Nov 28, 2010

An Army unit deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, is shaping the future of the Army's unmanned aircraft systems program with a handful of its newest aircraft, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle.

Nov 27, 2010

Task Force Iron Rakkasan launched the first flight of the blimp over Forward Operating Base Andar Nov. 17. The blimp, properly known as a Precision Threat Detection System, allows a 360-degree, all-weather, birds'-eye view of the surrounding area, with very little restrictions.

Nov 27, 2010

They say the holidays are a time for families to be together. Sgt. William Billett was together with his son Sgt. Timothy Billett this Thanksgiving, albeit under rather unique circumstances. William presented his son the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in combat Aug. 28.

Nov 26, 2010

NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan today confirmed the deaths of two Taliban leaders killed in recent Afghan and coalition force airstrikes, military officials reported.

Nov 24, 2010

On patrols lasting up to 10 hours, Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles can fall victim to damaged condensers, clogged air conditioners, and a loss of visibility through the windshields given the coarse dirt roads of southern Iraq.

Nov 24, 2010

The sun makes a subtle appearance over the hillside as the soldiers report to the build site of a new Afghan National Army patrol base. More than half the crew are ANA engineer soldiers from the 4th Combat Support Kandak, 4th Brigade, a fact that is indicative of how far the Afghan Security Forces have progressed in the Uruzgan Province.

Nov 17, 2010

Having never mobilized with an activated unit, Col. Michael Herman of Aberdeen, S.D., said, he knew he wanted to serve in Afghanistan in some capacity. He now is helping to develop the Afghan National Army.

Nov 17, 2010

More than 70 women from Ghazni City completed English and computer classes provided by the Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team and Afghan non-government organization, Roshnaee Social Service Organization Nov. 11.

Nov 15, 2010

Working through the Karbala Provincial Reconstruction Team, the Soldiers of Troop A, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment were able to provide Iraqi firefighters with the training and equipment they needed to effectively and safely fight fires in the town.

Nov 15, 2010

Army Staff Sgt. Brian Willette, Company F, 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, had the chance of a lifetime to have his son, Army Pvt. Kevin Nieves, Laghman Provincial Reconstruction Team security forces member, pin on his Purple Heart during a ceremony on Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam here Oct. 28.

Nov 14, 2010

Twenty-four Iraqi Army captains successfully completed the Company Commander Course at the Iraqi Signal School at Camp Taji Nov. 8.

Nov 12, 2010

Agha is a calm but generous 47-year-old from Parwan Province. He is married, has six children and still lives in the home passed down by his father's father. Country is important to Agha. And the protection of Afghan citizens has been dear to him since he was a young student in high school.

Nov 9, 2010

The Maysan Provincial Reconstruction Team, with the help of Laythe Salem, economic and agricultural advisor, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, held an agricultural seminar for 20 local farmers in Maysan Province, Iraq.

Nov 8, 2010

Sixty U.S. troops deployed to Iraq were up before sunrise Nov. 7 to compete in Demon Fury, a unit competition testing the full spectrum of their combat skills.

Nov 6, 2010

Three Iraq Army Aviation Directorate instructor pilots completed the flying portion of Mi-17 weapons re-qualification training Oct. 27.

Nov 6, 2010

Twin sisters serving in the Army have stayed together through months of rigorous training and are now deployed to Iraq with an aviation brigade from Fort Riley, Kan.

Nov 4, 2010

Soldiers have high expectations of their noncommissioned officers, said the top NCO in Iraq, a quality that has remained constant throughout his 35 years as a Soldier.

Nov 3, 2010

Lt. Col. Michael Bentley no longer cringes flying over Baghdad. In the "old days," the city was dangerous. But now the Army pilot looks down from his Black Hawk helicopter to see the lights of amusement parks and kids at swimming pools. After seven years of war in Iraq, Bentley sees success.

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.

Nov 1, 2010

The sun hasn't risen yet as an Explosive Detector Dog team of American K-9 Detection Services (AMK9) prepares to lead a dismounted patrol through Panjwai'i District in Kandahar province Oct. 8. The partnered dismounted patrol leaving Combat Outpost Nejat consists of Afghan National Army soldiers, Afghan National Police and Canadian forces of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group.

