Oct 31, 2009

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION Q-WEST, Iraq - The Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 15th Special Troops Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade, completed a gym in the company area here in mid-Oct. specifically for CrossFit.

Oct 31, 2009

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION Q-WEST, Iraq - Rain water caused small puddles of blood to stream across the pavement under the boots of men wearing what looked like silver spacesuits.

Oct 31, 2009

Oct 31, 2009

Oct 31, 2009

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION Q-WEST, Iraq - The 351st Ordnance Detachment relinquished authority to the 163rd Ordnance Detachment during a ceremony at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation center here Oct. 27.

Oct 31, 2009

Oct 31, 2009

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION Q-WEST, Iraq - Doctor Mohammad, a local doctor and friend of coalition forces, explains his life's story to members of the 15th Sustainment Brigade staff during a dinner at the brigade's headquarters here Oct. 24.

Oct 31, 2009

Oct 31, 2009

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION SPEICHER, Iraq - The 70th Transportation Company passed its mission to the 724th Transportation Company, during a transfer of authority ceremony Oct. 12 at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Facility at Contingency Operating Location Speicher, Iraq.

Oct 31, 2009

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION, MAREZ, MOSUL, Iraq - The Bataan Memorial Park is scheduled to officially open Oct. 30, in a dedication ceremony at Contingency Operating Location Marez, Mosul, Iraq.

Oct 31, 2009

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq - Soldiers of the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion here strive to remain connected to their friends and family back home while deployed.

Oct 31, 2009

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - Gen. Carter F. Ham, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, visited Soldiers Oct. 25 here at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Ham has visited Iraq before, and during this visit he said the progress Iraq has made toward its defense is clear.

Oct 31, 2009

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - Country music stars Craig Morgan, Chris Young and Great American Country host Nan Kelley treated service members to a night of country music and hospitality Oct. 29 at Holt Stadium at Joint Base Balad.

Oct 31, 2009

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION CALDWELL, Iraq - The mass movement of equipment across Iraq for units leaving and coming to the country is a complex process involving the support and coordination of various elements

Oct 31, 2009

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -Soldiers learned how to protect themselves from diseases, non-battle injuries and insects including spiders and scorpions, and how to keep them out of food, water and clothing at a field sanitation course at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

Oct 31, 2009

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - The Red Tail 5/6 Executive Council held a talent show in which service members sang, danced, played instruments and otherwise performed at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation east Oct. 24 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

Oct 31, 2009

Oct 31, 2009

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION SPEICHER, TIKRIT, Iraq - Soldiers with the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) prepared for Operation Clean Sweep, set to begin the first week of November at Contingency Operating Location Speicher, Iraq.

Oct 31, 2009

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - On April 9, 2004, Soldiers with 1st Platoon, 724th Transportation Company out of Bartonville, Ill., were ambushed as they traveled across Iraq on a refueling mission during their deployment to Joint Base Balad, Iraq, then called Camp Anaconda.

Oct 30, 2009

Sacramento District is conducting geotechnical explorations near the Lake Isabella auxiliary dam....

Oct 30, 2009

Leaders of key federal, state and regional water agencies discussed strategies for California's water issues at the 2009 California Water Conference Oct. 27-28 in Sacramento, Calif.

Oct 30, 2009

Oct 30, 2009

Two NCOs, one from the Army and the other from the Air Force, rescued a civilian in Colorado Springs, who was hit by a car Oct. 16.

Oct 30, 2009

Wounded warriors work with Fort Carson Wildlife Management Office and the US Fish and Wildlife Service as part of their recovery therapy.

Oct 30, 2009

FORT CARSON, Colo. - Leaders from Fort Carson and civic leaders from the Pikes Peak region gathered at El Pomar Foundation's Penrose House Oct. 22 for a ceremony to sign the Army Community Covenant.

Oct 30, 2009

Two new Army Combat Uniform camouflage patterns - MultiCam® and the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP-Delta) - are being tested by two Afghanistan-based battalions.

Oct 30, 2009

Paratroopers with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division hand out food, water and medical aid during a humanitarian assistance mission on Oct. 29. The mission was part of October's Joint Forcible Entry Exercise in which 2nd BCT troopers provided medical attention, food and water to the "locals" of the fictional country North Keelung.

Oct 30, 2009

Corps of Engineers and customers broke ground for the Joint Program Executive Office-Chemical Biological Defense facility.

Oct 30, 2009

FORT MONROE, Va. (Oct. 26, 2009) - The U.S. Training and Doctrine Command Lean Six Sigma team was recognized for winning awards at the international level during the 2009 Annual Global Lean, Six Sigma and Business Process Improvement Summit & Industry Awards dinner at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Fla. on Oct. 14.

