Nov 1, 2010

Ashleigh, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the secretary of general staff for 1st Armored Division, United States Division - Center, and a Malibu, Calif., native, and Matthew, a vehicle maintenance noncommissioned officer with the headquarters motor pool with 1st Armd. Div., and a Mobile, Ala., native, have been married to each other for more than five years and have many experiences most civilian couples do not share.

Sep 28, 2010

Military spouses stepped into their husbands' shoes for a day during 1st Armored Division's Combat Spouses Day at the Rheinblick Outdoor Recreation Complex Sept. 22.

Sep 24, 2010

Two United States Division - Center Soldiers enjoyed a small Family reunion Sept. 19 when a father was able to promote his daughter at Camp Liberty, Iraq.

Sep 23, 2010

True grit became a lasting and crucial theme for participating teams in the 14th annual Military Police Warfighter competition; a four-day event at Fort Leonard Wood, Sept. 13-16, presenting numerous warrior tasks, battle drills and endurance tests to participating three-man teams from installations worldwide.

Sep 23, 2010

One match requires a boxer to put in weeks of practice in order to be prepared for the fight. During this preparation period, a boxer will have to dedicate hours of each week and will have to keep with the program to be ready for a fight.

Sep 23, 2010

Nineteen students from various medical backgrounds, including some in the Iraqi Security Forces, learned medical techniques that can be used to treat wounded people in a mass casualty scenario.

Sep 22, 2010

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Sept. 20, 2010) Aca,!aEURc With just ten days remaining before members of the advance echelons of Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces Command and Headquarters, U.S. Army Reserve Command begin reporting here for duty, the liaison teams and "Torch Party" representing each command are making final preparations as the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure-directed relocation of the two commands' headquarters begins in earnest.

Sep 21, 2010

Sep 21, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - Writing, performing and producing a catchy song isn't about fame and fortune for one group of U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden preteens. A,A They'd much rather be "Energy Stars."

Sep 21, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - Hut one. Hut two. A,A Tackle football has returned to Child, Youth and School Services after a more than 10-year absence.

Sep 20, 2010

Sep 19, 2010

Resiliency Video created by 4th BCT 1AD FT Bliss TX to inform Soldiers, Families, on Resiliency and programs available to them and they are not only limited to just on base care it informs individuals on how the Ft Bliss is also partnered with the Community of El Paso with the Soldiers Mansion as an available resource available to those who need them.

Sep 18, 2010

Sep 18, 2010

As the second youngest Soldier in Headquarters and Headquarters Operations Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, Pfc. Nanalee Litzsinger has held more full time jobs than most young people her age.

Sep 16, 2010

KARMAH, Iraq - Hundreds of Karmah, Iraq, residents received free medical care during a combined medical engagement between Iraqi and U.S. forces, Sept. 7.

Sep 14, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - It's been almost a decade since the deadly attacks on New York City's Twin Towers and the Pentagon, but the ramifications continue to be felt around the world. A,A For students at Wiesbaden Middle School, remembering those killed on Sept. 11, 2001, and in the years since in service to the nation, has become an annual tradition.

Sep 14, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - Would you know what to do in an emergency' Does your family have a plan for how to communicate and react in the event of a catastrophe, natural disaster or some other unforeseen occurrence' Members of the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security are reminding people during September - National Preparedness Month - that having a basic home emergency kit, making a plan and being informed are vitally important in being ready to deal with any situation that might arise.

Sep 13, 2010

Hammer of the Broads, an all-female tribute band to Led Zeppelin, performed at COB Speicher Sept. 8.

Sep 12, 2010

Soldiers deployed to Iraq with the III Corps Special Troops Battalion are unlikely to see a dramatic shift in their day-to-day missions following the transition of United States Forces- Iraq to Operation New Dawn, Sept. 1.

Sep 11, 2010

Sep 10, 2010

Registration is ongoing for the 2010 U.S. Army Championship Combatives Tournament. The tournament will take place at the Paul R. Smith Fitness Center Oct. 1-3, 2010, and is hosted by the Maneuver Center of Excellence and the U.S Army Combatives School.

Sep 10, 2010

With the opening of a resiliency campus on COB Basra, Iraq, the 1st Infantry Division Headquarters is working to improve the resilience of personnel in United States Division-South while they are still operating in a combat zone.

Sep 9, 2010

Gen James D. Thurman, commander of U.S. Army Forces Command, delivered the keynote address during a solemn Patriot Day ceremony at Fort McPherson, Ga. He honored the victims of the Sept. 1, 2001, terrorist attacks and commended America's Soldiers who have demonstrated this nation's resolve to beat the perpetrators of oppression. He said, "None of us knows exactly the sacrifices that might lie ahead. But what is certain is the outcome. We will win!"

