B*N*S*N bonus picture!

Those nasty US troops torturing the Afghan kids - again!!!


05/05/2011 - U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Billy Atherton, center, with the 455th Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron, carries an injured Afghan child to the Egyptian Field Hospital at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, May 5, 2011. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Sheila deVera, U.S. Air Force/Released)

B*N*S*N bonus!

Female Marines participated in the first ever all-female jungle survival course at the Jungle Warfare Training Center in Okinawa. Cpl. Amber Watson reports. (here)

B*N*S*N bonus K9 picture

06/24/2010 - U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Otto Yan, a dog handler with the 28th Security Forces Squadron, wears a bite suit arm protector while training with military working dog, Bak, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., June 24, 2010. (DoD photo by Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli, U.S. Air Force/Released)

B*N*S*N BONUS!

THANKS TO LT. DAN - Army Sgt. Maj. Robert Prosser, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team sergeant major, shakes actor Gary Sinise's hand after presenting him with the American flag and a special unit coin on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 2009. Sinise visited wounded soldiers in Kandahar, Afghanistan, after performing with his band, "The Lt. Dan Band." U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Chris Florence

Celebrities thank troops at Thanksgiving concert

Posted 11/24/2009 Updated 11/24/2009

11/24/2009 - BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- Gary Sinise and the Lieutenant Dan Band made their first appearance in Afghanistan performing for hundreds of Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Coast Guard members Nov. 23 here.

This visit is one in a long line of entertainment and celebrity visits to boost morale of servicemembers who are away from home and their loved ones during the holidays, said Col. Edward Shock, the Armed Forces Entertainment director.

That sentiment of thanking the troops during the holidays was echoed by the visitors.

"We understand and appreciate your sacrifice. We do not take you for granted," Mr. Sinise told the crowd. "We're grateful for you and your service and the sacrifice of your loved ones back home. Your families sacrifice so much, so often and we know they miss you. Thank you."

Mr. Sinise also visited a remote Army outpost near the Pakistan border where he met with Soldiers and distributed humanitarian supplies to more than 50 Afghan children.

While Mr. Sinise visited the remote outpost, other actors visited the Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield to meet the staff and visit with patients.

"You all have a first-rate facility," said actor Mykelti Williamson, also known as Bubba from the "Forrest Gump" movie. "You're using equipment and techniques that we're not even seeing in the states.

"I am so grateful for their sacrifice," he continued. "I pray to God daily for the men and women who go through there."

Comedian Kevin Farley, actress Kristy Swanson and television personality LeeAnn Tweeden visited troops. The visit was a partnership between AFE, the USO and American Airlines.

"I think it's really good they're here supporting the troops," said Staff Sgt. Henrie Young, from the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Safety Office before a thunderous applause from a cover of Neil Young's "Teenage Wasteland."

The Lieutenant Dan Band has traveled all over the world playing popular music and visiting servicemembers and families, including Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Korean Demilitarized Zone and many other remote military bases. The band name was chosen because Mr. Sinise was constantly recognized by a character he played in the movie "Forrest Gump" called Lieutenant Dan.

(source) Oh, and of course, don't go looking for this on the msm!

B*N*S*N Bonus picture

10/25/2009 - From left, U.S. Navy Capt. Chip Miller, the commanding officer of USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), and former Presidents George W. Bush and George H. W. Bush watch an NFL game between the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers Oct. 25, 2009, during Navy Week 2009 events in Houston, Texas. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jason Winn, U.S. Navy/Released)

Just because I like this picture of President George W. Bush..:)

B*N*S*N bonus

07/22/2009 - Royal Australian Navy sailors aboard the replenishment oiler HMAS Success (AOR 304) send a fuel probe to the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85) during an under way replenishment in the Coral Sea July 22, 2009. McCampbell is under way with the Essex Strike Group in support of the bilateral training exercise Talisman Sabre 2009. Talisman Sabre is a biennial combined training activity designed to train Australian and United States forces in planning and conducting combined task force operations. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Byron C. Linder, U.S. Navy/Released)

B*N*S*N bonus

U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Eldon Kuntzelman, center, meets with local farmers in Kapisa province, July 13, to discuss issues concerning grain bin assembly and grape vineyards. (Photo by U.S. Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens, Task Force Warrior Public Affairs Office)


"This just in..."

Midwest grain bins going to Afghan farmers

Today at 5:25am

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2009

By U.S. Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens
Task Force Warrior Public Affairs Office

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Members of the Task Force Warrior Agri-Business Development Team visited several villages in Afghanistan’s Kapisa province, July 13, to assess completed grain bins that once occupied farmlands in Imperial, Neb. The bins have been relocated and reconstructed to help Afghan farmers with grain storage issues.

