting caps, one ammunition can, and two projectile parts at approximately 3 p.m. An explosive ordnance disposal team responded to handle the munitions.

“The Sons of Iraq play a huge role in the security of the Rashid district,” said Maj. Dave Olson, 1st BCT Spokesman, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B. “The 1st ‘Raider’ Brigade recently transitioned responsibility of the SoI to the government of Iraq in the Rashid district.” Source Link