Sep 9, 2010

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq - U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates presented the Purple Heart to Spc. Shawn M. Mason during a ceremony at Camp Ramadi, Iraq, Sept. 1.

Sep 9, 2010

Four 3rd Infantry Division Soldiers recall their thoughts after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C., and the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, when passengers determined their jet would be used to attack another target.

Sep 8, 2010

Lt. Col. Mark Elfendahl, chief of the Joint and Army Concepts Division at TRADOC'S Army Capabilities Integration Center, briefs FORSCOM on the new Army Operating Concept.

Sep 8, 2010

Only 20 of more than 1.5 million troops who have deployed in the war on terrorism earned the Distinguished Service Cross. Now a Fort Benning-based Soldier can be added to the list.

Sep 6, 2010

Sgt. Ry Norris provides a news story detailing the move of the Iraqi Air Force academy back to its historical home at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, near Tikrit, Iraq.

Sep 4, 2010

As Gen. Raymond T. Odierno transferred leadership of USF-I to Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the world seemed to be watching.

Sep 3, 2010

To maintain the traditional look of the historic Main Post area of Fort Bragg, N.C., and to preserve the original appearance and original materials of historic buildings under renovation; new construction and remodeling being done to facilitate the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure-directed relocation of the headquarters of U.S. Army Forces Command and U.S. Army Reserve Command to Fort Bragg has been closely coordinated with the N.C. State Historical Preservation Office. From new roof lines to historic windows and floor tile, supporting contract firms and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are taking appropriate measures to maintain the historic symbolism, aesthetics and atmosphere that have always been an important part of living and working on the Fort Bragg cantonment.

Sep 2, 2010

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq - Soldiers with 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, United States Division-Center, paid tribute to women whose efforts helped pave the way for other women today during an equal opportunity observance program, Aug. 26.

Sep 2, 2010

BAGHDAD - United States Division-Center now has two armored vehicles parked in front of its headquarters, thanks to coordination between 1st Armored Division and 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division leaders.

Sep 2, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - Staff Sgt. Eney Dough is stuck in a tough assignment where he's worked 65 hours a week since he arrived six months ago. His unit is preparing for a deployment that will separate him from his family once again for a year after returning from a previous deployment only 14 months earlier. Coupled with the stresses of the job, he also has to make provisions for a pregnant wife of five years, two toddlers and a troubled teenager from his wife's first marriage. Turmoil at home and work has Dough on the edge, as he has been holding in much of his frustrations.

Sep 2, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - Wiesbaden military community members got an inside look at the many resources, organizations and assistance available at an Army Community Service Open House Aug. 24.

Sep 1, 2010

U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates-who announced Iraq's operational name change in February-visited Iraq Sep. 1 and, on one stop, met with the Vanguard Brigade Soldiers at Camp Ramadi, Iraq.

Sep 1, 2010

Iraqi Army Soldiers conducted training Aug. 30 at Joint Security Station Deason in Baghdad, exhibiting their capability to secure a more stable and sovereign Iraq.

Aug 31, 2010

A compendium of images highlighting the work being done at Fort Bragg, N.C. to prepare for the BRAC 2005-directed relocation of the headquarters of U.S. Army Forces Command and U.S. Army Reserve Command from Fort McPherson, Ga.

Aug 31, 2010

Considered the highest peacetime honor for an NCO, the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club was started in 1986 at Fort Hood as an effort to recognize noncommissioned officers who displayed the integrity, professionalism, commitment to mentoring subordinate Soldiers, leadership abilities and personal ethics exemplified by Audie L. Murphy, America's most decorated Soldier.

Aug 31, 2010

The rehearsal of concept drill took place Aug. 24-26 at the Radisson Quad City Plaza, Davenport, Iowa. The Army Materiel Command will take over operational control of all DOL functions located in the United States on Oct. 1. The Army Sustainment Command through its Army Field Support Brigades will manage the DOLs. Resource and personnel transfer of DOLs worldwide is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2011.

Aug 31, 2010

On Aug. 23, Wilson headed out from Camp Victory on his last tactical ground movement by MRAP, bound for Contingency Operating Site Kalsu to visit Soldiers of the 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division

Aug 30, 2010

Army Team C4ISR members briefed conference attendees about topics related to this year's LandWarNet theme of providing global cyber-dominance to joint/combined commanders. Strong opened the C4ISR Materiel Enterprise track sessions by summarizing the purpose, mission, organizational structure and challenges of the enterprise.