Oct 30, 2009

After seven years in an Army band, a sergeant decided to volunteer for a combat tour and since January has served as a door gunner on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.

Oct 30, 2009

Oct 30, 2009

Oct 30, 2009

Texting took a back seat to safety this month with an executive order prohibiting text messaging while driving on military installations or driving anywhere in government vehicles.

Oct 30, 2009

Oct 30, 2009

FORT HOOD, Texas - The 1st Cavalry Division honored six wounded Soldiers and 31 volunteers during the division's monthly Purple Heart and Volunteer of the Month recognition ceremony, Oct. 27 at the Phantom Warrior Club.

Oct 30, 2009

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - As Fort Sam Houston celebrates the Year of the Noncomissioned Officer each month, NCOs focus on different aspects of their job. The purpose of the Year of the NCO initiative is to enhance NCO education, fitness, leadership development and pride in service through implementation of programs and policies supporting sustainment and growth of the NCO Corps. Last month Fort Sam Houston NCOs focused on mental fitness. This month the focus is leadership.

Oct 30, 2009

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, KIRKUK, Iraq- Using high-tech microscopes to inspect bullets fired from a suspect's weapon, or testing an old soda can for fingerprints are just the beginning of what a modern police lab can do to solve cases.

Oct 30, 2009

USAG SCHINNEN, Netherlands -- An international mix typical of a tri-border community that hosts numerous NATO units enjoyed a clear, cool night as Service and Family members, community volunteers and local Dutch guests scurried 'round the trunk-or-treat path Oct. 30, 5:30 to 7 p.m. here.

Oct 30, 2009

OAK ISLAND, N.C. - Sixty-five servicemembers waited in the pre-dawn chill Oct. 17 to put down their rifles for some fun and fishing off the coast of South Harbor in Oak Island, N.C., courtesy of the Military Appreciation Day Organization. Many had never been on a fishing boat before, much less reeled in a fish. Capt. Krissy Chow, 98th Civil Affairs Battalion said she enjoyed her first time out.

Oct 30, 2009

It's not often a Soldier admits to having a sensitive side, but 1st Lt. K. Martai Richardson doesn't mind. The 29 year old recently had his book of poetry, "Reflections of a Man's Soul," published by Xlibris Corporation

Oct 30, 2009

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - At 6 feet 4 inches tall, Sgt. Nicholas Lima knows a thing or two about head injuries. He said he has been running into doorways for most of his life and even has an inch-long scar on the top of his to prove this point. As an artilleryman with 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, the 26 year old also knows about the dangers of combat. He survived explosions in Iraq that caused additional damage to his brain. To top it off, Lima was involved in a severe car accident three months ago in which he suffered a concussion, or traumatic brain injury.

Oct 30, 2009

Combat veterans at Fort Knox were thanked for their service with free parachute jumps from Skydive Kentucky over Fort Knox Godman Airfield.

Oct 30, 2009

Sergeant 1st Class David Morrison takes his job as a senior small group leader at the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg Noncommissioned Officer Academy very seriously. He said that he feels the most important job of NCOs is to take care of their Soldiers.

Oct 30, 2009

Federal Eagle is a biannual event involving U.S. and German militaries in cooperative airborne operations held this year Oct. 20 through Saturday at Sicily Drop Zone.

Oct 30, 2009

Members of the Fort Bragg and Fayetteville communities gathered at the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office Friday to remember domestic violence victims during the Remember My Name Memorial and Candlelight Vigil.

Oct 30, 2009

MONS, Belgium-The Supreme Headquarter Allied Powers Europe and ChiAfA..vres Garrison communities filled the SHAPE International Chapel Oct. 30 to remember a fellow Soldier who was killed just a few days earlier on his way to work.

Oct 30, 2009

Delegates of officers, enlisted personnel, spouses, retirees and civilians participated in the 2009 Army Family Action Plan outbrief, at the Fort Bragg Officers' Club Oct. 21.

Oct 30, 2009

Three Fort Bragg students were recognized Friday as the winners of the Fort Bragg Department of Defense Education Activity Energy Artwork Contest.

Oct 30, 2009

Four civilian firefighters from the Fort Bragg fire department deployed to Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico Sunday to assist in fighting a massive explosion at a petroleum, oil and lubricant facility near the Army installation.

Oct 30, 2009

The brilliant autumn day provided a beautiful setting for the 7th Civil Support Command's reflagging ceremony at the Parade Field on Daenner Kaserne Oct. 25.

