www.hood.army.mil/1stcavdiv/ “Happy Birthday America!” Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Baghdad in Brief Fired up for

Aircrews Destroy Bomb Freedom!

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Multi- Friends and families National Division-Baghdad attack watch the July 4th fire- helicopter crews engaged a possible works display at Bud car bomb at approximately 4:30 p.m. Ebert Park at Minot Air July 2 in southern Baghdad. Force Base, N.D. And Apache crews from 4th “Guns” while Americans back Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, home enjoy their freedom, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry deployed U.S. Soldiers Division, were supporting Operation continue to help bring Dragon Fire when Soldiers from 2nd freedom to Iraqis. For July Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th story see page 5. 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, spotted a vehicle moving north and south repeatedly on a roadway. The vehicle stopped, and the driver exited the vehicle. The 2-12 Inf. identified the vehicle as a possi- ble car bomb and cleared the “Guns” Apache crews to engage it. The (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joe Laws) Apache crews fired on the vehicle, destroying it. Rollup of Project Starts, Completions Sha’ab Car Bomb Kills 5 BAGHDAD – Five Iraqis were Gulf Region Division ing between $600k - $950k, has killed and 20 more wounded when a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers medical/dental examination rooms; X-ray car bomb detonated in the Sha’ab rooms, a testing laboratory, a pharmacy neighborhood on the east side of the BAGHDAD -- The U.S. Army Corps and public education room. Some of the Iraqi capital July 2. of Engineers, Gulf Region Division, com- clinics also have an emergency department The explosion ignited a large fire pleted 86 construction projects between and ward, procedure rooms, a labor and on the streets. Fire trucks responded May 31 and June 29, 2007, bringing the delivery department, pre/post delivery to the scene as well as ambulances to total number of completed projects to 3,886. rooms, a newborn nursery, ultrasound treat the wounded. Iraqi National Currently, there are 662 construction room, laundry and sterilization areas and Police officers responded, secured projects ongoing – all funded through the staff living quarters. the area and set up a cordon to protect Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund, the Each clinic was designed to receive residents from further attacks. They Development Fund for Iraq, the approximately 110 patients a day; howev- also rendered aid to the wounded and Commander’s Emergency Response er, demand at already opened clinics is has questioned witnesses. Program, the Economic Support Fund and them on track to each see more than 35,000 Oclander said Coalition Forces the Iraq Security Forces Fund. patients annually. suspect Al Qaeda in Iraq as the likely Six of the completed projects are “Some of the completed PHCs are see- culprits for the attack, which targeted Primary Healthcare Centers – four clinics ing 350 or more patients per day,” said Col. a mixed neighborhood of Shia and in the Gulf Region Central district; and Paul Babin, GRD Facilities Sector lead. Sunni residents. two in the Gulf Region North district. Each facility, with construction costs rang- See Building Iraq Page 3 Page 2 News July 4, 2007 Freedom isn’t Free…and Should be Cherished “In the truest sense, freedom cannot they are making a stand. be bestowed; it must be achieved.” In time, we hope that more Iraqis will Pegasus 6 - Franklin D. Roosevelt throw off the yoke of terrorist influence, Sends work together with the Iraqi government In 1776, our forefathers boldly and Iraqi Security Forces and fully realize Maj. Gen. signed the declaration of independence, a new nation – free to pursue its own des- standing up for individual liberty, free- tiny in the world. Joseph F. Fil, dom from tyranny and the basic human Many Americans have given their Jr. rights of mankind. When they penned lives in the fight for freedom. From the their names on that document in Revolutionary War to this moment in his- war, we look forward to peace again. Philadelphia on July 4, each man knew tory, America’s sons and daughters contin- Today, here in Baghdad we are in a he could be signing his own death war- ue to selflessly serve their nation, sacrific- fight for freedom – but it is freedom from rant. Yet, they stood firm in their convic- ing the comforts of home to take the fight fear, from terror, and from those with tions, fought for many years and finally to the enemies of our nation. extremist ideologies who murder their fel- gained their independence. All of you should be extremely proud low man in the name of their misbegotten Today, America finds its sons and of your service to the nation, and the causes. We are America’s warriors. We daughters in a different kind of fight, achievements we continue to build upon fight our nation’s wars. Yet, we yearn for against an elusive, cowardly enemy who here in Baghdad. I am very proud to call the quiet comfort of lounging with loved won’t stand toe-to-toe with our warriors, myself your commander. ones on an endless summer day. and who hides in the shadows and preys We can all be proud to call ourselves In American towns across the coun- on the innocent and the unsuspecting. American warriors; freedom fighters. try, large and small, kids will still march We fight a Global War on Terror, and Growing up, I think we can all in parades waving small American flags. here in Baghdad we are seeing signs that remember simpler, more peaceful times. Ice cream, barbecue and the gathering of the Iraqi people have had enough of al- Many of us even marched in town friends and family remain the highlight Qaeda and extremist, terrorist elements parades down main streets waving the flag of the day for many Americans this 4th operating in their midst. and meeting in some central place in the of July holiday. In western Baghdad, Sunni resi- evening to view the splendor as fireworks It’s commonplace sight back home. dents in Abu Ghraib and Amiriyah have lit up the night sky. It’s simple. It’s peaceful. And it’s some- taken up arms against these terrorists. Those simple, peaceful times can thing we all cherish. We will cherish it even They are tired of the senseless slaughter never be forgotten. We must cherish those more when we return home to our loved of innocence in their neighborhoods and memories even as today, with our nation at ones to again to experience it ourselves. Arabic Phrase Iraq of the Day 3-Day hurria Weather Today Tomorrow Friday Defined: Report High: 114 High: 114 High: 113 independence Low: 86 Low: 84 Low: 83

