Army Planning for 4 More Years in Iraq

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The Army is planning for the possibility of keeping the current number of soldiers in Iraq - well over 100,000 - for four more years, the Army's top general said Saturday.

In an Associated Press interview, Gen. Peter Schoomaker said the Army is prepared for the "worse case" in terms of the required level of troops in Iraq. He said the number could be adjusted lower if called for by slowing the force rotation or by shortening tours for soldiers.

Schoomaker said commanders in Iraq and others who are in the chain of command will decide how many troops will be needed next year and beyond. His responsibility is to provide them, trained and equipped.

About 138,000 U.S. troops, including about 25,000 Marines, are now in Iraq.

Combat Stress Unit Returns to Iraq

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Associated Press | August 19, 2005
BOSTON - Members of the 883rd Medical Company treat the kinds of wounds that can't be seen but are sometimes just as damaging as physical injuries. The "combat stress control" unit, which heads to Iraq on Friday for a second deployment, offers counseling and advice to soldiers who may be suffering from anxiety, depression, insomnia and a host of other psychological problems associated with combat.

The unit, which spent three months in Iraq in 2003, is comprised of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other mental health workers.

Staff Sgt. Robert Davis, 30, of Newton, a mental health technician, said during his first deployment that he saw many soldiers who had anxiety and trouble sleeping, conditions that were magnified by the mobile nature of the war.

'Tribute to the Troops' Scheduled for 9/11

America Supports You: 'Tribute to the Troops' Scheduled for 9/11 By Steven Donald Smith American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2005 – The second annual "Tribute to the Troops" motorcycle ride is scheduled to roll through the American heartland over the Sept. 11 weekend. The tribute ride, which will include several hundred bikers, is a means to honor servicemembers who gave their lives for freedom and to raise money for local Minnesota and Wisconsin military families who lost loved ones in recent military engagements. The bikers will visit the homes of many these families to pay their respects. The event will conclude with a benefit concert headlined by Universal South recording artist Rockie Lynne, a Minneapolis resident and former paratrooper with the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. "We may not personally know the pain of losing a family member in this war, but we want to do something to say a sincere thank you to those who are feeling that loss. " Lynne said. "We are visiting each individual family to acknowledge that their loved one was important to us. " Event organizer Gregg Schmitt added that "through these efforts we convey our gratefulness and appreciation to all those who have served. " Last year's ride was an emotional event for many of those who participated. "If you were there, you can understand what a powerful day this was. If you weren't, words cannot describe what a powerful, moving experience it was," Lynne said. "While we can't possibly understand how their families feel and what they have sacrificed, we can empathize and feel for them. " The 2004 Tribute to the Troops struck a cord with many of the families as well. "Gregg and Rockie are my heroes. When I heard all the motorcycles come down the street, I couldn't believe so many strangers cared so much about the loss of my son," said Mary Herrgott, whose son Pfc. Edward James Herrgott was killed in Iraq. This year each family will receive a plaque, a letter of thanks, a commemorative flag and a DVD copy of Lynne's original song "Home," a heartfelt personal tribute to a friend killed while on duty, according to a Tribute to the Troops press release. This is not the first time Lynne has written a patriotic song. His previous tune "Red, White and Blue," speaks to the fact that the U. S. military is comprised of individuals from all walks of life, yet when it comes to protecting the nation, they form a selfless and cohesive unit, Lynne said. This is also not the first event in which Lynne has donated his time to support the troops. Earlier this year Lynne performed at an "America Supports You" salute to the troops concert at the Pentagon. America Supports You is a Defense Department program that spotlights how Americans are supporting the U. S. military. The 2005 Tribute to the Troops is actually three separate motorcycle rides that cover different parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. All three routes will converge on Hamel, Minn. , where the benefit concert will take place. The concert will also feature the regional bands The Killer Hayseeds, G. B. Leighton, and Brat Pack Radio. Tickets to the show will be available at the door on the day of the event. According to a Tribute to the Troops press release, all donations collected at the concert will be given to the Wounded Warriors Hospital Fund, a nonprofit organization that purchases comfort items, such as televisions and computers for military medical facilities.

Related Sites:
Tribute to the Troops
Wounded Warrior Hospital Fund
America Supports You

Time for a Trip to the Commissary

Commissary sale! Buy in bulk and stay in this winter!

