Now I have seen everything!

Naked Professor Pictured On Personal Web Site
POSTED: 6:34 am EDT May 9, 2006
A FEMALE PROFESSOR POST HER ITTY BITTY TITTIES ON A PERSONAL WEB SITE AND IT MAKE THE MAJOR NEWS SITES, PATHETIC!




In Los Angles, a controversy at the University of Southern California involves a professor who posted naked pictured of herself of a personal Web site.
NBC's KNBC-TV reported that the Web page of the USC professor is causing concern due to the site's posted photos.
Dr. Diana York Blaine is a professor of Womens Studies and a self-described "Philosopher, Writer, Adventurer, and buttkicker."
KNBC-TV reported that the site is replete with a trio of topless photos of the professor.
Berglund reported that a university spokesperson was caught off guard about their reaction to Dr. Blaine's pictorial and forwarded KNBC-TV a copy of the university policy.
The USC Web policy stated, "The content of individual Web pages is primarily a matter of free speech and academic freedom that must be protected in a university environment.
"The University will not be held responsible for the content of personal Web pages. Personal Web pages shall not imply that they are representing or speaking on behalf of the University."
Berglund reported that USC could not elaborate beyond the policy as to whether there was a code of conduct for its professors that extended beyond this policy, but that USC would be looking into that further.

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IRAQI SECURITY FORCES CAPTURE TERRORIST FACILITATOR
Release Date:
6/29/2006
Release Number:
06-06-02P
Description:
BALAD, Iraq � Iraqi Security Forces conducted an early morning raid south of Baghdad on June 27, capturing the key member and facilitator of an insurgent cell in the Arab Jabor area. Abdullah Haydar Nasir Al-Juburi, a facilitator of local terrorist operations, was captured at his home by Iraqi Security Forces during a pre-dawn raid just west of Salmanpak. Coalition forces advisers were on hand to assist the Iraqi forces. Al Juburi facilitates terrorist activities by using his home to harbor terrorists of a local cell who train, live and operate in this area. This cell is responsible for mortar and improvised explosive device attacks against Coalition forces, including two IED attacks on convoys that killed three Coalition Soldiers. No Iraqi or Coalition forces were injured during this operation. -30-
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COALITION FORCES DETAIN AIF TERRORIST

COALITION FORCES DETAIN AIF TERRORIST

Release Date: 6/28/2006

Release Number: 06-06-02P

Description: BAGHDAD – Coalition forces detained one al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist during a raid in the vicinity of Baqubah June 28.

The al-Qaida terrorist initially targeted had been linked to previous terrorist activities and had ties to senior al-Qaida leaders throughout this region. The ground troops secured his house and detained him without incident.

The force also secured multiple small arms weapons, hidden ammunition, and $4,000 in sequentially numbered U.S. $100 bills at the initial target location.

While securing the initial target, Coalition forces noticed an individual acting suspiciously at a near-by house. They assessed him as an imminent threat, engaged and killed him. He was later determined to be a non-combatant.

Multiple women and children were present at the raid sites. None were harmed and all were returned to their homes once the troops ensured the area was secure.

Coalition forces take every precaution to mitigate risks to civilians while in pursuit of terrorists, and deeply regret any injury or death to non-combatants.

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IRAQI ARMY TRAINING � An Iraqi army soldier from the Iraqi Army 8th Division, Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, practices clearing a room during close quarters combat training on Camp Echo, Iraq, June 26, 2006. Members of the Polish Military Transition Team are supervising and advising in the training of the soldiers. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz

GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ, MNF-I RELEASE 430 DETAINEES
Release Date: 6/28/2006

Release Number: 06-06-02P

Description: BAGHDAD – In the spirit of unity and reconciliation, the Government of Iraq and Multi-National Force-Iraq in a joint initiative released approximately 450 security detainees June 27 from Coalition-run Theater Internment Facilities.

Mr. Muwafaq Al-Rubai, National Security Advisor, addressed the security detainees at Abu Ghraib Theater Internment Facility and asked them to return to their jobs and share in the wealth of their country.

