Arab news reports on Ramadi

From Arabicnews.com, witnesses claimed American forces closed the downtown area of Ramadi on 9.25.2004. Firefights also were reported on 9.30.2005. According to the more recent article, "Tension is overwhelming the city which often witnesses clashes between the marines and the fighters."

Articles 9.30.2004

Stars & Stripes reports on the recent 2nd BCT combat fatalities of Spc. Robert Unruh and Cpt. Eric Allton. Both soldiers were assigned dangerous duties.

Spc. Unruh was a member of the 44th Engineer Battalion. According to the article: "The 44th Engineers are a combat engineer unit but, before deploying, some unit members were trained by Directorate of Public Works engineers in such tasks as basic construction, electrical work and plumbing. The new skills were expected to be put to use fixing up U.S. base camps as well as in goodwill-promoting projects with local Iraqi communities." A tribute in the Arizon Daily Star described the Combat Engineers job as "one of the most hazardous in the Army. It involves supporting front-line troops and helping them move safely across foreign territory. Duties can include locating land mines, placing and detonating explosives, and building roads, trails, bridges, bunkers and gun emplacements."

Cpt. Allton was a member of the 17 Field Artillery Regiment. According to Stars & Stripes, "Battery A was scheduled to work as an infantry company during the first four months in Iraq, officials have said, and will rotate through each role over the rest of the year. No information was immediately available Wednesday as to which battery Allton was assigned."

Picture links

Some older photo's from a Marine's blog called "Kran's Web Log" show images around Camp Habbaniyah and Ramadi. Kran has returned stateside with his unit this month, but the images of the area are still pertinent.

Articles 9.29.2004

Iraqi Defense Minister Hazim al-Shalaan told a Reuters reporter on 9.29.2004 that U.S. and Iraqi forces will retake rebel-held cities in October, including Falluja and Ramadi. U.S. officials had previously stated that these areas will be retaken by the end of the year in preparations for January elections. However, military analysts suggest major offensives "could still be delayed or avoided altogether."
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An article in the North County Times, CA, discusses the working relationship between the 2nd BCT and the 1st Marine Division in the Anbar region. Some quotes from the article:

"After arriving in Habbaniyah, Iraq, in late August, the Korea-based soldiers have entered the bloody fray around Fallujah and Ramadi in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, according to officials.

Recent operations in Fallujah have been limited to almost daily airstrikes by U.S. fighter jets on buildings the military says are meeting places of insurgents and fighters loyal to Jordanian-born terror suspect Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

The U.S. military suspended an offensive in the spring, leaving the city to de facto control by various Iraqi militia and foreign fighters.

In Ramadi, however, the fighting has involved more ground forces in urban firefights as the joint Army-Marine force has tried to keep that city open to U.S. troops.

Stars & Stripes reported that a raid last week in Ramadi included the Army's 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment; 17th Field Artillery Regiment; and two Marine infantry battalions."
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An interesting article from 9.29.2004 in the NY Times (as published in the Wilmington Star, discusses statistics of attacks in Iraq. "Over the past 30 days, more than 2,300 attacks by insurgents have been directed against civilians and military targets in Iraq, in a pattern that sprawls over nearly every major population center outside the Kurdish north, according to comprehensive data compiled by a private security company with access to military intelligence reports and its own network of Iraqi informants."

"During the past 30 days those attacks totaled...332 in the desert badlands of Anbar Province in the west," where the 2nd BCT operates.

Iraqi Prime minister Ayad Allawi, in a press conference last week, "said that of Iraq's 18 provinces, "14 to 15 are completely safe." He added that the other provinces suffer "pockets of terrorists" who inflict damage in them and plot attacks carried out elsewhere in the country." I assume Anbar is not one of those 14 or 15.

Combat Fatalities

Two 2nd BCT Combat fatalities occured in the past 2 days. Based on known media accounts, 6 2nd BCT soldiers have given their lives for their country in Iraq to date.

Spc. Robert Unruh from Tucson, AZ died on 9.27.2004 from small arms fire when his unit was attacked in the Anbar Region. Some further information from AZ Central and the Tucson Citizen. Spc. Unruh was with the 44th Engineering Battalion, and had enlisted in the Army partially as a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was 25 years old.