The return of Dollar Days! Commissary customers loved the inaugural “Dollar Days” event in April—and took advantage of the millions of dollars in commissary savings. The deals are back in most commissaries worldwide, just in time for “back to school.” Dollar Days runs through Aug. 24 and hundreds of items throughout the store will feature dollar pricing. “Customers might see two-for-a-dollar deals or perhaps three-for-two-dollars,” said Patrick B. Nixon, chief executive officer and acting director of the Defense Commissary Agency. “Customers should look for the ‘Extra Savings’ signs throughout commissaries to find the deals.”

Troops get another USO visit (kuwait)

Myers, USO Troupe Visit Troops in Kuwait By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2005 – It was 118 degrees in the shade, and there was precious little of that as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a troupe of USO performers visited servicemembers here today. Comedians Colin Quinn, left, and Jeffrey Ross flank Air Force Staff Sgt. Clack in Kuwait Aug. 16 on one of the stops for a USO tour being led by Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, USAF (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers is in the midst of a 10-day trip to assess morale. He and sports personality and model Leeann Tweeden, legendary Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers, and comedians Jeffrey Ross and Colin Quinn thanked troops for their service and their sacrifices. Myers and the entertainers have visited Wiesbaden, Germany; Camp Bondsteel in Serbia and Montenegro's Kosovo province; and two bases here. Temperatures on the tour have ranged from cold and rain in Kosovo to crushing heat in Kuwait. The show has settled into a routine. The general thanks the troops and introduces Leeann Tweeden, who acts as emcee. Tweeden, making her seventh USO trip, including two previously with the chairman, thanks the troops and reassures them that Americans fully support them. To read the rest of the article, click the link below. .

NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the official website of the U. S. Department of Defense.

Ancient ruins still stand amid Iraq chaos

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I thought this was an interesting article to read. :-)

U.S. Struggling to Get Soldiers Updated Armor

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Jim Wilson/The New York Times

Workers assembled body armor made of ceramic plates at ArmorWorks in Tempe, Ariz. Specially treated plates give troops extra protection.

"Free"dom Mailing Labels - Help a Vet

Order Free Mailing Labels Online

To receive your FREE personalized address labels from the Paralyzed Veterans of America, please fill in the information below: (At this time, we are only able to offer address labels to residents of the United States).

The mailing labels are free, but for as little as $5 you can help a paralyzed veteran!
~ Christy

Mission Statement

The Paralyzed Veterans of America, a congressionally chartered veterans service organization founded in 1946, has developed a unique expertise on a wide variety of issues involving the special needs of our members— veterans of the armed forces who have experienced spinal cord injury or dysfunction.

PVA will use that expertise to be the leading advocate for:

• Quality health care for our members,

• Research and education addressing spinal cord injury and dysfunction,

• Benefits available as a result of our members’ military service,

• Civil rights and opportunities which maximize the independence of our members.

To enable PVA to continue to honor this commitment, we must recruit and retain members who have the experience, energy, dedication, and passion necessary to manage the organization and ensure adequate resources to sustain the programs essential for PVA to achieve its mission.

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Army to Implement Virtual Family Readiness Groups