He said Prime Minister Maliki has declared a reconciliation program for all those who are not tied to terrorism and that there is no room for terrorists in Iraq.

This release is part of a plan to release 2,500 security detainees in the month of June, and will be accomplished through a series of 200 – 500 person releases throughout the month.

The Iraqi Government has approved the release of those not guilty of serious, violent crimes such as bombing, torture, kidnapping and murder. The detainees must renounce violence and pledge to be good citizens of Iraq.

The decision to release is an acknowledgment by the Government of Iraq and MNF-I of the importance of progress toward democratic governance and the rule of law in a new Iraq.

For more information, contact LTC KEIR-KEVIN CURRY AT KEIRKEVIN.CURRY@IRAQ.CENTCOM.MIL or CAPT TRACY GILES AT TRACY.GILES@IRAQ.CENTCOM.MIL

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SECURITY �An Iraqi army soldier provides security during a weapons cache search along the Tigris River on the outskirts of Mosul, Iraq, June 21, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock

COALITION FORCES TRACK DOWN TERRORISTS RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING MND-B SOLDIERS
Release Date: 6/26/2006

Release Number: 06-06-02PE

Description: Editor’s note – this provides additional information beyond that which was provided in press release 20060620-01. A clarification to that release – the one KIA mentioned during the search was Spec. Babineau. No other Soldiers died during the search efforts. The information in this release will be briefed in detail by MG Thurman at the press conference tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq – While military medical examiners officially confirmed the identities of two Soldiers found dead near Yusufiaya Thursday, Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces intensified efforts to track down and bring to justice the terrorists responsible for murdering three Multi-National Division – Baghdad troops June 16.

Spec. David J. Babineau was killed during an attack on a three-man security team manning a checkpoint before the terrorists overwhelmed the position, taking Pfc. Kristian Menchaca and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker to an unknown location and later killing them.

The attack occurred south of Yusufiyah where the Soldiers were guarding a canal crossing next to the Euphrates River.
Within one hour of the attack, the immediate area was cordoned off by both air and ground forces and search operations began.

A combined and joint force of more than 8,000 Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces assembled to take part in the search. The force included three MND-B brigade combat teams, Iraqi army, national and local police, adjacent units from Multi-National Force – West, Navy and Air Force aircraft and other Coalition Forces.

The Coalition and ISF used all available resources including, air, ground and water to locate the Soldiers. While Air Force para-rescue dive teams searched the canals, engineers patrolled the Euphrates River and Coalition unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters patrolled from the sky.

Twenty-five military operations were conducted, including 11 air assault missions. More than 12 villages and an old power plant were searched. In the massive effort to locate the missing Soldiers, 12 CF Soldiers were wounded.

Six caches were discovered. Two of the weapons caches were found in the power plant. Some of the contraband found in the caches included a suicide vest, gun powder, plastic explosives with detonation cord, grenades, AK-47s, and homemade rocket launchers with several rockets.

Throughout the process, Iraqi citizens from across Baghdad provided almost 80 tips, which were all investigated. Coalition Soldiers engaged local religious, community and political leaders to maintain support and gain information.

In an attempt to thwart the search effort, the enemy conducted a series of harassing attacks with improvised-explosive devices and indirect fire, all of which failed to stop the search. Ten IEDs detonated and 17 were found by searchers before detonation.

Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces detained 36 suspected anti-Iraqi forces involved in the murders and killed two enemy fighters. Coalition Forces surged interrogation operations around-the-clock for three days while the search for the Soldiers continued.

Acting on a tip from a local Iraqi tribal leader and another one from a detainee, MND-B Soldiers discovered the two sets of remains June 19 at approximately 7:50 p.m. next to a road near the village of Mufaraji, northwest of Yusufiyah. The local Iraqi also informed the Soldiers to watch for explosives.

To ensure the safety of the Soldiers, the commander established security and cordoned the area to wait until daylight to approach the bodies. An explosive ordnance disposal team arrived on site to clear the route.
At first light, the engineers cleared the route up to the site of the bodies, fighting their way through three roadside bombs in the process.

