Friday, September 22, 2006

Morning Visitations

0500 is very quiet around our base. I was up making my way over to an area where our CES troops were getting together for PFT. In the distance large orange glows could be seen from fires burning at a couple of local refineraries as they burn off excess gas and such. I visited with the CES folks for awhile bringing them up to speed on what the chapel is offering and then moved over to where our security folks were getting ready to mount up a new shift to visit with them for awhile. Then I was off to our EMEDS facility after breakfast, to visit any patients and staff. We have quite an excellent facility here and great staff, even a dentist. I had my chaplain assistant give a ride to an army troops who was in getting stitches out of his hand from a vehicle accident. Tough fellow. Very banged up hand but still working 12-16 hours a day doing radio work since he can't handle a weapon well. I have to admire the get it done attitude of these troops here.

Below is a story that is running on the news from Kuwait. Good news for our local area.
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Iraqi force arrests 18 suspects in Kirkuk, seizes large quantity of weapons

IRBIL, Sept 21 (KUNA) -- A joint Iraqi police and army force arrested Thursday 18 suspected terrorists near Kirkuk and seized large quantities of weapons and explosives.

An Iraqi police source told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the Iraqi joint force, backed by Multinational Forces (MNF), carried out a number of raids in Daqouq area, South-West of Kirkuk, and was able to arrest 18 suspects, some of whom were wanted for insurgency cases.

The Iraqi force also confiscated warehouses where various kind of weapons and explosives, including a ton of TNT, were hidden, added the source.

He noted that Iraqi police also confiscated 80 rockets hidden near Al-Marai Village, west of Kirkuk.