‘So much living goes on in five years’
Just a couple of days before B.J. and Cody Schwans entered the world on Oct. 15, 2002, born to a soldier father and former active-duty mom, the road to war was paved as Congress empowered President Bush to use force in Iraq.
Since then, there have been knocked-out teeth, first steps and first words. During the Iraq war’s five-year span, the twin brothers have learned to read and write their own names. For B.J., there’s been the pain of a broken leg. For Cody, the pain of a surgery he doesn’t even remember. They’ve felt their first grown-up teeth pierce through tender gums; they’ve felt the sting of deep disappoint.
“So much living goes on in five years,” said Gina Schwans, from the family home at the U.S. Army garrison in Baumholder. | Read more
War leaves Guard stretched thin for troops, equipment
Five years of war in Iraq has given the National Guard and Reserve combat experience, but has left them with a serious equipment problem, experts say.
U.S. troops help residents of Toma get back to normal
Steady work only means so much in a nation at war. Toma residents talk in detail about how hard the past five years have been on them: shootings, killings, bombs.
Europe-based troops know all about deploying
Many thousands of U.S. Army Europe soldiers have deployed since 2003, with V Corps Headquarters twice commanding ground operations. Of the nearly 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, 311 were from Europe-based units. Another 2,009 USAREUR soldiers have been wounded in action, according to officials.
War reshaping military landscape across Pacific
The biggest effect on the U.S. military presence there was the August 2004 deployment of 3,900 soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division to Iraq, and the subsequent closing of some smaller installations that dotted the countryside near the demilitarized zone.
Killer Troop in it for the long haul
It’s a different fight, in which the U.S. mission now is as much about supporting the Iraqi army as it is about killing the enemy. While the ultimate outcome of the war remains uncertain, if there’s one thing Caldwell is sure about, it’s that U.S. forces will remain in Iraq for a long time to come.
“My kids will probably serve over here,” Staff Sgt. Chad Caldwell said.
U.S. FOBs, outposts reflect the war’s uncertain future itself
A congressional mandate passed last year banned the building of “permanent structures,” which helps explain all the trailers, and points to a sort of identity crisis at the heart of the larger U.S. bases. Though many now offer amenities equal or even superior to stateside bases, they’re built for impermanence, trailer cities in the desert.