Salem-News.com News Feed for articles tagged with war_coverage www.salem-news.com 2010 A report this week by Xinhua news agency, describes the extreme, freezing conditions families in Afghanistan are attempting to survive. They won't all make it. Never in all of my life will I forget my freezing 2006/08 winter covering the war in Afghanistan. http://salem-news.com/articles/february052012/afghan-winter-tk.php http://salem-news.com/articles/february052012/afghan-winter-tk.php Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:30:00 PST This story was written in the early days of September, 2008; about the night that I encountered questionable treatment of Iraqi prisoners, while flying in a U.S. Army CH-47 helicopter from Fallujah, to Balad, Iraq. I delayed publishing it, but more revelations about the authorized torture and abuse of prisoners in Iraq by Bush Administration officials, led to the decision to release this information. http://salem-news.com/articles/december122008/insurgent_abuse_iraq_12-12-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/december122008/insurgent_abuse_iraq_12-12-08.php Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:35:00 PST 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 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 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 We reported on May 16th 2007 that the U.S. government appeared to be on the verge of relaxing its complete blackout of MySpace and YouTube on all U.S. military computers. I can tell you over one year later that it apparently never happened. It seems unusual that the Department of Defense would continue this ridiculous information "blackout" at a time that we are asking so much from these brave warriors. http://salem-news.com/articles/august172008/myspace.php http://salem-news.com/articles/august172008/myspace.php Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:04:00 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've been doing everything possible to prepare for our coverage of Oregon Guard soldiers in Iraq that was due to begin this week, but now our reporter, Tim King, has been placed in a holding pattern over an unforeseen snag regarding a government form that apparently was missed. "We were hoping nothing would pop up at the last minute that we had neglected to do. Unfortunately, here it is!" said Bonnie King, Salem-News.com Publisher. http://salem-news.com/articles/april012008/tim_delayed_4-1-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/april012008/tim_delayed_4-1-08.php Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:23:00 PDT Salem-News.com reporter Tim King is less than eight days away from shipping overseas to cover Oregon Guard troops deployed in Iraq. Two Oregon businesses, Kadel's Auto Body and the Best Little Roadhouse in Salem, will be sponsoring some of the only media reports coming out of Iraq that specifically cover the Oregon Guard soldiers during their year long tour. http://salem-news.com/articles/march272008/tim_sponsors_3-26-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/march272008/tim_sponsors_3-26-08.php Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:54:00 PDT I left Afghanistan over a year ago, but new video segments and photos continue to emerge from the pile of accumulated media from my two months there last winter. The still images seem to tell stories that video and sound can be challenged to reach. I guess you could fall back on the old knowledge that sometimes, silence speaks volumes. http://salem-news.com/articles/march172008/new_afghan_photos_3-17-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/march172008/new_afghan_photos_3-17-08.php Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:42:00 PDT Our coverage of the war in Iraq is set to begin in early April and the last weeks stateside are busy at Salem-News.com. I want to give our viewers a concise idea of what to expect when I am over there, and of course I am always open to suggestions on new story ideas. I will be traveling to Iraq with Evergreen Aviation out of McMinnville, Oregon. The units I will embed with are primarily out of Salem. http://salem-news.com/articles/march172008/iraq_trip_3-17-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/march172008/iraq_trip_3-17-08.php Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:00:00 PDT A sometimes emotional and extremely beneficial fundraiser was held today at Eola Hills Winery in Rickreall, Oregon, to support our upcoming coverage of Oregon Guard soldiers deployed in Iraq. Their beautiful setting across from the Polk County Fairgrounds dedicated a room to the event that was adorned in red, white and blue table