Dear Interested Readers,
We start off honoring an extraordinary Navy SEAL Michael Mansoor who by his courage and love of his fellow man, made the ultimate sacrifice, and we share in celebrating his life. Numerous caches and criminals continue to be taken off the streets of Iraq, while progress continues with a brick factory complex quadrupling its workers, and IA and IP showing great leadership and confidence.
Joanna
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Multi-National Corps - Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
April 9, 2008
Pres. Bush Confers Highest Military Decoration on Fallen Navy SEAL
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON — President Bush posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor Tuesday, a Navy SEAL whose mortal sacrifice in Iraq saved the lives of two fellow SEALs and several Iraqi soldiers.
The fallen SEAL’s parents, George and Sally Monsoor, accepted the honor on their son’s behalf during a White House ceremony. The Medal of Honor, awarded for gallantry in combat exceeding the call of duty, is the nation’s highest military decoration.
Monsoor, a 25 year-old machine gunner with SEAL Team 3, was providing security at a sniper lookout post, Sept. 29, 2006, in Ramadi, when a fragmentation grenade hit his chest and bounced to the floor. Positioned next to the single exit, only Monsoor could have escaped harm. Instead, Monsoor used his body to absorb the blast and shield two nearby SEALs. The SEALs and 8 Iraqi soldiers survived, some with wounds, others unscathed. Monsoor died a half hour later.
“One of the survivors puts it this way: ‘Mikey looked death in the face that day and said, “You cannot take my brothers. I will go in their stead,”’” said Pres. Bush, quoting one of the SEALs saved by Monsoor.
In remarks today, the president characterized the petty officer as an unlikely candidate for the SEALs. As a child, he suffered from asthma attacks and coughing fits that routinely landed him in the hospital. But the asthmatic child resolved to wean himself off his inhaler, strengthening his lungs by challenging his siblings in swimming races. The determined child grew into a young man who eventually completed SEAL training, which Pres. Bush called the “ultimate test of physical endurance. Less than a third of those who begin this training become SEALs, but Mike would not be denied a spot.”
The maritime component of U.S. Special Ops Command, Navy SEALs are expert reconnoiters and stealth warriors, often performing clandestine ops that larger forces cannot conduct undetected. Today Monsoor became the first SEAL to earn the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq, and the second SEAL to receive the award since Sept. 11, 2001.
Monsoor will be inducted tomorrow into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes, where his name will be engraved alongside some 3,445 recipients of the nation's highest honor.
The petty officer previously was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with combat “V” device, and a Purple Heart before becoming the fourth servicemember to receive the Medal of Honor since the beginning of ops Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
“The Medal of Honor is awarded for an act of such courage that no one could rightly be expected to undertake it,” the president said. “Yet those who knew Michael Monsoor were not surprised when he did.”
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Unmanned Aerial Vehicle kills 2 criminals
BAGHDAD - A U.S. Air Force UAV observed a group of criminals with weapons attacking Iraqi Security and CF with small-arms fire in northeast Baghdad, April 9. The UAV fired a hellfire missile, and killed 2 of the armed criminals.
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IED weapons making facility destroyed in Diyala
TIKRIT - While conducting clearing ops, CF Soldiers discovered an IED weapons making facility in Diyala Province, April 8. The facility was determined to be an imminent threat to CF Soldiers, and after the area was cleared of any civilians, a U.S. Air Force F-18 destroyed the facility with a 500-pound bomb.
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Iraqi Army soldiers discover hundreds of mortar rounds
CAMP STRIKER - Iraqi Soldiers discovered a weapons cache containing nearly 300 mortar rounds near Rushdi Mullah, April 7. The cache contained 283 60 mm mortar rounds, 4 120 mm mortar rounds, 6 smaller mortar rounds, 3 rocket-propelled grenade warheads, 2 pre-made cinderblock IEDs and 24 fuses.
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U.S. SF destroy AQI training camp, find large weapons cache in Jazeera Desert
BALAD - U.S. SF destroyed an AQI training camp and large weapons cache during a multi-day op, April 2 to April 5, in the Jazeera Desert. The cache included more than 20,000 rounds of 14.5 mm ammo, SA-7 surface-to-air missiles, a SA-7 battery, 14.5 mm machine guns, 68 mm rockets, TNT, suicide-vest charges, hand grenades, 82 mm mortar tubes, 82 mm mortar rounds, a 120 mm mortar tube, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, RPG warheads, and homemade explosives materials.
The U.S. SF called for CF airstrikes to destroy the training compound. Five of 18 structures were completely destroyed and the weapons cache items were either destroyed or transported away from the site.
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Baqubah SWAT unit detains six suspected AQI fighters
BALAD - The Baqubah SWAT unit, advised by U.S. SF, detained 6 suspected AQI fighters in an op in Baqubah's Shil'bah village, April 8. The AQI had been using the area as a base for IED and small-arms fire attacks, and reported to use the village as a rest area, a prison and a meeting place for AQI leaders.
"Iraqi Security and CF remain relentless in the pursuit of these AQI terrorists," said Col. Bill Buckner, spokesman for MNC-Iraq. "We will continue to hunt down terrorists who put the Iraqi people in danger by hiding among civilians."
