Winding Down

The first wave of Red Bulls returned to Stillwater on January 24th. The second wave is scheduled to arrive in the Cities on the 31st. David say "things are starting to pick up in pace around here slightly as we get closer to the end. We are coming up with the plans to return our computers and get out of here." We are hoping that means sometime the first week or two of February! They go to Ft Lewis, WA for several days of administrative work and then on to Minneapolis/St Paul where the family can meet them at the armory. We are counting the days even though we don't know the exact date!!!

Kuwait - been there a month now

It's been pretty calm around here the last few days. Sunday night we were at the MWR facility watching the Vikings game - it was pretty packed in there. There are some here from Fort Hood, Texas and many are Cowboys fans. They were pretty loud the first quarter, not so much after that.

That is the most exciting news I have to share. At the MWR, we try to find a movie or TV show to rent or book that is worth reading. The shelves are stocked with books that folks back home have sent. Anything that is good gets snatched up pretty quickly. I did find the book Pelican Brief last night, so I think I am going to start reading that in the next day or two. I finished my book on the Arab Israeli Wars last night.

I have now been in Kuwait for just over a month.
Love, David

Current Strength

from: http://www.minnesotanationalguard.org/currentops/

MORE THAN 2,000 MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN ARE DEPLOYED TO MULTIPLE LOCATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM.

IRAQ
34th 'Red Bull' Infantry Division (1,150 Soldiers)
Provides command and control of a 16,000 multi-national force in nine of Iraq's 18 provinces, an area roughly the size of Minnesota.

151st Field Artillery, E Battery (90 Soldiers)
Provides sensor management administrative, logistical, maintenance and counter-fire radar support to Forward Operating Bases (FOB's) in the Baghdad area.

1st Battalion, 151st Field Artillery (550 Soldiers)
Provides theatre convoy security and force protection throughout Kuwait and Iraq.

204th Area Support Medical Company (80 Soldiers)
Provides medical support and patient care to Coalition Forces and detainees throughout southern Iraq.

AFGHANISTAN
114th Transportation Company (175 Soldiers)
Provides theatre convoy security and ground transport of mission essential supplies to Coalition Forces.

Operational Mentoring Liaison Team (12 Soldiers)
Serves alongside their Croatian partners as part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force providing support to increase the overall capabilities of the Afghan Security Forces.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
133rd Airlift Wing (15 Airmen)
Provides engineering, installation and weather specialty support in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

148th Fighter Wing (90 Airmen)
Provides Security Force protection and Civil Engineer support in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

HEY from Kuwait

Email from David
Hey all

The main responsibility of the cell here in Kuwait is to track and facilitate the movement through of all the 34th Infantry Division soldiers as they redeploy, so we have a big board stating when all those movements will be and how many on each, etc.

Still not much going on here. It feels like we have been here for months.

Love, David

Back to Kuwait

Shortly after returning to Iraq from leave, David headed to Kuwait. He will be there the remainder of his deployment. He's busy now setting up computers, and will be working the help desk as soldiers come through Kuwait for redeployment as they head back home to the states.

Home on Leave

David was home on leave for two weeks over Thanksgiving. Needless to say it was SO good to see him! Here's a little glimpse into his time at home:

Up in Duluth with Shannon

Thanksgiving in Willmar

A serious game of Axis & Allies

A little backyard football



Second Thanksgiving in Willmar!

First family pic in 10 months :)


They missed each other ...


Bonfire at the farm

Vikings game ... don't worry, David bought Shannon a Vikings shirt at the game.

Suffice to say, we made sure David wasn't bored while he was home. We are now counting the weeks until he is home for good!

U.S. Assesses Southern Security in Iraq

From the Assyrian International News Agency

BASRA, Iraq (UPI) -- U.S. military commanders note positive developments in the security situation in southern Iraq but point to lingering activity of Sunni and al-Qaida groups.

Army Maj. Gen. Richard Nash, the commander of Multinational Division South, and Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz, the commander of the 14th Iraqi Division, briefed reporters from near the port city of Basra.

Around 14,000 U.S. forces maintain a presence in the nine provinces making up the southern sector of the country.

A bilateral security pact between Washington and Baghdad calls for Iraqi forces to stand up as U.S. forces prepare for a withdrawal by 2011. Aziz hailed the progress of his Iraqi counterparts, noting many of the Iraqi forces are able to conduct routine security operations independently.

"Many of our checkpoints are now manned jointly by members of both Iraqi forces," Aziz said. "The training both sides have received and the trust built between them has been very positive."

Nash, meanwhile, said there was a rise in insurgent activity in the northwest districts in areas around Karbala and Babil provinces.

"We're looking into an (al-Qaida in Iraq) connection and Sunni extremist groups that possibly could be causing strife up there, tried to get sectarian violence started again," he said.

Al-Qaida-affiliated groups claimed responsibility for a series of high-profile attacks on Baghdad, including a weekend attack that killed more than 100 people.

© 2009, Assyrian International News Agency. All Rights Reserved.