Cpt. Eric Allton of Boise, ID, and Houston, TX was killed on 9.28.2004 by a mortar round in Ramadi (more information from the Houston Chronicle). Cpt. Allton was part of the 17th Field Artillery Regiment. He was 34 years old with a wife and two sons from a previous marriage.

Our hearts go out to their family.

Contribute a link

If you have found a unique link that you would like to contribute, or have corrections or feedback, e-mail me and I will update the blog. I will not post any forwarded first-hand accounts (soldiers e-mails, discussion group postings, etc) that were not meant for public consumption. Also, I won't post anything that has a very clear political or social bias.

Mail me here: rkirk@gis.umn.edu

For reference, I track down most of the links I've found through these search engines:
- Google News
- Yahoo News
- www.technorati.com blog search engine
- www.blogpulse.com blog search engine
- www.blogsearchengine.com

I've found many of the groups, support and picture sites through advanced Google or Yahoo searches. A good tool for complex Google searches is at www.faganfinder.com

cheers,
Ryan Kirk
Minneapolis, MN
brother of 2nd BCT soldier

2nd BCT in Operation Hurricane I & II

There are several passing references to an "Operation Hurricane" on 9.16.2004 in the Ramadi region involving "soldiers and Marines" that the 2nd BCT was possibly involved with. According to the Department of Defense, the objective was "to find and remove illegal weapons and to disrupt the Daham terrorist network," with alleged ties to "terror mastermind Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi." Another source is the Marine Times Online. A follow-up operation on 9.18.2004, "Operation Hurricane II," officially included the 2nd BCT according to the U.S. Central Command. The news release stated that the first operation "resulted in the detention of four suspected Anti-Iraqi Forces members, the removal of six improvised explosive devices and the confiscation of IED making materials, including cell phone parts."

Family support/discussion e-mail groups

Here are known e-mail discussion and support groups related to the 2nd BCT:

1) MSN group for family and friends of the 1-503rd -- was moved from the old Yahoo "503rd_Infantry_in_Iraq" group in Feb, 2005.
2) Yahoo 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division "newsfromga2id" discussion group out of Ft. Benning, GA.
3) Yahoo 2nd BCT "Korea_to_Iraq" support group
4) Yahoo group for families of 1st Platoon, B Company of the 1-506th
5) MSN 2nd BCT "Desert Strike" Support group.
6) Yahoo group for familiies of A Co, 44th Engineering Battalion.
7) Yahoo group for families of primarily D Co, 1-506th, but also others from the 1-506th
8) Yahoo group for 2nd BCT family members
9) Yahoo Group for 2nd Platoon, A Co, 1-503rd
10) Yahoo Group for B C0, 44th Engineer Battalion
11) Yahoo Group for the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines
12) Yahoo Group for girlfriends and fiancees of 2nd ID soldiers
13) MSN Group for B Company, 1-506th
14) MSN Group for C Company, 1-506th
15) MSN Group for 2-17th Field Artillery
16) Yahoo Group for A Company, 1-9th Infantry

Most of the groups have restrictions on membership and require some first-hand association with individual soldiers or marines.

A general community for all coalition forces, contractors and family members is at www.campdoha.org. The site has some pictures, a discussion forum, and a large variety of references. There is a large associated MSN group at groups.msn.com/campdoha, which currently has 530 members.

In addition, a geographic resource and discussion list at www.redtailcanyon.com contains information on the Ramadi region, and some posts have mentioned the troop situation in the discussion area.

articles 9.27.2004

Even more on the Ft. Carson move:

From Seth Robson of the S&S, some soldier's reaction to the news. The article also says the permanent stationing of the 2nd Brigade will be addressed by the Army "through the Base Realignment and Closure 2005 analysis."

Another from Seth Robson about the history of Habbaniyah air base.

Secretary of State Colin Powell talked about the insurgency during media interviews on Sunday. He said the insurgency in Iraq was getting worse as the country prepares for elections, but he vowed that voting would be held in most of the country.... Powell offered a plan for the coming offensive. He said the military likely will tackle the Sunni Triangle cities of Ramadi and Samarra before attempting to restore order in nearby Falluja, which Powell called "the tough one." "We don't like the situation in Falluja," he said on CNN. "The other ones, I think, are more manageable. Ramadi and Samarra, I think we'll get those back under control, and then we'll have to deal with Falluja," Powell said.