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ISOF snare terrorist and criminal suspects
BAGHDAD - Iraqi SOF deployed to Basrah, including other ISOF teams operating from their bases in Baghdad and Balad, captured a dozen suspected terrorists and Special Group members during separate ops in the past week. The ops were part of the GoI's continuing fight against terrorists, insurgents and criminals.
The ISOF ops sought to re-establish safety and security in Basrah. While serving arrest warrants, ISOF captured 5 suspects on the city's west side. The detainees are suspected of IED attacks at a major street intersection. During the op, ISOF troops searched and cleared more than 30 buildings detecting and destroying 9 IEDs.
In Baghdad, ISOF troops detained a suspected AQI terrorist and 2 other suspects. The man is suspected of creating a suicide network and overseeing suicide attacks against around the capitol. He is accused of forming a criminal group to conduct attacks against CF in Tahrir, southeast of Baghdad.
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MND-N Soldiers find large cache during Op Manchu Harvest III
TIKRIT - MND-North Soldiers with the 1st BCT, 101st Abn Div discovered a large weapons cache in Salah ad Din Province during a new op this week.
Op Manchu Harvest, which began April 4, is designed to remove insurgent activity in the region. During the first week of the op, CF Soldiers discovered the weapons cache, which consisted of artillery rounds, mortar rounds, rockets, rocket propelled grenades, mortar fuses, an RPG launcher, hand grenades, suicide vests, a land-mine, more than 150 small-arms rounds of various sizes and over 60 pounds of IED making materials as well as other explosives.
"These significant cache finds continue to erode the enemy's capabilities," said Maj. Peggy Kageleiry, a MND-North spokesman.
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Aerial weapons team kills mortar team
BAGHDAD - A CF AWT killed 2 criminals and destroyed a mortar tube, April 8. These criminals fired 2 mortar rounds at CF in northeast Baghdad. Moments later, an unmanned aerial vehicle observed the 2 criminals covering the tubes with a tarp and then hiding behind an adjacent building. The AWT killed the criminals with a Hellfire missile, and fired a second Hellfire missile destroying the mortar tube.
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UAV destroys rocket rails, mortar and 10 criminals
BAGHDAD - A U.S. Air Force Predator observed 4 rocket rails in an open field in northeastern Baghdad, April 8. The UAV fired a Hellfire missile destroying all rocket rails after the UAV controllers determined there were no civilians in the area.
In a second engagement a Predator observed a group of armed criminals with RPGs and a mortar tube in northeast Baghdad. The UAV engaged these criminals firing a Hellfire missile killing 10 and wounding 2.
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CF Revive Narhwan Brick Factory Complex with Vet Clinic
NARHWAN — An industrial complex in Iraq has quadrupled its employment and productivity over the last 3 months and a skilled team from MND-Center is helping the companies maintain and keep their labor force healthy. More than 250 donkeys were recently treated by vet. Capt. Rory Carolan, and Soldiers from 1st Bn, 10th FA, 3rd HBCT, 3rd ID. The donkeys will be used in the absence of motorized vehicles at the Narhwan Brick Factory Complex.
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Numerous Criminals Detained, Caches Found During Operation Estonia
By Sgt. 1st Class Tami Hillis
4th BCT, 3rd ID
FOB KALSU — Iraqi SF detained numerous criminals and found 2 caches during Op Estonia, March 29 - 30 in the Iraqi cities of Hamza and Hashmiyah.
“Op Estonia was an op to combat extremists who had occupied the town of Hashmiyah,” said Maj. Tony Campbell, G-3 adviser and deputy team leader with 31st MiTT, 4th Bde Special Troops Bn, 3rd ID. “I was surprised by the tenacity of the extremists; they fought hard, but the Iraqi SF still prevailed in the op.”
During the 2-day op, IA Soldiers; ERU with the IP; and Hillah SWAT, teamed up with CFelements from 3rd Sqdrn, 73rd Cav Regt, 82nd Abn Div, and the 31st MiTT.
Campbell said the op showed both criminals and the local populace that ISF are willing and capable to combat criminals. “This op gave confidence to the Iraqi SF that they were powerful enough, strong enough to defeat (the criminals),” Campbell said.
Op Estonia was just one of many raids in the Babil province that were fought to defeat criminals, beginning in the evening March 25. “During the next seven to 10 days the Iraqi SF did a series of ops and in all of these operations the ISF were successful,” Campbell said.
The 2 caches that were found consisted of 23 anti-tank mines, 3 crates of approx. 40 pounds of explosives each, 3 crates of pellet-shaped explosives, 15 81 mm mortars, 2 120 mm mortars, 1,500 DSHKA rounds, a can of 120 mm mortar fuses, 10 EFP housings, 10 EFP discs ranging from 4 - 12 inches, a 6-inch complete EFP, 3 grain bags full of EFP rings, tubes and back covers, 2 MK-19 rounds and a 120 mm casing.
“The overall outcome is favorable for the govt because the Iraqi SF have a renewed vigor, a new confidence in themselves and the people have a greater confidence in the ability of the SF to protect them and they’re no longer intimidated by the militia,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the op also improved lines of communication between elements of the IP and IA. “They are openly sharing intel between these organizations in order to improve their efficiency during ops.”
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