Oct 30, 2009

The Soldiers of 28th Combat Support Hospital bid farewell to Family and friends during a deployment ceremony held at Pike Field Monday. The ceremony was attended by several hundred Family members, fellow Soldiers and other distinguished guests, including Medal of Honor recipient Col. Gordon R. Roberts.

Oct 30, 2009

Oct 30, 2009

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (October 30, 2009) - Immunizations against the H1N1 virus will soon be available, and people are eager to take precautions. TRICARE Prime, Standard and Extra beneficiaries can get their shots from network and non-network providers without paying a deductible or making a co-payment. A temporary waiver allows non-active duty TRICARE Prime enrollees to get the H1N1 immunization from non-network providers without a referral or authorization, eliminating point-of-service charges. Prime enrollees will not be charged a co-payment or cost share. Active duty service members should follow the guidance of their respective services.

Oct 30, 2009

ROTA, Spain - Even before the sun rose over the U.S. naval station in Rota, Spain, personnel from the Theater Aviation Sustainment Manager-Europe were working on the mammoth task of off-loading a three-story cargo ship filled with critical equipment destined for Afghanistan.

Oct 30, 2009

Oct 30, 2009

Two Soldiers from the Medical Department Activity in Heidelberg, Germany, claimed the title of "Best Medics in the Army" during the Expert Field Medical Competition at Camp Bullis, Oct. 19-23. Staff Sgt. Bjoern J. Pietrzyk, a healthcare specialist and Sgt. Charles Smith, a radiology specialist earned best scores in the combat medic lanes and road march, and were the overall winners for the competition. Pietrzyk and Smith represented the Europe Regional Medical Command in the event.

Oct 30, 2009

October 16 marked the quiet transition of the XVIII Airborne Corps from the Army of Excellence structure of the late 1980s to a modular corps, designed to fight and work alone or with units across the Army in a joint environment.

Oct 30, 2009

The 15th Sustainment Brigade "Wagonmasters" began Operation Clean Sweep here in mid-October by finding $2.9 million in excess equipment to place back into the military supply system for reuse.

Oct 30, 2009

Maj. Gen. Karl R. Horst, Commander, JFHQ National Capital Region and Military District of Washington

Oct 30, 2009

Oct 30, 2009

The Warrior and Family Support Center jumped on the band wagon Oct. 24 and participated in "Make a Difference Day" a national, annual event where neighbors help neighbors by participating in a project that will help the community. Volunteers at WFSC built Personal Energy Transportation vehicles, hand-craned wheelchairs with solid rubber tires for use on dirt and grass. Known as PETs the wheelchairs are shipped to less fortunate disabled people in other countries allowing them better mobility in areas without sidewalks or paved roads.

Oct 30, 2009

Flying the skies is more than a hobby for pilot Dennis Boyer. It's also an affirmation of life, a chance to help someone who is suffering, an opportunity to touch someone coping with threatening health issues. Boyer is a Mercy Flight Southeast pilot, volunteering his six-seat, twin engine Cessna 310 to provide free airplane transportation for children and adults who need transportation for medical care in facilities hundreds of miles from Huntsville. He has also provided compassionate flights for Soldiers who need quick transportation to visit a dying relative. "This is something that I can do to give back," said Boyer, the chief engineer for the Kiowa Warrior Product Office, Program Executive Office for Aviation. "I've taken a lot of patients to M.D. Anderson in Houston for cancer treatments. I've made a lot of flights with children out to South Carolina to the Shriners Hospital. And a lot to Memphis to the Memphis Children's Hospital and to St. Jude's Children's Hospital." Mercy Flight Southeast is affiliated with the nationwide Angel Flight program. Its volunteer pilots provide transportation for transplant programs, medical care, compassionate care, domestic violence relocations and disaster relief.

Oct 30, 2009

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Leaders and community representatives were ready to tackle issues at the Fiscal Year 2010 Fort Sam Houston Army Family Action Plan Conference Oct. 21 through 23 at the Sam Houston Club. Over 50 issues were discussed and prioritized from housing to behavioral health, as well as recycling.

Oct 30, 2009

An award more than 45 years in the making was finally received Oct. 28, as retired Brig. Gen. John W. Nicholson was awarded the Silver Star for actions in Vietnam.

Oct 30, 2009

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - Military construction activity in San Antonio again reaches historic levels with more than $700 million in con-tracts in fiscal year 2009. The Base Realignment and Closure construction program in San Antonio has boosted over-all military construction expenditures in the city to historically high levels for the second year in a row.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District and the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment awarded 35 BRAC and other military construction contracts worth a total of $738 million during fiscal year 2009, which ended on Sept. 30.