Army to Implement Virtual Family Readiness Groups By Margaret McKenzie Special to American Forces Press Service ALEXANDRIA, Va. , Aug. 5, 2005 – An Army program on the World Wide Web to support and improve how information is passed to families when soldiers are deployed will make its debut Oct. 1. Army officials said they are trying to meet the needs of today's Army Expeditionary Force by improving the methods by which soldiers communicate with their families. "The virtual Family Readiness Group is designed to replicate the major components of FRGs, but in a virtual context," said Jay M. Burcham, chief of the Deployment and Mobilization Readiness division for the Family Programs directorate at U. S. Army Community and Family Support Center here. "This Web system is not just a Web site," he said. "Soldiers downrange in Iraq, Korea or wherever they are deployed will be able to communicate with families around the world by logging into this system. The virtual Family Readiness Group Web system will use technology to move today's FRGs into the 21st century to meet the demands of the Army's Expeditionary Force. " The initiative began in June 2004 when CFSC, in support of the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea, created a virtual FRG to reach out to families of soldiers who would be deployed. Most soldiers deploy as individual replacements to Korea, which basically is a stable environment and communication with family members is routine, Burcham said. Prior to the vFRG, the families' need for support was addressed by the 'waiting families' program that Army Community Service operates. Families also received support from their previous unit's physical FRG. With the war on terrorism things changed. Soldiers were being deployed from Korea to Iraq, making communication with families difficult. And families were reading and seeing stories on the news of bombs going off in areas where their soldiers were. "To ease the added stress placed on soldiers' families, the 2nd Infantry Division provided up-to-date command information as well as the capability to download photos, send newsletters and organize families by location and unit," Burcham said. "This was a new concept to take the physical FRGs and turn them into a virtual context. " The development and fielding of the vFRG for Korea and Iraq was completed in five weeks by DefenseWeb Technologies in San Diego. "The overall purpose of the vFRG supporting soldiers deploying to Korea and Iraq was to provide a Web portal for official and unofficial information between the brigade, soldiers, and families," said Tonya Bowers, Army program manager at DefenseWeb Technologies. The brigade now had the means to communicate with the families of deployed soldiers, Bowers added. Follow-on development built functions to automate the capabilities of today's physical FRGs. These capabilities include instant messaging, forums and discussion groups, post cards, and file and document sharing. The final phase of the program broadens what was developed for the 2nd Infantry Division, and provides training, outreach and support across all three components of the Army: active, Guard and Reserve. When released for use by units, it will feature a unit vFRG locator, a kids and teens area, a phone tree organization chart, emergency family plans, blogs, a training tracker and metrics for the unit commander to determine the state of family readiness, FRG leader forums content, and more. The site also will provide a single location for users to obtain news and updates relating to FRGs and their unit. Users will be able to make updates to the phone tree and e-mail distribution list for rear detachment commanders and FRG leaders to use for mass communication to soldiers and families. Users of the site will first have to register and be authenticated by command-level administrators. This feature is very important to unit commanders concerned with maintaining operational security of the information they provide to families, Burcham said. "After they have been authenticated, users can go into the system, join their unit's virtual FRG, and update the information in their registration file especially if they are changing duty stations," Bowers said. "There are many benefits to using the vFRG system", he added. "Members of the Army Reserve and the National Guard see this as an answer to the communications issues they have to deal with because they are geographically dispersed. Families of mobilized individual ready reservists will be able to join the vFRG of the unit their soldier is deployed with. " Members of the National Guard emphasize that they see this as a great way to enhance family readiness, Burcham added. He said it gives them the capability to maintain an FRG and communicate with their FRG members on a year-round basis, rather than just during deployments. "This vFRG allows them to stay organized throughout the year with a known place where people can log in and communicate without the worry and expense of bringing families into Reserve or Guard headquarters, which could be 100 miles away," Burcham said. "It is not designed to replace the existing physical FRGs, but to enhance them," he noted. To support the upcoming start of the system, a waiting list area where units can sign up to establish a virtual FRG has been added to The www. armyfrg. org Web site. (Margaret McKenzie is assigned to U. S. Army Community and Family Support Center public affairs. )

Related Site:
U. S. Army Community and Family Support Center

America Supports You: It's 'HOT' to Help the Troops

America Supports You: It's 'HOT' to Help the Troops By Steven Donald Smith American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2005 – According to many servicemembers stationed overseas, it's a great feeling to receive a care package, and it's especially nice when the package contains items that you personally requested. In March, Kristen Maddox, a 21-year-old college student from Santa Ana, Calif. , launched the nonprofit organization "Helping Our Troops" with that in mind. Her goal is to ship care packages that contain items based solely on troop requests. "We don't send our favorite items; we send their favorite items," Maddox said. HOT is made up of a small group of volunteers, mainly Maddox's friends and family, who have doggedly searched for a wide variety of items, including canned sardines, eye goggles and pool cues. As soon as HOT receives a request from a servicemember, normally via e-mail, the volunteers immediately set out to fill the order, Maddox said. "Once we receive a request, we go shopping. In cases where the items are difficult to find, we continue shopping until we find them," she said. Some of the requested items have indeed been somewhat difficult to find, but HOT has only failed to deliver on one item thus far. "We could not find Yakisoba noodles anywhere. We called Asian markets and looked online, but we could not find any," Maddox said. "Other than that, we have been able to find everything, either in stores or online. " All of the items in the HOT care packages are donated or purchased with donated money, she said. Maddox said the effort has also received a lot of support from other Southern California organizations. The American Legion of Newport Beach recently donated $1,500; Soroptimist International of Orange, an organization supporting women in management, awarded HOT the "Outstanding Service Award" at their annual awards dinner, which came with a donation of $500; and the local Rotary Club has raised several thousand dollars in direct contributions and through events such as its Fourth of July celebration, she said. Maddox got the idea to start the nonprofit after learning that a good friend was on his way back to Iraq. "I came up with the idea for HOT on my 21st birthday, the same day that my friend was deployed to Iraq for his third tour, leaving behind his 6-month-old son," she said. "It made me want to do something," she said. "I felt it was important to support our troops because they are the ones who are ready at a moment's notice to put their lives on the line to protect us. " Coincidently, at the same time her friend was deployed, Maddox had been working on a school project about Operation Iraqi Freedom. She was struck by the fact that many of the troops making sacrifices overseas were her own age, she said. "The reality that it's mostly my generation over there fighting and dying made me want to do more," she said. "They need to know that there are young people their age who care. " Maddox intends to broaden her work to include veterans outreach. "We have begun working with the veterans hospital in Long Beach in an effort to provide for veterans of all wars," she said. "We owe our freedom throughout our country's history to the men and women who are willing to step up and fight for it. We should do our part to ensure they know how much we appreciate their sacrifices," she concluded.