The two bodies, severely traumatized, were found bound together with an IED between one of the Soldiers' legs. The engineers successfully cleared the IED and the surrounding area to allow recovery of the remains.

The remains were airlifted to a Coalition morgue near Baghdad International Airport by 8:25 a.m. Tuesday before they were sent to Dover Air Force Base, Del.

A formal investigation has been directed by Maj. Gen. James
D. Thurman, the commanding general of MND-B, to determine the facts surrounding the attack on the Soldiers.

Two Al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists were killed in this operation, to include a senior AQI lieutenant.

The search continues for additional terrorists responsible for the barbaric attack. Forty detainees from previous operations have been interrogated about their connection with individuals linked to the murder of the Soldiers. Of the 36 detainees taken during the search, 13 are providing intelligence of value to the Coalition. Military specialists have conducted more than 92 interrogations. Two of the detainees have admitted to being Al Qaeda members and were captured in the vicinity of the remains.

"Precision direct action operations will continue as a result of the intelligence gleaned from those detained and the information gained from increased operations south of Baghdad," said Thurman. "MND-B, with the ISF, will continue to actively target terrorists and criminals who operate outside of the rule of law."

HOW MANY IS TO MANY?

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U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Antonio D. Torain, with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, communicates over the radio with Marines conducting security on other observation posts at Hurricane Point, Iraq. (Photo by Lance Cpl. William L. Dubose III)

U.S. Navy Lt. Theodore Kleinberg walks the catapults as part of his pre-launch checks of the catapults on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, in the Persian Gulf. (U.S. Navy Photo by Airman Marshall James)

A U.S. Air Force pararescueman from the 41st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron checks the tail of an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter as it flies over Afghanistan. (Photo by Senior Airman Brian Ferguson)

A look at 16 deaths of American troops reported by the U.S. military in the past week in Iraq:

Tuesday: The U.S. military recovers the brutalized bodies of two missing soldiers not far from where they were kidnapped four days earlier in the volatile Sunni triangle south of Baghdad. Four Marines are killed in separate attacks in Anbar province west of the capital.

• Wednesday: A soldier dies south of the capital, and another Marine is killed in Anbar province.

• Thursday: A Marine is killed in Anbar province and a soldier dies elsewhere in a non-combat incident.

• Friday: Three soldiers of the Multi-National Division in Baghdad are killed by roadside bombs in separate attacks. Another soldier from the same division dies in a non-combat incident.

• Saturday: A bomb kills two U.S. soldiers on a foot patrol south of Baghdad.

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- In an ongoing battle to extend Kabul's control of Afghanistan's southern provinces, Afghan soldiers and coalition forces engaged with Taliban fighters in Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces Friday, killing 65, according to a U.S. military news release.
Of those, 40 were killed when the joint forces responded to enemy fire from gunmen hiding outside the village of Mirabad in Uruzgan, northeast of Tarin Kowt.
The gunbattle lasted for over five hours and no civilians were killed.
Further south in Kandahar province, the joint forces fought a large group of extremists in the Zharie District, killing 25 fighters in the village of Bayanzi during a three-hour battle.
Some of the extremists used innocent Afghan civilians as shields to escape into nearby villages, the U.S. military said.
The battles were part of the ongoing "Operation Mountain Thrust," launched earlier this month to rout out Taliban forces in "areas where the government doesn't have a presence right now," according to coalition spokesman Col. Tom Collins.

