Smoke from Iraq burn pit may be making local soldiers sick Nov 2, 2009
"It should also be noted that any burn pit operated in Iraq or Afghanistan is done pursuant to Army guidelines and regulations.KBR was a subsidiary of Halliburton until April 2007. Spokeswoman Diana Gabriel disputes Halliburton's responsibility in the suit."As these lawsuits are based on KBR activity in Iraq and Afghanistan, we believe that Halliburton is improperly named in these cases and, as such, we expect Halliburton to be dismissed from the suits," Gabriel said in a statement.ONE SOLDIER'S... (Longview Daily News, WA)
Olympic Flame Journeys By Foot, Bike, Wheelchair Nov 1, 2009
It was welcomed by the Royal Canadian Legion, the 5th B.C. Field Regiment, a Royal Canadian Artillery brass band and spectators dressed in military period dress. Jeff Hollands, one of 120 veterans carrying the torch, rode his wheelchair to Fort Rodd Hill, the site of a 19th century coastal artillery fort. (KFOXTV.com, TX)
Macedonia guerrillas win seats Nov 1, 2009
8 Jun 2001: With a barrage of heavy artillery fire, government forces today pounded rebel positions northeast of the capital, despite a tentative ceasefire offer from ethnic Albanian insurgents. . (Yahoo News -- Macedonia)
Report: Karzai's brother gets CIA pay Nov 1, 2009
As another friend, Alexander, would later write : "We thought that all of them - old and young - were insurgents." Alexander, to save his unit, had called in artillery that destroyed a village from which the mujahedeen were attacking. People of the villages hit by our air strikes became hostile and turned to the resistance. (Salon)
* Show about aid warehouse causes controversy in Israel Oct 31, 2009
It tells the story of the main UN warehouse in Gaza, a storage point for food and aid for a million Palestinians, and how it was hit repeatedly by Israeli artillery shells, some loaded with white phosphorous, during the Gaza war X how it was set ablaze and burnt to the ground. This is a story that until now has remained buried, untold, Gunness said at the debut performance of his show at the French Cultural Center, east Jerusalem, on Wednesday night. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Passports of Jihadists Found by Pakistani Army Oct 31, 2009
Alongside carefully arrayed mortar shells, short-range artillery equipment and a range of rifles is a pile of papers and documents. Among them are plans showing how to assemble an "impact grenade" and a "time delay" grenade. (Time.com)
Qaida-linked group claims rocket attack on Israel Oct 31, 2009
Israel responded with artillery fire, but there were no reports of casualties. Earlier this month, Israel troops cracked down to disperse hundreds of stone-throwing Palestinian protesters in a fresh eruption of violence at the most volatile spot in the Holy Land. (MSNBC -- International)
Heroic welcome Oct 31, 2009
The Ohio native was on a foot patrol in Naw Zad May 30 when he stepped on two land mines placed on top of an artillery round ... The Ohio native was on a foot patrol in Naw Zad May 30 when he stepped on two land mines placed on top of an artillery round. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
* DPP lawmakers want Chinese PLA singer banned Oct 31, 2009
Chen Sisi (), attached to the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Second Artillery Corps, which is in charge of missiles and nuclear weapons, is scheduled to give a concert at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall today. The 33-year-old Chen gained fame last year by singing at the closing of the Beijing Olympics. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
Civilians flee Waziristan crossfire Oct 30, 2009
"The government is bombing us with jet planes. And the army fires its artillery. And the shelling continues day and night. The poor people are dying," says Faizel Khaliq, a black-bearded man who fled the village of Makin with 25 family members. "There was only one road to escape. It was a dirt track.". (CNN)
NATIONAL GUARD - Illinois Unit Returns Home Oct 30, 2009
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion 122nd Field Artillery, Robbins, Ill ... He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion 122nd Field Artillery, Sycamore, Ill ... He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery, Sycamore, Ill. (DOD DefenseLINK)
Role of Navajo Code Talkers in Worl... Oct 30, 2009
Retired Colonel John E. Gray* served as a World War II Marine anti-aircraft gunner aboard the battleship U.S.S. Maryland during the Pacific Saipan-Tinian Campaign;the Maryland played a tremendous role in naval artillery support of the 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division as it amphibiously assaulted Tinian Japanese defenses ashore. Our fire control adjustment commands in knocking out Japanese defensive targets had to be in code so that the enemy would not be aware of which of their targets were... (Suite101.com)
