1.
United States
–
Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
2.
Arkansas Army National Guard
–
The Arkansas Army National Guard is a component of the Arkansas National Guard and the United States National Guard. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau, Arkansas Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army. The same ranks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards, the Arkansas National Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Arkansas. The Arkansas Army National Guard is composed of approximately 8,000 soldiers, unlike Army Reserve members, National Guard members cannot be mobilized individually, but only as part of their respective units. For much of the decades of the 20th century, National Guard personnel typically served One weekend a month. The current forces formation plans of the US Army call for the typical National Guard unit to one year of active duty for every six years of service. More specifically, current Department of Defense policy is that individual Guardsman will be given 24 months between deployments of no more than 12 months each, when not activated for its Federal mission, the governor through the State Adjutant General commands Guard forces. The governor can call the Guard into action during local or statewide emergencies, such as storms, drought, the Arkansas National Guard traces its roots to the creation of the Territorial Militia in 1804. Interest in the Militia in Arkansas generally waxed and waned throughout the 19th century as various national emergencies arose, organizations existed at the county and city level, but regimental designations above the company level did not become stable until the closing years of the 19th century. During much of this local militia companies were supported by private funds. Arkansas provided troops for the War with Mexico, the American Civil War, in each case, in answer to the governors call, local militia companies would turn out and be formed into regiments or battalions for induction into federal service. The militia was also engaged in the violence that characterized the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. Arkansas National Guard troops participated in the Mexican Expedition in 1916–1917, when the Arkansas National Guard units were mustered into Federal Service for World War I, their state designations were removed and they were renumbered in accordance with a national System. Arkansas provided many units for World War II, both organizations work for the Adjutant General of Arkansas. The Adjutant General may be either a member of the Air National Guard or the Army National Guard, the 936th and 937th Field Artillery Battalions, along with several other Arkansas Army and Air National Guard units were mobilized again for service in the Korean War. Throughout the Cold War Arkansas National Guard units underwent multiple re-organizations in response to the nations Cold War strategy, no Arkansas National Guard Troops participated in the Vietnam War, but the state was called upon again to support Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The years following the first Persian Gulf War saw an increase in the use of National Guard units for service overseas to support various peace-keeping operations. During the 1980s Arkansas Nation Guard units made multiple training rotations to Honduras during a period of increased Marxist activity, following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the National Guard transitioned from the nations strategic reserve to a part of the operational force
3.
Iraq War
–
The Iraq War was a protracted armed conflict that began in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition that toppled the government of Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for much of the decade as an insurgency emerged to oppose the occupying forces. An estimated 151,000 to 600,000 or more Iraqis were killed in the first 3–4 years of conflict and it became re-involved in 2014 at the head of a new coalition, the insurgency and many dimensions of the civil armed conflict continue. The invasion began on 20 March 2003, with the U. S. joined by the United Kingdom and several allies, launching a shock. Iraqi forces were overwhelmed as U. S. forces swept through the country. The invasion led to the collapse of the Baathist government, President Hussein was captured during Operation Red Dawn in December of that same year, the United States responded with a troop surge in 2007. The winding down of U. S. involvement in Iraq accelerated under President Barack Obama, the U. S. formally withdrew all combat troops from Iraq by December 2011. Select U. S. officials accused Saddam of harboring and supporting al-Qaeda, while others cited the desire to end a repressive dictatorship, after the invasion, no substantial evidence was found to verify the initial claims about WMDs. The rationale and misrepresentation of pre-war intelligence faced heavy criticism within the U. S. in the aftermath of the invasion, Iraq held multi-party elections in 2005. Nouri al-Maliki became Prime Minister in 2006 and remained in office until 2014, the al-Maliki government enacted policies that were widely seen as having the effect of alienating the countrys Sunni minority and worsening sectarian tensions. The Iraq War caused hundreds of thousands of civilian, and thousands of military casualties, the majority of casualties occurred as a result of the insurgency and civil conflicts between 2004 and 2007. A1990 Frontline report on The arming of Iraq said, Officially, most Western nations participated in an arms embargo against Iraq during the 1980s. Western companies, primarily in Germany and Great Britain, but also in the United States, sold Iraq the key technology for its chemical, missile, any Western governments seemed remarkably indifferent, if not enthusiastic, about those deals. N Washington, the government consistently followed a policy which allowed and perhaps encouraged the growth of Saddam Husseins arsenal. The Western arming of Iraq took place in the context of the Iran-Iraq War, prior to September 2002, the CIA was the George W. Bush administrations main provider of intelligence on Iraq. The agency was out to disprove linkage between Iraq and terrorism the Pentagon adviser told me, the U. N. had prohibited Iraq from developing or possessing such weapons after the Gulf War and required Iraq to permit inspections confirming compliance. This was confirmed by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, during 2002, Bush repeatedly warned of military action against Iraq unless inspections were allowed to progress unfettered. In accordance with U. N. Security Council Resolution 1441, Iraq agreed to new inspections under United Nations Monitoring, as part of its weapons inspection obligations, Iraq was required to supply a full declaration of its current weapons capabilities and manufacturing
4.
