DOD
A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died today at about 12:55 p.m. after being hit by small-arms fire in western Baghdad earlier in the day, military officials reported.
The name of the soldier is being withheld until the family is notified.
The Defense Department released the identities of three other
servicemembers killed recently supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- Army Sgt. Irving Hernandez Jr., 28, of New York, N.Y., died in Mosul,
Iraq, July 12 when he encountered enemy small-arms fire. Hernandez was
assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker
Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
- Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jerry A. Tharp, 44, of Muscatine, Iowa,
died July 12 when his dismounted patrol was struck by an improvised
explosive device while operating in the Anbar province of Iraq. He was
assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 25, Rock Island, Ill.
- Army Spc. Damien M. Montoya, 21, of Holbrook, Ariz., died in Baghdad
July 9 from a non-combat related cause. Montoya was assigned to the 3rd
Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Petty Officer 1st Class Jerry A. Tharp, 44, of Muscatine, Iowa,died July 12 as a result of enemy action when his dismounted patrol was struck by an improvised explosive device while operating in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. He was assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 25, Rock Island, Ill.
The United States has contracted a commercial ship to assist in a possible mass evacuation of Americans from Lebanon, a Defense Department spokesman said here today.
The cruise ship Orient Queen is expected to arrive in the area of
operations sometime tomorrow, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. The ship can accommodate hundreds of passengers and may be used to ferry U.S. evacuees from the port of Beirut to the island of Cyprus.
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Gonzalez has been tasked to escort the
Orient Queen as a force-protection measure, Whitman said.
A number of options, including the use of commercial ships as well as
military vessels, are being considered as means of evacuating U.S.
citizens from Lebanon, Navy Lt. Jereal Dorsey, a spokesman for Task Force
59, based on Cyprus, said.
Marine Brig. Gen. Carl Jensen is commanding the task force, which is
leading joint U.S. military coordination efforts for Lebanon evacuations,
Dorsey said. Cyprus is about 120 nautical miles, or 138 land (statute)
miles, from Lebanon, he said.
The U.S. State Department estimated that about 5,000 Americans in
Lebanon have requested possible evacuation. About 25,000 U.S. citizens, many
with dual U.S.-Lebanese citizenship, live or work in Lebanon.
Today, 42 Americans were flown out of Lebanon to Cyprus, Dorsey said.
Two CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters belonging to the 24th Marine
Expeditionary Unit took part in the operation. About 21 Americans, some with
illnesses, were flown out of Lebanon yesterday.
The State Department has posted a message on its Web site directed to
Americans living in Lebanon. The message says the State and Defense
departments continue to work plans to assist Americans in making a safe and
orderly departure from Lebanon.
A U.S. military team from U.S. Central Command arrived in Lebanon
yesterday to help with evacuation planning.
"The United States military is a formidable and flexible force that
demonstrates that it has a wide range of capabilities, and being able to
evacuate civilians from a combat zone is just another one of those
indications that it is a versatile force, a flexible force and a very
capable force," Whitman said.
Meanwhile, Britain, France and other countries also are taking steps to
evacuate their citizens from Lebanon.
Residents of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, continued their exodus today
as Israeli troops and Hezbollah guerrillas traded trans-border rocket
fire. Hezbollah is a terror group that has vowed to destroy Israel and
is said to obtain funding from Syria and Iran.
The United Nations is working to establish a cease-fire. The fighting
began after Hezbollah operatives seized two Israeli soldiers on July 12.
U.S. Military Team In Lebanon To Evaluate, Plan Evacuations
A U.S. military team is now in Lebanon
evaluating the possibility of evacuating thousands of American citizens
there, a Defense Department spokesman said here today.
"There was an operation this morning involving some U.S. servicemembers
to evacuate a small number of people from Lebanon at the request of the
U.S. Embassy there," Army Lt. Col. Mark Ballesteros, a Pentagon
spokesman, said.
A survey and assessment team from U.S. Central Command is now in
Lebanon, Ballesteros said. The team is "planning with the (U.S.) Department
of State there for the way ahead," he said.
News reports say about 20 Americans - some with illnesses - had been
evacuated from Lebanon today. An estimated 25,000 Americans live or work
in Lebanon.
The State Department has posted a message on its Web site directed to
Americans living in Lebanon. It reads: "A message to American citizens
in Lebanon: The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of
Defense continue working on a plan to help American citizens who wish to
depart Lebanon to leave in a secure and orderly manner. To assist in the
development of that operation, the U.S. government is sending an
assessment team to Beirut to facilitate the safe departure of Americans who
wish to leave."
