Salem-News.com News Feed for articles tagged with iraq_coverage www.salem-news.com 2010 Countless Americans in uniform are serving repeated combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Captain John Hoffman is one of the people from the Oregon National Guard aviation unit that I was embedded with in Iraq this past summer. In fact, John was my contact person with the squadron. http://salem-news.com/articles/december112008/hoffman_pilot_iraq_12-10-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/december112008/hoffman_pilot_iraq_12-10-08.php Thu, 11 Dec 2008 07:54:00 PST I met a gentleman named Jakope Al Salim in Iraq while spending time with the Marines at the Al Asad Air Base in the Anbar Province. These Marines normally work on airplanes, but in Iraq where there is a shortage of personnel, they have been pulling infantry and military police duty and operating the base entrances and exits. Jakope has worked with Marines in a number of places including Al Asad and Fallujah. At this time he is working with Marines near the Iraq/Saudi Arabia border. He says Iraqi people are increasingly working with and placing trust in the Marines. Last summer when I was there, combat encounters were minimal and cooperation was increasing. But things are changing. He says the election of Barack Obama has caused many Iraqi people to feel unsure about their future. http://salem-news.com/articles/november152008/terp_marines_11-14-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/november152008/terp_marines_11-14-08.php Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:20:00 PST Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have a seven day a week job with few exceptions. Members of an Oregon National Guard aviation support group stationed at Camp Anaconda at Balad, Iraq, are a shining example of those whose operation never rests. In fact, the Oregon Guard 2/641 Aviation Support Group is in charge of the flight missions of two types of aircraft; the C-23 Sherpa transport plane and the "White Birds" which are the C-12 and Citation jet. The Army's motto is "We Own the Night" and aviation is one specific area where operational tempo often increases after the sun falls. Flying slow, lumbering aircraft like the Sherpa can be dangerous during the day when enemy fire from the ground can inflict serious damage. At night, Iraq's temperatures are also reduced so the stress on the airplane is less. http://salem-news.com/articles/october302008/balad_night_crew_10-29-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/october302008/balad_night_crew_10-29-08.php Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:50:00 PDT Five Iraqis were shot and killed in an attack by masked gunmen Saturday near the Balad Air Base north of Baghdad. The U.S. military confirms that the gunmen attacked a house that belongs to the leader of the local Sunni Awakening Council. Several of these men who oversee the Sons of Iraq checkpoints have been shown in reports that I recently filed from Iraq. I do not know if these were the individuals involved in the attack. This particular group has worked closely with the Americans and Iraqi military to drive the insurgency from the area while standing up against terrorists from al Qaida. It is reported that a pregnant woman was injured in the attack but escaped with her life. She was transported to a U.S. military base, presumably Balad, for treatment. http://salem-news.com/articles/october182008/balad_attack_10-18-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/october182008/balad_attack_10-18-08.php Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:42:00 PDT It isn't often that a legacy can change. The sound of clapping hands is an unexpected greeting for soldiers and Marines returning home from the war in Iraq. Too many stories about mistreated Vietnam vets leave an expectation of something totally different. In fact, it takes a moment for these troops returning home on the military R&R flights to even comprehend the idea of dozens and dozens of people gathered there to simply welcome them home, but that is what happens almost every day at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport in Texas. http://salem-news.com/articles/october142008/welcome_home_10-14-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/october142008/welcome_home_10-14-08.php Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:43:00 PDT Marine Corps military police in Iraq have a never ending yet ever changing job description. In one day here at the Al Asad Air Base in the Anbar Province, I will see these Marine MPs search base housing units of foreign employees, inspect commercial trucks that deliver supplies here, operate a traffic check point, and even search a FedEx jet delivering supplies to Iraq. Most of these Marine MP's are actually from aviation roles, but a shortage of Marines has them performing jobs more closely related to security. http://salem-news.com/articles/october132008/al_asad_mps_10-13-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/october132008/al_asad_mps_10-13-08.php Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:25:00 PDT American soldiers enter this town cautiously today. Just days earlier, a VBID- Vehicle Borne Explosive Device, ripped through a supermarket, killing 32 people and injuring as many as 50. 1st Lt. Mike Hammand with the Army's 101st Airborne explained what happened. "An unknown insurgent comes up and brings the vehicle, either targeting the IP station across the street or the market. Detonates the vehicle right around 18:00, the time when most people have stopped fasting for Ramadan and have gone to the market, or restaurants around the market area to eat dinner, or get food for dinner, and blew the vehicle up." http://salem-news.com/articles/october072008/car_bomb_10-7-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/october072008/car_bomb_10-7-08.php Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:15:00 PDT Most of the people I have met who are serving in Iraq at this time are professional and on task. They perform their roles without complaint and almost all work long and hard hours, regardless of what they do. http://salem-news.com/articles/october062008/iraq_strange_facts_10-5-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/october062008/iraq_strange_facts_10-5-08.php Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:49:00 PDT The world