U.S. forces detained a revered 70-year-old Sunni cleric in a raid on his home early Saturday, sparking outrage among his followers, Iraqi officials said. "The foolishness of U.S. troops has reached its limit," said the largest and most powerful Sunni Arab political party, the Iraqi Islamic Party. The U.S. military said it was looking in to the incident.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces killed about 82 militants in battles.
On Friday, troops fought more than 40 extremists during a five-hour gunbattle near the village of Mirabad, northeast of the capital in southern Uruzgan province.
Most of the militants were believed killed, the coalition said. No coalition or civilian injuries were reported.
In a separate assault, Afghan and coalition forces battled a large group of militants in the Zharie district of Kandahar province, killing about 25 during the three hours of fighting.
"Several extremists broke contact by using innocent Afghan civilians as shields to escape into nearby villages," a military statement said.
Another 17 insurgents were killed Wednesday after coalition forces surprised them setting up an ambush site near Tirin Kot, the capital of Uruzgan province.
Coalition forces have launched a large offensive against Taliban forces to stop a wave of suicide attacks and ambushes in the last few months.
More than 10,000 Afghan, British, Canadian and American troops are deployed across Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces � areas where Taliban forces have regrouped and gained strength and sympathy.
More than 200 insurgents have been killed since Operation Mountain Thrust began earlier this month, according to the coalition.
The Afghan defense ministry said 149 militants have been killed, 32 wounded and 61 were arrested in the operation. Three Afghan soldiers were killed and 14 others injured.
"Mountain Thrust is one of the biggest operations in the south of the country. As we enter the second week of this operation, we have made very good achievements," said spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi.
On Friday, provincial officials in Zabul said the decapitated bodies of four men, who were abducted at gunpoint earlier in the week, were discovered in Shahjoy district near the village of Chinoh.
A purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousof Ahmadi, contacted The Associated Press and said the men had been killed because they had been spying for Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces.
Ali Khail, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said the victims were civilians with no links to the Afghan government or coalition forces.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. William A. Staley, assigned to Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, searches an Iraqi civilian during a vehicle checkpoint patrol in the city of Ramadi, Iraq, June 20, 2006. The objective of the patrol is to deny insurgents the ability to freely move throughout the city of Ramadi. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph DiGirolamo

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brandon R. Musser, assigend to Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, motions for Iraqi civilians to step out of their car before searching it during a vehicle checkpoint patrol in the city of Ramadi, Iraq, June 20, 2006. The objective of the patrol is to deny insurgents the ability to freely move throughout the city of Ramadi. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph DiGirolamo

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpls. Brandon R. Musser (left) and William A. Staley, both from Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, interact with Iraqi civilians (not shown) as their vehicles are searched during a vehicle checkpoint patrol in the city of Ramadi, Iraq, June 20, 2006. The objective of the patrol is to deny insurgents the ability to freely move throughout the city of Ramadi. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph DiGirolamo

DESERT PATROL � U.S. Marines conduct a mounted combat patrol at sunset through the Iraqi desert near Al Asad, Iraq, June 15, 2005. The Marines are assigned to the mounted combat patrol team Diamondback 3, 1st Platoon, Echo Company, 1st Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke

KIDNAPPED VICTIM FREED; NINE TERROR SUSPECTS CATURED BY IRAQI SECURITY FORCES
Release Date:
6/23/2006
Release Number:
06-06-02P
Description:
KIRKUK, Iraq (June 23, 2006) � Iraqi Security Forces freed a woman from her kidnapper and captured nine terror suspects during a series of operations in and around Kirkuk, Iraq yesterday. While patrolling a Kirkuk neighborhood, Soldiers from the Iraqi Army�s 2nd Battalion were approached by a resident claiming that a woman who had recently been kidnapped was being held in a nearby house. The soldiers quickly moved to the house, where they found the woman and detained the man who was holding her. The man was taken to an Iraqi Army compound on the outskirts of the city, where he admitted to the crime and then provided information on the whereabouts of his fellow kidnappers. Commanders from the Iraqi battalion coordinated with local police commanders and together the security teams conducted a cordon and search of the neighborhood the men reportedly lived in, resulting in the detention of the three conspirators; the woman was returned to her home in the city. In a separate operation, a city resident led Iraqi police to the location of two known terrorists, members of a terror cell responsible for transporting weapons and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) throughout the region. The police quickly detained one of the wanted men, but the other escaped in his car. In yet a third operation, Bastogne Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division provided overwatch while Iraqi police from the Emergency Services Unit (ESU), a special police unit, conducted a cordon and search of six separate houses, detaining four members of a sniper cell. All four are in police custody for further questioning. �Iraqi Security Forces in the Kirkuk Province have captured or killed more than 60 known terrorists in the past two weeks,� said Major Greg Bishop, spokesman for the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, stationed in Kirkuk. �More and more, we�re seeing local citizens come forward with information on the whereabouts of these insurgents.�

COALITION FORCES DETAINED NINE SUSPECTED TERRORISTS

Release Date: 6/23/2006

Release Number: 06-06-02PP

Description: BAGHDAD - Coalition Forces detained nine suspected terrorists in the vicinity of Yusufiyah June 18.

Security forces were targeting members of a Tawhid Wa’al Jihad (TWJ) terrorist cell responsible for numerous attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.

Coalition Forces quickly secured multiple targets in the area and detained the nine suspected terrorists without incident.

Specifically, the individuals targeted were responsible for coordinating the placement of seven remote controlled improvised explosive devices in the Yusufiyah area, of which only one detonated, injuring two Coalition force members.

The other six IEDs were later located and cleared by security forces without any additional injuries.

Members of the TWJ terrorist cell are also reported to have taken part in the May 16 attack downing a U.S helicopter

COALITION FORCES KILL FOUR FOREIGN TERRORISTS

Release Date: 6/23/2006

Release Number: 06-06-02P

Description: BAGHDAD – Coalition Forces killed four foreign terrorists and wounded one Iraqi insurgent during a raid approximately 18 km north of Fallujah June 23.

Information gathered from a recent detainee from another operation in this area led the troops to known location of a mid-level terrorist whose cell is involved in the facilitation of foreign fighters and insurgent activities.

The troops immediately received small arms fire upon arriving at the target. The assault force returned fire, immediately killing two and wounding one. Two others fled the objective. Coalition Forces pursued and killed them.

One of the killed terrorists was wearing a 15-pound suicide belt. Another 15-pound suicide vest was found in a vehicle on the target. The remaining terrorist, thought to be an Iraqi, claimed the four killed terrorists were foreign fighters who had hired him to support their operations.

Intelligence indicated that the area is saturated with numerous weapons caches, some of them rigged with explosives. The terrorists were observed earlier in the day loading suspected weapons in trucks and moving them to isolated areas.

Following the attack, Coalition Forces found large amounts of ordnance in and around one of the buildings, to include six loaded AK-47s, 30 AK-47 ammunition magazines, a 60 mm mortar set with 22 mortars, 13 grenades, a PKM machine gun, two MP-5 automatic weapons, and a pistol gripped shotgun.

All weapons and ordnance were destroyed on site. Coalition aircraft destroyed the buildings after the forces departed the area.

No civilian or Coalition Forces were injured during the operation.

COALITION FORCES DETAIN A SENIOR AL-QAIDA IN IRAQ NETWORK MEMBER

Release Date: 6/23/2006

Release Number: 06-06-02P

Description: BAGHDAD – Coalition forces detained a senior al-Qaida in Iraq network member and three suspected terrorists during coordinated raids southwest of Baqubah the morning of June 19.

The terrorist is reportedly a senior al-Qaida cell leader throughout central Iraq, north of Baghdad. He is known to be involved in facilitating foreign terrorists throughout central Iraq, and is suspected of having ties to previous attacks on Coalition and Iraqi forces.

Coalition forces secured multiple buildings and detained the known terrorist plus the three suspected terrorists without incident. Troops found an AK-47 with several magazines of ammunition and destroyed them all on site.

Several women and children were present at the raid sites. None were harmed and all were returned to their homes once the troops ensured the area was secure.

