A Great Thanksgiving for the Schriefer Family

This has truly been a great Thanksgiving for the Schriefer Family. Nick is finally out of Iraq and on his way back to the USA. Jill and I are spending this weekend doing our Christmas Shopping, like many Americans. But our greatest Christmas gift has already been received. For the first time in years, neither of our sons will be at war. Nick will soon be back from serving 15 months in Iraq and Jon was recently informed that they would not be deployed on his second tour to Iraq for quite some time - hopefully never.

I feel guilty feeling this way, while so many other families have sons and daughters still there, and many who will never return. But I'm confident that all the other parents understand my selfishness, and for that - my thoughts and prayers are with you this holiday season.

Article: A village blossoms in Iraq, while U.S. support lasts

By NANCY A. YOUSSEF, McClatchy Newspaper

(excerpts) JURF AL-SAKHR, Iraq In this desolate tiny town in what was once called the Triangle of Death, signs of the violent past mix oddly with evidence of today’s more tranquil life.

Large plots of land emptied by car bombs sit next to refurbished buildings. A new water treatment plant looks out to blast walls that have not been necessary for months. A newly opened clothes shop is next to one that has been shut for ages.

The U.S. calls this former al-Qaida stronghold a paragon of post-surge Iraq. Violence has come to a near standstill. Yet the government that has emerged is far from the democratic republic once promised...

...“This place is about all kinds of agreements,” said Lt. Col. Robert Balcavage, the commander of the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment based at Fort Richardson, Alaska. “The central government right now is too far removed. I mean, if these people were to rely on the central government, they don’t see any hope there. So what we are doing is bringing government from the ground up.”...

Entire Article

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Veteran's Day

Please take a moment to remember those who have served and those continuing to serve on this Veteran's Day.

Article: U.S. posts drop in Iraq war deaths

This article from the Baltimore Sun mentions the 501st PIR.

(excerpt)
...The experience of Balcavage's battalion, the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, shows why.

This summer his soldiers began working with local tribal elders to aggressively recruit Iraqis. To date, they've signed up about 1,480 into the Iraqi army, 400 into the local police and 2,200 as citizen security volunteers.

"That's about 4,000 guys we've taken off the streets," Balcavage said. He said many of them are former hard-core Sunni insurgents, but "they believe they're going with the stronger side."

Rocket and mortar attacks on his battalion, which reached a high of 45 in March, dropped to one in September, he said. Attacks with roadside or vehicle-borne suicide bombs dropped from 61 in March to six in September, and small-arms attacks declined from 39 in January to five in September.

Now, with Iraqi security forces moving in behind him to maintain order, Balcavage's 800 paratroopers are pushing into what he said is "the last stronghold" of the extremist Islamist group al-Qaida in Iraq, northwest of Iskandariyah.

"We went looking for a fight, and we're hunting them right now," he said...

Entire article

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Buy This DVD --> Outside the Wire

Buying this DVD will help fund the completion of Johannes' current movie project - Crunch Time. This movie-in-the-making shows Army soldiers in action in Iraq, including the 501st and 509th out of Fort Richardson Alaska.


Watch video clips of the upcoming movie, including this one at the bottom of Johannes' webpage.

From the website:

Outside the Wire
This is the Iraq War you won't see on the evening news.

Former Marine and television news producer JD Johannes traveled to Iraq with his old Marine Corps unit to produce syndicated TV news reports for local stations.

From those reports comes a view of the war that only the grunts who operate outside the wire experience.

From a dust-up with Al Qaida outside Abu Ghriab, to a night raid on the home of an insurgent leader, you will see what the Marines saw and hear the story in their own words of why they joined, volunteered for the deployment, why they fight and what it is like to go outside the wire and into combat.

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Article: Fortifying an Outpost Against al-Qaeda

An excellent story from Time Magazine regarding the 501st. -Tavis

I had to fill a sandbag before I could enter the chow hall this morning to eat breakfast. It's a new rule at this forward operating base south of Baghdad where I've been traveling with soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment for most of the week. I guess I probably could have said no, argued that I was a civilian or that by doing so I would break some sort of magical neutrality and become a combatant. But I filled it with whatever patriotism I could muster at 6:30 a.m., and then went about my business as a reporter and asked everyone around me, "Why?"

"They're for OP-3," most of the troops said with a certain pride before tossing their heavy green sacks onto ever-growing pyramids and walking smartly off to chow. This is the story of how I tracked my sandbag to OP-3...
Read entire article

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Operation Gecko IIIA With Blackfoot Company 1/501st Footage

11-Oct-2007: B-roll of U.S. Army paratroopers conducting joint patrols with concerned Iraqi citizens. Scenes include fire fights with al-Qaida and a patrol looking for improvised explosive devices. Produced by Sgt. Ernest Henry.