Lebanon stops fresh rocket attack Oct 29, 2009
Lebanese troops have deactivated four rockets ready to be fired at Israel, a day after a rocket attack caused Israel to respond with artillery fire ... The commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) Maj Gen Claudio Graziano has inspected the area where the rockets were found and where the nine Israeli artillery shells landed ... Israel fired an artillery barrage in response to it, saying that was sufficient retaliation under the circumstances. (BBC News -- Africa)
* Taiwan News Quick Take Oct 29, 2009
I hope to deepen cultural and artistic exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, said Chen Sisi (), of the Second Artillery Corps under the Peoples Liberation Army. The performance by Chen, immensely popular in China for her folk songs, will take place at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall on Saturday, the halls Web site said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
AIR FORCE - Crews Support Airlift Needs Oct 29, 2009
Army Sgt. Angel Quiles Ramos, from Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery deployed to an undisclosed base in Southwest Asia, said the support he receives from the Air Force at his deployed base is "critical.". "They provide food, security and water," Sergeant Ramos said. (DOD DefenseLINK)
Israel, Lebanon exchange fire Oct 28, 2009
JERUSALEM: A Katyusha rocket fired from Lebanon hit northern Israel on Tuesday night without causing casualties, prompting Israel to retaliate with artillery, sources on both sides said ... At about the same time, witnesses in Kiryat Shmona said Israeli artillery retaliated by firing on southern Lebanon ... An Israeli military spokeswoman later confirmed that "artillery had opened fire on the sector from which the Katyusha rocket was fired.". (India Times, India)
Lebanon Militants Launch Rocket Into Israel Oct 28, 2009
JERUSALEM Lebanese militants launched a rocket into northern Israel on Tuesday evening, drawing a rapid response from Israeli artillery in a brief flare-up across the tense border ... About 45 minutes later, Israeli artillery shelled the area from which the rocket was fired, the agency said. (Fox News)
Rocket fire exchanged between Lebanon and Israel Oct 28, 2009
" onclick="Next();" src="/images/butt_next. " Following the October 12 incident, Israeli President Shimon Peres accused Hezbollah of having turned Lebanon into a powderkeg. "Hezbollah has turned Lebanon into a powderkeg," he said. "It's not Israel that is endangering Lebanon, but rather Hezbollah, just as Hamas is endangering the Palestinians. (Channelnewsasia.com)
13 Days of Fright: Battle of the Vampires Oct 28, 2009
Others, like , bring out some heavier artillery, like silver boomerangs set to "decapitate," a sword with an amputee-making security system and sunglasses. (Blade may be a half-breed, but the guy sure makes with the slaying. (IGN FilmForce)
Angola arms traffickers convicted Oct 28, 2009
Gaydamak and Falcone were accused of buying tanks, helicopters and artillery pieces and then selling them to Angola during its civil war, through a French-based firm and its subsidiary in Eastern Europe. Falcone was arrested and imprisoned as soon as the sentence was passed. (BBC News -- Africa)
Sheriff: Bomb suspect not a 'weekend hobbyist' (13248) Oct 28, 2009
Williams said evidence at the traffic stop scene led officers to believe there may be some type of artillery at that the motel. At the 301-Rivelon scene, witnesses reported hearing SLED detonate the explosive devices. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Local filmmakers win emmy award Oct 27, 2009
A pregnant civilian woman in Germany had her arm blown off by an artillery shell. When Hemperley came on the scene the woman was holding her severed arm in one hand and a child's hand in her other. (Grants Cibola County Beacon, NM)
Bergen: U.S. losing war on 2 fronts Oct 27, 2009
But the ongoing Pakistani military incursion into Waziristan, which was preceded by months of "softening up" operations with air strikes and artillery as well as a ramped-up American drone program aimed at al Qaeda and Taliban leaders there, is today setting the conditions for a real anvil. The hammer must now be applied. (CNN)
AGU Journal highlights -- Oct. 26, 2009 Oct 27, 2009
Robock et al. evaluate the benefits, risks, and costs of stratospheric geoengineering and find that the cost of using existing U.S. military planes to inject aerosol precursors into the atmosphere would be several billion dollars per year; other methods, including artillery and weather balloons, would cost more. The authors point out some of the benefits of geoengineering: It would cool the planet, reduce the melting of sea ice, reduce sea level rise, and increase plant productivity. (EurekAlert!)