Oct 30, 2009

The annual Special Olympics track and field event just keeps getting better each year. The crowd, events and activities were even bigger than in previous years. So were the smiles. "It's a wonderful team effort between Redstone Arsenal and the local community to be able to support this event," Army Community Service director Sue Paddock said. "For the Soldiers it's a great learning experience. We really enjoy supporting it." Close to a thousand athletes, Soldiers, volunteers and well-wishers turned out at Milton Frank Stadium on Oct. 20 for the four and a half hour event. Among that number were 250 Soldiers from the 832nd Ordnance Battalion. "The Soldiers did a great job as escorts. We are so proud to have them be a part of this annual event."

Oct 30, 2009

Being fit to fight in today's military means more than simply being physically fit, and through the concept of "total fitness," Defense Department officials hope to build on what many say already is the most resilient force in U.S. military history.

Oct 30, 2009

The first "It's Not Easy Being Green" Spouse's Conference was held with about 22 people in attendance seven years ago. This year's conference, Oct. 15-16 at Dodd Field Chapel, was a hoppin' good time had by more than 60 attendees. "It's Not Easy Being Green" is designed to celebrates spouses' lives in the military, while also helping them to strengthen community ties, form new friendships and develop skills essential to military life.

Oct 30, 2009

Becky Feehan had never considered herself a "survivor." Now, she wears that descriptive title with pride. At age 31, Feehan became a breast cancer survivor. With the help of God, her husband, and her family and friends, she quickly responded by having surgery and undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, and she won a fight that threatened her life. "When we got the news, my husband told me I had to fight," she said. "He said 'I know you don't have a mean bone in your body, Becky. But you've got to get mean to fight this.' And I was ready to fight." For Feehan, the discovery of breast cancer came at a point in her life when the future held a lot of promise and happiness. Just a couple months earlier, she had married the love of her life, now Air Force Brig. Gen. Terrence Feehan, and the two were settling into their home at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. "In March 2003, we were brand new newlyweds," she said. "But it was my very first trip to the base clinic when the cancer was discovered ... "The possibility that this disease could take my life was not so much frightening as it was disappointing. Terry and I had finally found each other less than a year before, and we were planning a full and joyful life together. It just didn't seem fair to me that this dream could be ending even before it had really begun."

Oct 30, 2009

Oct 30, 2009

AMCOM commander Maj. Gen. Jim Myles talked informally with the latest participants in the command's mentoring program. Myles asked each protege what he or she had gotten out of the six-month program and also conversed with their mentors. He awarded certificates to all the participants in this ninth cycle of the People Empowering People mentoring program during the award ceremony Oct. 20. "This program is set up so well to allow you to interface with our leaders. We've got some great leaders here," Myles said. he Aviation and Missile Command's latest cycle of the program, conducted by AMCOM G-1 (Human Resources), began April 20.

Oct 30, 2009

In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, U.S. Army South hosted a program Oct. 20 for a large crowd of Soldiers, civilians and veterans at Army Community Service. "The number of individuals with severe disabilities working in government has dropped every year since 1994. Today individuals with severe disabilities represent only one percent of the total population working in government workforce," said Col. Mary Garr, commander, U.S. Army Garrison, who provided opening remarks for the event. "We can do better, and we must do better."

Oct 30, 2009

Oct 30, 2009

Bicentennial Chapel celebrated its annual Blessing of the Animals on Oct. 3. The Blessing of the Animals has been celebrated at the chapel for more than 20 years.

Oct 30, 2009

The Gift Chapel's 100th anniversary Oct. 20 commemorated a centennial of community between Fort Sam Houston and residents of the city of San Antonio. Flags from each of the states waved in the breeze, patriotic bunting adorned the building's faAfASade and a pleasantly noisy crowd of about 250 civilian and military assembled at the front entrance of the chapel reminiscent of a typical American main-street festivity.

Oct 30, 2009

U.S. and coalition servicemembers, civilians, military working dog handlers and their dogs came together in a ceremony Oct. 16, to unveil the war dog memorial built at the KAF boardwalk in honor of military working dogs killed here in the line of duty.

Oct 30, 2009

A story and photos from 5th Signal Command's colors uncasing story in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Oct 30, 2009

In a recent performance in Alexandria, Va, The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" presented a cross-cultural event with COL Akira Takeda of Japan.

Oct 30, 2009

Fort Benning, Ga. - Around 100 children gathered at Hook Range Saturday to shoot shotguns, archery, BB guns and watch a hunting dog demonstration and shotgun demonstration by 2008 Olympic gold medalist SPC Vincent Hancock as part of Youth Sportsman Day.

Oct 30, 2009

FORT BENNING, Ga. - The Warrior Training Center's footprint has grown considerably across the Army since its creation in 2003.

