Military News: 12 August 2007 - 18 August 2007

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12 August 2007  --  In his weekly radio address yesterday, President George W. Bush made note of many positive indications with regards to progress in Afghanistan and Iraq.  He specifically mentioned his recent meeting with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai (for more on this meeting, see our news recap dated 05 August 2007.  President Bush stated that Karzai is "confident that his government will prevail against the Taliban remnants who continue to launch attacks throughout his country."  Regarding progress in Iraq, President Bush commented on the fact that the new Iraqi government passed more than 50 legislative pieces during its last session, that schools and markets are reopening throughout the country and that tips provided by local residents are leading to increasing numbers of captures and arrests of militants and their weapons caches.  He also brought attention to the recent news that another leader in the region's terrorist activities, Haitham Sabah al Badri, has been killed.

13 August 2007  --  If you are a reservist or a member of the National Guard, this is for you.  The current Tricare Reserve Select health plan you may be currently enrolled in will be replaced, effective 01 October 2007.  All of the 11,500 members currently enrolled in the Tricare Reserve Select program will have to sign up for the new program to keep their coverage.  According to the deputy director of the Tricare Management Activity, Army Maj. Gen. Elder Granger, this new plan will: (1) make the Tricare benefit simpler and available to more reservists and their families; (2) do away with the current three-tier system and implement a single premium rate; and (3) have an open enrollment period, as opposed to a seasonal enrollment period.  For more information on the new plan, or how to enroll, please visit the Tricare website at www.tricare.mil. 

14 August 2007  --  Donna Miles of the AFPS submitted an interesting article yesterday regarding the anticipation some budding Iraqi industries have toward the upcoming holiday shoppers' market in the U.S.  Miles reported on a joint news conference held by Deputy Industry Minister Sami al-Araji; Paul Brinkley, the deputy undersecretary of defence for business transformation; and Bayan Jabr, the Iraqi Minister of Finance.  The conference was called to discuss strategies for opening Iraq's factories, more than 200 of which have been closed for over four years due to the fact that all were state-run at the time of the war's onset.  The large-scale closing of these factories has led to high unemployment and has turned many former Iraqi industrial areas into breeding grounds for insurgents, said the conference officials.  Paul Brinkley stated that the overall goal of business tranformation is to bring "sustained employment" to the Iraqi workforce, thereby bringing confidence to the Iraqi people and stability to the economy and government.  Araji made special note of the Iraqi textile industry, which hopes to export Iraqi-made clothing to the U.S. in time for the holiday shopping season.  The Task Force to Improve Business and Stability Operations (in) Iraq is currently negotiating with U.S. retailers to develop a plan to get small quanities of Iraqi-made clothing shipped and sold to limited U.S. markets.  Wish to comment on this issue?  Submit your comments on the MyMilitaryYears Forum.  Click here to be taken to the Forum page.

15 August 2007  --  U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, gave comment today on upcoming Operation Phantom Strike.  Launching this week, Phantom Strike will utilize intelligence gathered over the summer months by surge operations comprised of coalition and Iraqi forces.  The targets of Phantom Strike will be terrorist forces who continue to kill Iraqi citizens and make every attempt to disrupt the political process in Iraq.  Surge efforts have been key in this process, as they've allowed key neighborhoods to be cleared, coalition troops to advance and relationships with local Iraqis to be forged.  While Berger highlighted several recent successes in the war again terror in Iraq, he also noted that total victory will not be gained without continued, heavy opposition by militants and that progress will remain gradual and uneven.

16 August 2007  --  According to a release compiled by the AFPS (based on news releases by Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq), a "highly sought 'special groups' weapons facilitator" was finally captured today.  A pre-dawn raid was carried out by coalition forces with the intent of capturing a "high priority" weapons dealer, known to be responsible for smuggling penetrative explosives, Katusha rockets and other weapons out of Iran and into Iraq, then circulating those weapons among special groups and other militants working throughout Baghdad.  The target was captured and five other suspects detained in the course of the raid.

17 August 2007  --  In an article published today by the AFPS, writer Gerry Gilmore interviewed NCO Army Sgt. Daniel Alvarado, a speaker for the Department of Defense's "Why We Serve" program.  Alvarado had served in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa in the years following his enlistment in 1995.  He is one of eight speakers commissioned to speak to American community groups and businesses about Army life and the attitudes of Afghan and Iraqi citizens toward U.S. troops serving overseas.  Having spent several tours in those regions, Alvarado was eager to share his experiences and to describe the rewards associated with serving his country.  He said that some U.S. citizens have been misinformed about "life in today's U.S. military," and that "Being a soldier is personally rewarding and unlike any other occupation...I stay, because I feel I'm making a difference."  He also believes that it is the continued presence of the U.S. in the Middle East that has prevented further attacks on American soil.

18 August 2007  --  The first American task force to assist victims of the recent earthquake Peru has arrived in Pisco, Peru.  Joint Task Force Bravo from Soto Cano Air Force Base, Honduras, joined other relief organizations already in the area to treat those wounded, displaced and hungry as a result of the 8.0 earthquake that occurred on 15 August.  The Task Force, comprised of about 30 U.S. military personnel, saw over 200 patients in the first three hours of operation today.