Aug 27, 2010

Aug 26, 2010

A compendium of images and captions highlighting the activites at the forward locations of Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces Command and Headquarters, U.S. Army Reserve Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., during the week of August 16-22, 2010.

Aug 26, 2010

ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq-Twenty eight Iraqi police officers became certified technicians specially trained to handle what has traditionally been one of the most hazardous weapon in Iraq - roadside bombs - after completing Anbar's first 12-week Counter Explosive Team course at the Ramadi Training Center, Aug. 21.

Aug 26, 2010

Capt. Scott Leifker, badly wounded in Iraq in 2006, honored as Hero of the Game by Chicago White Sox, where he meets Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Aug 26, 2010

The 5th Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Army Evaluation Task Force (AETF) recently battled through two weeks of rough terrain and triple digit heat to test the Brigade Combat Team Modernization equipment during their company level Situational Training Exercise (STX).

Aug 24, 2010

On Aug. 10, Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st AAB along with Soldiers from 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st AAB, handed out food, supplies and toys donated by First Baptist Church in Richmond Hill, Ga., located near Fort Stewart, Ga., home to part of the 3rd Inf. Div.

Aug 23, 2010

Soldiers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division stopped into the Ambrosio Guillen Texas State Veterans Home for some lunch with veterans of our nation's previous conflicts along with some spouses of those more refined heroes from our great country. Col. Scott McKean, commander of the Highlander Brigade felt so strongly about the visit and the members of the home, that he wanted to give them a special gift and reaffirm a commitment between the home and the Highlander Brigade.

Aug 23, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - The chickens, cows, sheep and donkeys huddled in the corner awaiting their stage debuts. A,A The young faces that poked out from behind the yellow, white and brown costumes beamed with smiles.

Aug 23, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - From SMART Boards and upgraded science labs to ongoing construction projects, the Department of Defense Dependents Schools Europe facilities in Baumholder and Wiesbaden are keeping pace with the needs of students and teachers.

Aug 23, 2010

Gen. Dempsey, commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command spoke to the TRADOC G-3/5/7 conference attendees Aug. 11 at the Omni Hotel in Newport News, Va.

Aug 22, 2010

To ensure they are providing the best support to the ISF and the government of Iraq, AABs are tailored to the unique operations environment where they operate. The units are augmented with as many as 24 specialty teams such as engineering, transportation, investigative and forensic specialists, counter explosives and counterterrorism and training.

Aug 17, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - Recognizing and understanding consent before engaging in sex can significantly lower sexual assault and rape statistics in the Army. Catharsis Production players Ben Murrie and Amber Kelly presented "Sex Signals" to audiences in Baumholder and Wiesbaden in late July to heighten awareness of sexual assault and rape and to inspire a culture of respectful dialogue and intervention.

Aug 17, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany -- Towering yellow cranes and backhoes are holding the places of future trees and buildings and changing the overall quality of life as the Wiesbaden landscape transforms. Multiple construction projects including demolition, neighborhood revitalization, renovation, regular maintenance, infrastructure upgrades and repairs abound in both the residential and operational areas of the military community.

Aug 17, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - Germany's tourist board reports the country is the third most popular tourist destination in Europe and Americans the second most overnight guests. And while Munich's Oktoberfest may account for a large number of those annual visitors, the Bavarian capital city on the Isar River beckons those from far and wide year-round. Munich is especially hospitable during the summer and fall months when the locals head to picnic along the river, relax in one of the many beer gardens situated all over town or to sunbathe in the city's parks.

Aug 8, 2010

Aug 5, 2010

Maj. Gen. Terry A. Wolff, United States Division-Center commanding general, places the highest warrant rank on Chief Warrant Officer 5 Randy Johnson during his promotion ceremony in the USD-C division conference room Aug. 4.

Aug 5, 2010

Soldiers from 501st Military Police Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, 1st Armored Div., trained members of 6th Iraqi Army Div., on reacting to improvised explosive devices at Contingency Operating Location Constitution July 26.

Aug 4, 2010

United States Division- Center is offering Soldiers alternatives to traditionla military methods of dealing with stress.

Aug 1, 2010

Recently, a decrease in violence, brought on by a partnership between U.S. forces and a strengthened Iraqi Security Force, has allowed the school a refurbished school in Malahma and was recently re-opened to the public.

