Locals from Al Harza Village, near Numaniyah, stand in line just to meet U.S. troops during an operation conducted by the 48th Brigade Combat Team. People don't stand in line to meet the criminals such as Al Queda who violate Islam and Muslim brotherhood and law.
Pic: SPC Spencer Case

During a humanitarian mission to Al Harza Village, near Namaniyah, Iraqi children are escorted through a line where each select a pair of shoes a snack and other goods. Here, SPC Daniel Larson marks a child's hand to make sure everyone makes it through.

Pic: SPC Spencer Case

Naval medical personnel manage chaos, as they treat wounded service members who just arrived at Camp Taqaddum’s main surgical facility for emergency medical treatment. The service members were injured in a recent insurgent attack. Taqaddum Surgical handles the duties of both a shock trauma platoon and a forward resuscitative surgical suite, which are essentially makeshift emergency and operating rooms. When a service member is injured in battle, he receives specialized resuscitative treatment from the STP, with surgery provided by the FRSS. More extensive care is provided at one of the Combat Army Surgical Hospitals in Baghdad or Balad.
Pic: CPL Daniel J. Redding

President Jalal Talabani addresses standing members of the Iraqi National Parliament during an acceptance speech. Talabani was re-elected president by the Iraqi National Parliaments Council of Representatives. Also chosen to lead the nations newfound government is the speaker of the COR Mahmoud al-Mashadani, and Khalid al-Attiya and Aref Tayfour as his deputies.
Pic: SSG Brent Williams

Local contractors work to restore an water pumping station in the southern Baghdad area. Restoring water, electricity and repairing sewage lines has become an essential part of rebuilding Iraq.
Pic: 1LT Brett Matzenbacher

Soldiers of the 21st Military Police Company, attached to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, rally after a convoy to an Iraqi police station in the Al Rasheed district. The Soldiers travel to IP stations throughout southern and central Baghdad as part of efforts to help the Iraqi police operate independently in Baghdad.
Pic: SSG Brent Williams

U.S. Police Transition Teams continue to work with Iraqi police officers, training them in police techniques such as handcuffing and making arrests to help prepare the IPs for their conventional role. In the past, Iraqi Police have trained more like para-military forces than conventional police officers.
Pic: SSG Brent Williams

Ahabyona Todius, security officer, Babylon Gates private security company, and his dog check under a car's hood for explosive material and contraband during a search at Entry Control Point 11 near Baghdad's Green Zone.
Pic: SSG Kevin Lovel

Narim Hillal, Iraqi army soldier, checks a car's trunk and its contents during a vehicle check at Entry Control Point 11 near Baghdad's Green Zone.
Pic: SSG Kevin Lovel

21-year-old female Iraqi Army solider who works in the brigade administration office of the 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, donates blood at a clinic at Forward Operating Base Justice near Baghdad. The event was the second time that the Iraqi Army has staged a blood drive. Between the two efforts, more than 350 pints of blood have been donated to the Baghdad Blood Bank.
Pic: SPC Jason Thompson

Soldier from Company C, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, pulls security in a town near Kirkuk as a Kiowa Warrior helicopter from 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, patrols the area. Pic: SGT Ryan Matson

An Iraqi girl watches as her younger brother smiles at American Soldiers during a visit to the town of Al Ruffayah. Pictures like these are not carried by the American legacy media because it doesn't have any blood or missing limbs pictured - "if it bleeds, it leads" so goes the motto at most legacy media outlets. Pic: SGT Ryan Matson

Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment prepare to be picked up from a Company A, 5th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, helicopter after an Air Assault mission. Pic: SGT Ryan Matson

A gunner and assistant gunner from Company C, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment pull security in a field after an Air Assault near Kirkuk

Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment head out of the village of Al Ruffayah after a mission. Pic: SGT Ryan Matson

Legendary country artist Charlie Daniels and his band perform at a concert for deployed troops at Camp Liberty. Mr. Daniels finished his weeklong "Stars for Stripes" tour in Iraq. Stars for Stripes is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality entertainment to U.S. military forces deployed to remote locations overseas. Pic: Master Sgt. Will Ackerman, USAF

Improved Western Army Uniform

SPC Larry Eichholz provides security at the Charlie Daniels concert at Camp Liberty. Pic: Master Sgt. Will Ackerman, USAF

CBS Early Show's Dave Price talks to Senior Airman Caitlen Goff before a Charlie Daniels concert at Camp Liberty, Iraq, April 18. Mr. Price got the audience warmed up before Mr. Daniels and his band performed for deployed troops. Pic: Master Sgt. Will Ackerman, USAF

