<a href="//www.army.mil/fact_files_site/stryker/index.html" target="_blank">STRYKER</a>

The survivability of the Stryker is superb:
- In more than 68 IED/VBIED attacks, Strykers were, in most cases, able to complete the mission under their own power. There was only one direct fatality associated with these attacks.
- In more than 58 RPG attacks, there was only one known instance where SLAT armor did not defeat the full effects of an RPG.

Over a 14 month period, 311 Strykers in Iraq logged more than four million miles while sustaining a 97 percent operational availability rate.

INFORMATION YOU CAN USE

OPERATION: MILITARY KIDS

Operation: Military Kids (OMK) is a new, collaborative effort between the Army and America's communities to help children and teens of military service members cope with the stresses and changes a parent's deployment brings to their lives.

OMK is co-sponsored by the U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center's Child and Youth Services in partnership with the National 4-H Headquarters, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Participating partners include the Boys and Girls Clubs of America; the Military Child Education Coalition; the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies; local community groups and service organizations. The program is open to all military connected children but is geared toward those children of the 150,000 deployed National Guard and Reserve members

Community agencies, parents or youth interested in the OMK initiative can get more information or identify their state 4-H military liaison at www.operationmilitarykids.org.

NEWS ABOUT THE ARMY

• Army considers shorter tours in Iraq and Afghanistan (LAT | EB)
• Army Reserve to offer three year enlistment option (AT/EB)
• Industry leaders plan to help Army build more, faster (ARNEWS)
• Wallace nominated for TRADOC CG (TRADOC News)
• 82nd Airborne participates in terrorism exercise in Connecticut (FO | EB)
• Documentary features 82nd Airborne (FO)

WAR ON TERROR NEWS

• New campaign medals recognize Iraq, Afghanistan service (AFIS)
• New medals specific to Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns (USAT/EB)
• Shiite leader named Iraq Prime Minister (NYT | EB)
• Iraq's new president offers amnesty to insurgents (WP | EB)
• Bush lauds new Iraqi government (AFIS)
• "In Iraq, rekindled hope" -- Editorial (USAT | EB)
• Mahdi army showing signs of strength in south Iraq (WP | EB)
• S. Korea to withdraw some troops from Iraq (KH | EB)
• Two Iraqi women are suspects, not hostages (SDUT | EB)
• CROWS arrive in Iraq to keep gunners out of sight (ARNEWS)
• Supplemental funding provides additional money to combat IEDs (CQT | EB)
• Women in U.S. military prove themselves in combat (DFP | EB)

OF INTEREST

• Pentagon worried over Chinese navy buildup (NYT | EB)
• U.S., China agree to senior-level talks (WP | EB)
• N. Korean army manual warns of U.S. psychological tactics (WT | EB)
• Russian army seeks harsher tactics to combat terrorism (MT | EB)
• U.S. Soldiers accused of drug smuggling spared extradition (MH | EB)
• Multinational forces in Iraq share information via new Web site (DN/EB)
• Official details DoD efforts to transform, retain quality force (AFIS)
• Pentagon drafting clearer rules, policy for detention (WP | EB)
• Anthrax vaccinations to resume on voluntary basis (WP | EB)

WORLD VIEW

• U.S. releases detained Iraqi women (Aljazeera)
• Final phase of Syrian pullout begins (The Daily Star, Lebanon)
• China rebukes U.S. threat of economic sanctions (China Daily)