“These completed grain bins are the first in Afghanistan, and serve as an excellent way for farmers to store their grain,” said ADT Agronomist, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Eldon Kuntzelman, who first thought of the idea to ship grain bins to Afghanistan, June 2008, during pre-deployment preparations.

“It was reported to the ADT that grain storage was an issue in Afghanistan,” said Kuntzelman, who worked last summer alongside ADT members and community volunteers to disassemble eight local grain bins donated by Kip Bremer, Kurt Bernhardt, and Wayne Bahler, all farmers from Imperial, Neb.

Farmer Gregg Smith also offered some of his grain bins. Business owner Bob Mendenhall volunteered his time, a boom truck, and air tools to assist with the disassembly, and loading and transporting of the bins from Imperial, Neb., 300 miles away to Lincoln, Neb. They were later transported to Camp Atterbury, Ind., and shipped to Afghanistan.

“It took about a week to take down the eight bins,” said Kuntzelman, crediting farmer Richard Banks for donating his time alongside the TF Warrior ADT to disassemble and load the bins.

“Once we hit the ground here in October 2008, we started assessing the area for places to put the bins up,” said Kuntzelman, who assists local farmers in Kapisa, Parwan, Panjshir and Bamyan provinces.

During the mission July 13, TF Warrior ADT assessed three completed grain bins in Kapisa province.

“Shir Padasha Village constructed the grain bin exactly as we trained them,” said Kuntzelman, who walked on foot to the village due to heavy tree cover and narrow streets for travel.

At the second location, a short distance away, where a smaller bin was constructed, farmers were very happy to have something to store their grain in. They offered members of the ADT apricots and plums to eat.

“They tasted great,” Kuntzelman said.

A larger bin was constructed at a third location where a well is being drilled and a vineyard is experiencing a fungus problem on grapes.

In addition to the three completed grain bins in Kapisa, one grain bin has been delivered to Parwan, and plans are in the works to deliver the remaining four grain bins to Panjshir.

“All the foundation pads are poured at the various locations for the grain bins to be assembled, and we expect all eight bins to be completed by the end of the month,” Kuntzelman said.

A completed grain bin pictured here, July 13, in Kapisa province, used to sit on a farm in Imperial, Neb., until June of 2008. A number of civilian farmers from the local Nebraska community donated the bins, as well as their time and resources to disassemble, load and transport the bins. (Photo by U.S. Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens, Task Force Warrior Public Affairs Office)

From the US Forces - Afghanistan FaceBook page

B*N*S*N BONUS

...
So many stories, so little time:

Baghdad Maternity Hospital Renovation Restores Full Capacity

By Kendal Smith
Special to American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, May 14, 2009 – For engineer Wathiq Abdul Jabbar, the May 9 ribbon-cutting ceremony that capped a $2.4 million renovation of the Alwaiya Maternity hospital here was especially meaningful.

“I feel like I helped rebuild my home,” he said. “I was born and raised just four kilometers from this hospital, so it is a special place for me.”

In 2004, the hospital had a capacity of only 37 beds. Equipment failures and structural damage caused rooms and buildings to remain unused for many years. But that has all changed. The extensive makeover, which Abdul Jabbar described as a “skin off, skin on” renovation, brought the hospital’s capability back to 344 beds.

Abdul Jabbar, chairman of The Muhandis Inbbar Group, directed the project and spoke at the ceremony to officially open the hospital.

“I want to thank the American taxpayer for the help and assistance in making this renovation possible,” he said. ...

Go read the rest here.

And there is MORE:

Iraqi Special Operations Forces Rescue Kidnapped Boy

By Army Spc. Jeffrey A. Ledesma
Special to American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, May 14, 2009 – Under the cover of night, an element of Iraqi special operations forces recovered a young kidnap victim being held for ransom in the Iraqi capital during an early-morning, Iraqi-led operation yesterday.

Operating under the authority of a warrant issued by Iraq’s Counter Terrorism Bureau, the Iraqi soldiers recovered the 8-year-old boy and arrested his captors in hopes of disrupting a kidnap-for-ransom cell operating in the Baghdad area.

During the Iraqi and U.S. intelligence-driven mission, the ground troops secured the hostage taker's house and questioned the residents suspected of working for the kidnap cell. After questioning the suspects, the soldiers then moved to the alleged criminal's workplace, where they subsequently apprehended him.