A good general article on the soldier-eye perspective of the situation in Iraq from the San Fransisco Gate. Few names are given, but Ramadi is briefly referenced.

A political Blog, the Daily KOS, reprinted the daily USAID "security bulletin" for Sept 23, which lists these ativities in the Fallujah/Ramadi area for the single day of 9.23.2004:

"An official report comments on the increase in IED attacks in Diyala Province to the northeast of Baghdad and routes in this area should now also be regarded as at an increased level of threat.... The MNF [Multi-National Force] offensive continues in Fallujah and Ramadi. Travel along the Fallujah/Ramadi routes should be avoided.

Fallujah
Untimed. Indirect fire attack in the Fallujah area.
0818 hrs. IED attack on an oil pipeline 30km southwest of Fallujah. Habbaniyah
0410 hrs. RPG and small arms fire on a MNF helo in the Al-Taqaddam area, near Habbaniyah. Husaybah
1258 hrs. IED attack on a patrol in southern Husaybah. Khaladiyah
0915 hrs. IED attack on a patrol using Route MICHIGAN in the Khaladiyah area. The device was placed on the northern side of the road.
1315 hrs. IED attack on a patrol in the area of Route MICHIGAN in the Khalidiyah area.
1315 hrs. IED attack on a patrol traveling eastwards on Route MICHIGAN in the Khalidiyah area. The device was placed on the southern side of the road. "

Articles 9.24.2004

More on the restationing to Ft. Carson:
The Denver Post has a good overview of how this fits in the global army reorganization.

www.globalsecurity.org has this to say: "Upon completion of their deployment in the July-August 2005 timframe, the unit will relocate to Fort Carson, but dependents were expected to begin relocating to the facility prior to that date." Thus, there is still no official word on the end of the deployment as far as I can tell.

Weather at Habbaniyah airbase: highs around 108-110 deg Fahrenheit for the foreseeable future.

Sept 15 article on Camp Habbaniyah history as a WWII British airbase from Seth Robson of the Stars & Stripes

Articles 9.23.2004

According to a report in the Colorado Springs Gazette, several congressional sources confirmed the 2nd BCT will move to Ft. Carson, Colorado after their tour in Iraq, and will not return to Korea. The official release is at the Army Public Affairs Site, where they call it a "temporary stationing" that is projected for "late summer 2005."

Also out of Colorado, a personal report of a 2BCT Soldier, Pfc. Eric Dickson, who suffered a combat injury (ricochet bullet through his foot) during operations in Ramadi. He might be flown to Germany for treatment before returning to his unit in Iraq.

Here are previous reports on a 2BCT combat fatality that occured Sept 14. 1st Lt. Tyler H. Brown of the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment (1-9 IN)was killed by sniper fire, but held on long enough to save his men's lives by warning them of the sniper fire. Reports from The Macon, GA Telegraph and Tallahasse Democrat. While in Korea, Lt. Brown had turned down a prestigious state-side assignment in order to go with his troops to Iraq. A true American hero.

A 3-week old long piece (dated 8.29.2004) in the NY Times: World Section (free registration required) provides a grim and graphic depiction on the insurgency situation in Western Iraq where 2BCT is involved.

Care package information

For anyone that would like to send a care package to the troops, note that you can no longer send a generic box to "Any Soldier" or any similar title. Postal regulations were changed as a consequence of terrorist threats and risks. The official USPS policy is found here.

There are, however, other means. Some sites have been set up that try to work around this. A good example is www.anysoldier.us. The official Department of Defense recommended ways to support the troops is found here. The Department of Defense Stars & Stripes newspaper has a page with links to several dozen support programs. Also, The US Postal Service is offering a package of free packing materials to support the troops, including 10 boxes, 10 customs forms, 10 specialized "Mili-Pac" shipping envelopes, and a roll of priority mail tape. To order, call (800) 610-8734 and request "Care Kit 4". Normal postage costs will still apply.