Operation Gecko in Jurf As Sakhr

5-Oct-2007: With additional assistance from coalition forces and increased participation from the residents, the region of Jurf as Sakhr has made a dramatic change from once being a haven for terrorist activity. SGT Ernest Henry shows us how Paratroopers from 1-501st continue to affect change in the area.

MSNBC: Fighting on the water (FOB Iskan area)

2nd Brigade Combat Team engineers from the US Army's 4th Infantry Division search for insurgents and weapons caches on the Euphrates River in the Triangle of Death, south of Baghdad, in February 2006.

Sunnis, Shias Put Differences Aside for Peace

KALSU, Iraq – The government of Musayyib hosted a celebration of security and economic growth at the city’s police station, Oct. 8.

In a move that could prove to be the turning point in sectarian violence in North Babil, leaders from the predominately Shia city of Musayyib came together with sheiks and representatives of the largely Sunni region of Jurf As Sukhr to share their optimism for the growth and development of the entire area.

With Sunni extremists influence such as the Jaish Al Islami and al-Qaida from the north and west, and Shia militias such as the Jaish Al Mahdi rising from the south, the region surrounding Musayyib and Jurf has been a sectarian battleground for years.

With the security celebration in Musayyib, the sectarian tensions seem to be finally coming to an end.

The chairman of the Musayyib Town Council, Thamir Thaban, and Sheik Fadel Yousif, a representative of the newly formed Jurf As Sukhr government, gave speeches praising the drop in violence and pledged to continue their work together to bring a lasting peace to the region.

Thaban is a member of the Office of Mahdi Sadr, the political wing of the Jaish Al Mahdi, while Fadel was once a leader of the Jaish Al Islami.

With these two former enemies coming together, they have created a bond and a possible model for all of Iraq to follow to finally bring an end to the sectarian violence which has plagued the fledgling government.
Link

MSNBC - The Fight For Iraq - Regional Power Play

Here is an easy to follow explanation of Iraq and Middle East politics. It is very interesting to listen to.

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Spartan Soldier survives multiple terriorist attacks

Sep 19, 2007
BY by Sgt. Marcus Butler 4th BCT, 25th ID PAO

ISKANDARIYAH, Iraq - It can be easy to be brave when surrounded by fellow Soldiers, but it takes real courage and fortitude when it is just you facing the danger head on - especially when that threat is two massive truck bombs.

A sniper's round came dangerously close to Sgt. Jason Stegall's head. Stegall, a team leader in B Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, received his second Purple Heart Medal during this firefight.

Sgt. Jason Stegall has been recommended for the Bronze Star Medal with "V" device for valor for his actions March 26, as he and another paratrooper destroyed two truck bombs before they could harm the base...
Please read this whole article here

Article: U.S. takes Anbar model to Iraqi Shiites

By Gordon Lubold, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
from the October 2, 2007 edition

Forward Operating Base Iskan, Iraq - The violence has dropped dramatically, say US commanders, in the towns surrounding this base in northern Babil Province, south of Baghdad.

In May, four improvised explosive device (IED) attacks targeted the battalion; none in August, says Maj. Craig Whiteside, executive officer of the 1st Battalion of the 501st Infantry Regiment. Fewer undetonated IEDs have been found – five in May and two in August. Indirect fire and small-arms violence have also dropped from about a dozen incidents in May to less than three in August.
Full Article

My Thoughts

My thoughts and prayers go out to Spc. Sandoval, Sgt Evan Vela and Staff Sgt Michael Hensley. America has chosen to place them in the most difficult situation that humans can endure. They have spent over a year protecting our country and our countries interests in a hostile area where we are the only ones that try to play by the rules. Many times they have made difficult decisions performing duties that most Americans are unwilling to do. I hope for the best for these soldiers.

Nick Update

Jill and I spoke had a good conversation with Nick last night. After we hung up, he was going to chow then going to get a wisdom tooth pulled out. The other three will need to come out too, but they think those can wait until after he is back in the USA.

Nick says that things in Jurf have improved so much that it is suprising. He said that you can almost walk around out there now and feel safe. He said that people around there actually are starting to be nice to the US Soldiers.

CNN - Sunni insurgents side with U.S. against al Qaeda

YUSUFIYAH, Iraq (CNN) -- Until recently, Yusufiyah was among the most dangerous places in Iraq.

Located in the so-called "triangle of death," a violent area south of Baghdad, it was the site of frequent clashes between coalition forces and Sunni fighters. In May, two U.S. soldiers went missing in Yusufiyah and were never found, despite a massive search.

But today, Sunni tribal leaders in this town cooperate with U.S. forces in their battle against foreign fighters and al Qaeda in Iraq.

"It's all the roll of the dice. It's people and politics all intertwined down here," said Col. Michael Kershaw, commander of the Second Brigade, 10th Mountain Division...