U.S. Navy Seaman Ryan C. Clemons looks back at an Iraqi village after sweeping through it with U.S. Marines during a mounted combat patrol near Al Asad, Iraq, June 15, 2006. Clemons is a corpsman with the mounted combat patrol team Diamondback 3, assigned to 1st Platoon, Echo Company, 1st Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Richard M. Mason II nicknamed the "Rocket Man," has effectively fired 24 rockets using the portable anti-armor rocket launcher during combat operations in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph DiGirolamo

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Richard M. Mason II, an assaultman for 2nd Platoon, K Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, sights down range with his rocket launcher. Nicknamed the "Rocket Man," he has effectively fired 24 rockets using the Shoulder-Launched Multi-Purpose Assault Weapon or SMAW during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. The portable anti-armor rocket launcher has the sole purpose of destroying bunkers and other fortifications during assault operations. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph DiGirolamo

.S. Army 2nd Lt. Cash Freeman takes a picture of a detainee for evidence during a raid of a house being targeted as a suspected improvised explosive device maker's house in Ash Shumali, Iraq, June 15, 2006. Freeman is assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Katrina Beeler

A U.S. Army soldier assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, provides security while a fellow soldier monitors the radio during a raid of a house being targeted as a suspected improvised explosive device maker's house in Ash Shumali, Iraq, June 15, 2006. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Katrina Beeler

A U.S. Army soldier searches the area around a house being targeted as a suspected improvised explosive device maker's house in Ash Shumali, Iraq, June 15, 2006. The soldier is assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Katrina Beeler

Marines and Navy corpsmen from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, clear the landing zone after rushing a wounded Marine to a CH-46 helicopter for medical evacuation at Observation Post Falcons Monday June 12, 2006. Cpl. Chad Pioske, a team leader, stands security.
Marines engage enemy in Habbaniyah

Story and photo by Cpl. Mark Sixbey
1st Marine Division


Marines and Navy corpsmen from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, clear the landing zone after rushing a wounded Marine to a CH-46 helicopter for medical evacuation at Observation Post Falcons Monday June 12, 2006. Cpl. Chad Pioske, a team leader, stands security.
CAMP HABBANIYAH, Iraq - Marines of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment engaged insurgents in direct firefights twice in three days at Observation Post Bears along a main route through the city.

The battalion recently built new observation posts along the highway connecting Fallujah and Ramadi, an area near the Euphrates River with no distinct city lines or local government.

Pfc. Matthew Donnelly, an infantryman attached to the battalion, was standing post when the first attack broke out June 10.

“The next thing I know machine guns start opening up on the posts, including mine,” said the 19-year-old from Salem, Ore. “I got down and got my weapon to start shooting.”

Most of the Marines in the house were resting when the attack started, preparing for such an occasion. Bullet ricochets and rocket-propelled grenades broke their slumber.

“I was sitting down listening to my music when suddenly I hear rounds impacting and bouncing off the wall,” said Lance Cpl. Nicholas Garlich, an infantryman from Kansas City, Kan. “I put on my gear and ran to the post at the north and an RPG hit the window. I was inside the room by myself. I got a little wound on my arm.”

After a quick bandage was applied to his left shoulder, Garlich ran to the rooftop to join the rest of the Marines already returning fire with their M-16’s and one special surprise – a shoulder-launched multi-purpose assault weapon.

“The Marines fired a SMAW and the enemy went away,” Donnelly said. “They called in an air strike and the tanks helped out. They blew up the house they were shooting from.”

Everything was quiet on OP Bears until dusk two days later.

Donnelly was asleep downstairs when the enemy came back to the house with RPGs and a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. A blast quickly opened his eyes.

“I got up and ran for my flak,” he said. “They laid a heavy suppression while the VBIED snuck up on us.”

He got a step out of the room when the vehicle exploded and knocked him off his feet. The insurgent driver killed himself in the attack.

“I saw the door blow open and it looked like slow motion,” Garlich said. “The windows blasted out and everyone tried to get on their gear as fast as possible.”

The fighting lasted all of 10 minutes until the insurgents were driven away. Two Marines were injured and were rushed down the road to a nearby position for a helicopter medical evacuation. One Marine was still alert and able to stand, but both needed medical attention.