The Embassy remains open to support U.S. citizens in Lebanon, the Web
site said. It directs U.S. citizens in Lebanon to register by contacting
the Embassy in Beirut directly, or through the State Department's
Bureau of Consular Affairs registration site. The Web site listed two
contact telephone numbers: 800-407-4747 inside the United States and
202-501-4444 from overseas.
Beirut residents were fleeing the Lebanese capital today as Israeli
forces and Hezbollah terrorists continued to trade trans-border rocket
fire. Hezbollah is a terror group that's pledged to destroy Israel and is
said to receive funding from Syria and Iran.
The United Nations is trying to broker a cease-fire. The fighting was
precipitated by Hezbollah's seizure of two Israeli soldiers on July 12.
The G8 leaders meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, issued a statement
today expressing "deepening concern" about the deteriorating situation in
the Middle East and vowed to work together to restore peace.
"These extremist elements and those that support them cannot be allowed
to plunge the Middle East into chaos and provoke a wider conflict,"
they said. "The extremists must immediately halt their attacks."
The leaders affirmed Israel's right to defend itself but urged it to
exercise restraint to minimize civilian casualties.
Educators Important in Military Children's Lives
It's important that teachers and other school
officials understand factors affecting children of military families, a
senior Army general said here yesterday.
A military lifestyle often is characterized by frequent moves and
parents who are deployed for long periods of time, Army Gen. David D.
McKiernan, commander of U.S. Army Europe, told attendees at the Military
Child Education Coalition's Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence Award
dinner.
"The importance of teachers, principals and counselors understanding
the differences between military and civilian children can make the
difference in a child's life," McKienan told the more than 500 conference
attendees. "It can also make a difference between labeling a student as a
problem student and understanding the stresses at home and working with
the child."
McKiernan noted that the Department of Defense Education Activity runs
109 schools in 55 communities in Europe, and each one is unique. The
activity works with each community and adjusts school schedules to
account for military activities, he said.
As the U.S. military adjusts its footprint in Europe and units and
troops return to the United States, the education activity is heavily
involved in the planning process, McKiernan said. "As our Army rebases in
Europe and within the U.S., this type of detailed planning will be of
vital importance to ensuring our children have quality schools and
educational programs," he said.
During the dinner, McKiernan announced the five winners of the Pete
Taylor Partnership of Excellence Awards. Taylor was a founder and chairman
of the Military Child Education Coalition, a nonprofit group that works
to better educational opportunities for military children. Taylor, a
retired Army general, recognized the importance of partnerships between
local school districts and their nearby military installations,
McKiernan said. The awards recognize communities, educators and military
installations that work together to improve education for military children.
Heidelberg school district and the Heidelberg military garrison in
Heidelberg, Germany, were lauded for their program, "The Real World ...
What are you doing?" The program aims to prepare students for college and
careers.
The 52nd Fighter Wing, its 52nd Mission Support Group, and Bitburg High
School in Bitburg, Germany, were lauded for their "Commander's Honor
Roll" project, which recognizes students' scholastic achievements. The
community projects will receive $1,000 each from MCEC to further their
initiatives.
Fort Campbell, Ky., and several on-base and surrounding school
districts received a community-partnership award of $7,000 in recognition and
support.
Two Texas communities each received $5,000 to further partnerships:
Fort Bliss and the El Paso Independent School District, and Fort Sam
Houston and the Fort Sam Houston Independent School District in San Antonio.
Officials: Coalition Didn't Kill Afghan Non-combatants
Assessments from Helmand Province,
Afghanistan, do not conclude that non-combatants were killed as a result of
operations against extremists on July 12, according to coalition
officials.
Extremists likely fabricated reports of civilian deaths as a propaganda
ploy to discredit coalition forces and the government of Afghanistan,
officials said today.
"We take great care to prevent and minimize any damage to property or
injury to law-abiding citizens," said Col. Tom Collins, a coalition
spokesman for Combined Forces Command Afghanistan. "We will continue in our
operations to defeat those who attempt to impose their will upon the
local population through intimidation and fear.
"We also call on the citizens of Helmand to cooperate with the
coalition to defeat extremists who offer nothing for the betterment of the
people," Collins continued. "Until such time as a sufficiently safe and
secure environment is established in Helmand province, development
prospects will remain limited and the population's quality of life will remain
low."