Oct 28, 2010

Elders who fled Taliban intimidation in Afghanistan's Kandahar province have started to return home and could be catalysts for lasting stability, the commander of NATO forces in southern Afghanistan said Oct. 28.

Oct 28, 2010

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan and Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan in Afghanistan are working with the country's security forces and advisors to develop Afghan National Army noncommissioned officers.

Oct 26, 2010

In an update on counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan, the director of the Pakistan/Afghanistan Coordination Cell said that if U.S. Forces Afghanistan commander Gen. David H. Petraeus were here, he would characterize efforts in the war-torn country to be "slow and steady, but we are making progress."

Oct 24, 2010

Soldiers serving on Camp Taji, Iraq, with an aviation brigade faced off Oct. 23, during a unit competition testing their technical expertise in areas ranging from vehicle operations to equipment maintenance.

Oct 22, 2010

More than 100 Iraqi Police officers from throughout Baghdad recently completed important coursework in human rights, officer development, train-the-trainer and counter-insurgency.

Oct 21, 2010

Afghan Commandos from 3rd Commando Kandak, advised by Soldiers from Special Operations Task Force - South, found a "general distaste" for the Taliban in a small village in the Panjwa'I district of Kandahar Province during a clearing operation Oct. 14 - 16. Found and neutralized during the operation were five IEDs.

Oct 20, 2010

Staff Sgt. Evan L. Batie, a reservist with the 319th Psychological Operations Co., 13th Psychological Operations Battalion, is on the forefront of the information war in Afghanistan.

Oct 20, 2010

Iraqi and U.S. senior leaders gathered at Camp Iraqi Hero to commemorate the Iraqi Army's expanding inventory of M1A1 Abrams tanks, increasing its conventional defensive capabilities.

Oct 19, 2010

Contingency Operating Site Falcon, in southern Baghdad, was transferred from U.S. control to the government of Iraq Oct. 10 during a formal transfer ceremony.

Oct 19, 2010

Soldiers from 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division took some time to meet and get to know their neighbors: members of Bedouin tribes that live close to Camp Adder, a sprawling hub of military activity located in southern Iraq near the city of An Nasiriyah.

Oct 18, 2010

Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph R. Allen, the United States Forces-Iraq command sergeant major, has seen just about everything during his 35 years as a Soldier, and during his time as a noncommissioned officer, he said the one thing that has remained a constant is the expectations Soldiers have of their NCOs.

Oct 17, 2010

A great number of young men in Iraq are risking their lives just to apply for admission into the Iraqi Army.

Oct 16, 2010

As a group of camouflage clad Afghan soldiers slowly snake their way around a building, weapons at the ready and eyes scanning the distant mountainsides, a U.S. Soldier walks among them, keeping a close watch on their every movement and giving constant instructions to their squad leader.

Oct 16, 2010

On Oct. 11, 2010 in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province, Task Force Taskmaster Soldiers understand weapons familiarization and proficiency could make the difference in the fiercest of battles.

Oct 15, 2010

The Army Chief of Staff awarded medals to Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), during a visit to Forward Operating Base Wilson, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Oct. 12.

Oct 14, 2010

A formation of U.S. Soldiers stood next to a formation of Afghan soldiers during a ceremony transferring authority of two academies from U.S. forces to Afghan forces at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, Oct. 9.

Oct 14, 2010

An Army aviation brigade from Fort Riley, Kan., deployed to Iraq this March to provide mobility and security for ground forces here, but one of the unit's unofficial missions is possibly its most important: maintaining a healthy, visible relationship with Iraqi army aviators.

Oct 13, 2010

Though hard-won progress has taken place in Afghanistan, it has been uneven, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces there said.

Oct 13, 2010

Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, took part in a transfer of authority ceremony in Kirkuk, Oct. 11.

Oct 13, 2010

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr., traveled to Afghanistan to visit deployed Soldiers and meet with International Security Assistance Force leadership.