settings. http://salem-news.com/articles/march092008/fundraiser_report_3-9-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/march092008/fundraiser_report_3-9-08.php Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:09:00 PDT While deployed in a yearlong tour of duty, Oregon National Guard soldiers in Iraq are getting little in the way of coverage from state media outlets, and the national media has also greatly reduced their flow of information on the war. We believe this is extremely important information to all Oregonians, so for the second time, our groundbreaking company will send a correspondent into a combat zone. You are invited to a special event Sunday to support our upcoming coverage. http://salem-news.com/articles/march072008/event_sunday_3-7-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/march072008/event_sunday_3-7-08.php Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:33:00 PST An opportunity to help Oregon Guard soldiers serving in Iraq and Salem-News.com happens this Sunday in Rickreall, Oregon, as Eola Hills hosts a special fundraising brunch/wine tasting event to benefit our in-country Iraq coverage. Our reporter/photographer Tim King, will go to Iraq this time, to be embedded with at least two Oregon National Guard units located in the Baghdad area, as well as the Army's 10th Mountain Division in Northern Iraq. http://salem-news.com/articles/march042008/tim_iraq-3-4-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/march042008/tim_iraq-3-4-08.php Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:20:00 PST Our reporter Tim King is preparing to visit Baghdad, Iraq later in March to cover the Oregon Guard at war for four to six weeks. Americans at large seem to have lost interest in Iraq and in spite of the fact that tens of thousands of our soldiers go on fighting and in some cases, dying there, the demand for war coverage at the American networks has never been lower. http://salem-news.com/articles/february242008/tim_iraq_4_2-24-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/february242008/tim_iraq_4_2-24-08.php Sun, 24 Feb 2008 18:46:00 PST For the second time in two years, Salem-News.com reporter Tim King will travel across the world to the Mideast to cover war. He will specifically report on the actions of Oregon soldiers deployed in Iraq during their yearlong tour of duty. The soldiers in Iraq that Tim will be embedded with are primarily Oregonians. These are civilian soldiers far from home who are living through one of our nation's longest military conflicts. http://salem-news.com/articles/february192008/war_funding_2-19-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/february192008/war_funding_2-19-08.php Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:23:00 PST It's easy to say you support the troops and even apply politics to the statement, but if you really care and want to do something that will make a difference to our fighting men and women overseas, then help Salem-News.com deal with the costs of sending a reporter into a war zone. We need sponsorship from businesses that want to be involved in supporting our troops. We need help from individuals also who want to lend a hand to this tried and true effort to bring families, friends and loved ones a more accurate and up close look at the situation in Iraq and what Oregon's soldiers are doing. http://salem-news.com/articles/february042008/iraq_trip_2-4-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/february042008/iraq_trip_2-4-08.php Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:44:00 PST Salem-News.com reporter Tim King will go to Baghdad, Iraq in March to cover the war and report specifically on the progress and mission of the Oregon National Guard. Tim spent two months covering the war in Afghanistan over the winter of 2006/07, embedded with the Oregon Guard in the Army's 41st Brigade Combat Team. This time Tim will go to Iraq where hundreds of Oregon soldiers are stationed over the course of a year long deployment. http://salem-news.com/articles/january182008/iraq_announcement_11808.php http://salem-news.com/articles/january182008/iraq_announcement_11808.php Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:57:00 PST People in a war zone are limited in the ways they can celebrate holidays, but last year in Afghanistan they managed to keep the spirit alive in a number of ways. I spent the last holiday season covering the war in Afghanistan where I was an embedded reporter with the Oregon National Guard's 41st Brigade Combat Team. http://salem-news.com/articles/december212007/afghan_christmas_121707.php http://salem-news.com/articles/december212007/afghan_christmas_121707.php Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:53:00 PST Many Americans have concluded that Osama bin Laden met his death long ago, but an Islamic Website says he has a