Dawn Patrol

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs, other blogs, and the mainstream media. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. (We have a daily "Open Post" too, if you have something on another topic you can link there.)

IRAQ

A tribute for service members and families -- [Michael Yon]
Many people say this is the most important photograph of the Iraq war. The image most completely embodies my experience throughout Iraq.

Countless people have asked for reprints, but I wanted to give the matter some thought.

BE THE ONE -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
What are you thankful for? This time of year things get crazy in the states. Family members come to visit, gifts are bought, stress, excitement and fun wrapped up in one. But I ask, what are you thankful for? Before the Thanksgiving holiday gets here, stop for 2 minutes and try to write down what you’re really thankful for.

All roads lead to Texas! -- [NcoDutyToWorkAndHome - in Iraq]
Wait home???? Holidays???? You know back in 2000 I am not sure i could say I knew what that meant, I was young, single and just trying to look for the next big party night. I was just freeeeeeeee!!!!! or perhaps not. Now upon reflection I wasn't free, I was held down by the restrictions of the single guy but now I have a wife and daughter and I have a new feeling on free. Free to give my all to a wife and daughter who want my all. Can you beat that???? I don't think so. Even way over here in the big sand box, I know that every night I go to sleep, I am home in Texas with all my family because in thier hearts is where Im felt. SO to all soldiers over here, in Afgan, Kosovo, Graf, Holefels, Yacamma, Korea, NTC or any place I missed that we are pulled to remember we are not forgotten therefor we are all home with them no mater where they stay in the states.

Heroism Part II -- [Major K - in Iraq]
Kidnapping is a cottage industry here in Iraq, especially in Baghdad. With the combination of common criminals using it as a way of shaking down the local rich and middle class and the arhabi using it as a means of fundraising, it has been a serious problem. It keeps the IP's very busy. Today the good guys won one. There was plenty of grinning in the TOC last night as a report came in from one of our Iraqi Brigades. An Iraqi Warrant Officer (Comparable to a US First Sergeant or Sergeant Major) was on his way in to work at his unit headquarters yesterday morning when

SEED IN A BARREL -- [2005 Tour of Duty - in Iraq]
I asked the farmer where did he store his planting seed and he showed me these barrels with the top covered with mud. He said this is how they seal the barrel to protect the seed.

Iraq Pictures - 23 November 2005 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
U.S. Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 2 Timothy Callahan explains to a visiting group of U.S. congressmen how Marines protect themselves from improvised explosive devices in Fallujah. Callahan is the company commander of 8th Engineer Support Battalion, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, 2nd Marine Logistics Group. Pic: Lance Cpl. Brian A. Jaques, U.S. Marine Corps.

Decisions -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
There are lots of people saying we’re illegally occupying Iraq these days. They should come over here and talk to the Iraqis pictured in this photo because these guys are the ones who will decide the future of Iraq along with millions of their fellow citizens.

They Paid A Price For Taking Muhammads Life -- [WarriorJason - in Iraq]
I would like to say goodbye to my friend Muhammad. He was an Iraqi soldier trying to make life better for his country when he was struck down by a terrorist's bullet today while on post in one of the cities along the Euphrates River north of Ramadi. Me and my team did not know him well but we had joked around with him and some of his fellow Iraqi warriors. We even have some pictures of him along with my team of Marines.

FOB Danger handed over -- [Peace like a River]
In this post, I wrote about the various bases that had been given over to Iraqi control. Most of them were in Kurdish and Shiite areas, i.e., areas that did not see as much violence over all as in the Sunni areas.

When Should the US leave?? -- [An Average Iraqi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
First of all the question is when, not should. Because it is a sure thing that the Americans should leave eventually. It is whether it should be done sooner or later that has been a discussion opener, in the US. Although there is a huge discussion about this in the US. But it seems that the Iraqis are not really interested at the moment. They have other things on their mind. The elections are coming, but that is going to be a topic for another post.
My opinion: Iraq is not ready for the US to pull its troops out.

Dueling views on Iraq -- [The Makaha Surf Report (Forward Deployed) - in Iraq]
When people ask me about Iraq, I make sure to list the good with the bad. I tell them about the inspiring feeling of having seen people striving to have their voices heard, I talk about the loss and absolute emptiness that comes over you when you lose a friend in combat. I talk about the thanks the Iraqi people give American forces and I talk about the people that just want us to leave. The point is I try to paint a fair and balanced picture. In most of the reporting about this war, there seem to be two competing schools of thought. The Pro-Victory side tells about all the good going on in Iraq while acknowledging the mistakes that have been made as well as mourning the losses we and the Iraqi people have suffered. The Anti-War wing seems to be in love with the idea that nothing is going right, that Iraq is a quagmire that is destroying our military and that we are losing badly.