Commanding General: Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil, Jr. Contact the Daily Charge at VOIP 242-4093, DSN 318-847-2855 or e- Public Affairs Officer: Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl mail [email protected]. Command Information Supervisor: Master Sgt. Dave Larsen The Daily Charge is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. Army. Contents of NCOIC, Print Production: Sgt. Michael Garrett the Daily Charge are not necessarily official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Editor: Spc. Jeffrey Ledesma Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or the 1st Cavalry Division. Staff Writers: Sgt. Nicole Kojetin, Spc. L.B. Edgar, Spc. Shea Butler, All editorial content of the Daily Charge is prepared, edited, provided and approved by1st Spc. William Hatton and Pfc. Ben Gable Cavalry Division Public Affairs Office. Contributing Writers:. Gulf Region Division Page 3 News July 4, 2007

Baghdad in Brief

Troops Eliminate Insurgents Using Children as Spotters

BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad troops engaged and killed an insurgent July 2, who was using children to spot Coalition Forces in a southern neighborhood of the Iraqi capital. Troops from Company B, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, operating in southern Baghdad as part of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, witnessed the insurgent moving through the brush suspiciously and using children as lookouts for MND- B forces. After positively identifying (Photo by Spc. Nathan Hoskins, 1st ACB, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs) the threat, the troops opened fire with a single shot and killed him. The body was taken away by That Day in An Najaf... Iraqi National Police.

