Lakota proves worth as airborne platform

"A Fort Polk Soldier jumps from a Lakota LUH 72A helicopter during high altitude, low open airborne operations April 8 while another Soldier prepares to jump. The event marked the first time a Lakota was used in airborne operations on Fort Polk and just the third time Army wide"

Story...Lakota proves worth as airborne platform - Fort Polk, LA - Fort Polk Guardian:

Paratroopers reenlist under famed Baghdad landmark

"Eighty-two Paratroopers assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division -Baghdad recite the oath of reenlistment April 23 during a ceremony at the Cross Sabers in Baghdad. The ceremony marked the squadron's accomplishment of meeting its retention goals for the year. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. James Selesnick, 982nd Combat Camera Co. (Airborne), attached to the 3rd BCT, 82nd Abn. Div., MND-B)"
Story...Paratroopers reenlist under famed Baghdad landmark:

Fort Bragg soldier killed in Iraq

"The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cpl. Brad A. Davis, 21, of Garfield Heights, Ohio, died April 22 near Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to the 82nd Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

For more information related to this release, the media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661."

DefenseLink News Release: DoD Identifies Army Casualty:

Soldiers Call for Army to Drop Berets

"SEOUL — They’re hot, sweaty and do nothing to keep the sun out of your eyes during a long formation.
Those are just a few of the reasons the Army should stop making soldiers wear wool berets outdoors, a group of delegates said Friday at the 8th Army’s annual Army Family Action Plan conference.
'Everyone is affected by the beret,' said Sgt. Brad Stuckey, spokesman for a group that studied family-support issues. 'This is an issue that your average soldier feels very strongly about.'"
Soldiers Call for Army to Drop Berets:

Billings soldier returns home

"A Billings solider says Iraqis are becoming more independent and he senses they will soon be able to maintain peace without U.S. troops.
Private First Class Chas Hagan returned to Billings Wednesday night after having been in Baghdad since December, where he serves as a paratrooper and truck driver with the 82nd Airborne."

Montana's News Station - Fair. Accurate. To the Point. -Billings soldier returns home:

Brigade of 82nd Airborne Division get Afghan order

"A brigade of the North Carolina-based 82nd Airborne Division that had been ordered to Iraq instead will be sent to Afghanistan as part of a mission to train that country's forces, the military said Friday.
The Department of Defense said 3,300 paratroopers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team at Fort Bragg will deploy in the spring and through the summer. The announcement said 700 other members of the military also will be deployed.
The troops will be assigned 'to the ongoing training and mentoring mission in Afghanistan,' the Pentagon statement said.
The 82nd brigade had been scheduled to deploy to Iraq this summer and currently is at the military's Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La., preparing for deployment."

Brigade of 82nd Airborne Division get Afghan order Associated Press Times Leader:

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Canada's military may need year-long break after Afghan mission: army chief

"OTTAWA — The military may need a one-year break from operations in July 2011, when the Afghanistan mission winds down, says the head of Canada's army.
Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie told the Senate defence committee Monday the military has been strained by the mission that began seven years ago and it needs time to regroup.
'In the mid-term, and beginning in July 2011, we will have to explore the possibility of taking a short operational break, that is well-organized and synchronized, of at least one year,' he said."

A break may be needed, Leslie said, because the military is suffering from shortages of personnel - particularly experienced senior officers - as well as equipment. But some equipment apparently isn't even being used.
There are 40 Leopard 2 battle tanks sitting unused in a Montreal warehouse, and another 40 stored somewhere in Europe, awaiting the federal government to hire a firm to refurbish them, Leslie said.

The Canadian Press: Canada's military may need year-long break after Afghan mission: army chief:

The Jawa Report: Inbox: "Brothers At War" Is A Must See

"'This is a documentary that celebrates the courage and integrity of the American Soldier and the American military family. It is also a film about a man's love and respect for his two brothers and his dedication to telling their story. A great film that I am proud to be a part of,' said Gary Sinise, Actor, Presidential Citizens Medal Recipient, Executive Producer of 'Brothers at War.'"

The Jawa Report: Inbox: "Brothers At War" Is A Must See:

82nd announces return to Afghanistan for year

By Henry CuninghamMilitary editor

"The 82nd Airborne Division headquarters has received orders to deploy to Afghanistan this spring, the Pentagon announced Monday.
“We’ve anticipated the announcement of this deployment, obviously,” said Maj. Gen. Mike Scaparrotti, commander of the division at Fort Bragg. “It was in the planning, and so we’ve been doing some very specific training.”
About 800 soldiers will deploy for about a year, division officials said.
The division headquarters will replace the 101st Airborne Division headquarters in Regional Command East in Bagram as part of a normal rotation of forces, 82nd officials said. The 101st is from Fort Campbell, Ky."

The 82nd Airborne Division headquarters includes Division Special Troops Battalion and will form the core of the Combined Joint Task Force 82.

On Dec. 22, the Pentagon said about 2,800 Fort Bragg aviation soldiers will
deploy to Afghanistan in late spring, several months earlier than expected. The
aviation brigade will be based in Regional Command South, which has headquarters
in Kandahar and is commanded by a Dutch major general.

The 4th Brigade Combat Team returned from its 15-month deployment to Afghanistan in April.

About 3,500 paratroopers from the division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team are deployed to Baghdad through the end of the year.

The 1st Brigade Combat Team returned from a 14-month deployment in Iraq in July.

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team returned one year ago from its 15-month deployment to Iraq. Beginning in the summer, the brigade will spend a year as the Army element of the Global Response Force, which is prepared to respond on short notice to emergencies worldwide. The brigade is conducting exercises to regain its capability to parachute into hostile areas.


Military editor Henry Cuningham can be reached at cuninghamh@fayobserver.com or 486-3585.
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