Oct 12, 2010

With a front-row seat to the history unfolding in Iraq, Army Lt. Col. LesAca,!a,,c Melnyk is capturing it all for posterity, so the American public knows the full story behind what happened there, and the military can learn from its experiences.

Oct 12, 2010

In the early morning hours of Oct. 8, U.S. and Afghan National Army Soldiers conducted a successful air-assault operation in the mountains of Khowst Province, resulting in the location and destruction of two insurgent weapons caches.

Oct 12, 2010

Getting a construction project up and running -- estimating costs, approving budgets, working with area governments to ensure every aspect of the project meets myriad specifications - is thorny enough stateside.

Oct 9, 2010

TALLIL, Iraq - "I am happy and glad it's done." That is how Kenieth Mayweather, described his promotion to the rank of captain, Oct.7, on Camp Adder, Iraq. His mother, Sgt. Maj. Rue Mayweather, was there to share the special moment. She performed the ceremonial "pinning" and the first salute to her son as a captain. "I've been to every one of his promotions," said Rue. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

Oct 6, 2010

Ten SWAT team members went to the Normandy Range Complex to practice training their fellow Iraqis on close quarters combat tactics Oct. 3.The 1st Bn., 68th Arm. Regt., currently under the operational control of United States Division-South and the 1st Infantry Division, has taken up the task of teaching the SWAT team not just tactics, but how to pass on their knowledge in tactics to others.

Oct 6, 2010

"Black Seven" is a problem solver. He wakes before zero-dark-thirty every morning. He drives across the street from his Containerized Housing Unit to the Iraqi Army training site. He talks with the Iraqis and is neighborly in his approach. He jokes; he listens to problems and offers advice. Sometimes he stays into the black night for chai.

Oct 5, 2010

With a formal ceremony and live fire demonstration of the D-30 Howitzer, the Afghan National Army officially opened the Artillery Branch School at the Kabul Military Training Center, Oct. 4. The school will serve as the foundation for the professionalization of the ANA artillery branch.

Oct 5, 2010

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston climbed atop the trailer of a heavy equipment transporter to address hundreds of Third Army Soldiers who gathered as the sun set at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Sept. 29.

Oct 4, 2010

The commanding general of Army Materiel Command and the assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, visited Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Sept. 26 to get an inside perspective of the logistical situation in the field, first hand.

Oct 3, 2010

Army fuelers serving in Iraq pumped their millionth gallon of jet fuel on Camp Taji, Oct. 2, bringing their unit's grand total to over 5 million gallons

Oct 3, 2010

The Iraqi Navy commemorated a number of recent significant milestones of continued growth during the Iraqi Navy Day celebration at Umm Qasr Naval Base Sept. 26.

Oct 2, 2010

During an Iraqi Army led cordon and search in the Rashaad Valley near Kirkuk, Iraq, nearly 50 IA soldiers with 2nd Battalion and 4th Battalion of the 15th Brigade, discovered a cache with more than 800 rounds of heavy machine gun ammo buried throughout a field and detained four suspects, Sept. 25.

Sep 30, 2010

Paratroopers from Task Force Talon and Task Force Brawler, along with their Afghan National Army partners, conducted a clearing operation in the Chak District of Wardak Province in east-central Afghanistan Sept. 24

Sep 29, 2010

When Joe D'Alessandro created the Winning Hearts and Minds Project in 2008, president of the Cohansey Soccer Club, based in Upper Deerfield Township, N.J., he had no idea his son would eventually help him spread the spirit of American goodwill overseas.

Sep 29, 2010

In August, the MC4 program and 6th Medical Logistics Management Center teamed up with the 31st Combat Support Hospital in Afghanistan to arm them with a digital medical supply system, making them the Army facility to utilize it in theater.

Sep 27, 2010

Iraqi citizens who own the land on Forward Operating Base Paliwoda were compensated for the use of their land during a claims payment mission held at Joint Base Balad, Sept. 19-21, 2010.

Sep 26, 2010

The International Security Assistance Force senior enlisted leader made his first visit Sept. 23 to the Afghan National Army's Sergeant Major's Academy with the Sergeant Major of the ANA in an expansion of their partnership.