new message this week, the sixth anniversary of September 11th attacks against the United States. Now the President says he wants to capture the elusive Al-Qaida leader again, fully aware that not one report from bin Laden has been verified. http://salem-news.com/articles/september112007/bon_laden_9707.php http://salem-news.com/articles/september112007/bon_laden_9707.php Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:36:00 PDT Two Oregon television/Internet reporters were embedded with the Oregon National Guard's 41st Brigade Combat Team in Afghanistan. The soldiers have rotated home, but the YouTube video reports filed by Scott Kesterson continue to draw sharp criticism from Canadian soldiers and their families. While Salem-News.com's Tim King spent two months in country covering many aspects of operations in the North part of the country, Kesterson spent most of his time actually covering the Canadian combat operations around Kandahar. http://salem-news.com/articles/august232007/war_reporting_81107.php http://salem-news.com/articles/august232007/war_reporting_81107.php Thu, 23 Aug 2007 22:29:00 PDT Oregon residents can welcome their own state's troops home Saturday with a series of events planned in Tigard. Oregon's Governor Ted Kulongoski will be on hand as well as most of soldiers that number over 900. The 41st Combat Brigade Team of the Oregon National Guard is returning from a 16 month deployment to Afghanistan. http://salem-news.com/articles/august012007/war_parade_8107.php http://salem-news.com/articles/august012007/war_parade_8107.php Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:50:00 PDT While some Oregonians in Afghanistan go into combat, others, like Sergeant First Class Richard Trube of Salem, provide the support that it takes to keep those soldiers on the move. These unsung heroes make sure people eat, stay warm in the winter and cool on hot days. Supply lines ensure the success of missions by providing the constant flow of equipment and goods. http://salem-news.com/articles/may302007/afghan_supply_53007.php http://salem-news.com/articles/may302007/afghan_supply_53007.php Wed, 30 May 2007 22:17:00 PDT Americans who watch action films are used to seeing military recruits in boot camp; basic training has been portrayed in movies for years. But an inside look at the Afghanistan Army’s boot camp is something most people haven’t experienced. This is a special day at KMTC, the officers and men of the Afghan National Army are preparing for a visit from the country’s Vice-President, Abdul Karim Khalili. http://salem-news.com/articles/may022007/afghan_vp_visit_5207.php http://salem-news.com/articles/may022007/afghan_vp_visit_5207.php Wed, 02 May 2007 10:47:00 PDT As I covered the war in Afghanistan during the winter of 2006/07 I knew I would want to do more with the footage than just the reports I was sending back to Salem-News.com and Oregon's KPTV FOX-12. Because Salem-News.com is family friendly in terms of language and content, I decided to post the footage on myspace.com and the footage is already building a new flow of visitors to our site. The first batch of footage is available to watch in five-minute segments from beginning to end. This is unedited footage from an infantry security patrol "outside the wire" in Kabul, Afghanistan near Camp Phoenix. The soldiers are mostly Oregon National Guard and it is a rare and unusual chance to witness a military operation in Afghanistan from beginning to end. http://salem-news.com/articles/march272007/myspace_story_32707.php http://salem-news.com/articles/march272007/myspace_story_32707.php Tue, 27 Mar 2007 18:58:00 PDT A second half-hour program will air on Oregon's KPTV FOX-12 this weekend featuring the work of Salem-News.com's Tim King in Afghanistan. Tim spent just under two months during the winter of 2006/07 embedded with the Oregon National Guard's 41st Combat Brigade Team. The first of the two half-hour shows aired Saturday, February 24th at 10:30 PM on FOX-12 following the news. http://salem-news.com/articles/march092007/show_airs_3907.php http://salem-news.com/articles/march092007/show_airs_3907.php Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:23:00 PST The thunderous blades of U.S. Army helicopters mean many things to soldiers at war. Sometimes the sound means an infantryman is approaching battle, while other times the deafening roar is the sound of rescue and evacuation. These helicopters making an approach in an Afghanistan mountain valley carry combat troops that are on the move. This CH-47 Chinook was also my ride back to the Afghanistan capitol, Kabul. http://salem-news.com/articles/february252007/afghan_helos_22507.php http://salem-news.com/articles/february252007/afghan_helos_22507.php Sun, 25 Feb 2007 23:33:00 PST