Jul 6, 2010

Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, met with members of the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and other deployed servicemembers and civilians at Camp Liberty Sunday as part of a visit to Iraq during the 4th of July weekend.

Jul 4, 2010

One hundred fifty-six service members from 56 different countries recited the Oath of Citizenship in the rotunda of Al Faw Palace and marked the Fourth of July as the day they became American citizens.

Jun 30, 2010

For five local media outlets, an opportunity was extended to them to become a Bulldog and embed with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division during a field training exercise and tell their select audiences what it is like to be in the military if only for a few days.

Jun 24, 2010

Soldiers from 1st Armored Division worked together with sailors, airmen and civilians to distribute pediatric wheelchairs to approximately 40 disabled Iraqi children at the Camp Liberty Field House June 21.

Jun 15, 2010

U.S. Soldiers from the United States Division - Center Iraq took a little time to celebrate the Army's 235th Birthday on Camp Liberty. They started with a few formalities followed by a cake-cutting ceremony and music, but more importantly each Soldier was given the oppurtunity to just relax and unwind for the day.

Jun 14, 2010

Jun 14, 2010

Jun 8, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - More than 80 Soldiers with the 1st Armored Division's Special Troops Battalion came home from Iraq June 4.

May 20, 2010

There are many resources needed to sustain a military unit, but one of them towers above all others in importance; clean water. This fact wasnAca,!a,,ct lost on the Aca,!A"RoughryderAca,!A? water purification specialists of A Company, 125th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, as they trained with the Tactical Water Purification System during their battalionAca,!a,,cs 10-day field training exercise at McGregor Range, N.M., May 12-21. Taking up shop at the rangeAca,!a,,cs waste water treatment facility, the crew worked on the crucial practice of turning bleak water into clean water.

May 13, 2010

Photos package of EFMB test held at Fort Bliss, Texas

May 11, 2010

Company B, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment Soldiers visited Majid's falafel shop and another business to hand out paperwork for the shop owners to apply for the micro-grants.

May 11, 2010

After living at Joint Security Station Sheikh Amir since January, Soldiers with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment "Tomahawks," cut the power to the station April 13.

May 7, 2010

On May 3, Soldiers from Task Force Twister, the garrison command of Victory Base Complex, and the Division Special Troops Battalion held a mass casualty exercise at Camp Liberty. The purpose of the exercise was to certify that personnel in a combat environment are able to respond to a mass casualty event effectively.

May 7, 2010

Command Sgt. Maj. Rue Mayweather, who works in United States Forces- Iraq's Critical Thinking cell, traveled to Camp Taji to visit her son, 1st Lt. Kenieth Mayweather May 5. The two had been working within their chains of command to arrange a Mother's Day visit, but Kenieth had no idea his mother was coming to visit him early.

May 7, 2010

May 7, 2010

Two Soldiers assigned to the 414th Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Division - Center, Lt. Col. Gary Esson, the senior fire service advisor and a native of Joplin, Mo., and Spc. Michael Burris, a fire service advisor and Fayetteville, N.C., native, both with the Provincial Reconstruction Team - Baghdad, have spent nearly a year working to make life for Iraqi firefighters a little bit better.

Apr 27, 2010

Besting roughly 400 other civilian and military runners from all over Iraq, Army Sgt. Derek Miller won the sixth-annual Boston Marathon at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq April 18, 2010, with a time of 3:01:00, and shared the laurels was Spc. Janelle A. Drennan, whose 3:40:09 made her the first female finisher.

Apr 27, 2010

With the stroke of a pen, the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division took another step forward towards the responsible reduction of forces in Iraq, transferring responsibility of Joint Coordination Center Abu Ghraib to their Iraqi Police partners during a ceremony here April 20.

Apr 23, 2010

Soldiers of C Troop, 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, transferred Joint Security Station Salie to members of 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Federal Police in a ceremony Tuesday.

Apr 16, 2010

Nine border policemen from 1st Brigade of the 2nd Region, Department of Border Enforcement, learned preventive medicine and field medicine, how to conduct field interviews, and how to better search personnel and vehicles from Soldiers of 585th Military Police Company, an Ohio National Guard unit attached to 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (Advise and Assist Brigade).

Apr 16, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - With the most age diverse workforce in the history of the Department of Defense, knowing where coworkers are coming from means understanding their generations.

Apr 15, 2010

Soldiers from 1192nd Engineer Company recently took part in important training to refresh and maintain their skills in mine detection. The five-day course, offered by the U.S. Army Engineer School located on the Victory Base Complex, is conducted on a regular basis and teaches Soldiers mine identification in both daytime and nighttime environments. Soldiers must be able to identify all the mines presented during the course in order to pass.