Iraq Campaign Medal
–
The medal was designed by the U. S. Army Institute of Heraldry and was awarded during the Iraq War, from 29 November 2004 to 31 December 2011. The medal is bronze in appearance,1 1⁄4 inches in diameter, the obverse depicts a relief of the map of Iraq, surmounted by two lines representing the Tigris and Euphrates rivers throughout, superimposed over a palm wreath. Above is the inscription IRAQ CAMPAIGN, on the reverse, the Statue of Freedom surmounts a sunburst, encircled by two scimitars pointing down with the blades crossing at the tips. Below is the inscription FOR SERVICE IN IRAQ, the medal is suspended from a ribbon 1 3⁄8 inches wide. The stripes of the ribbon are, 5⁄32 inch scarlet at the edges, followed by 1⁄16 inch white, 1⁄32 inch green, the white is separated by a 5⁄32 inch black with a 7⁄16 inch stripe in chamois in the center. The Iraq Campaign Medal was awarded to any member of the U. S. military who performed duty within the borders of Iraq for a period of thirty days or sixty non-consecutive days. The medal was awarded retroactively from 19 March 2003 until the end of Operation New Dawn on 31 December 2011, the medal was also awarded posthumously to any service member who died in the line of duty within Iraq, including from non-combat injuries such as accidents and mishaps. On 23 April 2012, an order terminating the award of the Iraq Campaign Medal was issued by the Department of Defense, the order is effective to 31 December 2011, the day Operation New Dawn ended. U. S. military personnel serving inside the borders of Iraq after December 2011 will not be eligible to receive the ICM. U. S. However, the U. S. government dubbed their operations in Iraq post-2014 as Operation Inherent Resolve, and in March 2016, the IRCM is now awarded to those who have served in missions in Iraq against ISIS from June 2014 to the present. Those who were awarded the GWOTEM for serving in Iraq from June 2014 to March 2016 can put in a request for the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal instead. The Iraq Campaign Medal replaced the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for service in Iraq from 19 March 2003, personnel who previously received the GWOTEM for Iraq service were given the option to exchange the medal for the Iraq Campaign Medal. Both medals were not authorized for the period of service in Iraq. The Decorations and Medals of Operation Iraqi Freedom, claymont, DE, Orders and Medals Society of America
5.
150th Cavalry Regiment
–
The 150th Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the West Virginia Army National Guard, with troops in multiple locations throughout West Virginia. Its heritage with the West Virginia National Guard dates back to the Revolutionary War, the lineage of the 150th Cavalry Regiment dates back to 1 March 1778, with the formation of the Militia of Greenbrier County. On 22 December 1792, the Militia of Greenbrier County was reorganized as companies of the 13th Brigade. During the War of 1812, five companies from the 13th Brigade were combined with seven companies from what is now northern West Virginia to form the 2nd Regiment, Virginia Volunteer Militia. During the American Civil War, units with Union sympathies were combined to form the 5th and 9th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiments, on 7 June 1889, the 1st West Virginia Veteran Infantry Regiment was reorganized as the 2nd Regiment, West Virginia National Guard. After being federalized it was redesignated as the 150th Infantry Regiment, the regiment would remain assigned to the 38th Division until the beginning of WWII. On 1 March 1942, the regiment was relieved from its assignment the 38th, after the war, the regiment went through a period of slow but drastic change. On 1 July 1955, the regiment was reorganized from an Infantry table of organization and equipment unit to an Armored Cavalry TO&E unit, on 1 March 1968, 2nd Squadron was relieved from the regiment and broken up to form other units within the West Virginia National Guard. Meanwhile, two later, 3rd Squadron was redesignated as 3rd Squadron, 107th Armored Cavalry. When the 30th Enhanced Heavy Separate Brigade began mobilization to partake in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004, 1st Battalion, the battalion served with the brigade for approximately one year in Iraq and redeployed with the brigade back to the United States. Today, 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry Regiment is the active squadron in the regiment. The unit is composed of cavalry scouts equipped with HMMWVs and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, attached below the shield a bipartite scroll inscribed WE CAN TAKE IT in Blue. Symbolism The shield is blue, representative of the original organization, the powder horn is adapted from the State coat of arms. The five mullets symbolize the wars in which the regiment participated. Background The distinctive unit insignia was approved for the 150th Infantry Regiment on 28 May 1934. It was redesignated for the 150th Armored Cavalry Regiment on 21 September 1955, the insignia was redesignated for the 150th Armor Regiment with the description and symbolism revised effective 1 September 1993. Shield Azure, a powder horn Argent, mouth to dexter, ferruled Or, stringed of the second, symbolism Shield The shield is blue, representative of the original organization. The powder horn is adapted from the State coat of arms, the five mullets symbolize the wars in which the original regiment participated
6.