Muskogee, Okla., native Capt. Chris Morton (left), commander of Coalition Forces Net 12 Company B, 1st “Attack” Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, shakes the hand of Waco, Suspects in Adhamiyah Texas, native Chief Warrant Officer 4 Daniel McClinton, an AH-64D Apache pilot for Co. B, during an awards ceremony at Camp Taji, Iraq BAGHDAD – Three suspects July 1. McClinton earned an Air Medal for his actions in An Najaf, Jan. with known terrorist connections 28, while helping to fight more than 600 insurgents firing on 1st ACB and nine other associates were aircraft and attacking nearby ground forces. detained by Coalition Forces in the Adhamiyah District of the Iraqi cap- ital July 2. The suspects were seized with- Iraq Construction Completed, Continuing out incident by Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, unscheduled maintenance. operating in eastern Baghdad under Building Iraq Potable water is at 473,000 m3/day From Page 1 the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd with 2.3 million people affected with an Airborne Division. “The PHCs are being built in muhallas end goal of 1.1 million m3/day and an end The troops detained the sus- (neighborhoods) across Iraq -- near the goal of 5.2 million people affected. pects after receiving information people they will serve…some PHCs are GRD met its end goals set for crude oil on a meeting site of this alleged treating twice as many people.” production - 3 million barrels per day; LPG terrorist cell. The detention of the Other results of GRD’s reconstruction production - 3,000 metric tons per day; nat- 12 suspects is part of the 2nd efforts include: ural gas production capacity – 800 million “Falcon” BCT’s ongoing efforts to Due to added capacity and normal standard cubic feet per day. secure the Adhamiyah neighbor- operation and maintenances of systems, Throughout Iraq, U.S. government hood and rid it of terrorists and sec- electrical generation is at 4,236 ongoing projects contribute to the ever- tarian violence. Several of the sus- megawatts, with an end goal of 6,000 MW improving quality of life and economic sta- pects are believed to have direct and 1.3 million homes served. Electrical bility helping to provide the foundation for involvement in the deaths of five generation megawatts are dynamic owing the country to build upon as it overcomes a American Soldiers June 21. to interdiction of lines by insurgents and generation of neglect. Page 4 News July 4, 2007

(Photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, 1-1 Cav. Div. Public Affairs) Troops Take a Little Patrol Stroll