was different in 1969 when Barry Brown enlisted in the U.S. Army with a goal of flying helicopters. His dream was realized, and it led to Barry serving ten months as a Huey pilot in Vietnam. http://salem-news.com/articles/october032008/vietnam_pilot_iraq_10-2-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/october032008/vietnam_pilot_iraq_10-2-08.php Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:20:00 PDT Today's patrol will lead us to a village called Abu Fadooz, an Iraqi community that has become more stable in recent months, thanks largely most agree, to the money the United States began providing for Iraqi militias, to conduct security checkpoints referred to here in Iraq as CLC's. Using tools like the AK-47 automatic assault rifle, the Sons of Iraq are the men whose presence has led to a steep decline in violence here. But in spite of that success, tens of thousands of these mostly Sunni neighborhood guards, will lose their jobs, as the United States pulls back funding and hands the future of the program back to the Iraqi government. http://salem-news.com/articles/september302008/airborne_negotiators_9-29-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/september302008/airborne_negotiators_9-29-08.php Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:00:00 PDT U.S. Marines are among the most accomplished killers in the world, but this Marine Corps story is about giving and sustaining life, rather than taking it. A Navy doctor attached to the U.S. Marines at Al Asad has put together an amazing program to help Iraqi children receive medical aid that is not available anywhere in their own country. Lt. Commander Christina Williams is a family practice physician from Oklahoma who came to this land of war and death to deliver a unique and unexpected gift of life. "Well there are several children that have cardiac anomalies, holes in their hearts, and they have no resources in this country in order to address their situation." http://salem-news.com/articles/september212008/iraq_092108.php http://salem-news.com/articles/september212008/iraq_092108.php Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:13:00 PDT Iraq may invoke images of desert terrain and that is the case in certain areas, but around Balad, agriculture is the mainstay of the local economy. Sgt Jonathan Fondow with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne, says it is very good land, "Compared to if you go north or south of here, this is probably the best farming area that I have seen." On this day, members of the 101st Airborne visited a local sheik who oversees the area's produce stores that sell these ag products that in turn feed many of the local people here. http://salem-news.com/articles/september192008/iraq_091908.php http://salem-news.com/articles/september192008/iraq_091908.php Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:07:00 PDT For Marines at the Al Asad Air Station in Iraq, running base security is a never ending mission. Calling it serious would be a grave understatement, and anyone who attempts to cross these warriors treads on dangerous ground. It's a job normally performed by military police, but today the roles are filled mostly by Marines with other military occupational specialties, or MOS's, primarily related to aviation. http://salem-news.com/articles/september182008/iraq_091608.php http://salem-news.com/articles/september182008/iraq_091608.php Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:04:00 PDT Members of the Oregon National Guard have a big mission on their hands and minds over the next several months. Their tour of duty in Iraq is an aviation support mission. The 2/641 Aviation Support Group's specific responsibility, revolves around the C-23 Sherpa transport plane, known to these soldiers simply as "The Boxcar". Major Brian Houston is a Blackhawk pilot who drew this unique mission that supports not helicopters, but large cargo planes and another type of high-speed Army transport planes known as "White Birds". http://salem-news.com/articles/september152008/iraq_091508.php http://salem-news.com/articles/september152008/iraq_091508.php Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:30:00 PDT On this day, U.S. Army soldiers stationed in Iraq made a big difference for the life of one Iraqi citizen. People in this faraway land of war and hardship have few alternatives when it comes to things like wheelchairs. To help change that, one soldier's family in Minnesota decided to take matters into their own hands and they have been sending a number of these into Iraq to help the local people here. Sgt. Jonathan Fondow is the man who spearheaded this mission. "Iraq has one of the highest percentages of handicapped people in the world. They just don't have the facilities or the medical doctors to take care of these people. So we're just doing whatever we can to help them." http://salem-news.com/articles/september142008/iraq.php http://salem-news.com/articles/september142008/iraq.php Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:40:00 PDT A sandstorm reminiscent of a Hollywood movie is descending over the base in Iraq where I have been for the last few weeks, yet it seems like small change next to other events here in the last two days. Medical personnel from all over Balad were called out last night as victims from a car bomb that exploded in an undisclosed location launched medical crews and helicopter rescue teams into action. The victims from what I understand were soldiers from the Iraqi Army and small children who reportedly received serious burns. Medical technicians told me that it was as busy of a night as any they have seen in the past three to four months. The sandstorm accompanied by wild lightning strikes only seemed to raise the tension. http://salem-news.com/articles/september132008/iraq_091308.php http://salem-news.com/articles/september132008/iraq_091308.php Sat, 13 Sep 2008 09:20:00 PDT Soldiers stationed in the Green or 'International Zone' of Baghdad, like Andrew Hanselman, a Public Affairs Specialist with the U.S. Army, say there is a relative state of calm that is not the case on the other side of the Tigris River, in what is known as the 'Red Zone'. Baghdad's International Zone is a relatively safe place for both Americans and Iraqi people today. The other side of the bridge however, is a different story. The bridge itself is of historical significance to the people