153rd Cavalry Regiment
–
The 153rd Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the Florida Army National Guard. Only the 1st Squadron of the regiment is active, with headquarters at Panama City, the squadron was formed in 2007 by conversion of the 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry. First Squadron, 153rd Cavalry Darkhorse is headquartered in Panama City, the 2006-07 BCT reorganization disbanded E Troop altogether and converted the 3rd Battalion Warrior, 124th Infantry into what is the 1st Squadron, 153rd Cavalry. Though E Troop and 1st Squadron share the same coat of arms, 1-153 Cavalry was constituted entirely from the infantrymen of 3-124 Infantry and so continue the 3rd Battalions lineage. In 1968 a 3rd Infantry battalion of the 124th Infantry was reconstituted and remained a light infantry battalion until 2006-2007 when the converted into the 1-153rd Cavalry Squadron. They specialized in fighting and made many rotations to Fort Sherman. 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry was mobilized just after Christmas 2002 and moved up to Fort Stewart, alpha and Charlie companies deployed to Kuwait in January and were part of the initial invasion of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. One company was attached to the 4th Infantry Division and was on a waiting orders to invade through Turkey before Turkey denied U. S. forces entry. Companies of the battalion were attached to 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, in 2004 when 3rd ID left, 3-124 Infantry was attached to 1st Armored Division, with elements also supporting 5th Special Forces Group. The battalion was assigned to downtown Baghdad, based at FOB Warrior in the Aadhamiya neighborhood, three years after the cavalry transformation, the squadron was mobilized and deployed with the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. In preparation for their 2010 deployment, the squadron underwent intense training at Camp Blanding. They mobilized under Title 10 orders on 2 January 2010 and flew to Fort Hood, in the first week of March the squadron arrived at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. B Troop deployed to Qatar for a security force mission, HHT, A, and C Troops were stationed at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. A Troop controlled Khabari Crossing at the border of Iraq, C Troop was responsible for quick reaction force missions around Camps Buehring and Virginia and an area reaction force mission for northern Kuwait. The squadron redeployed and demobilized at Fort Stewart, GA in December,2010, the troop had tanks and armored personnel carriers. In 1968, a 3rd Infantry battalion was constituted when the 53rd Armored Brigade was re-flagged as the 53rd Infantry Brigade, Troop E was reactivated in Ocala, Florida and deployed to Afghanistan in 2005. The Ocala-based Troop E was disbanded during the Brigade Combat Team reformation in 2006-2007. S, Army Center of Military History Lineage for 153rd Cavalry Senger, Dustin. 153rd Cavalry Soldiers shift to Qatar mission, Cavalry Soldiers test to earn their spurs
7.