Navy Seaman Brandon Van Wagoner, a hospital corpsman for the battalion, was waiting and ready with a stretcher. He only had moments to treat the Marines before they were flown to Camp Taqaddum for follow-on treatment.

“As soon as we got him strapped in, the helicopter was landing,” said the 20-year-old from Fostoria, Mich. “It was the fastest air support I’ve ever seen.”

“He looked all right, but pretty shaken up,” added Navy Seaman Enoch Sitzo, a hospital corpsman for I Company. “We didn’t have time to do a really thorough assessment, but they took him to TQ really fast, so he’s in good hands.”

Within a span of minutes, additional air support finished off the insurgents’ position down the road with an earth-shaking explosion.

“We dropped a 500-pound bomb and leveled a building,” Donnelly said. “When I heard the missile going overhead, I opened my mouth, plugged my ears and felt the house shake. It was very loud.”

The battalion recently shifted its area of operation west into Habbaniyah after five months of relative peace near Fallujah and Amiriyah. Like many Marines, Garlich has mixed feelings about his first heavy combat experience.

“To tell you the truth we were hoping for a fight, but when rounds are coming downrange, the whole scenario changes,” he said. “The second one was definitely more nerve-racking than the first because a few people got hurt.”

Marines since returned to their companies, expecting a full recovery from their concussions.

“At the time we didn’t know how bad they were, so we were worried for them,” Garlich said. “It was one of those experiences you wish would never happen again, but in a way you do, because we kicked some ass.”

MEDEVAC � U.S. Air Force airmen assigned to the 506th Expeditionary Medical Group at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, run to get a patient to load onto an Army UH-60 Black Hawk for medical evacuation, June 21, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Angelita M. Collin

SEARCH UNDER THE SUN � Iraqis look on as members of Company B, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, search vehicles during a traffic control point mission near Tall Afar, Iraq, June 5, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

Men

One day my housework-challenged husband decided to wash his Sweatshirt. Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to me, "What setting do I use on the washing machine?"
"It depends," I replied. "What does it say on your shirt?"
He yelled back, "University of Oklahoma."

And they say blondes are dumb...

"It's just too hot to wear clothes today," Jack says as he stepped out of the shower, "honey, what do you think the neighbors would think if I mowed the lawn like this?"
"Probably that I married you for your money," she replied.

Q: What do you call an intelligent, good looking, sensitive man?
A: A rumor

A man and his wife, now in their 60's, were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. On their special day a good fairy came to them and said that because they had been so good that each one of them could have one wish. The wife wished for a trip around the world with her husband.

Whoosh! Immediately she had airline/cruise tickets in her hands.
The man wished for a female companion 30 years younger... Whoosh...immediately he turned ninety!!! Gotta love that fairy!

A PRAYER....

Dear Lord,
I pray for Wisdom to understand my man;
Love to forgive him;
And Patience for his moods.
Because, Lord, if I pray for Strength,
I'll beat him to death.
AMEN

Q: Why do little boys whine?
A: They are practicing to be men.

Q: What do you call a handcuffed man?
A: Trustworthy.

Q: What does it mean when a man is in your bed gasping for breath and calling your name?
A: You did not hold the pillow down long enough.

Q: Why do female black widow spiders kill their males after mating?
A: To stop the snoring before it starts.

Q: Why do men whistle when they are sitting on the toilet?
A: It helps them remember which end they need to wipe.

Q: What is the difference between men and women?
A: A woman wants one man to satisfy her every need. A man wants every woman to satisfy his one need

Q: How do you keep your husband from reading your e-mail?
A: Rename the mail folder "Instruction Manuals"

cyanide

A nice, calm and respectable lady went into the pharmacy, walked right up to the pharmacist, looked straight into his eyes, and said, "I would like to buy some cyanide."


The pharmacist asked, "Why in the world do you need cyanide?"

The lady replied, "I need it to poison my husband."