Answer Girl: Beating a Dead Horse Hill Oct 27, 2009
I'm with Anderson in thinking the hill's name had something to do with an artillery horse during Fort Caspar's heyday. Another "Dead Horse Hill," in Virginia, was named such because Lt. Col. Reuben Lindsey Walker's battalion lost so many horses during a battle there in 1862. (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
Damaged Gaza schools need windows before winter Oct 27, 2009
The agency said it had managed to obtain materials locally to repair most of the 50 schools damaged by bombs and artillery but some still need glass, cement and steel. UNRWA Gaza adviser Adnan Abu Hasna said plans to build 100 new schools in Gaza to alleviate overcrowding in classes had been put on hold due to the Israeli blockade. (AlertNet)
Pakistan willing to be flexible on Kashmir: Shaukat Aziz Oct 26, 2009
Nearly 30,000 soldiers, backed by jet aircraft and artillery support, have been fig. Have your Say. (Yahoo News -- Kashmir Dispute)
Wealthy Pakistanis add to country's strife Oct 26, 2009
They seized the Swat Valley early this year and were making inroads in Punjab Province, the nation's most populous, before the Pakistani Army arose from its torpor and fought back by lobbing rockets and artillery shells into towns and villages from a safe distance. Last week, the Pakistani army began an offensive in South Waziristan, a Taliban stronghold. (Herald Online, SC -- Opinion)
Iraq casualties Oct 25, 2009
Battery C, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division ... Battery B, 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Division ... 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. (CNN -- Specials)
Pakistan troops retake Taliban stronghold in Waziristan Oct 25, 2009
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Pakistani forces backed by helicopter gunships and artillery recaptured a strategic town from Taliban militants after fierce fighting, officials said on Saturday. Kotkai town in South Waziristan has changed hands three times since the army launched a major offensive on Taliban strongholds a week ago, highlighting the difficulty of seizing territorial advantage in the rugged mountains and valleys near Afghanistan. (AlertNet)
Seaside to city streets, R.I. is big on walking trails Oct 25, 2009
At the end of Fort Road is a nature trail that takes hikers out to historic Napatree Point where they can see the ruins of Fort Mansfield, an old coastal artillery post. Resorts and beach cottages dotted this area until the Hurricane of 1938 wiped them out. (Boston Globe)
Army will flush out Taliban within a month: Pak Oct 25, 2009
More than 30,000 troops, backed by helicopters, fighter jets and artillery, are engaged in heavy fighting with 12,000 armed militants in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan. So far 162 militants and 22 troops have been killed in what the Pakistani army has described as the "mother of all battles.". (India Times, India)
* Pakistani forces recapture strategic town Oct 25, 2009
Pakistani forces backed by helicopter gunships and artillery recaptured a strategic town from Taliban militants after fierce fighting, officials said yesterday. Kotkai in South Waziristan has changed hands three times since the army launched a major offensive on Taliban strongholds a week ago, highlighting the difficulty of seizing territorial advantage in the rugged mountains and valleys near Afghanistan. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Former child soldiers move on in Sri Lanka Oct 25, 2009
Then an artillery shell hit their shelter, killing the uncle, aunt and their 1-year-old baby. Vinojan was in the jungle at the time. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Soldier accused of killing contractor gets hearing date Oct 24, 2009
Beyshee Velez -- assigned to the 3rd Bronco Brigade Combat Team's Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery -- is accused of shooting Lucas "Trent" Vinson with an M-4 carbine ... Beyshee Velez -- assigned to the 3rd Bronco Brigade Combat Team's Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery -- is accused of shooting Lucas "Trent" Vinson with an M-4 carbine. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
South Waziristan: There they go again Oct 24, 2009
For weeks the Mehsud area had been sealed by the army, and Taliban positions pounded by jet fighters and artillery. Some 30,000 Pakistani soldiers have now been thrown into the ground campaign. (The Economist)
Obituaries in the news Oct 23, 2009