(From left) San Diego native Pfc. Jason Clark, Newark, Ohio native Pfc. Robert Rizer and Browning, Mont., native Pfc. Glenn Linder, all members of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment do a foot patrol through the village of Naif Al Hasan, Iraq June 20. The village is near an Iraqi Army-run traffic control point where Co. C troops often work, assisting troops from the 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized). U.S, Iraqi Troops Make Eastern Baghdad Routes Safer 2-2 Inf. Div. Public Affairs Team and local contractors IED can be placed, and by over. Additionally, barriers have closed gaps between adding lights, you give the have been placed on both the FORWARD OPERAT- guard rails and installed light citizens, Coalition Forces, Doura and Southern Diyala ING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – posts along roads for better and the Iraqi Army better vis- bridges. Renovations to roadsides and illumination in the district. ibility to watch for activity,” All these improvements the addition of light posts by The Soldiers, members of the said 1st Lt. Robin Jacobs, a make IED emplacement more Multi-National Division – 2nd Battalion, 17th Field civil military operations offi- difficult, Jacobs said. “The Baghdad Soldiers, with help Artillery Regiment and the cer with 2-17th FA and native lights are about 70 percent from Iraqi contractors, are 2nd Brigade Special Troops of Chicago. done,” she said, regarding the being made in an effort to Battalion, hope to make in To further combat IED progress of the safety initia- make routes safer in the east- impact against the emplace- emplacement, Jacobs said tives. “There are still about ern Baghdad Karada District. ment of improvised explosive trash cleanup is ongoing along three weeks to go. The sanita- Soldiers from the 2nd devices in the area. the roads. Also, chunks of con- tion has been ongoing for two Infantry Division’s 2nd “By cleaning up the crete are being removed and weeks and has about two Infantry Brigade Combat roads we mitigate where an dirt piles are being smoothed weeks to go.” Page 5 Independence July 4, 2007 Reminding Soldiers What it Means to Serve By Spc. L.B. Edgar and go out into sector because they are mak- 7th MPAD Pegasus 9 ing a difference every day,” Johndrow said. Those who have not donned the uni- CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – This form can never fully comprehend what it Independence Day, as the Iraqi people Command Sgt. means to serve. Deploying together, struggle for freedom, Soldiers deployed in Soldiers live in “close confinement, take support of the Global War on Terrorism Maj. Philip care of each other, where it really counts should take pride in the difference they are Johndrow and matters,” he said. making and remember their country’s own Contrary to portrayals in popular cul- struggle for independence more than 200 very tenacious,” he said. “We have to stand ture, Soldiers are not robots, whose func- years ago, said the Multi-National Division up and continue to keep our freedom.” tion is to execute, Johndrow said. - Baghdad command sergeant major. Though freedom is new to the Iraqi “There is such a deep, loving admira- Even after four years of combat oper- people, they are beginning to understand tion Soldiers have for one another. When ations in Iraq, Soldiers in harm’s way are what it’s all about, he said. they’re in harm’s way they’re worried serving their country as America’s forefa- “We know what freedom is all about. about each other, not themselves. They thers did during the Revolutionary War, We know how precious it is. So we’ll never don’t want to let each other down. That’s said Command Sgt. Maj. Philip Johndrow, give it up. We’ll fight to the bitter end. something you can’t get any place else,” the MND-B and 1st Cavalry Division com- They’re just starting to get the taste and the he said. “Once you’ve been in and under- mand sergeant major. smell of it,” Johndrow said. stand it, it gets a hold of you. It’s not Just as the fight for Iraq is not solely an The bottom line for Soldiers in Iraq is something you ever want to give up, even Iraqi conflict, the American Revolution was that freedom has a price, Johndrow said, if you do two or three years in the Army not exclusively fought by Americans. The and “it’s a very expensive price, but it’s and then get out. If you ask a Soldier, he monetary contributions, military manpower worth every penny.” will never forget his experience in the and naval support provided by France were For all of the Coalition’s struggles, military – never.” critical to the success of America in the progress has come in the form of improved One necessary sacrifice of military Revolutionary War, Johndrow said. Iraqi Security Forces, Johndrow said. service is separation from loved ones. “We’re doing a lot of the same things “They’ve made leaps and bounds.” “We’re thinking about you as you’re with the Iraqi people,” he said of the Disagreements are natural in a country thinking about us, and even though we’re Coalition’s contribution to Iraq. with diverse groups. However, disagreements miles and miles apart, we’re still in each Far from a quick split, the struggle to need to be debated in the political realm rather others’ hearts. Distance can never take end British colonization took years. than resolved with violence, he said that away from any of us,” he said. “Try Although the Declaration of Another sign of progress is the rejec- not to be upset and bitter about it.” Independence was signed in 1776, the tion of extremism by some Iraqis who pre- Typically, Johndrow enjoys the 4th of struggle for independence continued until viously supported the insurgency, he said. July like most Americans. He spends time 1781 when Gen. Cornwallis surrendered “Some of the Sunnis are joining with his family, enjoys fireworks and the following the battle of Yorktown. Even together to fight al Qaeda because they’ve outdoors. However, this 4th of July will then the United States was not formally realized al Qaeda is no good. They’re bad. be slightly different. recognized until the Treaty of Paris was That’s not to say they’re in love with us but He will be where he always is while signed in 1783, Johndrow said. they know we’re fair and we are honest and down range – with Soldiers. He plans on “You have to be persistent. It’s not we’re not here to harm them. We’re here to visiting combat support hospitals, meet easy. Freedom is not free and it’s always a make things better. They definitely know al with Soldiers out on mission and then struggle,” he said. Qaeda is not,” Johndrow explained. pass out calling cards to Soldiers to call Of all the heroes of the Revolutionary The Iraqi people “want peace and stabil- home, he said. War, Johndrow admires America’s first ity, not only for them, but for their children. One of Johndrow’s friends will be president most. Also America’s first They want their children to go to school. They with him the whole day. “The Kid,” a lucky General of the Army, George Washington, want to be able to go out and earn an honest charm he takes with him everywhere will overcame early losses and shortages of living for their children,” he explained. be by his side the whole time, he said. necessary supplies to achieve victory. Even Johndrow is proud of these Soldiers “I don’t think I’ll let him play with with shoeless Soldiers at Valley Forge, fighting for the Iraqi cause, and hope they any fireworks. He would probably blow Washington did not falter. are proud of themselves, too. something up. He will be with me with a “If he gave up back then, where would “These are challenging times. But big old smile on his face just enjoying it we be today? He didn’t and that’s like us: we (Soldiers) ought to wake up and be proud of all,” Johndrow joked. “He’s just proud to will never give up. The American Soldier is themselves when they put that uniform on be here. He’ll have his Stetson on.”