The soldiers who carried out the mission were determined to bring the child home to his family, according to the Iraqi commander who oversaw the operation. The boy was taken from his family May 11, starting two days of waiting for the family and two days of threats for the kidnapped child in an unfamiliar place. Although those days were painful, the father of the child said a houseful of relatives comforted his family throughout the ordeal. His extended family helped him stay calm while the Iraqi soldiers provided him with hope, he added.

After commanding his troops on the ground for hours, the battalion commander said he was overwhelmed with a sense of relief and happiness when he knew the boy was finally safe.

"I felt extremely happy, and at the same time, I felt like crying," the boy’s father said, describing how he felt when he was reunited with his son. "I gave thanks to God and thanks to the soldiers for bringing my son home."...

Don't look for this on the front page of your msm, but go here to read the rest.

B*N*S*N Bonus

05/03/2009 - U.S. Army 1st Lt. Ryan Chase, with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 8th Cavalry Division, carries a box of school supplies to the opening ceremony of the Al Rafudi School in the city of Abu Ghraib, Iraq, May 3, 2009. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Robert Whelan, U.S. Navy/Released)

B*N*S*N BONUS!

Royal Marines, royally kicking Taliban butt

Mar 26th, 2009 | By Claire | Category: 1-Featured Article

Awesome report out of Afghanistan. These Marines deserve a cheer and a salute, and by gosh England had better treat them right when they come home!

These are Brat’s Chaps, and nobody messes with Brat’s Chaps!

Found at RN

Taliban lose 130 in three day battle with Marines
Royal Marines have killed 130 Taliban fighters during a major three-day battle in Afghanistan in which a key enemy stronghold was destroyed, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The Daily Telegraph - by Thomas Harding, Defense Correspondent on March 26, 2009

A force of 700 troops from 42 Commando along with Danish and Afghan troops swooped on the Taliban base of Marjah in a helicopter air assault that took three waves to offload the men.

With Marjah a main base for processing opium and training forces, the enemy put up a fierce fight as the commandos swept through a network of mud brick compounds.

Fighting was at very close quarters with troops using pistols, machine guns and in one instance a £49,000 Javelin rocket to take out the enemy....

I found this at Knee Deep in the Hooah! Go over there now and read the rest. These ARE my guys...they do us all proud, every single day!

B*N*S*N BONUS!

Army Sgt. Stephen Covell and an Iraqi girl go down a slide at the Al-Moutasam kindergarten playground during the school’s reopening ceremony March 3, 2009, in eastern Baghdad’s Rusafa district. U.S. Army photo by Georges Aboumrad


Children dance during the Al-Moutasam kindergarten’s reopening ceremony in eastern Baghdad’s Rusafa district, March 3, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Georges Aboumrad

Faysal Jasim Mohannad, deputy district council chairman, cuts the ceremonial ribbon to officially reopen the renovated Al-Moutasam kindergarten in eastern Baghdad’s Rusafa district, March 3, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Georges Aboumrad



So MANY great stories, I *could* do a book length every single day! But for now, here's a bonus that I have to share:

School Renovation Produces Gift for Budding Artists

By Army Staff Sgt. Alex Licea
Special to American Forces Press Service

MUSTANSIRYA, Iraq, March 12, 2009 – District leaders, school administrators, Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad paratroopers celebrated the completion of a school renovation March 3 in eastern Baghdad’s Rusafa district.

The construction of a new art facility was the focus for the renovations in the Al-Moutasam kindergarten. Other refurbishments included new plumbing and electrical systems, new classroom doors and windows, and a fresh coat of paint.

The art facility is a sign that Iraqi education officials are developing educational programs outside of general subjects, officials said.

“This is a great thing that we are seeing this school being renovated in our district,” said Alaa Radey, an official from the Rusafa higher education ministry. “This is a sign of progression in our educational systems with the grand opening of this school’s art facility. This is a great thing not just for Rusafa and Baghdad, but for all of Iraq.”

Iraqi security forces and 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment paratroopers attended the event as a sign of partnership with the district and its citizens.

“The turnout of people today is phenomenal,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Donald Workman, a Gainesville, Fla., native assigned to the nonlethal effects section of the squadron. “This is the best school opening yet, and it’s a good sign that great things are coming to Iraq.”

The district’s education department is in the planning stages for several projects, including the construction of more than 30 new schools throughout the district and the renovation of more than 70 existing schools.

(Army Staff Sgt. Alex Licea serves with the 82nd Airborne Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team public affairs office) [source: here ]