Oct 30, 2009

Fort Benning, Ga. - Ten seconds is what kept runner 2LT Derek Taylor from competing in the 2008 Olympic trials during his senior year at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

Oct 30, 2009

Fort Benning, Ga. - Meeting the religious needs of Soldiers is a priority for Fort Benning chaplains, said Chaplain (COL) Glenn Davis, post senior chaplain.

Oct 30, 2009

"It certainly brings us back," said retired Maj. Roger Messick, who coordinated the first reunion for Ranger veterans who graduated 51 years ago from the Ranger Training Brigade.

Oct 30, 2009

Fort Benning, Ga. - Renovations are under way on French, Green and Blue fields to create a youth sports and recreation complex outfitted with a concession stand, walking trail and dining pavilions.

Oct 30, 2009

Fort Benning, Ga. - Two days a week, local kids descend on Fort Benning to learn from the best.

Oct 30, 2009

Fort Benning, Ga. - The American Education Week College Fair promises to be a "one-stop shop" for anyone interested in adult education.

Oct 30, 2009

Fort Benning, Ga. - "It's the best job in the Army," said CW4 Fred Catchings, commander of the Maneuver Center of Excellence Band, who will nevertheless retire his conductor's baton in December.

Oct 30, 2009

Nothing says pride like a Soldier in uniform. Today's Soldier has much to be proud of in the current Army Combat Uniform, but the Army is always looking for way to make it better and more well-suited to the needs of the Soldier.

Oct 30, 2009

Fort Benning, Ga. - SFC Shielda Groce, a Reserve Soldier with the Warrior Transition Battalion, won a four-day trip to Orlando, Fla., and Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday at Boots on Broadway.

Oct 30, 2009

Fort Benning, Ga. - More than 30 World War II veterans and a host of family and friends attended the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, annual reunion.

Oct 30, 2009

Fort Benning, Ga. - She once lived in fear of being killed by her husband, said Fort Benning Family Advocacy Program Manager Becky Welch as she addressed a group of nearly 50 women. "I know what it's like to have a shot gun held to my head. You're thinking that it's going to go off at any minute," she said during a self-defense class Friday.

Oct 30, 2009

Fort Benning, Ga. - Before you sign on the dotted line, whether it's to buy a house or rent an apartment, make sure you've taken the right steps to get there, urges Ann Pratcher, financial readiness program manager for Fort Benning's Army Community Services.

Oct 30, 2009

In the first decade of the twenty-first century, the People's Republic of China appears intent on becoming a responsible great power. Beijing continues to insist-as it has for several decades-that "peace and development" are the key trends of the times. President Hu Jintao claims that China is focused on building a "harmonious" and "moderately prosperous society" at home and a "harmonious world" abroad. Beijing has taken great pains to stress that its growing power does not threaten any nation, and the world is witnessing China's "peaceful rise" or "peaceful development."

Oct 30, 2009

With less than one half of one percent of the U.S. population in the Armed Forces, it is not surprising that many Americans know little about their military or the sacrifices military members and their families make for the Nation. The professional military is often viewed as a breed apart, a closed hierarchal organization resembling a monastic order. Indeed, some scholars have identified not just a cloister wall, but a growing chasm between the military and American society as a whole. Meanwhile, the necessity for operations security and an institutional penchant for controlling information flow do little to bridge gaps or break down walls.

Oct 30, 2009

Oct 30, 2009

A team of environmental and unexploded ordnance experts here unearthed an 11-foot-long cannon and a 10-inch cannonball on Oct. 21. The find was part of a four-month munitions probe in preparation for the installation's closure in September 2011.

Oct 30, 2009

The Defense Department has acquired enough doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine to immunize all 460,000 members of the National Guard, officials announced Thursday.

Oct 30, 2009

Today's complex, fluid, and unpredictable operational environment both demands more from the military in terms of mission requirements and exposes troops to more stressors and potential trauma than ever before. On the one hand, situational awareness, mental agility, and adaptability are characteristics that the military wants to cultivate to succeed in such complex environments. In part, this complexity comes from the number and nature of the different missions the military must concurrently fill. The military needs to be able to mix offensive, defensive, and stability operations conducted along multiple lines of operations, without the benefit of a clearly demarcated "frontline." Many Soldiers liken this complexity and unpredictability to "the faucet," that is, needing to adjust to situations that could change from cold to hot instantaneously.

Oct 30, 2009

The Defense Department has acquired enough doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine to immunize all 460,000 members of the National Guard, officials announced Thursday.

Oct 30, 2009

Tips on when to seek medical care for seasonal or H1N1 flu, prevention and self-care