Sep 24, 2010

THE role of U.S. Forces in Iraq continued to evolve with the launch of Operation New Dawn in September, and the majority of efforts now focus on the responsible transfer of authority to Iraqi security forces.

Sep 22, 2010

A dozen generals from the Iraqi Ground Forces Command and Iraq's Ministry of Defense sat at a conference table, examining print outs of a slide displaying the organizations that make up USF-I's Future Operations Planning Section.

Sep 22, 2010

Members of the Iraqi Police are training on counter-improvised explosive device techniques thanks to a week-long course taught by explosive ordnance disposal Soldiers.

Sep 21, 2010

Soldiers of Task Force Bulldog held off insurgents for more than three hours Sept. 18 at the Shege East Afghan National Police Checkpoint.

Sep 20, 2010

Soldiers from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division are helping a local Afghan family by providing treatment for their 6-month-old son, Rafi, who suffers from a rare heart condition, at the Camp Nathan Smith Medical Aid Clinic.

Sep 20, 2010

Women and children sat on a long row of black couches as Iraqi Police officers and U.S. Soldiers carried overflowing bags into the room. Some of the children stared at the bags intently, hoping for a glimpse inside.

Sep 19, 2010

Leaders evaluated the 10th Iraqi Army on a mass casualty scenario to see what they had learned after three months of Iraqi Army led medical training, advised by the 64th BSB.

Sep 17, 2010

The discipline, fitness, and fearlessness required to be an effective Soldier are being trained at Basra through Modern Army Combatives.

Sep 16, 2010

Troopers from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, maintained their combat readiness with training classes, here in the desert of Kuwait, prior to their deployment north into Iraq in the coming weeks.

Sep 15, 2010

As U.S. casualties mount in Afghanistan, the coalition will grow to more than 140,000 troops by the end of the year to help tackle an array of complex issues facing the war-torn country, a top Army official with ISAF's joint command said Tuesday at the Infantry Warfighting Conference.

Sep 15, 2010

The quantity and quality of officers, noncommissioned officers and recruits in the Afghan army is rising, the deputy commander of the NATO training mission in Afghanistan said this week.

Sep 13, 2010

Hundreds of Karmah, Iraq, residents received free medical care Sept. 7, during a combined medical engagement between Iraqi and U.S. forces. Soldiers with 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, United States Division-Center, joined counterparts assigned to the 1st Iraqi Army Division and Karmah Police Department who hosted the event that afforded some citizens their first trip to the doctor's office.

Sep 11, 2010

Ramadan, for more than 1.5 billion people who follow Islam, is considered a sacred month. The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is said to be when the Prophet Muhammad received the revelations through the angel Gabriel. To show reverence, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and are obliged to refrain from activities like smoking and other earthly pleasures.

Sep 9, 2010

The deputy commander of the NATO training mission in Afghanistan reiterated via a Pentagon bloggers roundtable Sept. 8 that the quantity and quality of officers, noncommissioned officers and recruits in the Afghan army is rising.

Sep 8, 2010

The first brigade of Soldiers to deploy exclusively in support of Operation New Dawn has arrived in southern Iraq.

Sep 3, 2010

There are now enough resources in Afghanistan to deliver "tangible and lasting results," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a joint news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Sep 2, 2010

Gen. Raymond T. Odierno put it very simply today, as he finished his address at the change of command ceremony for U.S. Forces Iraq. "Lion 6 - Out," meaning that the commander had finished using his call sign and was heading for his new assignment at U.S. Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Va.

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.

Sep 1, 2010

"A very tough fight" remains in Afghanistan that will demand more hard work and sacrifice, President Barack Obama acknowledged while visiting Fort Bliss, Texas, to thank troops there for advancing the mission in Iraq.

Aug 31, 2010

While President Barack Obama traveled to Fort Bliss, Texas, and later gave an Oval Office address marking the end of combat operations in Iraq, Vice President Joe Biden was in Iraq meeting with U.S. and Iraqi leaders about the new U.S. mission there.

Aug 31, 2010

Beginning Sept. 1, the ongoing U.S. presence in Iraq will be coined "Operation New Dawn," marking the transition from combat operations to an advisory role.