Apr 14, 2010

Iraqi medical professionals at Yarmouk Hospital had to cut short a tour for U.S. doctors and Soldiers when an Iraqi Army soldier suffering from a gunshot wound was suddenly brought into their ward. As doctors from the hospital rushed to save the soldier's life, the Americans witnessed firsthand how the Iraqi medical system operates.

Apr 14, 2010

Sgt. Siobhan Eastman headed to Camp Liberty April 8, where she linked up with Shakir, a liaison officer for 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. Eastman, the supply sergeant for Company B, 37th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, 18th Airborne Division in Joint Air Base Balad, received a supply mission to Camp Liberty. While there, she made good on a tradition the two of them have maintained for years: father-daughter date night.

Apr 13, 2010

At the end of any combat deployment, it is common to take a moment and assess what the Soldiers of a unit have accomplished over 12 months away from friends and family.

Apr 13, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - "Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing." A,A That's the advice of Baumholder and Wiesbaden Sexual Assault Prevention and Response coordinators.

Apr 13, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - Eleven months ago leaders gathered to break ground for the new Wiesbaden Entertainment Center in Hainerberg Housing. At that time project officials described their vision of a 27,000-square-foot venue offering a one-stop, state-of-the-art amusement zone. A,A In two weeks on April 29 everyone is invited to see the results of the around $10 million construction effort and to join the staff as they celebrate the opening of the new two-story facility.

Apr 13, 2010

A few hundred meters from the Iran-Iraq border, sentries from the Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement conducted medical evacuation training with U.S. Advisors attached to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.

Apr 13, 2010

Local architecture plays an important role in the culture of the marsh Arabs of southern Iraq, and no structure captures the lifestyle and traditions of the region more than the 'mudhif.'

Apr 10, 2010

To prepare for the unfortunate event of a downed aircraft, Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, joined forces with Camp Taji firefighters to practice for such an emergency April 6.

Apr 9, 2010

As Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, replaces 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, they bring with them a battalion with one of the Army's newest helicopters, the UH-60M Black Hawk. The CAB is the second active duty unit to receive the UH-60M and the first to use it in Iraq.

Apr 9, 2010

Soldiers of the Ohio National Guard 16th Engineer Brigade, in partnership with the Iraqi Army 17th Division, recently identified two local Baghdad schools in critical need of school supplies.

Apr 9, 2010

Soldiers with Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, said their final farewells to 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Federal Police Division, at a farewell dinner at Joint Security Station Shield April 4.

Apr 8, 2010

New Military Policemen who arrived in Iraq mid-February, tell their stories of training immediately after arriving in Iraq and the contrast of going from celebrating senior proms last year to learning about the Iraqi culture.

Apr 7, 2010

Spc. Erik Casarez of 3rd Platoon, Company D, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (Advise and Assist), provides his buddies on isolated COP's the basic necessities from home.

Mar 31, 2010

Iraqi and American brothers put shoes to dirt for a soccer tournament March 25 at Forward Operating Base Falcon. Fifth Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, played 5th and 7th Brigade Federal Police, 2nd Federal Police Division, in three action-packed games to determine who the best security team in southern Baghdad.

Mar 31, 2010

With their Strykers parked outside, 1st Lt. Matt Sawdy led 1st platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, into the building, his men setting up a security perimeter along the way. Inside the courtyard, the lieutenant met with his Iraqi Army counterpart, discussed plans for the day's mission, then took a knee, placing his M4 carbine at his side and picking up a bright pink Barbie backpack. Soldiers from the platoon conducted a series of humanitarian assistance drops March 25, delivering roughly 2,400 backpacks full of school supplies to children at schools in their operational environment.

Mar 31, 2010

WIESBADEN, Germany - Shots echo through the Wackernheim Firing Range as members of the Hessen Polizei, Soldiers of the Bundeswehr and Military Police of U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden refine their skills in a joint exercise March 15-17.

Mar 30, 2010

What started as a friendly competition between two Soldiers from Headquarters Support Company, 101st Engineer Battalion, has grown into support for a charity event in their home state.

Mar 30, 2010

Sometimes, as 2nd Lt. Andrew Berreth discovered during a recent visit to an Iraqi police checkpoint, it's the subtle shifts, the casual comments, what fringe has grown from the new fabric of Iraqi life that let on where they are as a people and a nation. Just as cattails growing along a water's margin best describe a relative tranquility - the germination of a new way can be both subtle and dramatic.