Warren, Arkansas
–
Warren is a city in and the county seat of Bradley County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,003, when settlers from the east began to arrive in south Arkansas, the land was inhabited by the indigenous tribe known as the Quapaw. The earliest cession of territory was made in 1818, with a boundary against the neighboring Choctaw tribe in 1820. Although the area had settled by European-Americans for about thirty years. Tradition says the city is named after a slave, freed by Captain Hugh Bradley. The original plat was laid out on land donated by Isaac Pennington, the citys Victorian-era courthouse was originally built in 1903 and still maintains the exterior character, despite necessary refurbishments to the interior offices and courtroom. Warren is located in northeast Bradley County on high ground 2 miles west of the Saline River, U. S. Route 63 passes through the center of the city, leading north 46 miles to Pine Bluff and southwest 50 miles to El Dorado. U. S. Route 278 bypasses Warren to the south and leads east 16 miles to Monticello and west 26 miles to Hampton. According to the United States Census Bureau, Warren has an area of 7.2 square miles, of which 0.023 square miles. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers, according to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Warren has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated Cfa on climate maps. Tornadoes have occurred on at least two occasions, the first occurred on January 3,1949, killing 55 people and injuring 435. On March 28,1975, another tornado killed 7 people, both were rated F4 on the Fujita scale. The Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival is held yearly in Warren, begun in 1956, the festival is one of Arkansas longest-running annual community festivals. Public education for early childhood, elementary and secondary students is provided by Warren School District. Warren High Schools athletic emblem and mascot is The Fightin Lumberjacks, the school colors are orange and black. The Warren Lumberjacks are 4 time state champions in football, the Lumberjack football team won the Class AAA State Championship in 2001,2002, and Class 4A Championship in 2014 and 2016. They were also the 2006 and 2013 Class 4A State Runner-up in Football, the Lumberjack baseball team were the Class AAA State Champions in 2005. Warren also holds state titles in basketball, Boys track, girls tennis, after the 2015 football season, the school district announced that synthetic turf would replace the natural grass field at Jim Hurley Jr Stadium
8.
39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)
–
The 39th IBCT was one of fifteen National Guard brigades designated as an enhanced separate brigade. Brigades with this designation received higher levels of training, more advanced equipment, in 2005, it was converted to the standard modular IBCT design as part of Army transformation. The 39th IBCT is the largest National Guard command in Arkansas and it is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was placed in service on 12 October 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. The 39th was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division and served in and around Baghdad for a year, the 39th led the effort to evacuate an estimated 16,000 people from the New Orleans Convention Center. The 39th Brigade completed its deployment to Iraq in December 2008. Unlike the last deployment to Iraq from 2004–2005, the 39th Brigade headquarters did not have command, the main antecedent of todays brigade was the 39th Infantry Division, created in 1917, which consisted of troops from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. The division shipped to France, August – September 1918 and it was then sent to the St. Florent area, southwest of Bourges, where it was designated as a replacement division and several of the units were transferred to combat divisions. The division demobilized the following month at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, the unit was demobilized after the war. In the years between the World Wars, the headquarters was deactivated, but its Arkansas elements continued as part of the Arkansas National Guard. These former 39th Division elements were activated independently for WWII, for a history of their participation, see the article on the 153rd Infantry Regiment and the 206th Coast Artillery. The 39th Infantry Division was reconstituted on 30 September 1946 and it was composed of units from Arkansas and Louisiana, with its headquarters stationed at New Orleans, Louisiana and the Arkansas portion headquartered in Little Rock Arkansas. During this period the division included the 153rd Infantry Regiment, the 156th Infantry Regiment, in 1967 the division was redesignated as the 39th Infantry Brigade and in 1973 was paired with the US 101st Airborne Division as a training partner and became an air-assault brigade. The following Regiments were represented in the 39th Infantry Brigade, 153rd Infantry Regiment, 151st Cavalry Regiment, in 1994 the 39th was again reorganized and gained its designation as an enhanced brigade. In 1999, the 39th became part of the 7th Infantry Division under the Army Integrated Division concept which paired National Guard and Reserve brigades with active duty headquarters and support units. In 2006, the 7th Infantry Division was deactivated and the 39th IBCT was placed under the command, on 2 November 1967 in accordance with National Guard Bureau Memo NG-AROTO 1002-01, the 39th Infantry Division was reorganized and redesignated as the 39th Infantry Brigade. This change resulted in a massive restationing within the state as follows, 39th Brigade units conducted numerous overseas training rotations throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. 1981, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry conducted annual training in Great Britain with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers as part of the Volunteer Warrior/Hard Charger Exercise,1986, Company B, 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry conducted annual training in Honduras
9.