On July 12, 20 extremists engaged a coalition patrol with
rocket-propelled grenades and machine-gun fire in and around the village of Sharageh
in Helmand province, needlessly putting innocent civilians in danger,
officials said. Close-air support was available but not employed due to
the possibility of endangering innocent Afghan civilians.
It is a common extremist tactic to fight without regard for civilian
lives, and to mix in with and operate around civilians. Extremists do
this knowing coalition forces will use extraordinary restraint to prevent
injury to innocent civilians, officials said.
For example, on July 13 in Uruzgan province near the district of Khas
Uruzgan, ANA and coalition forces repelled an attack by 20 enemy
fighters with small-arms fire, killing one extremist. The joint patrols took
precautions to avoid harm to Afghan civilians during the operation, and
there were no reports of Afghan civilian injuries.
Coalition forces have had a presence in the Nowzad district since
mid-May, working alongside the Afghan National Police to protect the
district's center in assisting the provincial government in providing
security. The coalition forces have come under repeated attack from
extremists.
During engagements in the last 16 days, the coalition has reported 22
attacks, including 13 incidents of small-arms fire, 13 incidents of
heavy machine-gun fire, 48 incidents in which rocket-propelled grenades
were used, 40 in which mortar rounds were used and five sniper attacks.
In response to the ferocity of these attacks, air support was called in
on six occasions, officials said. Ordnance was dropped against
identified locations from which extremists were firing at coalition forces and
no munitions missed their targets.
In one strike, the coalition did hit a building used as a former school
that had been closed by the Taliban. This building was empty for some
time and extremists were using it as a position to launch mortar
attacks, officials said.
Other areas targeted in the July 12 operation also were clear of
civilians after days of fighting between coalition forces and extremists. One
ANP member was wounded during the operations.
The coalition expects extremists to continue to level accusations of
civilian deaths against the coalition as a propaganda ploy, officials
said. Although the coalition takes every allegation seriously, extremist
spokespeople fabricate claims on a near-daily basis, they said.
Officials urged media representatives to be skeptical about such
reports and to validate claims with the coalition or Afghan government
officials before reporting on them.
Coalition forces take extreme precautions to limit the chance of
civilian casualties. But officials said that as long as the enemy chooses to
fight in or near civilians, the possibility of civilians being
endangered will exist.
Program Helps Deployed Soldiers Nix Butts
Quitting smoking was the last thing
Army Master Sgt. David Dulen expected to do when he deployed to Iraq in
September.
The pack-a-day smoker for more than 20 years had considered quitting
many times, but his "smoke 'em if you got 'em" habit endured.
But then his wife quit last year. "I kind of had an incentive then or
maybe it was just a challenge from my wife," Dulen wrote in an e-mail
from Camp Striker, near Baghdad. "The opportunity to quit while deployed
to Iraq never crossed my mind. In fact, I told my wife that I would
have to wait until after the deployment to quit and come online with a
smoke-free life."
Long periods of downtime between missions and the ready availability of
cigarettes -- at times at a lower cost than in the states -- pose an
obstacle to anyone wanting to quit while deployed, said Army Capt. Amy
Jackson, a physician assistant in Camp Striker.
However, a few soldiers in the camp of 4,500 troops paved the way for
Dulen's road to becoming smoke free when they approached Jackson to ask
if a smoking cessation program was available. It wasn't, so she started
one.
"These guys were asking for something that I'm supposed to offer them
as a provider," she said. "I thought it was awesome that they asked."
In designing the four-week program, Jackson used every possible tactic
to help smokers quit. Soldiers can receive nicotine patches and gum and
prescription drugs to help them stave off the symptoms of nicotine
withdrawal. They attend classes on the health benefits of quitting, stress
management and relaxation. They also have Jackson and her medics to
turn to for suggestions on how to cope when the cravings come.
"I encourage them to drink more water, play games on their smoke break,
take a walk around their work area, exercise, read their smoking-aid
handbook, put a toothpick in their mouth after chow instead of lighting
up, take up a new hobby like reading or watching a movie," she said.
"Really, (I recommend) anything they are interested in to take their mind
off their addiction."
Word of the program spread through word of mouth and flyers in the
dining facility. Potential quitters can stop by the aid station anytime
during the day to enroll in the program. So far, 53 smokers have joined
the program. Sixteen smokers who used tobacco for a total of 203 years
quit for good; eight of them had smoked for more than 10 years.
Dulen quit Dec. 6. He expected to have withdrawal symptoms -- -and he
did -- so he sucked on hard candy and chewed a lot of gum, but not the
nicotine kind because he hated the taste. He also used prescription
aids.