SSG Christopher Kelton salutes during a song at a Charlie Daniels concert at Camp Liberty. Mr. Daniels finished his weeklong "Stars for Stripes" tour for deployed troops in Iraq. Stars for Stripes is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality entertainment to U.S. military forces deployed to remote locations overseas. Pic: Master Sgt. Will Ackerman, USAF

Staff Sgt. Adam Thurston performs "If I ever fall in love" by Shai at the Baghdad Idol competition at Sather Air Base. Competitors performed Salsa dancing, a poem, and music from rock, country and Christian genres. Pic: Master Sgt. Will Ackerman

COL Brian D. Jones, commander, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers, speaks with Diyala Province Governor Ra’ad Rasheed Mullah Juaed at the Governor’s Center in Baqubah. Jones and Ra’ad met to discuss a recent car bomb and the efforts being made to treat the casualties and catch those responsible.
Pic: SGT Zach Mott

1-68 Armor Battalion conducting traffic control point operations in Nahrwan.

1-68 Armor Battalion soldier keeps watch through night vision goggles in Nahrwan.

1-68 Armor Battalion conducting traffic control point operations in Nahrwan.

Senior Airman Jason Castleman shares a laugh recently with Master Sgt. Larry Stuart, 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron first sergeant, at Sather Air Base. Pic: Master Sgt. Will Ackerman, USAF

A group of Iraqi police cadets board a bus after returning to Mosul. The group completed training at the Jordanian International Police Training Center. Pic: SGT Dennis Gravelle

SPC Andrea Landi does pull-ups in her work area during her free time. She's preparing for Airborne and Air Assult schools.
Pic: 2LT Anthony D. Buchanan

SPC Andrea Landi works on the tire of a vehicle at Forward Operating Base Caldwell.
Pic: 2LT Anthony D. Buchanan

America Supports You

WASHINGTON, April 14, 2006 - It took a personal connection to devote Bob Calvert to supporting America's troops, and now he says there's no turning back.

Calvert hosts a weekly radio talk show on Sunday evenings, broadcast mainly by Internet-based Stardust Radio. He said he has completed 20 interviews so far, averaging three or four guests per show. The first show aired Dec. 11, 2005.

"No question about it, my daughter enlisting in the Army was the spark for me," said Calvert in a telephone interview near Fort Carson, Colo. "Once I realized she was serious ... and she was really going in because she believed it was the right thing to do, then I just told her ... I'm going to support you 100 percent."

With no previous connection to the military, in 2003 he quit his job in Kansas City, moved to be near Fort Riley, Kan., where his daughter was stationed at the time, and devoted himself full time to helping the troops. Eventually, after sponsoring concerts and care package events at his own expense, he started his talk show.

"Every Sunday night, I interview men and women in the military so they can share their stories about what they did to help the Iraqi or the Afghan people, or anywhere in the world," Calvert said. He has also hosted guests who talked about stateside operations like the effort to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.

His next interview, April 16, will be with the editor of "GX: The Guard Experience" magazine, which will preview a National Guard feature to come in late May. Calvert also hopes to take his show on the road to military bases across the country as soon as he can find the money.

Calvert said his work offers him the chance to help other civilians supporting the nation's servicemembers. "Other groups are doing this, but I'm trying to get them to work together where I can actually help them get more visible," he said. "I really feel strongly about alliances."

As a connector between grassroots groups, Calvert compared himself to America Supports You, a defense department program offering a Web site that highlights grassroots and corporate support for the nation's servicemembers and their families.

He mentioned "Soldiers' Angels" as the group he partners with most often. Together, they have teamed up to co-sponsor concerts, banner events and other efforts, especially for troops returning to Fort Carson, which is a stone's throw from his current home.

Other groups Calvert works with include "Operation Troop Appreciation," "Freedom Fund," "SI Yellow Ribbon," "Operation Gratitude" and "Hats off America."

Funding the radio show has been difficult so far, and he is constantly looking for reliable sponsorship, he said. But the program is becoming more popular. In March, for instance, the show had over 33,000 listeners, and AM radio stations, such as WYMM in Jacksonville, Fla., are starting to pick it up.

Calvert said his most memorable interviews happen in moods of intense emotion. "The ones that get me the most, the hardest ones, are probably the moms I'm interviewing that have lost a loved one," he said. "Those are rough, and I just feel for them."

Other interviews fill him with pride, "like the chief warrant officers we've had on. We've had three of them now, and I mean the stories of what they've done in Afghanistan and Iraq are just incredible," he said, noting the millions of dollars worth of goods shipped to school children in those areas.
"As Americans, we all agree to support the troops," he said. "But there are still thousands of wounded soldiers back home, and they or their families need help. There are families that have lost a loved one. They still need help."