Marianna, Arkansas
–
Marianna is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Arkansas. Located along the LAnguille River in the Arkansas Delta just north of the St. Francis National Forest, the citys economy has historically been based on agricultural, especially cotton production. The city is located along Crowleys Ridge Parkway and the Great River Road, the community was established by Col. Walter H. Otey in 1848 and was known as Walnut Ridge until 1852. Marianna is located at the north-west tip of St. Francis National Forest, Marianna is located at 34°46′26″N 90°45′54″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 3.6 square miles. The towns current mayor is Hon, mayor Jimmy Williams who took office on Jan. As of the census of 2010, there were 4,115 people,1,664 households, the population density was 1,440.0 people per square mile. There were 2,196 housing units at a density of 610.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 20. 9% White,76. 6% Black or African American,0. 2% Native American,0. 8% Asian,0. 0% from other races,0. 7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32. 8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13. 7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.10. In the city, the population was out with 34. 4% under the age of 18,9. 5% from 18 to 24,22. 0% from 25 to 44,19. 4% from 45 to 64. The median age was 31 years, for every 100 females there were 77.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.6 males, the median income for a household in the city was $16,351, and the median income for a family was $29,624. Males had an income of $28,542 versus $19,045 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,253, about 32. 8% of families and 37. 0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46. 2% of those under age 18 and 33. 1% of those age 65 or over. As of 2011, there are five schools in Marianna, two of which are private, the public schools in Lee County School District are Lee High School, Anna Strong Middle School, and Whitten Elementary School. One of the schools is Lee Academy.0 earthquake in the future. The fault is close to, but appears to be separate from, the Marianna Water and Sewer Commission directs the Marianna Water Department, which treats and distributes potable water to the residents and commercial users of the city
10.
3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment
–
The history of the 3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry as an individual battalion begins with the reorganization of the 39th Infantry Division in 1967 and the creation of the 39th Infantry Brigade. For history of the 3rd Battalion prior to 1967, see 153rd Infantry Regiment, 3–153rd deployed soldiers to Bosnia in support of the Multi-National Security Forces and to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Southern Watch. The 3–153rd deployed as a battalion under the 39th Infantry Brigade in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2004–2005, Company C, 3–153rd was award the Valorous Unit Award for the period 25 March 2004 –20 January 2005 while serving with the battalion in the Adhamiyah neighborhood of Baghdad. The 3rd Battalion was deactivated on 5 September 2005 when the 39th Infantry Brigade was reorganized under the brigade combat team concept. The units of the 3–153rd were reorganized as the 1st Squadron, in 1967, the 39th Infantry Division was reorganized and redesignated as the 39th Infantry Brigade. In 1973 the 39th Infantry Brigade was paired with the US 101st Airborne Division as a training partner, in 1994 the 39th was again reorganized and gained its designation as an enhanced brigade. In 1999, the 39th became part of the 7th Infantry Division under the Army Integrated Division concept which paired National Guard and Reserve brigades with active duty headquarters, the 3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry conducted an overseas training in 1990. Company C, 3–153rd conducted Annual Training in Honduras as part of the National Guard Bureaus Overseas Training Program, Company B, 3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry of the 39th BCT was activated for Operation Southern Watch in May through September 1999. Company B, 3-153 deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, 39th Brigade Soldiers provided security at Patriot Missile Batteries during these deployments. The mission lasted a total of four months, and was the first pure National Guard effort in the region, the companies were attached to 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division for the deployment as part of Task Force Eagle. They performed presence patrols outside Forward Operating Base Morgan and Camp McGovern, the soldiers also guarded the sites. In 2002 the 39th Brigade was notified that it would be participating in a rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, the brigade was required to complete a Mission Rehearsal Exercise during the Annual Training 2003 which was conducted at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. Less than a month after the completion of major training milestone. On 12 October 2003, the 3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment, the 3–153rd IN would undergo post mobilization training at Fort Hood, Texas from October 2003 until January 2004. In January the 3–153rd shipped its vehicles and equipment to Iraq from Fort Hood, while there, on 17 February 2004, President George W. Bush visited the 39th and had an MRE lunch in a field mess tent with soldiers. After lunch, President Bush made brief remarks to the soldiers, when the 3–153rd IN received its alert, it was approximately 130 soldiers short of its authorized end strength. This shortage was due in part to the way new recruits are accounted for in the National Guard. In the active army a new recruit only comes to a unit and is counted on its books after the soldier has completed Basic Combat Training, in the National Guard, the new recruit is counted on the units strength reports as soon as the soldier signs his contract
11.