Are we going to see a timetable? -- [Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Iraqi leaders, politicians and Sunni clerics agreed on asking the US to define a timetable for pulling the troops, this is all over the news websites so I’m not going to add further details here but I’d like to discuss the development with you.
No government in this world acts 100% independently and there are always internal and/or external factors and pressures that affect the decisions of any given government.

"The Mayor of Ar Rutbah" -- [Grim's Hall]
Don't miss this piece from Foreign Policy by Green Beret James A. Gavrilis. It describes how he and his company set up a functioning democracy in the early days of the Iraq war.

Pinching the ends -- [Peace like a River]
With the end of Operation Steel Curtain, the western end of the ratlines from the Syrian border down the Euphrates to Fallujah has become much more secure.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005 -- [A Long Strange Trip - in Iraq]
...It has been an honor to serve my country in this part of the world where regardless of what anyone says, they NEED structure! We ARE making a difference!
GOD BLESS THE HEROES WHO WON'T MAKE IT HOME! YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN BY ME! IF NOT FOR THE HEROISM OF YOU, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THIS SAFE FROM HARM!
For those brethren that are coming over in the future, you are in my prayers as well. Stay safe in your journey, and thanks for letting me be honored to serve alongside you! Especially the 1st BCT from MN, whatever I can do to man the homefront I will!

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Iraq's A Lost Cause? Ask The Real Experts -- (Los Angeles Times)...Max Boot
When it comes to the future of Iraq, there is a deep disconnect between those who have firsthand knowledge of the situation - Iraqis and U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq - and those whose impressions are shaped by doomsday press coverage and the imperatives of domestic politics.

FOB Danger handover to Iraqis is ‘significant’ -- (Stars and Stripes)
When U.S. forces officially hand over Forward Operating Base Danger to the Iraqi government on Tuesday, it will be the 29th time an American base in Iraq has been relinquished.

Iran Tells Baghdad To Push U.S. Out -- (Washington Times)...Combined Dispatches
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged visiting Iraqi officials yesterday to ask U.S.-led forces to leave their country and pledged Tehran's cooperation in restoring security to Iraq.

General Calls Iraq Pullout 'Destabilizing' -- (Washington Times)...Rowan Scarborough
The top tactical commander in Iraq says an abrupt pullout of U.S. troops would be "destabilizing" and labeled "disturbing" Washington's heated political debate that has some Democrats calling the war unwinnable.

2006 Troop Cuts In Iraq Likely, Not A Pullout -- (Baltimore Sun)...Tom Bowman
Against a backdrop of calls from both Iraqi leaders and the U.S. Congress to withdraw American troops, military officers and defense analysts said this week that reductions are likely in 2006 but Iraq will not be ready to take a lead role against insurgents before 2007.

3 Brigades May Be Cut In Iraq Early In 2006 -- (Washington Post)...Bradley Graham and Robin Wright
Barring any major surprises in Iraq, the Pentagon tentatively plans to reduce the number of U.S. forces there early next year by as many as three combat brigades, from 18 now, but to keep at least one brigade "on call" in Kuwait in case more troops are needed quickly, several senior military officers said.

Rice Suggests U.S. Troop Drawdown Is Approaching -- (Los Angeles Times)...Paul Richter
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday that Iraqi forces would "fairly soon" be able to defend their country, sending one of the clearest signals yet that the Bush administration is considering a sizable drawdown of its forces in Iraq.

Gunmen Kill Senior Sunni Leader in Iraq -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms broke into the home of a senior Sunni leader Wednesday and killed him, his three sons and his son-in-law, according to his brother and an Interior Ministry official. Khadim Sarhid al-Hemaiyem, who lived on the outskirts of Baghdad, was the leader of the Sunni Batta tribe and the brother of a candidate in the Dec. 15 election, Maj. Falah al-Mohammedawi said. One of the slain man's brothers said the family has been attacked before.

Insurgents kill senior Sunni figure, U.S. announces new operation in Ramadi -- (Boston Herald)
Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms broke into the home of a senior Sunni leader today and killed him, his three sons and his son-in-law on the outskirts of Baghdad, his brother and an interior ministr...

AFGHANISTAN

A Holiday Greeting From Uzbashi, Afghanistan -- [Miserable Donuts]
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Haiku from Yavoriv, Ukraine
The Inner Prop and I were part of Peaceshield '03 at the Yavoriv Training Area, Ukraine. Yavoriv is an utter dump of an old, very large Warsaw Pact base, with the city of L'viv about 40-50 minutes away. While there, 'Prop and I made some haiku about our experiences...