Watch the video

Remembering 9/11

The new exhibition at the New-York Historical Society, for example, is not a commemoration. “Here Is New York: Remembering 9/11,” which opens today, is exclusively about memory, which doesn’t diminish its power. In two galleries 1,500 inkjet-printed photos taken six years ago during those apocalyptic days are mounted with simple stationery clips. They are reminders of hidden pressure points and buried sensations...

“Here Is New York: Remembering 9/11” continues through Dec. 31 at the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, at 77th Street; (212) 873-3400, nyhistory.org.

Link: NY Times Story

Article: Sunni sheikhs turn their sights from US forces to Al-Qaeda

9-SEP-2007 -- FOUR months ago the scene would have been unthinkable. Captain Henry Moltz of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment led a small group of men up the deserted street to a single-storey municipal building of mellow ochre brick that had been cracked by mortar blasts during months of ruinous fighting with Sunni insurgents.

At the entrance he was greeted with a kiss by Sheikh Sabah al-Janabi, a leading member of the tribe that had spearheaded many of the pitiless Sunni attacks on American forces in and around the little town of Jurf as Sakhr, 25 miles south of Baghdad...

[Read the full story]

Link to original UK Sunday Times article

Iraqi recruits head to “Boot Camp”

ISKANDARIYAH — Shiite and Sunni Muslims came from far and wide Sept. 2 to begin working together for the greater good of their country.

Sparked by a successful recruiting campaign, these Iraqis crossed over their sectarian boundaries and started their journey toward becoming the newest members of the Iraqi Army.

Congregating at the compound of 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division, located adjacent to Forward Operating Base Iskandariyah, home of 1st Battalion, 501st Airborne, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, these new recruits arrived by the truck load to be processed and transported to their basic training.

“The recruiting drive started on Aug. 12 and lasted through the 16th,” said Capt. Douglas Mulvaney, a member of Military Transitional Team 248. “In all, the drive yielded 1,500 Iraqis willing to join the Iraqi army.”

For many of the recruits, the fact that they are able just to have a chance to do something to help their country is reward enough. But for some, this opportunity means so much more.

“I am just glad that I have a chance to come here and be given the opportunity to show everyone that we want to change and make a better way of life,” said Ali Raghib, one of the recruits out of Jurf as Sakhr. “In my neighborhood, I see that things are getting better and I want to be part of the change in the right direction.”

Getting from their homes to Iskandariyah was the biggest challenge for most of the recruits because of the threat of sectarian violence.

“The Iraqi Army has given these people an opportunity to make something better for themselves and their friends and neighbors,” Mulvaney said. “It has erased the danger of traveling to and from different areas, which would have previously discouraged any activity like joining the Iraqi Army.”

The Iraqi Army transportation system took recruits from the compound to their basic training location.

“Seeing how they arranged for the recruits to get here safely is a true testament that the Iraqi Army system structure really works,” Mulvaney said.

For recruits, what awaits them is a rigorous 45-day training program where they will learn basic soldiering skills, rank structure and general military knowledge. Following basic training, the new soldiers will be assigned to different battalions and then go through a 30-day skill screening process to determine their strengths and be placed in a position equivalent to their skills.

“I am excited about the training we are about to receive,” said Hussein Resan Thaif, a native of Mussaiyaib. “I will do everything I can to serve my country and help my family to the best of my ability.”

In a country that has a high rate of unemployment, the recruiting drive for many is just what the doctor ordered.

“One of the biggest successes for this drive is that 1,500 people are going to be back to work,” Mulvaney said. “This eliminates the numbers of people who may turn to militia for money because it gives them another option versus killing for sectarian reasons.”

The recruitment drive was a joint effort between Military Transitional Team 248 and 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division. After months of planning and preparation, the vision has come full circle.

“Having been there side-by-side from the beginning and seeing these Iraqis arrive in swarms gives our Military Transitional Team and the Iraqi Army a great sense of accomplishment,” Mulvaney said. “Seeing all of our hard work pay off tells us we have done a small part to help each other make this country a safer place to live.”

Link

Article: U.S. Efforts May Work Against Iraqi Self-Sufficiency

Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, September 5, 2007

..."We can fire the police chief, we can get the mayor removed if we want. Iraq is a sovereign country, don't get me wrong, but I wonder how much they would get their act together if our presence was reduced," said Maj. Craig Whiteside of the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment.

"It's impossible to put the American military somewhere and not have everybody, when they have to make a decision, ask, 'Is this okay, boss?' "

In this region, where Sunnis and Shiite groups are battling for power, U.S. reconstruction efforts are largely focused on Sunni areas ignored by the Shiite-led government. U.S. officers say the Iraqi government is unwilling to spend money on Sunni areas because the United States is doing so...
Full Article


Abdul Amir Hussein works on a network of hoses that supply water to an apartment complex in central Baghdad. Power blackouts have hampered the capital's pumping and filtration stations.