M60 Patton
–
The M60 Patton is a main battle tank introduced in December 1960. With the United States Armys deactivation of their last heavy tank battalion in 1963, although developed from the M48 Patton, the M60 series was never officially classified as a Patton tank, but as a product-improved descendant of the Patton series. In March 1959, the tank was officially standardized as the 105 mm Gun Full Tracked Combat Tank M60, the M60 underwent many updates over its service life. The interior layout, based on the design of the M48, provided room for updates and improvements. Egypt is currently the largest operator with 1,716 upgraded M60A3s, Turkey is second with 866 upgraded units in service, during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, a Soviet T-54A medium tank was driven onto the grounds of the British embassy in Budapest by the Hungarians. After a brief examination of this armor and 100 mm gun. There were also rumors of an even larger 115 mm gun in the works, hence there was a need to adopt a 105 mm gun, which emerged as the famed Royal Ordnance L7. This information made its way to the United States, where the Army had been experimenting with a series of upgrades to their M48 Patton tanks. These experiments were concerned with improving the armor and the introduction of a variety of systems, such as that used in the 105 mm gun tank T54. The T95 program, launched after the Questionmark III conference in June 1954, was the replacement to the M48. It featured a host of innovative and experimental components such as its 90 mm smoothbore T208 cannon rigidly affixed to its turret, the burden of developing them however slowed the overall program to a crawl. General Taylor approved of a new development program in August 1957. The MBT was to combine the firepower and protection sufficient for the role with the mobility to perform as a medium tank. A tank of the T95 series, armed with a smoothbore cannon, the course of this tank program was the source of widespread debate. The Bureau of Budget believed that the Army was not progressing with sufficient speed in its modernization program. The alternative was to introduce a tank from the T95 series, an influential group of senior officers, by May 1958, concluded that the T95 had only marginal advantages over the M48A2. They proposed that the most important improvements, better firepower and fuel economy, could be achieved by mounting a compression ignition engine, the main gun was chosen after a comparative firing test on the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Participating in the test were six guns, the 90 mm M41, the 90 mm T208E9, the 105 mm X15E8, the 105 mm T254, the 120 mm T123E6, and the 120 mm M58
12.
1st Cavalry Division (United States)
–
The 1st Cavalry Division is a combined arms division and is one of the most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army, as well as the other four branches of the U. S. military. It is based at Fort Hood, Texas, as of 2013, the 1st Cavalry Division is subordinate to III Corps and is commanded by Major General John C. Thomson III. The history of the 1st Cavalry Division began in 1921 after the established a permanent cavalry division table of organization. Since 1st Cavalry Division was to assemble from existing units, it was able to go active in September 1921, even though the subordinate units did not arrive completely until as late as 1922. 1st Cavalry Division was assigned to the VIII Corps Area, with its headquarters and 2d Brigade located at Fort Bliss, Texas. The 1st Cavalry Division’s assembled at Douglas, Arizona, the 1st, 7th, and 8th Cavalry Regiments had previously been assigned to the wartime 15th Cavalry Division until they were returned to the VIII Corps Area troop list on 12 May 1918. 1st Cavalry Regiment remained assigned until it was transferred to 1st Cavalry Division on 20 August 1921 and this controversy continued until 18 December 1922, when the 5th Cavalry Regiment, then on the VIII Corps Area Troop List, swapped places with the 10th Cavalry Regiment. In 1923 the 1st Cavalry Division held division maneuvers for the first time, however, financial constraints made that impossible. Only in 1927, through the generosity of a few ranchers who provided land, was the division able to conduct such exercises again. In 1928 Major General Herbert B, crosby, Chief of Cavalry, faced with personnel cuts, reorganized the cavalry regiments, which in turn reduced the size of the 1st Cavalry Division. Crosbys goal was to decrease overhead while maintaining or increasing firepower in the regiment, the cavalry brigades machine gun squadrons were inactivated, while the responsibility for training and employing machine guns fell to the regimental commanders, as in the infantry. The new structure increased the size of the troop, expanded the medical unit to a squadron. A divisional aviation section, an armored car squadron, and tank company were added, the artillery battalion was expanded to a regiment. With the arrival of the 1930s, serious work started on the testing and refining of new equipment, to facilitate this, 1st Cavalry Division traded 1st Cavalry Regiment for 12th Cavalry Regiment on 3 January 1933. Like the 1937 infantry division test, the maneuvers concentrated on the cavalry regiments around which all other units were to be organized. The latter configuration allowed the division to deploy easily in two columns, which was accepted standard cavalry tactics, one headquarters would assume responsibility for the administration and disciplinary control for these forces. The special troops remained as structured in 1928, and no observation squadron or chemical detachment found a place in the division, with the paper changes in the cavalry divisions and other minor adjustments, the strength of a wartime divisional rose to 10,680. In order to prepare for war service, 1st Cavalry Division participated in the maneuvers, Toyahvale
13.