For a Day of Thanks -- [Firepower Forward - in Afghanistan]
For those of you who have been reading my blog long enough, you know that we have a Thanksgiving tradition, certainly not unique but a cherished ritual none the less, in which all who celebrate with us take turns telling everyone present what they are thankful for on this day. The miles and hours that separate me from my family’s Thanksgiving celebration this year is not nearly reason enough to forgo this tradition, so here are some of the things that I am thankful for this year.

One of my all-time favorite pictures from Afghanistan -- [Notes from a Surreal Life]
The view from a helicopter flying over the Hindu Kush...

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

AP News Alert
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- NATO officials say Uzbekistan has told the alliance it can no longer use its territory or airspace for the peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan.

Afghan Girl Gets Chance for Healthy Life -- (AP)
The frail girl arrived at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan weighing scarcely 35 pounds, sluggish and prone to alarming episodes of bluish skin if she so much as walked briskly.

Doubts grow over US Afghan strategy -- (BBC News)
It is four years since the fall of the Taleban regime. The United States has spent billions of dollars on its operations in Afghanistan - but what does it have to show for it? | With no end in sight t... (photo: Getty Images)

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Twas the Day before Thanksgiving -- [So Far From Home - in Kosovo]
All right I'm not good with stories so I will leave it at the title. Seriously, today we awoke to about a foot of snow. It has continued to snow throughout the day. Although it's a beautiful snow, there sure is a lot of it. Our mission today was cancelled due to the weather. The roads were just too bad and the risk was to much given what we were supposed to do. So that gave us some time off. We played Halo 2 as well as packed our continco boxes for redeployment back home. In the near future US customs will inspect them and then they will be placed in our milvans for shipment. I still can't believe we are getting to this point.

Why Am I Thankful!!!!!!!! -- [So Far From Home - in the Balkans]
With Thanksgiving just around the corner I thought I would share some of my thoughts. This year Thanksgiving has come to be more than just a time to spend eating great food, watching football or being away from work. As I spend this Thanksgiving so far away from home, I can’t help but think of its true meaning. I think I have really gotten its true purpose. What am I thankful for, well here goes!

In Children's Eyes -- [Desert Odyssey - in Qatar]
A common thing that gets sent out here are pictures drawn from children. The current batch is from a group of grade-schoolers from Aviano Air Base, Italy. The chow hall right now is lined with crayon-colored drawings of turkeys. It never ceases to amaze me what goes through the minds of children. Most of them are of turkeys begging for their lives, but some are all dressed up like Uncle Sam, one is of a “hulk-turkey”—a green Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle looking thing with swords. Quite a 6-pack as well. Friends have had entire classes of kids mail them letters and drawings of encouragement. On the wall here we have two giant 15’ long sheets of paper covered with handprints and signatures saying “stay safe” or “hurry home.” All of these warm the heart...

What we're thankful for... -- [Adam and Val in Mauritania - Peace Corps in Africa]
I can hear the Turkeys thawing from here...

I feel I must join the likes of every American elementary school child and write about what I'm thankful for. So, here it goes.

The things I'm thankful for:
...-We've gotten this opportunity to live abroad and understand another culture and help them understand Americans

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

KOSOVO: SERBS FEARS RAISED WITH UN ENVOY -- (AKI)
Pristina, 23 Nov. - Leaders of Kosovo's minority Serb community on Wednesday told special United Nations envoy Martti Ahtisaari that there would be no life for them in the province, dominated by ethnic Albanians, if it were granted independence. Ahtisaari, named by the UN Security Council to head the talks on Kosovo's final status, met the Serb delegation, after talking to ethnic Albanian leaders on Tuesday.

U.S.-INDONESIA: MIXED REACTIONS TO RESTORED MILITARY TIES -- (AKI)
Washington and Jakarta, 23 Nov. - The Indonesian government has welcomed a US state department decision to restore military ties between the two countries, but the move has met with criticism from human rights groups in the United States and Indonesia. While Indonesia's president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has spoken of a "new chapter" in bilateral relations, the New-York based East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) said Washington had ""with the stroke of a pen...betrayed...

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS

Blankets of Hope -- [Soldiers' Angels New York]
One of our projects at Soldiers' Angels is "Blankets of Hope". When a soldier is injured, many times they are airlifted immediately with only what they are wearing. We have a group of dedicated angels who make these blankets which are sent to CSH (field hospitals in Iraq & Afghanistan), Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, as well as stateside hospitals. The blankets are personalized and are sent with a note, and they are added to the transitional backpacks we provide containing clothing and personal items.