Sizer served in the U.S. Army as an artillery officer, and he later said the experience influenced his ideas about education. Sizer founded the Coalition of Essential Schools in 1984, which promotes comprehensive reforms envisioned in his book "Horace's Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School.". (Anchorage Daily News)
Somalian rebels threaten Uganda, Burundi Oct 23, 2009
AIMSOM's spokesman in Mogadishu, Major Barigye Ba-hoku, denied on Friday that the AU soldiers had fired any artillery and blamed Thursday's civilian deaths on rebel bombs ... Its soldiers come under near-daily attacks from roadside bombs and rebel artillery, and last month al Shabaab hit their main headquarters with a twin suicide car bombing that killed 17 peacekeepers, including the Burundian deputy force commander. (AlertNet)
Forces regain Torwam Bridge closed by Taliban since 2007 Oct 23, 2009
Fighter jets bombed Taliban hideouts and the ground forces used long-range artillery, targeting Kokat Khel, Chalghozi, Saam, Sararogha, Nanairasar, Ladha and Makeen, sources said. The Taliban attacked troops at 4am on Thursday at Boya Narai on Wana-Razmak Road. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
Somali rebels shell prez jet, 30 dead Oct 23, 2009
MOGADISHU: Mortar bombs killed at least 30 people in Somalias capital Mogadishu on Thursday after rebels launched shells at the presidents plane and African Union (AU) peacekeepers responded with heavy artillery fire ... Mortar bombs killed at least 30 people in Somalias capital Mogadishu on Thursday after rebels launched shells at the presidents plane and African Union (AU) peacekeepers responded with heavy artillery fire. (India Times, India)
Capture of Shingwari area seen as major success for soldiers Oct 22, 2009
Latest casualties: Also on Wednesday, an Inter-Services Public Relations press release stated that, in the past 24 hours, 15 Taliban had been killed and 10 injured after jet fighters and long-range artillery struck Taliban positions in the Badar, Sam, Sararogha, Nanoo, Ladah and Makeen areas. It said four soldiers, including an officer, had been martyred in the same period. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
He gave troops IED insurance NEW: Quantico civil servant in charge of program that has saved hundreds, if not thousands, of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Oct 22, 2009
Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment from Fort Drum, N.Y., patrol in the Jalrez Valley in Afghanistan's Wardak Province, accompanied by a Mine Resistant Armor Protected vehicle. Maya Alleruzzo/ASSOCIATED PRESS. (Fredericksburg.com, VA)
Opposition urges installation of early-warning systems Oct 22, 2009
THE Opposition is urging the Defence Force to install systems in camps in Afghanistan to warn troops that rockets or artillery shells have been fired at them. Similar systems are being introduced by the British army and can give 24 seconds warning of an incoming round. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Rollins: Mom's generation and today's women Oct 22, 2009
His unit, the 211th Coast Artillery Regiment was being dispatched to fight somewhere in the Pacific when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. His anti-aircraft artillery battalion was on its way to California to ship out but was suddenly reassigned to protect military installations in the San Francisco Bay area including Mare Island Shipyard in Vallejo, California, the largest submarine base on the West Coast. (CNN -- US)
At least 17 killed in Mogadishu shelling: medics Oct 22, 2009
Seventeen civilians were killed and 58 people wounded Thursday in Mogadishu in an exchange of mortar and artillery fire between insurgents and African peacekeepers, medical sources said. "At least 17 civilians were killed and we have counted 58 wounded," Ali Muse, head of the Somali capital's ambulance services, told AFP.. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Despite claims, UK did not gas Iraqis in the 1920s, new research finds Oct 22, 2009
General Headquarters reported, contrary to Webster, that "gas shells have not been used hitherto against [Iraqi] tribesmen either by aeroplanes or by artillery." ... "In others, the British Army is held to be the responsible party, employing gas-filled artillery shells." ... Winston Churchill, then War Secretary and a vocal advocate of nonlethal gas use, gave commanders in the field permission to use "existing stocks" of tear gas artillery shells. (EurekAlert!)