Aug 31, 2010

Defense Department officials announced the deployment of 18 helicopters to Pakistan from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, as part of the expanding U.S. contribution to flood-relief efforts there.

Aug 30, 2010

Barack Obama called on the American people to provide new care, opportunity and commitment to the million military men and women who've served in Iraq.

Aug 26, 2010

When Operation Iraqi Freedom ends and Operation New Dawn launches Sept. 1, don't look for a lot of fanfare as the mission officially moves from combat to stability operations.

Aug 25, 2010

The U.S. Army has seen significant technological, doctrinal and structural changes within the past decade. The latest adaptation, turning brigade combat teams into advise and assist brigades, reflects tremendous developments in the Iraqi Security Forces and a major change in emphasis for U.S. Soldiers in Iraq.

Aug 25, 2010

With the constant threat of improvised explosive devices and insurgent attacks, as well as few usable roads and treacherous mountain passes, getting necessary supplies to troops at some of Afghanistan's most remote posts and bases can prove both challenging and deadly.

Aug 24, 2010

The best resource for forming and training a well-qualified Afghan National Police force is "time," said the Italian general responsible for recruiting and training the security forces who will protect Afghan citizens once the international coalition is gone.

Aug 24, 2010

The advent of Operation New Dawn will mean business as usual for some Soldiers -- especially those already well versed in conducting humanitarian missions.

Aug 24, 2010

Some previously immobile children in Iraq are getting a taste of independence now thanks to generous donors and a time commitment by some within United States Division-Center.

Aug 24, 2010

The training of Afghan security forces is a vital aspect in the American-led war strategy there, the U.S. commander charged with overseeing Afghan training said during a video news conference from his headquarters in Afghanistan.

Aug 24, 2010

Any talk of coalition forces being unable to succeed in Afghanistan is premature, given that they are just beginning to get all the troops and equipment that President Barack Obama's strategy there calls for, Vice President Joe Biden said Monday.

Aug 23, 2010

Soldiers with the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, 653rd Readiness Support Group, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, have answered the call to get troops home as quickly as possible by conducting Operation Move Iron.

Aug 19, 2010

As Soldiers depart Baghdad, part of the last combat brigade in Iraq, they are leaving a country that has gone through many stages to be where it is today.

Aug 19, 2010

Soldiers from 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, left what has been their home for the last year Aug. 16, as they departed on their final mission -- A convoy out of Iraq and into the history books.

Aug 18, 2010

Pentagon officials are working with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to disband private security contractors in Afghanistan.

Aug 18, 2010

The International Security Assistance Force's senior enlisted leader completed his 100th and final battlefield circulation Aug. 13.

Aug 16, 2010

U.S. advise and assist operations in Anbar province helped Iraqi Security Forces achieve a milestone Aug. 10 when the Iraqi Police hosted their first community outreach event at the Anbar Police Department's Media Center, donating school supplies, stuffed animals and clothes to about 20 orphaned children of police officers killed in the line of duty.

Aug 13, 2010

Army aviators are continuing to provide relief to flood victims in Pakistan, even as they await the arrival of their Marine Corps and Navy replacements.

Aug 13, 2010

For much of the war, the complex logistical process of supplying the warfighters in theater has been behind the scenes.

Aug 12, 2010

After three days of rain, the clouds parted allowing U.S. and Pakistani forces to resume flood relief efforts, Aug. 9 in the Swat Valley of Pakistan.

Aug 12, 2010

"It's hard to fight complacency when you're just waiting around," admitted Sgt. 1st Class Elias Munoz as he and two of his Soldiers attempted to hook up cable for television in a room set aside for U.S. Soldiers.

Aug 11, 2010

Soldiers deploying to Afghanistan will now go with a new uniform in their mobility bag -- one that fights fire and fleas, and makes them less visible to insurgents.

Aug 11, 2010

Drawing on experience gained during the flood relief operations in Clarksville, Tenn., in early May, Soldiers from Fort Campbell's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, assisted local Afghan civilians when flash flooding hit Adah Village in eastern Afghanistan's Beshood District, Nangarhar province.