Related Sites:
Helping Our Troops
America Supports You

Air Guard troops deployed to Iraq

Families gather at Ellington Field to say farewell as loved ones brace for their mission

By PEGGY O'HARE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Ellington Field was the scene of tears, hugs and American flags Tuesday night as several hundred personnel from the 147th Fighter Wing of the Texas Air National Guard shipped out for Iraq.

The mission, at a time when the Pentagon is considering retiring all of the wing's F-16s, is to provide air support for ground troops. Personnel and pilots are expected to remain in Iraq until the early fall.

The mission's troop commander said the mood Tuesday night was a little anxious.

"You just want to get on the ground," said Lt. Col. David Alexander, who twice has been deployed to Iraq. "I'll just tell them to take care of each other ... to make sure that everybody who gets on the plane comes back."

Alexander said he's confident the mission will prove the value of the fighter wing since it is under consideration for budget cuts.

Some family members who served together in the 147th Fighter Wing will remain at each other's side during the deployment, including a father and daughter from southeast Houston and two brothers from League City.

Senior Airman Leah Saldivar, 20, of Houston, said she has a sense of relief knowing her father will be with her in Iraq. "We're going to be fine," she said confidently. "For me, it's like an adventure. It's a mission. We're going to complete it."

She joined the Texas Air National Guard two years ago, following the lead of her father, Master Sgt. Florencio Saldivar, 49, who has served for 22 years. "We're going to make our family proud," he said, beaming at his daughter.

Velma Saldivar, wife and mother of the father-daughter team, said she has a sense of peace, despite the continuing deaths in Iraq. Eight American troops were killed in a single day, Army and Marine officials said Tuesday, pushing the U.S. military death toll in Iraq past 1,800.

"I don't ignore it," she said of the death toll, "but I try to stay focused and stay positive."

League City brothers Michael and Matthew Roberts also are making the trip together. They appeared calm and composed while saying goodbye to family Tuesday night.

"I'm really proud that they're going to go together. I'm glad they're going to support each other," said their mother, Susan Roberts. "Their dad went to Vietnam and came back. And they'll come back."

Many of the personnel appeared firm and resolute while saying their goodbyes.

"We've got a job to do. I'm going so people can come back," said Tech Sgt. William Roy of Angleton, a father of three.

Tech. Sgt. James Mullinax, of Galena Park, has been sent on missions before, but this one was harder since he got married July 22.

"I have a bigger family now," said Mullinax, embracing his wife and daughters.

President Bush served at Ellington during his days in the Texas Air National Guard.

The Defense Department has recommended the F-16 jets be removed from Ellington Field to cut costs, but community leaders have opposed that move.

The Base Realignment and Closure Commission will make final recommendations to the president Sept. 8.

peggy.ohare@chron.com

Scholarships awarded to children of National Guard members

Scholarships awarded to children of National Guard members

By Staff

AUGUSTA (July 28): The Maine Sentinel Scholarship Fund, launched a year ago for the children of active-duty members of the Maine National Guard, has given grants totaling nearly $42,000 to 10 college-bound students. The scholarships range from $2,000 to $6,000.

The fund was established in August 2004 through the efforts of the Maine State Bar Association and Michael Knowles, office manager at the Saco law firm of Smith Elliott Smith & Garmey. It was announced at a Statehouse press conference headed by Gov. John Baldacci. Money was raised through donations and activities including an MSBA charity golf tournament.