Edwin S. Ed Hofmann Oct 21, 2009
He then attended Fort Collins College (Aggies), now Colorado State University, until he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in September 1941, honorably discharged in 1946, in which he returned to Aggies in Fort Collins where he received his degree in Agriculture Economics and his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Field Artillery in May 1948. On Aug. 5, 1955, Ed was united in marriage to Bette Raine in Ouray, Colo. (Montrose Daily Press, CO)
Theyve been watching Red Dawn again Oct 21, 2009
Nor will concentrated artillery fire, mortar fire, mass bombings by B-52 s, B-1, or B-2 s. The conflict will be pretty much conventional and the civilian population no matter how cowed by the Obamalamadingdong Prozac Koolaid, will not stand for the messy results of collaterall damage on American soil. Today there just over 3 million military and police personnel in US service. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Pakistan hits Taliban, urges NATO to seal border Oct 21, 2009
Government forces attacked the militant strongholds of Makeen and Ladha with helicopter gunships and artillery on Wednesday, security officials said. Eight soldiers wounded in overnight fighting were evacuated to the nearby town of Dera Ismail Khan. (AlertNet)
Twin suicide attacks strike Pakistan university Oct 21, 2009
Troops backed by artillery, attack helicopters and fighter jets on Tuesday pounded Taliban bastions around Kotkai, the home town of Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, the military said. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said he was "encouraged" by the Pakistani offensive, while cautioning that it was too soon to predict the outcome. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Honeywell-Albuquerque wins DOD work Oct 21, 2009
The displays will be used to enable precision-guided warheads and artillery to hone in on exact enemy locations. With broad cuts being proposed for military bases across the country and greater competition for defense contracts, New Mexico leaders hailed the extensions to the federal contracts as an important victory that will ensure a continued role for Honeywell's local operations in the national defense mission. (New Mexico Business Weekly, NM)
Barack Obama reaches a crossroad Oct 21, 2009
But the people at the banks and financial houses were given a mighty piece of artillery in waging legislative and other wars by the administration of President George W. Bush, which designated the fattest of them "too big to fail," a designation which the Obama administration has been quiet about but which it has reaffirmed by its actions. Witness, for example, the weeping and wailing that accompanies the continuing commemoration of the anniversary of the "tragic" failure of Lehman Brothers. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Obituaries, Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 (824) Oct 20, 2009
He served his country in the Army during World War II as a sergeant serving in the 88th Infantry Division Field Artillery Battalion in Italy. Surviving are two children, Sheila (Richard) Perry and Lowell (Bernadine) Higgins Jr. all of Vincennes; stepsons, Darrell (Linda) Fisher and Ronald (Janie) Fisher, all of Lawrenceville; a sister, Gloria Roark, of Sumner, Ill. (Vincennes Sun Commercial, IN)
In Afghanistan, Army cook transforms rations into a mean burrito Oct 20, 2009
Soidiers from the U.S. Army's 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regimenteat and rest after a long patrol in the Jalrez Valley in Afghanistan's Wardak Province on Sept. 28. Maya Alleruzzo/AP/File. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
Pakistan targets key Taliban town Oct 20, 2009
The army has deployed heavy artillery and is using them to bombard Taliban positions in the nearby areas. The military says it has dropped leaflets from helicopters urging local tribesman to rise up against the militants. (BBC News -- South Asia)