Support groups with affiliation with the 2nd BCT also have care package programs. Please visit the sites listed on the 2nd BCT supporting web-sites post.

Two known programs have been initiated by 2nd BCT soldiers. Lt. Col. Joe Southcott, commander of the 1-9th, started a program for his battalion called "Operation Package", which has since been expanded to the entire brigade. Spc. Idahosa Edokpayi, a medic in the 1-503rd, is seeking donations of soccer balls for Iraqi Children.

If you do have a soldier's address, you could send him or her extras and request the support goods be forwarded on. It is recommended you do not put specific service-member's mail addresses anywhere on the internet, but many soldier's have elected to post their addresses anyway. If you need help finding a specific 2BCT soldier's address, there is a reference document on the Family Resource Group Site.. If that isn't help enough, the only other option I can think of is to contact the FRG supplied contact (Click on "Contact Us").

A list of commonly requested supplies is found at www.anysoldier.us. These include sunscreen, hygiene kits, beanie babies (easy to carry and popular with Iraqi children), powdered drinks (gatorade, kool-aid), snacks that can withstand the heat, personal hygiene items, popular magazines, batteries, etc.

International Phone cards are also very much in demand. A description of which and where to get them is found here.

A 2nd BCT soldier gives a summary of the general wish-list items here.

articles 9.22.2004

First off, the invaluable reporting from Seth Robson of the Stars & Stripes, who has been the best source of information to date:

1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment might be active in Fallujah, 9.21.2004.

2BCT offensive in Ramadi. 9.20.2004

1st Battalion, 506th infantry conducts raids. 9.16.2004.

Ramadi will be core 2BCT area of operation. 9.11.2004 No positive confirmation, but 9.11.2004 is likely the start date of the 12-month tour.

Seth Robson reports on the man behind www.beerforsoldiers.com , Sgt. Dale Rogers.

A link to articles (most cross-posted here) from the 1-506th infantry "Curahee" Page.

An 08.01.2004 Washington Times article discusses the preparations for deployment.
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1st combat fatality and 2nd combat fatality. There is a powerful eulogy article on Pfc. Sparks from The Toledo Blade Newspaper, and another from Ohio News Network. Information on Staff Sgt. Vaillant is on Nashville's WKRN News Channel and the Hardin County, KY, News-Enterprise.

The 3rd 2nd BCT fatality in Iraq was Spc. Omead Razani, 19, of Los Angeles. Spc. Razani, who was assigned to the 1-506th Battalion, died of non-combat related injuries. No details were made public.

Pfc. Jason Sparks, Staff Sgt. Gary Vaillant, and Spc. Omead Razani our hearts go out to your families.

pictures from the brigade 2BCT replaced

The 1st BCT, 1st ID out of Ft. Riley, KS, are now home. Here is an article with some pictures of the transition ceremony.

Several 1st BCT sites have pictures of the region where 2BCT will be operating:

Two photo galleries are at the 3rd CAG Marine Corp reserve site.

A 1st BCT soldier has a blog with images of Ramadi.

Fallen soldiers remembered

Like every family member of a soldier, I hope for the best and fear the worst. For several families the worst has become reality, and it must cause unknowable pains. For the troops who have lost your lives in this war, may we forever remember and always be thankful for your sacrifice. For the families who have lost loved ones, may we lift you up however we know how.

Please honor the 2nd BCT soldiers killed in Iraq serving our country by knowing and cherishing their names, faces and stories. The Family Readiness Group page has a memorial site.

additional pictures as of 9.21.2004

There are several pictures up at www.beerforsoldiers.com . Sadly, we can't actually buy them beer presently (no alcohol in Iraq), but any contributions will go towards a welcome home party when their tour is up. The group is from a rifle company - C Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry (Air Assault) (aka, 1-503rd for short). Click on the "Iraq Pictures" link on the left side of the page, and be sure to click on the "next picture" to view all of them.

Apparantly, the brigade (or at least a subset) is based at Camp Habbaniyah near Ramadi. A description, maps and aerial photos of the base prior to the arrival of the 2BCT are at globalsecurity.org.

A detailed, high-resolution map of the Ramadi region is found at Humanitarion Information Center in Iraq.