of Iraq. http://salem-news.com/articles/september122008/iraq_091208.php http://salem-news.com/articles/september122008/iraq_091208.php Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:11:00 PDT My video reports are at a bit of a standstill at this time as my main pack containing much of my video gear is lost somewhere in Iraq. I thought it was important to relay this information to those who are becoming accustomed to seeing new reports every two or three days. I left the Marine Corps Air Station at Al Asad, Iraq five days ago enroute back to Balad. I was scheduled to go straight to Tikrit where I was to embed with the Army's 101st Airborne. With luck this will still happen, but with each day the gear remains missing, an accompanying level of frustration builds accordingly. http://salem-news.com/articles/september112008/iraq.php http://salem-news.com/articles/september112008/iraq.php Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:38:00 PDT Marines at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq are on a constant vigil, with combat patrols in their area of operation going around the clock. http://salem-news.com/articles/september072008/iraq_090708.php http://salem-news.com/articles/september072008/iraq_090708.php Sun, 07 Sep 2008 09:09:00 PDT My first day on patrol in Iraq. These soldiers from the Army's 101st Airborne are from the 2nd Batallion, 320th Artillery. Their group is known as the Balls of the Eagle. It sounds boastful, but after a few hours in the countryside of Iraq, the name made sense. The soldiers form a cohesive group that takes their role in this war very seriously. Sgt Major Robert Levis is a career soldier who directs the operations here. "You know these young Americans that sign up for the military today, they already know they're going to war, they know they are going to be separated from their family, it just amazes me." http://salem-news.com/articles/september042008/iraq_090408.php http://salem-news.com/articles/september042008/iraq_090408.php Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:02:00 PDT It is still an active war, but the International Zone of Baghdad is calmer than at any other point in Iraq's recent history. One place most Americans would recognize from news clips and photos is Saddam Hussein's parade area where troops passed under massive crossed swords. They are, quite literally, a direct reminder of the former dictator. Andrew Hanselman is a Public Affairs specialist with the U.S. Army in Baghdad. He says the swords are a painful reminder of the late Saddam Hussein, and that they are actually molded after Saddam Hussein's wrist or hands. http://salem-news.com/articles/august302008/iraq_082908.php http://salem-news.com/articles/august302008/iraq_082908.php Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:00:00 PDT An embedded reporter in Iraq can travel through the country a couple of different ways. The top choice is to catch a ride aboard military aircraft. On this particular day, I needed to reach the Combined Press Information Center in Baghdad to receive reporter's credentials. My day started at 4:30 AM by boarding a twin engine Army plane for the flight to Iraq's capitol. Arriving at Baghdad International Airport, another photographer and I found a group of Iraqi soldiers in HUMVEE's that have been provided to their Army by the U.S. government. The soldiers were extremely proud of the armored vehicles and it is easy to understand why. While this is my first time visiting Iraq, I did spend the winter of 2006/2007 in Afghanistan. http://salem-news.com/articles/august282008/iraq_082808.php http://salem-news.com/articles/august282008/iraq_082808.php Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:36:00 PDT Boarding a giant aircraft bound for Kuwait with a number of U.S. Army units this week, I moved one step closer to Iraq, and the combat theater where I will be embedded with an Oregon Guard aviation unit sent in country for a six-month tour of duty. This leg of the journey began in Fort Benning, Georgia, from there we were flown to another base, Hunter Army Airfield, to refuel. Waiting at the air facility for these U.S. troops, bound for war, was a career Green Beret Vietnam veteran named Walt Peters. http://salem-news.com/articles/august232008/iraq.php http://salem-news.com/articles/august232008/iraq.php Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:20:00 PDT Oregon Guard soldiers from 2-641 Aviation on their way to a deployment in Balad, Iraq have spent the last week at Fort Benning, Georgia preparing for their deployment in the war theater. The weather has been warm and humid but they say the training is essential toward their preparation. Staff Sergeant Chris Fisher with the Oregon Guard says it’s a change from Northwest living. "It’s hot and muggy here, that’s for sure, it is quite a culture shock and a weather change from being on the west coast." http://salem-news.com/articles/august192008/guard_081908.php http://salem-news.com/articles/august192008/guard_081908.php Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:37:00 PDT Salem-News.com is pleased to announce that Tim's international news mission has begun. Our chief reporter Tim King has departed Oregon for a five-week assignment in Iraq where he will be embedded with Oregon National Guard soldiers arriving there for a year-long combat tour. Joined for a proper send off at the Portland airport by Q Madp and some of his PGR friends, Tim bid us all farewell as he walked down the terminal heavy-laden with camera equipment and more and into a new phase of Salem-News.com war reports. http://salem-news.com/articles/august142008/tim_leaves_8-13-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/august142008/tim_leaves_8-13-08.php Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:13:00 PDT We are happy to announce that I will have the honor of joining a group of Oregon Guard soldiers from 2-641 Aviation who are deploying to Iraq to work in the aviation sector at Balad. The soldiers were officially mobilized this week. This will be my second opportunity to be embedded with an Oregon Guard unit at war. I spent the winter of 2006/2007 embedded with the Oregon Guard in Afghanistan. http://salem-news.com/articles/august082008/iraq_trip_8-8-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/august082008/iraq_trip_8-8-08.php Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:41:00 PDT