OPERATIONS IN IRAQ
As we went to press Operation Iron Hammer was in its final stages, with the construction of long-term Iraqi and U.S. force basing in the Hai al Becker region near Baghdad to secure the villages on the eastern side of the Euphrates River. About 500 soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 114th Field Artillery Regiment, 500 Iraqi soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division, and 1,500 Marines and sailors from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit took part in the operation.

In addition, Operation Shank wrapped up in central and southern Ramadi on December 3. It was the fifth in a series of operations by the Iraqi army and coalition forces to disrupt terrorism and set conditions for the December 15 election in the provincial capital of Anbar. Shank primarily involved targeted raids conducted against terrorist safe houses. The raids resulted in the detention of four suspected members of al Qaeda. About 200 Iraqi soldiers from 1st Brigade, 7th Division, and 300 Marines from 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, took part.

On December 1, Task Force Baghdad soldiers rescued two kidnapping victims during a routine vehicle search at a checkpoint in western Baghdad. Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), found two Iraqi civilians bound and gagged in the trunk of a white sedan. The two individuals, employed by an American contractor, claimed they had been taken hostage and were to be murdered. The car’s driver and a passenger, who had false Iraqi police badges and pistols, were detained.

Increasing numbers of Iraqi military and police are being trained, equipped and fielded to confront terrorists trying to destabilize the new Iraqi government. According to the Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, about 225,000 Iraqi soldiers and police will provide security for Iraq’s nationwide election. Only 130,000 Iraqis were available to provide security during the January 30 election last year. The Army plans to establish 10 Iraqi army infantry divisions—160,000 soldiers—by 2007.

Military officials have also been able to identify the death of a close confidant of fugitive Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, during an October 14 raid. Bilal Mahmud Awad Shebah, also known as Abu Ubaydah, reportedly met weekly with Zarqawi.

HARD LANDINGS IN AFGHANISTAN
On December 4, hostile fire caused two CH-47 Chinook helicopters to make hard landings in southern Afghani-stan. One heavily damaged helicopter landed north of Kandahar, wounding five American soldiers. The other Chinook made a hard landing at a forward operating base south of Tarin Kowt, in Uruzgan province, wounding an Afghan National Army soldier. The wounded soldiers were reported to be in stable condition.

Elsewhere, there were signs of progress. On November 20, a combined security patrol of Afghan National Army and coalition soldiers located and attacked enemy forces northwest of Deh Rawood. The combined patrol called in close-air support, which engaged enemy positions.

Three U.S. soldiers were reported killed in Afghanistan in the month of November. Cpl. Matthew P. Steyart, 21, was killed on November 22 when an IED exploded near his Humvee. SFC James S. Ochsner, 36, was killed on November 15, also by an IED. SSgt. Travis W. Nixon, 24, was killed on October 29 during an enemy small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade attack.

NG OFFERS FINDER'S FEE
To encourage troops to keep an eye out for potential recruits, the National Guard is offering a finder’s fee to its servicemembers. The Guard Recruiter Assistance Program offers Guard members $1,000 for each recruit and another $1,000 when that recruit shows up for basic training.

Interested Guard members can contact their local recruiter to learn about an online training program. Once completed, they will receive a Guard marketing kit to assist them in promoting the Guard. The National Guard has increased its recruiting force to 5,100 and tripled its signing bonuses to entice recruits, but it cannot maintain the large recruiting force indefinitely. The Recruiter Assistance Program is scheduled to go into effect nationwide in September 2006.


36TH ID DEPLOY TO BALKANS
For the first time since World War II, the 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard, deployed to Europe on November 25 for a 14-month deployment to Kosovo and Bosnia.

The division’s 1,500 soldiers were joined by troops from Puerto Rico and the states of Arkansas, Alabama, California, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The majority of the division’s soldiers trained together as Task Force Falcon. Once in Kosovo, the Task Force joined a battalion of Greek soldiers and a battalion of Polish, Ukrainian and Lithuanian soldiers. The combined force is known as Multi-National Brigade (East) and is commanded by Brig. Gen. Darren Owens. The other part of the Balkans mission includes 150 soldiers bound for Bosnia.


RECRUITING EX-SERIVEMEMBERS
The Army is reaching out to prior-service soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines to come back into the Army fold. The Unity Effort program is contacting prior-servicemembers and officers to see if they might be interested in returning to active duty.

The new program offers bonuses of between $5,000 and $19,000 to those willing to come back. Individuals who return to the Army under the new program do not have to go through basic training and are exempt from the four-week Warrior Transition Course. They are not restricted to the field they were in when they left the service and will not lose rank if they return within four years of getting out.


MEIGS HEADS TASK FORCE
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld appointed Gen. Montgomery Meigs, U.S. Army retired, to spearhead an expanded program to counter the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against U.S. and coalition forces. Meigs, a former commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe and of NATO’s peacekeeping force in Bosnia, replaced Brig. Gen. Joseph Votel on December 12. Votel, who has led the effort since its inception in 2003, remains in the leadership of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Task Force.

Along with other duties, Meigs will create a “center of excellence” training center, headquartered at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., where the services will train to deal with IED threats.


SLD STANDS UP
The Army will stand up the new Senior Leader Development Office (SLD) on January 23. The new organization will develop and manage active component colonels and general officers. While there will be no immediate change in general officer management, SLD will include and manage colonels as part of the Army’s strategic leadership. Both lieutenant colonels (promotable) and colonels will be added to the group of senior military leaders managed by the Secretary of Defense and the Army Chief of Staff. The SLD will be collocated with GOMO.


WOUNDED SOLDIER PROGRAM RENAMED
The Army changed the name of its Disabled Soldier Support System to the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program. The program provides severely wounded soldiers and their families with a system of advocacy and personal support to assist them as they return to duty or to civilian life. Additional information on the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program can be obtained by calling 1-800-833-6622.


MILITARY DISCOUNTS
Off Duty Travel and Clear Channel Entertainment have joined forces to make it easier for servicemembers to get priority access to Broadway and off-Broadway shows in New York and other select cities.

Interested patrons can visit http://www.offdutytravel.com and select the “Broadway Shows & Broadway Touring Shows” link on the left for information about the program. A $4 per ticket processing fee will be charged but shipping is free. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Morale, Welfare and Recreation. If the dates and shows desired do not appear on the web site, customers can e-mail NYGroups@clearchannel.com.
If sufficient interest is expressed in particular shows and dates, Clear Channel will attempt to make tickets available.

The July 7 performance of Disney’s “TARZAN the Broadway Musical” at Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York will be the first play offered.