Taliban Vow to Defeat Army in Pakistan Offensive Oct 20, 2009
Mahsud said the army appeared to be mostly relying on airstrikes and artillery against militants occupying high ground. He said the insurgents were firing heavy machine guns at helicopter gunships, forcing the air force to use higher-flying jets. (Fox News)
Soldiers, militants die in Pakistan fighting: officials Oct 20, 2009
Troops backed by artillery, attack helicopters and fighter jets pounded Taliban dens around Kotkai, home town of Qari Hussain, once known as the mentor of suicide bombers and of Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud. "The troops have yet to enter Kotkai and it seems that they (militants) want to defend this stronghold at all costs," the official said. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
* EDITORIAL: Missiles, leaks and really odd timing Oct 20, 2009
As it turns out, Taipei has since delayed the meeting until the end of the month, but the major artillery test X which reportedly included the highly sensitive Hsiung Feng-2E (HF-2E) surface-to-surface missile X does not appear to have been the cause. In fact, Beijings reaction, which one would have expected to be more strident than its opposition to a visit by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, was to say nothing whatsoever. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Top Article: Need To Soldier On Oct 20, 2009
The 12,000 Pakistani Pathan troops in mufti, manning its tanks, artillery and aircraft, had been withdrawn under US pressure. The Taliban presented concentrated targets and was decimated by the US air force. (India Times, India)
Mehsud Misunderstood Oct 20, 2009
So does the Pakistani army, which has deployed around 30,000 men backed by tanks, helicopters and artillery. Previous operations in the restive semi-autonomous South Waziristan tribal area have ended in widely derided peace deals which have left the militants' power largely untouched and the army's prestige battered locally and internationally. (The American Conservative)
WAZIRISTAN PUSH Oct 20, 2009
Soldiers backed by jet fighters and artillery seized Kotkai town in fighting late on Monday, security officials said. (For a graphic showing the whereabouts of fighting, see http://graphics. (AlertNet)
Pakistan launches hit on Taliban, al-Qaida Oct 19, 2009
Two Pakistani assaults against militants earlier this year relied heavily on air attacks and artillery bombardments that caused widespread damage -- even though the militants in those areas were less entrenched than those in South Waziristan are. 1. (Albany Times Union)
It's a monster that cannot be put back in the cage Oct 19, 2009
About 30,000 soldiers have been committed to the campaign backed by tanks, artillery, fighter jets and helicopter gunships. This operation has the enthusiastic support of Pakistan's Western backers, including Australia. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
* Pakistani forces clash with Taliban Oct 19, 2009
The army says it has surrounded the militants in their main zone, a wedge of territory in the north of South Waziristan, and soldiers backed by aircraft and artillery are attacking from the north, southwest and southeast. Government forces pushing down from the north were clashing with militants in Nawaz Kot town, intelligence officials and residents said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
Pakistani forces pound Taliban in South Waziristan Oct 19, 2009
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Pakistani forces backed by heavy artillery attacked Taliban insurgents on Monday as the army moved to wrest control of militant strongholds in a lawless region on the Afghan border ... "There has been artillery fire throughout the night. It was very heavy firing," Noor Wali said by telephone ... The army says it has surrounded the militants in their main zone, a wedge of territory in the north, and soldiers backed by aircraft and artillery were... (AlertNet)