2nd BCT Background Information

Based on official reports and media articles, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division was a brigade-level unified combat team that redeployed from South Korea to Iraq between Aug 2004 and Aug 2005. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team also has the nicknames of "Strike Force", "Desert Strike Force", 2nd BCT, and 2BCT. In Aug 2005, the unit redeployed to its new home at Ft. Carson, CO - the first time an active military unit returned from a war zone to a new home base.

Historically, the 2nd BCT operated near the DMZ in South Korea. The official organizational web-site is here. However, since the redeployment to Iraq, the unit has been altered, although the specifics have not been fully published.

Based on media reports and the 2nd BCT FRG site, the 2nd BCT consisted of at least portions of 6 Army battalions:
- 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Air Assault)
- 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment (Air Assault)
- 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized)
- 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment
- 44th Engineering Battalion
- 2nd Forward Support Battalion

In addition, portions of several supporting Army units have been linked to the 2nd BCT, including:
- 2nd BCT Long Range Surveillance Detachment
- Battery B, 5th Air Defense Artillery
- 72nd Armor regiment
- 122nd Signal Battalion
- 2nd Military Police Company
- 102nd Military Intelligence Battalion

- Media reports and officer interviews indicate that one Marine infantry battalion also operated under the 2nd BCT (one article defines a Marine Battalion as "augmenting" the 2nd BCT). The 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment (2/5 Marines) based at Camp Pendelton, CA, was publicly linked to the 2nd BCT between Aug 2004 and it's return to the U.S. in March 2005. According to a U.S. Marines news story, the 1/5 Marines, also based at Camp Pendelton, replaced the 2/5 Marines in March 2005.

In Iraq, the 2nd BCT operated in the Anbar Province, west of Baghdad, with reported operations in the areas in and around Ramadi, Fallujah, Khalidiyah and Habbaniyah. Combined, the 2nd BCT operated under the 1st Marine Division from Aug 2004 to Mar 2005, which in turn operated under the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force was responsible for the entire Iraqi province of Al Anbar. A hierarchical organization chart of units in Iraq is at www.globalsecurity.org, and includes an organization map of the region. Starting in March 2005, the 2nd BCT operated under the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force until it turned over command to the 2nd BCT, 28th ID of the Pennsylvania National Guard in late July, 2005.

Officials stated that the 2nd BCT was on a standard 12-month Army deployment, although an official start date or return date was never published. The advance party arrived in Iraq late August, 2004, and the 2nd BCT officially assumed command on 9.11.2004, but it was never confirmed if either was the official start date. The last group of 2nd BCT soldiers returned to Ft. Carson on 8.14.2005.

Note that there are several other "2nd BCT" units:
1) 2nd BCT, 1st Cavalry Division (aka, "Blackjack Brigade"), based at Ft. Hood, TX.
2) 2nd BCT, 25th Infantry Division (aka, "Tropic Lightning"), based at Schofield Barracks, HI.
3) 2nd BCT, 1st Armored Division (aka, "Old Ironsides"), based in Baumholder, Germany.
4) 2nd BCT, 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard.
etc, etc.

In addition, note that there is also a separate 2nd Infantry "Stryker Brigade" or "Strykeforce Brigade", which is is based at Ft. Lewis, Washington.

Overall, it is probably clearest to say the 2nd BCT, 2nd ID, or else specify that the unit deployed from Korea, which is a very unique situation in military history.

A professional evaluation of the evolving U.S. military and its use of modular "brigade combat teams" is found in this lengthy report from the Lexington Institute think tank (and presented on the U.S. Army web-site). At Ft. Carson, the 2nd BCT is expected to join the 4th Infantry Division, which is scheduled to be relocated to Ft. Carson in 2006. The 2nd BCT is also planned to be converted into a new 'Unit of Action.' Thus, the composition of the unit as set up in Iraq will change over the following few years.

Lastly, to ensure full disclosure, this summary was written by a civilian with no military experience and based entirely on media/internet reports. Therefore, there are clearly no guarantees on its accuracy. For that matter, this qualification applies to the entire blog - this is a support site with simple, honest and reverential ambitions. If you have corrections or clarifications, please see this post.