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News
Experience inspires civilian leaders, students
What does a Soldier do? Hundreds of businessmen, educators, academic leaders and students from across the country got an up-close look Thursday, converging on Fort Benning for a day of activities centered on teaching the public about the military.
The Army Strong Experience brings together "centers of influence and shows them what the Army is about," said Col. Fred Johnson, commander of the Army Accessions Support Brigade at Fort Knox, Ky.
The event was organized by the brigade's U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, in conjunction with youth sporting events over the weekend drawing in students from colleges across the country
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192nd IN BDE Soldiers try out for German badge
Soldiers of the 192nd Brigade put their marksmanship and athletic skills to the test March 7-11 when 37 Soldiers set out to earn the German Armed Forces Proficiency badge, one of the few foreign awards approved for American Soldiers.
Of the 37 Soldiers, only 11 qualified for the award. Three received the silver badge and eight received gold.
The events included a road march, which required Soldiers to carry 33 pounds or more in a rucksack for 7.5 miles in 120 minutes or less. The pistol and rifle phases required Soldiers to engage three targets with a 9mm pistol from a 25-meter distance.
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11th Engineers build tank display pads for Armor School
An Armor School need turned into a chance for the 11th Engineer Battalion to train - and the endeavor paid dividends for both.
The 63rd Engineer Company's Construction Platoon has built two tank display pads along Benning Boulevard at what's set to become an entrance to the future Armor and Cavalry Museum.
The 16-feet-by-27-feet gravel pads sit near Access Control Point 2.
The engineers coordinated with the Armor School and Directorate of Public Works to make sure environmental documents were done properly and funding could be acquired.
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Soldiering runs in the family for father, son duo
For Pfc. Juan Manibusan of 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, joining the Army was now or never. Especially since his 19-year-old son, Pvt. Jeremy Manibusan of 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, graduated Friday.
"My son beat me to the punch," Juan said. "He enlisted before me. I looked at him and said wow, I'd been procrastinating for awhile."
Juan said he'd been thinking about joining - it was just a matter of when. Enlisting at the age of 40 hasn't deterred him from wanting to serve his native country of Guam, he said.
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Logistics conference charts path out of Iraq
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq, March 14, 2011 -- More than 50 logisticians from throughout Iraq and Kuwait gathered for what will likely be the last time, to share ideas and to plot a course for the final push out of Iraq at the 2011 Responsible Officer/Team Chief Conference here, March 11-12.
Hosted by the 2nd Battalion, 402nd Army Field Support Brigade, the conference focused on Theater Property Book operations and responsibilities, with regard to the retrograde from Iraq.
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Therapy dogs helping with more than PTSD, TBI
FAIRFAX, Va. (Army News Service, March 11, 2011) -- Launched just eight months ago, Veterans Moving Forward vows to provide service dogs, at no cost, to veterans with physical and mental health challenges, including those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.
"We want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our veterans by increasing their safety and independence within their environment," said Karen Jeffries, founder of Veterans Moving Forward, or VMF, and a service-disabled veteran herself. She retired as a commander from the Navy nine years ago.
"We differ from similar services that only focus on vets with PTSD or those from certain wars. I don't care if somebody lost their leg because of diabetes or they lost a leg because of an IED (improvised explosive device) explosion.
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Airstrike in Afghanistan kills terrorist leaders
WASHINGTON, March 11, 2011 -- International Security Assistance Forces conducted a precision airstrike yesterday targeting two Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist organization leaders in the Dara Soof Payan district of Afghanistan's Samangan province yesterday, military officials reported.
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Pentagon Official Discusses Libya No-Fly Zone
WASHINGTON, March 14, 2011 - Amid reports from Libya that indicate Moammar Gadhafi's troops are gaining the upper hand over the opposition, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell spoke during an MSNBC interview today about the situation in Libya and possible responses.
Morrell, who has just returned from accompanying Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to NATO for discussions on the situation in North Africa, said NATO defense ministers agreed "to continue planning for any and all military options, including a no-fly zone."
What happens with the no-fly zone will depend on a political decision that has not been made yet, Morrell said.
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U.S. Forces Provide Relief Aid to Japan disaster
WASHINGTON, March 13, 2011 - U.S. military forces are working alongside their Japanese counterparts to provide aid as the country digs out in the aftermath of the massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck March 11.
"Because of the longstanding and close working relationship between the U.S. military and its Japanese counterparts on a daily basis, the United States military has humanitarian assistance capabilities positioned in the affected regions that are ready to support emergency relief efforts and minimize human suffering," U.S. Ambassador to Japan John V. Roos said in a statement to the media yesterday. Dubbed Operation Tomodachi -- Japanese for "friendship" -- U.S. military assets mobilizing in the area include a wide range of equipment, air, sea, and ground capability and expertise.
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Arlington Burial Planned for Last 'Doughboy' Frank Buckles
WASHINGTON, March 11, 2011 - America will pay its respects to its last World War I veteran March 15, as former Army Cpl. Frank Buckles is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Buckles -- the last of the more than 5 million Americans who served during World War I and were known as "doughboys" -- died Feb. 22 at his home in West Virginia. He was 110.
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