More G.N.F. 06-29-07

Soldiers Seize Bomb ‘Factory’

By Sgt. 1st Class Robert Timmons
4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div. Public Affairs

BAGHDAD – Multinational Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized a bomb-making “factory,” along with another large weapons cache while on patrol in the eastern portion of the Rashid District of the Iraqi capital June 11.

“This is tremendous work by our Soldiers to take more than 300 (improvised explosive devices) off the streets,” said Col. Ricky D. Gibbs, commander of 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.

Troops from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, and Company A, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 4th IBCT, discovered the factory, a complex of small buildings deep in the thick palm groves of East Rashid, after receiving word of the objective’s location from other Coalition Forces.

The find consisted of one vehicle wired and loaded with explosives as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device; 54 82mm mortars; 27 155mm artillery shells; one 500-pound bomb; 64 anti-tank mines; two 200-pound bombs; three 100-pound bombs; 30 130mm projectiles; 30 hand grenades; 200 artillery boosters; 10 40mm rounds; one bag of blasting caps; one rocket of unknown caliber and origin; one bag of booster charges; six bags of propellant; 300 five-gallon cans of nitric acid used to make homemade explosives; one bag of breaching charges and 15 bags of anti-personnel mines with 100 mines per bag.

Also found in the cache was enough wiring and bomb-making material to create more than 300 improvised explosive devices.
In a separate cache near the complex, an additional 125 five-gallon containers of nitric acid were found.

Three other vehicles were also found at the site wired as car bombs, but did not contain explosives. A Coalition explosive ordnance disposal team catalogued the weapons and explosives found and will dispose of them properly, preventing them from being used against innocent Iraqi people or Iraqi Security and Coalition Force personnel.

“This find further emphasizes our ability to get after the extremists and take away their tools of destruction, as none of these weapons and explosives will ever be used to harm others,” Gibbs said.

(Photo by Spc. Ben Washburn, 4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div. Public Affairs)

Spc. Marquis Dawkins of Brooklyn, N.Y., an infantryman assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, surveys the more than 120 five gallon cans of nitric acid, a component used to make bombs, discovered at a bomb-making “factory” in Baghdad’s East Rashid District June 11

G.N.F. 06/29/07

Whew! Too close for comfort…

Body Armor Saves Soldier’s Life

Staff Sgt. Jeremie Oliver, from Chesterville, Maine, shows off the protection that saved his life after being shot by an insurgent in the Baghdad neighborhood of Ameriya June 17.  Oliver, from Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, was in his Bradley Fighting Vehicle when he took the round to the chest. Oliver was later seen by medical personnel who cleared him for duty. “I know I am lucky to walk away from this event; however, I also know that it was not luck that my body armor worked,” he said.   (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jack Androski, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment)

Haifa Street Project

As the self proclaimed “Groupie” site for the Haifa Street Project…

Can we, your loyal fans, have some pics to post?

We realize that you have official jobs in the Military and providing us with entertainment comes second (Ok, maybe even third behind emailing your family)

But, if you get a few free moments, we would love some Pre Concert teasers.

 

A new little Princess!

Please stop by Dr. Bulldog’s site and welcome the little one. She is BEAUTIFUL!

Doctor Bulldog  <— Click here

Hey Doc… One of our 4-9 Cav Soldiers became a daddy to a fantastic L’il Trooper this past winter. I am thinking perhaps Baby Gene and Princess C should start dating in a few years.

  

Hugs to the Mrs. 

Thank you for sharing with us. We look forward to many years of happy pictures!

Honoring The Wounded Warriors

Today as I participate in the RVF, there is a special couple I would like to honor; Colleen and SSG Terry T. Saffron, Jr.

SSG Saffron was severely injured in combat during his deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on May 5, 2004.

Colleen has, since the date of her husband’s injury, managed to care for him and her 3 children while also returning to school to graduate with honors. Recently, along with 2 other active duty spouses Kimberly Marrero and Tania Mercurio, Colleen has begun a non profit organization to help wounded soldiers and their caregivers.

Because I am fairly new to the fantastic work they are accomplishing, I have decided to copy and share quips from their website:

The mission of  Life Transformed is to provide education and resources to our war wounded and their caregivers through private and corporate entities. To increase awareness of the long term needs of these families and support them as they re-enter the civilian sector.

They provide training and education to war  wounded and care givers, allowing an easier transition, both physically and mentally into the workforce.

Caregivers and wounded warriors will be trained and credited for positions as soon as they are able to re-enter the workforce. We hope to build Life Transformed into a foundation that encourages private and public sectors to actively participate in the transformation of a wounded warrior and his family to a civilian professional.

“Through kind donations from corporate companies, we are PROUD to announce that TEN War Wounded or Fallen Soldier families will benefit from a wonderful pilot program. 

Corporation’s are offering an opportunity for the family members to own their own Travel Website business at absolutely “no cost” to the family ever! $100% of commissions made go to directly to the family recipient, no hosting or domain fees. The family will receive full technical support access at all times to help them succeed.”

Read more here… Congratulations Ten Families! 

Hugs out to the Saffron family, who when faced with adversity, took a giant leap. They went beyond what was ever asked of themselves and reached out to others in need. Let’s get the word out. There are many Wounded Warriors who need our help.

I particularly love this quote on their website:

“Walking the road with our heroes, when they cannot walk alone.”

An added note from Colleen:

Our 501c3 status should be cleared very soon and by the end of the year we can hand statements out so people get tax deductions for any giving they do.  So pray with us for the endeavor to get funded well so we can keep helping people. We started in March and so far 10 families have received web based businesses and 1 family has received a computer with all the special software they need since their injury created a severe visual impairment.

And of course… Hugs to my fantastic L’il Trooper and the 4-9 Cav!