B36 News - 21 September 2006

On the left is Baghdad a month ago. On the right is Baghdad today. Violence in the areas that have been cleared has dropped significantly despite what you might be hearing in the MSM. Violence in Baghdad in general dropped following the start of OTF, but has risen back to previous levels. This increase in violence is occuring almost entirely OUTSIDE cleared areas.

As we continue to clear Baghdad and deny bad guys safe havens and logistical support you will see attacks decline city-wide. The increase in violence outside cleared areas is the bad guys attempts to discredit the efforts of Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces. Think high school physics here - action and reaction. The more we squeeze them, the more they fight back. After enough squeezing they will break and we'll win.

Iraqi Police Force Nearing Completion
Much like the US police force, the Iraqi police force is the civilian agency that will ultimately be responsible for domestic security. Right now the Iraqi police force is one training cycle from being fully trained and manned. The IPs are authorized 135,000 man force and the 135,000th IP is now in training. While there are still many tests ahead for the IPs, remember where we started - about three years ago we had precisely zero IPs nation-wide.

Marines Save Innocent Iraqi Girl
No, you didn't misread that headline. Despite the MSM pounding us with stories of "atrocities" and "massacres", these Marines and many like them are still driving on and risking their lives to make life better for Iraqis.

These Marines got a call from a local police commander that a young girl had fallen from a three-story building and that they lacked the ability to provide her the aid that she needed. The Marines responded by arranging a medevac convoy to take the girl and her uncle to a field hospital in Fallujah. Once at Fallujah it was determined that her injuries were so extensive that she neede to go to the hospital in Baghdad and guess what? They medevaced her and her uncle to Baghdad where Coalition doctors could better diagnose and treat her.

The next time you hear about cold blooded murderers, think of this little girl and the Marines that risked their lives to save hers.

Survivor - Iraq
I'm not really a fan of reality TV. In college I watched Joe Millionare with my wife and some friends and of course I see the highlights of American Idiot Idol. One show that kind of disgusts me is Survivor. The backstabbing and lying upset me, but portraying it as a life or death struggle is what really disgusts me.

The Marine you see here knows what the word "survivor" really means. He got shot in the noggin, but thanks to his government issue helmet all he has is a cool scar and an awesome story to tell his buddies.

By Lance Cpl. Erik Villagran
Regimental Combat Team 5

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Sept. 15, 2006) -- Cpl. Daniel M. Greenwald knows that being hard headed isn’t always a bad thing.

Greenwald, from G Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, was shot in the head by a sniper while conducting vehicle checkpoint operations in the Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He’s now an expert at explaining just how good his helmet is.

“I was the greeter on one of the ends of a vehicle checkpoint,” said Greenwald, a 24-year-old assaultman from Rockland County, N.Y. “I was doing a double check on my vehicle, turned in and that’s when I got shot.”

The bullet’s impact knocked him out for a short moment. When he woke, he was wondering what sort of 18-wheeled truck just hit him.

“Everything went black,” he said. “I knew I got hit with something. It sounded like a grenade or a small improvised explosive device.”

Greenwald jumped behind his humvee for cover as soon as he got to his feet. Still dazed from the impact, he radioed his Marines that he was hit.

Marines set up security to block the area they believed the round originated.

“We wanted to make sure he was alright and get him out of there,” said Cpl. Daniel J. Kelley, a 25-year-old squad leader from Centerville, Tenn. “The squad reacted well. They set up the cordon automatically.”

The squad’s hospital corpsman rushed to aid Greenwald.

“When I first got up there I thought he was dead because blood was running down his face,” said Navy Seaman Jared D. Condry, a 20-year-old corpsman from Jacksonville, N.C. “Then I started talking to him and he was responsive.”

Condry began to assess Greenwald’s injury and discovered an inch-long gash on his head. He put a patch on the wound and loaded him into a humvee that transported him to Camp Fallujah.

Thank you to the American Taxpayer for buying this Marine a helmet.