3ID General, HQ Troops, 3rd Brigade Deploying to Iraq Next Month
FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) - The commanding general of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and his headquarters of one-thousand troops will deploy to Iraq next month to take command of U.S. forces in southern Baghdad.
I spoke with the 3rd Brigade’s PAO, Major Joe Sowers Friday afternoon. He told me the soldiers of the Sledgehammer Brigade will be in the CENTCOM (Central Command) AOR (Area of Operations) by March 15th. The Brigade will likely be in Kuwait at that time, preparing to move into Iraq.
A few weeks ago (January 27, 2007), while embedded with soldiers from the Sledgehammer Brigade at the Army’s National Training Center, I caught up with Major General Lynch. Here’s what he had to say then…
Posted by Chris Sweigart on 02/16 at 03:01 PM
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Send A Message Overseas
The Phenix City Campus of Troy University is scheduling appointments for military families to create 10 minute DVDs to send to deployed troops.
There will be no charge for the DVD production or shipping to the soldier.
Tapings will be on the Phenix City Campus of Troy University on Monday, March 12th and Wednesday, March 14th. Please contact Tessa Brown to make an appointment.
If you are interested in sending a DVD to a soldier or would like to refer someone for this project please contact:
Tessa Brown
(334) 448-5111
Posted by Chris Sweigart on 02/13 at 03:34 PM
Anti-War Resolution
The resolution Congress is debating this week is only two sentences long and non-binding. But, Congress is devoting nearly an entire week to its debate.
One sentence is in support of the military. The other sentence disapproves of President George W. Bush’s decision to increase the number of troops in Iraq by more than 20,000.
Soldiers from Fort Benning will be among those 20,000. What do you think of this non-binding resolution?
Posted by Chris Sweigart on 02/13 at 09:12 AM
Talk Radio For Army Wives
This website came up in our morning meeting.
Army Wife Talk Radio is a web-only radio station devoted entirely to the challenges and unique circumstances faced by Army wives.
Posted by Chris Sweigart on 02/13 at 08:51 AM
Monday, February 12, 2007
Source of the Violence?
As the war in Iraq continues, it is becoming more and more difficult to understand the roots of the violence.
For many of us in the United States, understanding Muslim religion and culture can be very difficult.
This week, National Public Radio is looking into the differences between Shia and Sunni Muslims. The series is called The Partisans of Ali, and is definitely interesting reading.
Posted by Chris Sweigart on 02/12 at 08:23 AM
Standing Guard
Posted by Chris Sweigart on 02/12 at 08:22 AM
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Learning From Iraqis
Posted by Chris Sweigart on 02/08 at 08:52 AM
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Cookies For The Troops
This report comes from News 3’s Heather Jensen…
The cookie wrap session was made possible by God Bless Fort Benning.
To learn more about the organization, upcoming events, or how you can help, log on the God Bless Fort Benning website.
Posted by Chris Sweigart on 02/07 at 05:49 PM
Relationships and Interactions
Posted by Chris Sweigart on 02/07 at 09:42 AM
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Final Thoughts
I went into this trip with expectations. Some were met. Others were not.
When we first pulled up to the gate of a FOB on our first night, a shadow rose up on top of a sand dune, with a gun in our direction. I remember thinking “Whoa…I guess it’s on!“ By the end of the trip though, I had seen so many guns they almost looked like movie props. This is because during our entire trip, I did not see a single gun fire. I often heard them in the distance, but never witnessed one fire.
This was kind of a bummer. I envisioned fire fights. In my head I saw tanks firing massive blasts across the desert. I was hoping to see an explosion or two.
As it turns out though, those things aren’t positives at the National Training Center. I explained my disappointment to a soldier and he explained it like this:
“If a situation is handled without a gun firing, then we’re doing our job right.“
And looking back at the sticky situations I observed during their training, I can say that they did a heck of a job. Protests, suicide bombers, gate attacks and sketchy encounters with mystery vehicles were handled with a great deal of care and skill.
The living conditions were better than I had expected. I thought I would physically be in a great deal of discomfort. Granted, I wasn’t on gate watch all night with three hours of sleep, or carrying pounds and pounds of gear on my person, but I expected to be tired all the time…and as explained in previous blog posts…smelly.