"I used the patches and the pills religiously, though I don't think
that I needed them for the entire timeline that Captain Jackson had us on
them. But I wanted to stay with whatever the program said to do," he
said.
Twenty-six soldiers dropped out of the program, often at the two- or
three-month mark. Jackson said he thinks they'll quit eventually.
"When I started the program, many of my peers recommended that I not be
discouraged if I didn't see any success given our environment, mission
and stress level," she said. "I am very pleased with the outcome and am
still hopeful for those who attended the course, knowing that the seed
has been planted and they may always try again to quit."
Relapses are expected, and Dulen has had just two cigarettes since
quitting six months ago. "I didn't even smoke the whole thing," he said. "I
didn't like the way it tasted or the effect it was having on my chest."
Jackson plans to follow up with her quitters once they return to the
states to see how they're managing during a time when they may be tempted
to smoke.
"Getting back into the old routine may include smoking in the car that
they used to smoke in before they deployed. There will be some nights
out on the town, and alcohol and tobacco go hand in hand. If their
spouse smokes, it will be difficult to avoid the temptation," she said. "A
support system in their spouse or friends is what may get them past the
adjustment period to avoid slipping into old habits."
Jackson's work has made a real difference, Army Maj. Edward McDaniel, a
doctor at Camp Striker, said. "Many soldiers have come to me saying
that she has given them a new start on life" he said. "These soldiers want
to return home to their families happier and healthier. No doubt, this
is a huge challenge, but many are up to the task."
Dulen said he's through with cigarettes. "I no longer have the desire
to smoke," he said. "I have my days where I think I am a little stressed
and say, 'Boy, I could use a cigarette,' but I don't smoke. So I
believe that I will be smoke-free the remainder of my life."
A suicide bomb attack in the Gardez district Afghanistan's of Paktia province killed five people and wounded up to 22 others, mostly innocent civilians, yesterday, military officials reported.
An extremist armed with a suicide vest detonated his explosives as an
Afghan National Army patrol approached. One Afghan soldier and four
Afghan civilians were killed in the blast. Two Afghan soldiers and up to 20
more innocent Afghan civilians were wounded by the explosion and
transported to a local hospital for treatment. Several vehicles and
structures also were damaged.
A coalition quick reaction force and explosive ordnance disposal team
responded to the scene to help investigate and secure the site.
"Our deepest sympathies go out to the family of the brave soldier who
gave his life in the defense of his nation's freedom and the families of
the innocent civilians needlessly killed and wounded in this terrorist
act," said Army Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, Combined Joint Task Force 76
spokesman.
Witnesses say the bomber entered the street as the Afghan National Army
patrol approached. Suspicious, the patrol stopped and confronted the
bomber. As he rushed the lead vehicle in the patrol, Afghan soldiers
fired to disable him. Before he fell, the extremist apparently detonated
his bomb with total disregard to the dozens of innocent civilians in the
vicinity, officials said.
"Coalition forces are currently supporting the Afghan government in
investigating claims of civilian casualties," Fitzpatrick said. "Our
trained and disciplined force goes to great lengths to limit the potential
of accidentally harming Afghan civilians. When it does happen, we take
full responsibility for our actions. Taliban extremists purposefully
inflict death and destruction on their own people and show no remorse for
their actions. Their blatant disregard for human life cannot be
justified under any circumstance."
Initial reports indicate 40 Iraqi citizens were killed and 90 wounded today when terrorists stormed a market area near the Mohammed Al Amin Mosque in Mahmudiya, Iraq, military officials reported.
Iraqi security forces and soldiers from Multinational Division Baghdad
immediately responded to the attack.
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division,
responded to explosions in the area at about 9:15 a.m. The troops began
taking small-arms fire from unknown assailants southwest of the mosque
while they performed a cordon-and-search operation for a suspicious
vehicle in the neighborhood.
Meanwhile, U.S. soldiers from 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment,
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, reported seeing an
explosion in the same area. The soldiers reported two buildings on fire
and notified the Mahmudiyah fire department. Iraqi Army and Multinational
Division Baghdad soldiers continued to receive small-arms fire and
reported hearing seven more explosions.
An explosive ordnance disposal team determined the explosions had been
made by grenades. Witnesses confirmed their findings, reporting that
several terrorists had been throwing grenades in the market.
Iraqi army soldiers searched the area, found two suspects in a nearby
house and took them into custody. The suspects had two rocket-propelled
grenades, an AK-47 rifle and a bag of grenades.
