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Rebuilding and Cleaning Up Iraq – “The Right Thing To Do” DoD Blogger Roundtable
American forces are preparing to leave Iraq on December 31st and in fact, some of our folks are “looking at their watches” but what have we accomplished after a war, the loss of too many American lives and huge expenditures of our national treasure? Brig. Gen. Rock DonahueThose thoughts ran through my mind as I talked with Brig. Gen. Rock Donahue , director of U.S. Forces Iraq J7, the senior engineer in Iraq during the DoD Bloggers Roundtable. Gen Donahue carefully went through the statistics, the huge effort, that, our men and women in the military community have made to clean up Iraq during and after the war. He was…
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Success in Iraq?? Where we are today – DoD Bloggers Roundtable
The DoD Bloggers Roundtable met with Brig. Gen. Ralph Baker this morning to discuss today’s Iraq and the continued transition of the U.S. role in Iraq. General Baker closed with the comment that we won’t know how successful we have been until post 2011 (milestone for withdrawal) and we see the new relationship with the Iraq government – 3,5,10 years from now. I agree with the assessment but have confidence that our efforts and sacrifices have been worthwhile and have/will improve the lives of individual Iraqis. Since June 2009 U.S. forces have left the Iraq cities and now are in an advise and assist role with the Iraqi Security Forces.…
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Week in Review: Week of March 14 – March 20 (Military News)
Here are ten of our most popular military-related articles for the week on MilitaryAvenue.com: Face of Defense: Guard Members Skate in Roller Derby: Some soldiers will do almost anything to stay in shape. Three soldiers from the Oklahoma Army National Guard are lacing up their roller skates, strapping on elbow and knee pads and taking to the rink as members of the Oklahoma City Red Dirt Rebellion Rollergirls. For those new to the sport, this isn’t the roller derby of the 1970s, when practically every move was choreographed as in professional wrestling. … Two New Government Rules That Help Military Families: The U.S. government has issued two new rules this…
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“Crouching in the Corner of History” – Images of Iraq – Tina Hager – DoD Roundtable
The power of photography and visual images to tell a story can never be overlooked! The DoD Bloggers Roundtable met with Tina Hager to discuss her experiences photographing and documenting events in Iraq since the start of the war in 2003. Ms Hager’s background as described by the DoDLive announcement: “…A former White House photographer, Hager accompanied former President George W. Bush on his surprise visit to Baghdad in 2003. Since then she has participated in several embeds with the U.S. military and currently serves as the Task Force For Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO) photographer documenting economic revitalization throughout the country. Hager will also discuss her experiences meeting and…
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Medicine in Iraq in 2010 and Beyond – DoD Roundtable
Imagine trying to find a doctor or nurse in a country where 90% of the doctors fled after multiple devastating wars, an insurgency with criminal elements kidnapping physicians for ransom and a medical community that spent 35 years locked in a closet away from the rest of the world’s medical system by the dictatorial government under Saddam Hussein! The Iraq medical community has a long ways to go before recovering to its previous expertise! At one time this country’s medicine was the envy of the region! Now they are re-building with American assistance! We spoke with Dr. Adel Hanson, linguist/medical advisor, USF-I Health Affairs, Iraq Training and Advisory Mission (ITAM);…
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The Weather in Baghdad and Kabul
I can be a Weather Channel junkie! We just had a wonderful rain shower and it made our spring flowers perk up big time as we had been dry for a bit! I was cheering for it so I wouldn’t have to drag garden hoses around tomorrow to get the vegetable garden some refreshment. While enjoying the cool breeze and listening to the rain fall I had a quick thought! What is the temperature in Baghdad right now? Hmm, according to a weather website it is 88 degrees and it is 11 PM and tomorrow’s forecast is for a high of 106! Think of our comforts and ability to adjust…