The true discomfort came in the form of just missing home. I was only out there for a week and I was home sick. I missed my friends and family. Even simple things like my couch or driving my car around Columbus…or just sitting under a tree! I’ve always thought soldiers had it rough and I’m not saying I had it just as bad while I was out there, but just a taste of what they go through was enough to know they have something in them I wish I could say I had.
The best part was chow time. Meals always led to joking around, quoting movies or just listening to their stories, many of which were hysterical.
I enjoyed being more involved in our coverage and not just “the eye behind the camera.“ Being able to express some of what I felt here online was great. I hope my posts were a good read for those of you that were keeping up with the HammerSlogger.
So, I learned a lot. A lot of military jargon. A lot of military culture. And most importantly, a greater respect for what these men and women do with their lives.
Posted by Ryan Mellick on 02/03 at 02:52 AM
Friday, February 02, 2007
Soldier Snapshots
So we just left the COB, and we’re in the Public Affairs Office where we have and amazing internet connection.
I took some quick snapshots of the soldiers before we left and here they are!
Posted by Ryan Mellick on 02/02 at 01:11 PM
E-mail From a Wife
Army wife here. I just wanted to say that reading your posts gave me something to look forward to. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of my husband in one of your pictures. He is a Platoon Leader for 3-1 CAV, Charlie Troop.
I hear he is having a blast out there and is really excited to be applying his knowledge and really helping his platoon get ready for deployment. The only communication I could get from him was when he climbed a 750 foot hill to get 1 bar of reception. I could hear Apaches flying overhead and live rounds in the background. Such a romantic, right? Thanks for reporting how amazing these soldiers are. They are courageous and dedicated to our country. I only hope that Americans continue to support our troops regardless of how they feel about the war. They are doing what they are ordered to do and are proud to do it.
Respectfully,
April R. Pixler
Thanks April. We didn’t run into your husband, but we had a great time rolling with the 3-1 Cav.
Posted by Chris Sweigart on 02/02 at 09:59 AM
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Post o’ Pictures
Here’s some extra pictures we haven’t posted yet!
Posted by Ryan Mellick on 02/01 at 11:16 AM
E-Mail from Dee
I received a great e-mail I’d like to share with the HammerSlogger readers:
I am certain that the family members and friends of the soldiers you are
covering appreciate this insight into the training their family member is
participating in on a daily basis. The pictures are even more beneficial and
more treasured by those families and friends. So keep them coming ~!!!
Once this experience is behind you, home will be a welcome destination. How
fortunate we all are to be bless by the devotion and dedication of the
military man and woman, to defend the principles of freedoms we enjoy in
this country. And the place we call home. This dedication and devotion takes
them to lands so unfamilair and so far from home. Our thoughts and prayers
go with each one of them.
And remember, the face you look into today, maybe a name and satistic on the
roll of “Fallen Heroes” tomorrow. So do each one of them justice and bring
home to all of us their story of dedication and devotion and stuggle for all
of us and maybe just maybe, you will be able to see them again, in the
company of their families and friends.
These are NOT easy times BUT times when our “grit” is tested.
Dee
Thanks for the e-mail, Dee. I’m actually loading some more pictures up right now!
Posted by Ryan Mellick on 02/01 at 10:19 AM
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Mortars!
It has become so much a part of life here that I almost forgot to write about it!
Mortars!
Well, not really.
Every night, the bases here are attacked with insurgent mortars. They’re really basic explosives that are basically harmless, but they make a lot of noise. They’re designed to simulate the sound of mortars landing on the base, which apparently is a somewhat common occurence in Iraq.
Every time there is a mortar attack, everyone has to get up out of bed, put on all their protective vests and helmets and wait until the attack is over. In Iraq, the soldier would also leave their sleep tents to go out to protective bunkers, but there aren’t any bunkers here.
The guys who control the “war game” here at the National Training Center seem to know the perfect time to start the mortar attacks. The concussive explosives always go off right when everybody is starting to get comfortable.
We just had our first mortar attack of the night. It’s about 8:00pm local time. Who know’s what the rest of the night will bring…
HammerSlogger is an online account of the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division’s training and deployment to Iraq. At the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 the Sledgehammer Brigade helped lead U.S. forces into Baghdad. The soldiers of the 3rd Brigade deployed to Iraq again in 2005. Now, the unit is in its third deployment to Iraq.
The articles and pictures published here are written and produced by the soldier-writers of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