The pharmacist's eyes got big and he exclaimed, "Lord have mercy! I can't give you cyanide to kill your husband! That's against the law! I'll lose my license! They'll throw both of us in jail! All kinds of bad things will happen. Absolutely not! You CANNOT have any cyanide!"

The lady reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of her husband in bed with the pharmacist's wife.

The pharmacist looked at the picture then replied, "Well now. That's different. You didn't tell me you had a prescription."

Vending Machine

A salesman checked into a futuristic motel. Realizing he needed a haircut
before the next day's meeting, he called down to the desk clerk to ask if
there was a barber on the premises. "I'm afraid not, sir," the clerk told
him apologetically, "but down the hall from your room is a vending machine
that should serve your purposes."

Skeptical but intrigued, the salesman located the machine, inserted
$15.00, and stuck his head into the opening, at which time the machine
started to buzz and whirl. Fifteen seconds later the salesman pulled out
his head and surveyed his reflection, which reflected the best haircut of
his life.

Two feet away was another machine with a sign that read, 'Manicures,
$20.00.' "Why not?" thought the salesman. He paid the money, inserted his
hands into the slot, and the machine started to buzz and whirl. Fifteen
seconds later he pulled out his hands and they were perfectly manicured.

The next machine had a sign that read, 'This Machine Provides a Service
Men Need When Away from Their Wives, 50 Cents. The salesman looked both
ways, put fifty cents in the machine, unzipped his fly, and with some
anticipation, stuck his manhood into the opening. When the machine started
buzzing, the guy let out a shriek of agony and almost passed out. Fifteen
seconds later it shut off. With trembling hands, the salesman was able to
withdraw his tender unit... which now had a button sewed on the end.

IRS

A modern day cowboy has spent many days crossing the Texas plains without water. His horse has already died of thirst. He's crawling through the sand, certain that he has breathed his last breath, when all of a sudden; he sees an object sticking out of the sand several yards ahead of him. He crawls to the object, pulls it out of the sand, and discovers what looks to be an old brief case. He opens it and out pops a genie. But this is no ordinary genie.< /P>



She is wearing an IRS ID badge and a dull gray dress. There's a calculator in her pocketbook. She has a pencil tucked behind one ear. "Well, cowboy," says the genie... "You know how I work. You have three wishes."

"I'm not falling for this." said the cowboy... "I'm not going to trust an IRS genie."

"What do you have to lose? You've got no transportation, and it looks like you're a goner anyway!"

The cowboy thinks about this for a minute, and decides that the genie is right. "OK, I wish I were in a lush oasis with plenty of food and drink."

***POOF***

The cowboy finds himself in the most beautiful oasis he has ever seen. And he is surrounded with jugs of wine and platters of delicacies.

"OK, cowpoke, what's your second wish."

"My second wish is that I was rich beyond my wildest dreams."

***POOF***

The cowboy finds himself surrounded by treasure chests filled with rare gold coins and precious gems.

"OK, cowpuncher, you have just one more wish. Better make it a good one!"

After thinking for a few minutes, the cowboy says... "I wish that no matter where I go, beautiful women will want and need me."

***POOF***

He turned into a tampon.



The moral of the story: If the government offers you anything, there's going to be a string attached

humor

A couple attending an art exhibition at the National Gallery was staring at a portrait that had them completely confused. The painting depicted three very black, totally naked men sitting on a bench.
Two of the figures had black penises, but the one in the middle had a pink penis. The curator of the gallery realized that they were having trouble interpreting the painting and offered his assessment.
He went on for nearly half an hour explaining how it depicted the sexual emasculation of African-Americans in a predominantly white, patriarchal society. In fact, he pointed out, some serious art critics believe that the pink penis also reflects the cultural and sociological oppression experienced by gay men in contemporary society.
After the curator left, an Irishman approached the couple and said, "Would you like to know what the painting is really about?" "Now why would you claim to be more of an expert than the curator of the gallery?", asked the couple.
"Because I'm the guy who painted it," he replied. "In fact, there are no African-Americans depicted at all. They're just three Irish coal-miners. The guy in the middle went home for lunch."