By Paul X. Rutz
American Forces Press Service

Some of the items found during the joint night raid mission with the Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces in Ad Dwar that netted five suspected anti-Iraqi Forces conspirators. Pic: SGT Sgt. Waine D. Haley

AER Campaign Underway

Army Emergency Relief (AER) obtains a large share of the funds necessary to support our missions through donations from both the general public and those from the Army Family. If you would to help, visit the following website to make a donation:

http://www.aerhq.org/donation.asp

SSGT Joshua P. Reasnor and SSGT Antony R. Towndrow, both from the 732nd Expeditionary Mission Support Group, U.S. Air Force, receive a total of 50 dollars worth of gift checks to the PX given out by the local Red Cross.

Red Cross workers Heather Ross and Michael Patton at COB Speicher
Pic: SSG Russell Lee Klika

SGT Natasha Swarts with the Ohio Army National Guard's 186th Engineering Detachment speaks with Ni–os de la Luz director and founder Bill Kwiatkowski. Swarts and other Soldiers of the detachment are working at the orphanage to fix wiring and fixture problems with the school house on the compound. Pic: SPC Benjamin Cossel

SPC Nicholas Rogers of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Inf Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team ,101st Airborne Division on patrol in the market center in Bayji. Pic: SSG Russell Lee Klika

LTC Gian Gentile, squadron commander, 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry, inspects Iraqi checkpoint operations in Southwest Baghdad. The Iraqi Security Forces working the checkpoint outside the Al Amarriya Mulhalla, or neighborhood, are dealing with Anti-Iraqi Forces attempting to disrupt security in their area by using snipers and planting Improvised Explosive Devices in the local communities. U.S. and Iraqi Forces are working together in South and Central Baghdad, conducting combined patrols in efforts to maintain security for the communities and defeat AIF activity in Baghdad. Pic: SSG Brent Williams

Soldiers of the 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conduct security assessments with local mosque leaders in south Baghdad. The commanders of 8-10 Cav. constantly touch base with the local Imams of the mosques to ensure their neighborhoods are secure. This method also builds upon the local Iraqi communities' trust in their leaders and Iraqi Security Forces. Pic: SSG Brent Williams

LT Chris Linto explains to fellow firefighter Brad West some of the modern advantages of the company’s new fire truck outside their headquarters. FOB Kalsu is one of 18 bases in Iraq that has a fire company. Pic: 2LT Adhana Townsell.

LTC John Boulé, commander, 62nd Engineer Battalion, reenlists SGT Eric Sprague. Sprague, a carpenter from Texas, was the 61st Soldier to take the oath of reenlistment in the battalion’s “62 in 62” reenlistment campaign. Pic: Tracy L. Ballog.

An Al Amarryia resident makes bread while soldiers with the 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division search her house during a cordon and search of the area. The Iraqi soldiers, observed by Military Transition Teams, led by the 4th Infantry Division, confiscated chemical masks, protective suits and more than 50 AK-47 assault rifles with ammunition during the operation. The mission was a response to more than 30 attacks occurring in the area over the last 30 days. Pic SPC Brian James Anderson

Soldiers of the 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, listen to an Al Amarryia residents express their desire for security in their neighborhood during a cordon and search. The Iraqi soldiers, observed by Military Transition Teams, led by the 4th Infantry Division, confiscated chemical masks, protective suits and more than 50 AK-47 assault rifles with ammunition during the operation. The mission was a response to more than 30 attacks occurring in the area over the last 30 days. Pic: SPC Brian James Anderson

SGT Eric Jackson, chaplain’s assistant for the 172nd Stryker Brigade, visited the town of Qara Qosh, Iraq, to help the town upgrade their radio station.
Pic: Spc. Richard Vogt

Albanian Soldiers get their photos taken after a change of command ceremony at LSA Diamondback, Mosul. Pic: SGT Dennis Gravelle,

A crew from the 57th Medical Company prepares to respond to a point of injury call at Logistical Support Area Anaconda. The crews receive word from the tactical operations center and can have the aircraft in the air in 8-10 after receiving the call. The unit is attached to the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), at LSA Anaconda. Pic: SSG Kevin Doheny

Aviation mechanics with the 57th Medical Company, Fort Bragg, N.C., work on the inside of a UH-60 Blackhawk at Logistical Support Area Anaconda, The maintainers of this company play a major role in ensuring the pilots and crewchiefs can accomplish thier missions. The aircraft need scheduled and unscheduled maintenance due to the harsh conditions in Iraq. Pic: SSG Kevin Doheny

SSG Eric Davis of 2nd platoon, C Co., 1/187th Inf Regt, 3rd Bde Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at a checkpoint near the village of Al-Siniya. Pic: SSG Russell Lee Klika

SSG James Cole of HQ Platoon, C Co, 1/187th Inf Regt, 3rd Bde Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division during a fact finding mission in the village of Al-Siniya.