Thank you, Veterans! -- [Yikes]
...To all our military personnel, past and present...THANK YOU. We appreciate all you've sacrificed on our behalf... we love you all and are proud of you!

Another letter from a soldier -- [Soldiers' Angels New York]
This is a letter from a soldier in Iraq to their "angel":
Hello everyone and Good Morning.

Well the end is drawing near. An 18 month deployment which began back in July 2004 with an afternoon phone call, will soon be all a memory...some good and some bad. We've seen lives taken and we've seen destruction, but we've also seen the many changes that have occurred since are arrival and the many more that continue to occur in improving the way of life for this country.

THE MILITARY AND MILITARY FAMILIES

Single Digits and Thanksgiving -- [Our Soldier]
We "think" we are down to single digits now...with our soldier, David. You never know with the military, and of course, we cannot rely on exact dates. All we know is that he is coming home soon....and two days from now will be Thanksgiving, and there will be a place set for him at the table.

David will be the one who we will bless, pray, and thank the most this Thanksgiving...for all he has given while he has been over there in the "sandbox".

Thankful -- [Soldier's Mom]
We have much to be thankful for this year...
I am thankful for my dear husband who loves me unconditionally, who thinks I am beautiful, smart, witty, funny without any evidence to support those ideas... who is my rock and practices and lives "love, honor, cherish" every single day.... and whom I have always loved and will always love, honor and cherish.
...We are especially grateful this year for the return of our youngest son from the battlefields of Iraq just slightly worse for wear and thankful that his injuries continue to heal... And for our many sons (Our Guys!)who remain in the fray and who brighten our days with every email and message and about whom we worry and pray...

Holidays are a Coming -- [Miserable donuts]
The holidays are approaching - Thanksgiving has already slipped inside the perimeter and is ready to pounce. The rest are circling overhead. Thanksgiving last year was not so good for me.

Misty-Eyed -- [Waynes World]
I don’t recall ever having received so many Thanksgiving greeting cards as have graced our mailbox this year. Maybe it’s because we’re getting older. Maybe it’s because of Iraq. Maybe it’s because of the year’s tortuous weather. Whatever the reason, people seem unusually eager to express their gratitude for all things good—especially friends.

THE MEDIA

Media Appearance: Laura Ingraham Radio Program -- [Michael Yon]
Today (Nov. 23rd) I will be appearing on the Laura Ingraham talk show, syndicated to over 250 stations nationwide. To find the time and station broadcasting closest to you, please click this link.

Need Something To Be Grateful For? -- [Iraqi Bloggers Central]
In the US tomorrow, everyone traditionally gets together to knock off a turkey and be grateful for what they have. Well, this post is devoted to some things Americans have to be grateful for. Here are some reasons to say "thank you."

Also, next time you hear on the news that "X number of soldiers or Marines or Iraqi forces were killed today", ask yourself a question that the TV and print media will never answer:

I was pretty ticked -- [Counter Column]
To see that CNN whored itself out with coverage of a meeting in Tikrit disrupted by the nearby impact of a mortar shell. They aired it repeatedly today, listing where it happened and approximately when.

If the impact was, indeed a mortar, then we have effectively advertised the distance and direction from the mortar firing point to the palace for the moojies to see on Sattelite TV. We've confirmed what they may not have known: That their mortar settings were correct.

MILBLOGGING/ BLOGGING

Military Blogger: His Way Of Serving -- (Philadelphia Inquirer)...Kevin Ferris
...Roggio, 35, left for Iraq on Saturday, but he's not in uniform. He's a military blogger - milblogger for short - embedded with the Second Marine Division in western Iraq. The Marines invited Roggio to spend a month with them after they and thousands of others took note of his work at The Fourth Rail (www.billroggio.com), one of several milblogs following events in Iraq.

CONGRATS

Quarter Century Milestone -- [Incoherant Ramblings - in Kosovo]
To think, 25 years ago a small being came into the world.

Happy Birthday in Iraq -- [Camp Katrina]
Well wishes are in order for Camp Katrina guest blogger Matt Lagrone, who apparently celebrates his birthday today in south central Iraq (his aunt, a great lady, sent us an email).

No complaining, Matt. I had to celebrate my 28th

Today, that little person turned into me.

What the heck happened???

WELCOME HOME

Welcome Home Pictures [UPDATE] -- [A Soldier's Perspective]
Okay, the pages are up. I created three. Don’t laugh at the shoddy quality, I’m not THAT good a web designer. I’m sure if I had hours to spend on it, it would look better. Anyway, check out the rest of my pictures from around Fort Irwin HERE. I split them up so that those with slower connections wouldn’t be waiting all day for the page to load. Feel free to share these with your family and friends.

(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)