Dear Friends, Family and Interested Readers,
Some really high level extremists have been captured, and hopefully will have much to say. The last story on unmanned aircraft changing the battlefield is so interesting. The money that goes into research to advance technology makes us strong and saves lives.
Joanna
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Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
January 30, 2008
Soldiers arrest eight alleged Sunni extremists
BAGHDAD - MND - Baghdad Soldiers arrested 8 suspected extremists during a raid in the northwestern part of the Rashid District of the Iraqi capital Jan. 28. Two of the arrests had warrants with the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and 5 others wanted for various criminal activities during the op in Furat.
This is part of MND - Baghdad Soldier ongoing offensive ops in support of Op Phantom Phoenix.
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Coalition Forces capture high-value individual
ABU GHRAIB - Soldiers from 1st Bn, 21st Inf, 2nd Stryker Cav Regt, MND - Baghdad detained an individual suspected of facilitating IEDs and possible vehicle-borne explosive devices for al Qaeda in Iraq. Jan. 26.
Two other individuals suspected of facilitating IED activity in Abu Ghraib were also detained.
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TF-Rogue troops capture AQI cell member as part of Phantom Phoenix
BAGHDAD - MND - Baghdad Soldiers arrested a terrorist suspect during a raid in the Andalus neighborhood of Baghdad Jan. 29.
Troops with the Scout Recon Plt of HHC, 1st Bn, 64th Armor Regt, operationally attached to the 2nd BCT, 101st Abn arrested the middle-aged man after receiving reports he was in the area of ops in east Mansour earlier that day. The man is believed to be a leader of al-Qaeda- in-Iraq from the Iskandariyah and Haswah area. He is suspected of targeting and attacking Coalition and Iraqi SF south of Baghdad.
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Unmanned aircraft systems transforming today's combat ops
By Spc. Jason Jordan, 1/10th Mtn. Div.
KIRKUK - They are known as the 'commander's eyes on the battlefield.' CF have used them to discover IEDs, track the movement of enemy personnel, clear routes planned for convoy movement, and locate key targets; all without having to leave the relative safety of their bases.
They are known officially as Unmanned Aircraft Systems - remote and satellite-controlled miniature aircrafts that are used for Recon, Surveillance and Target Acquisition missions in combat zones.
Soldiers from the 10th Mtn Div's, 1st BCT have been using the most popular UAS, the Shadow, as a way to monitor the battlefield since their arrival to the Kirkuk province of northeastern Iraq in October 2007.
"The Shadow has been a tremendous asset to our brigade's combat ops," Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Thornthwaite, 1st Bde, 10th Mtn. Div.'s, Special Troops Bn, UAS plt sergeant said. "We have been able to get a picture of the battlefield before we send our troops outside the wire."
The 10th Mtn. Soldiers complete rigorous maintenance and performance checks before each launch of the Shadow, sometimes taking the system completely apart and putting it back together, in order to ensure the machine is operational. The Soldiers lock onto the Shadow's frequency using a satellite, manned from a ground control station, where the system is monitored and controlled. The system transmits the captured images, in near real time, and Soldiers view the footage via television sets and computer monitors.
On 2 different occasions, the 1st BSTB UAS operators located enemy personnel planting IEDs, and tracked their movement using the Shadow; allowing Soldiers to not only safely dispose of the IEDs, but capture the culprits as well. "With these systems, we are able to stay on top, stay observant.and keep an eye out," said Sgt. Josh Nelson, UAS Training, Knowledge and Standardization Operator. "We are similar to a TV crew, but with a much bigger mission."
"These systems have undoubtedly helped saved lives. When we discover an IED using the UAS, that is one less IED that can kill an American Soldier," Spc. William Arms, 1st BSTB UAS operator said. "These systems give us a much needed advantage. We are in the enemy's backyard and we are unfamiliar with this terrain. Using the Shadow allows us to 'look around the corner' without having to walk around out there. The guys on the ground still do the work; they have the tough job. We are here for them - we do our job for them," Arms said. "They are out there protecting us, and we are just trying to protect them, too."
Pfc. Jan Gaboury, an air vehicle operator monitors the flight of the Unmanned Aircraft System, Shadow.
Sgt.1st Class Nicholas Thornthwaite, a crew chief, conducts maintenance checks on the Unmanned Aircraft System, Shadow.
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