It is being administered by the Maine Community Foundation to help pay the college expenses of Maine National Guard members called to active duty since Sept. 11, 2001.

In letters seeking contributions, Knowles wrote that “Maine has one of the highest activation rates in the country” of National Guard members being sent to Iraq and elsewhere, and “We all recognize the emotional burden this type of deployment must place on the families.”

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National Guard troops to begin firefighter training

National Guard troops to begin firefighter training

By SARAH COOKE
Associated Press

HELENA -- Gov. Brian Schweitzer on Thursday declared an emergency for wildfire danger because of current bone-dry conditions and forecasts for continued hot, dry weather, authorizing National Guard pilots to begin training to fight wildfires. "We will pray for rain and prepare for the worst," he said.

Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Sexton and Adj. Gen. Randy Mosley, who heads the Montana National Guard, requested the Guard activation, writing in a memo to Schweitzer that current fire and weather conditions "indicate strong potential for significant wildfire activity" in the state within the next 60 days.

They warned of shortages in "critical resources" like helicopters and ground crews in the next week if fire conditions continue to worsen, which is expected in the next seven to 10 days.

Under the first phase of activation, National Guard helicopter crews will be trained early next week to fight fires in conjunction with regular monthly training, Schweitzer said.

The Guard helicopters, in compliance with federal law, will be deployed only if comparable resources are not available from local, state and commercial sources, he said.

"The fire season is probably going to be over in the next 50 days, but those next 50 days are going to be critical. ... We want to be ready to respond," Schweitzer said.

Starting Aug. 12, the Guard's Blackhawk helicopters will be made available for initial attacks on wildfires in the Helena, Kalispell and Missoula areas, although other areas could be added if necessary, said Col. Brad Livingston, Mosley's chief of staff. The aircraft will also help with larger fires.

More helicopters, as well as Guard troops and other equipment, would be activated under the final phase of mobilization. That, however, will only occur if needed, Livingston said.

"That's when the National Guard would be activated in large numbers, providing additional helicopters ... and hand crews, where people are trained to go out and fight fires," he said.

Livingston stressed the Guard was not being deployed en masse, and that crews would be called out only if needed.

Currently, about 1,300 Guard troops and four helicopters would be available to fight wildfires, he said.

Schweitzer warned of the possibility for a wildfire "blowup" earlier this year, and in March asked the National Guard to return some of Montana's 1,500 Guard troops and aircraft in Iraq and elsewhere for the wildfire season. He claims the Defense Department has turned a deaf ear to his request, although military officials say no state has been left with less than half of its Guard strength and stress that should be enough.

More than a dozen small fires were burning around the state Thursday, the largest being a 300-acre blaze near Philipsburg that was 75 percent contained.

Firefighters continued to mop up hot spots and work toward containment of the lightning-caused Frog Pond fire in southwestern Montana's Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

"This is a blue-collar operation," incident commander Dave Larsen told crews Thursday morning. "There is still lots of work to be done finding spots and working on them -- nothing glamorous about it."

Four 20-member crews were being sent home from the fire Thursday, officials said. The fire has cost about $1.5 million to fight to date.

In the Lolo and Bitterroot national forests, firefighters were kept busy with small, lightning-caused fires.

2nd Battalion, 114th Field Artillery, 155th BCT Find Weapons Cache

*To read the headline and beginning paragraph, highlight and copy below this sentence. Edited for those who don't read about the war casualties.*

Car Bomb Claims Three Soldiers' Lives in Baghdad American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2005 – Three Task Force Baghdad soldiers died Aug. 3 when their vehicle was attacked by a car bomb in southwest Baghdad, Iraq, military officials announced today. The soldiers' names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. In other news from Iraq, a tip from an Iraqi citizen Aug. 1 led U. S. soldiers, from the 2nd Battalion, 114th Field Artillery, 155th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), and Iraqi forces to a weapons cache south of Karbala. The 155th BCT is a U. S. Army unit assigned to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Items seized and subsequently destroyed included 46 rocket-propelled-grenade launchers, an RPG, 121 60 mm mortar tubes, five 80 mm mortar tubes, a shotgun and two AK-47 assault rifles. (Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases. )

Related Site:
Multinational Force Iraq

News Archive

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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.

Visit the Defense Department's Web site for the latest news and information about America's response to the war against terrorism: "Defend America" at http://www.DefendAmerica.mil.