Iraq
–
The capital, and largest city, is Baghdad. The main ethnic groups are Arabs and Kurds, others include Assyrians, Turkmen, Shabakis, Yazidis, Armenians, Mandeans, Circassians, around 95% of the countrys 36 million citizens are Muslims, with Christianity, Yarsan, Yezidism, and Mandeanism also present. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish, two major rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, run south through Iraq and into the Shatt al-Arab near the Persian Gulf. These rivers provide Iraq with significant amounts of fertile land, the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, historically known as Mesopotamia, is often referred to as the cradle of civilisation. It was here that mankind first began to read, write, create laws, the area has been home to successive civilisations since the 6th millennium BC. Iraq was the centre of the Akkadian, Sumerian, Assyrian and it was also part of the Median, Achaemenid, Hellenistic, Parthian, Sassanid, Roman, Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid, Ayyubid, Mongol, Safavid, Afsharid, and Ottoman empires. Iraqs modern borders were mostly demarcated in 1920 by the League of Nations when the Ottoman Empire was divided by the Treaty of Sèvres, Iraq was placed under the authority of the United Kingdom as the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. A monarchy was established in 1921 and the Kingdom of Iraq gained independence from Britain in 1932, in 1958, the monarchy was overthrown and the Iraqi Republic created. Iraq was controlled by the Arab Socialist Baath Party from 1968 until 2003, after an invasion by the United States and its allies in 2003, Saddam Husseins Baath Party was removed from power and multi-party parliamentary elections were held in 2005. The American presence in Iraq ended in 2011, but the Iraqi insurgency continued and intensified as fighters from the Syrian Civil War spilled into the country, the Arabic name العراق al-ʿIrāq has been in use since before the 6th century. There are several suggested origins for the name, one dates to the Sumerian city of Uruk and is thus ultimately of Sumerian origin, as Uruk was the Akkadian name for the Sumerian city of Urug, containing the Sumerian word for city, UR. An Arabic folk etymology for the name is rooted, well-watered. During the medieval period, there was a region called ʿIrāq ʿArabī for Lower Mesopotamia and ʿIrāq ʿajamī, for the region now situated in Central and Western Iran. The term historically included the south of the Hamrin Mountains. The term Sawad was also used in early Islamic times for the region of the plain of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In English, it is either /ɪˈrɑːk/ or /ɪˈræk/, the American Heritage Dictionary, the pronunciation /aɪˈræk/ is frequently heard in U. S. media. Since approximately 10,000 BC, Iraq was one of centres of a Caucasoid Neolithic culture where agriculture, the following Neolithic period is represented by rectangular houses. At the time of the pre-pottery Neolithic, people used vessels made of stone, gypsum, finds of obsidian tools from Anatolia are evidences of early trade relations
14.
Fort Polk
–
Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately ten miles east of Leesville, Louisiana, and thirty miles north of DeRidder in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana. It was named in honor of the Right Reverend Leonidas Polk, the first Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Louisiana, and a distinguished Confederate general in the American Civil War. The post encompasses approximately 198,000 acres—100,000 acres are owned by the Department of the Army—98,125 acres by the U. S. Forest Service, Fort Polk is the only Combat Training Center that also trains and deploys combat units. In 2013, there were 10,877 troops stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana officials lobbied the Army and the United States Congress to keep troop strength at full capacity despite looming defense cuts. Fort Polk began as a base for the Louisiana Maneuvers in the 1940s and it served the 1st Armored Division in the 1950s, and became a basic training post during Vietnam War years of the 1960s and 70s. It hosted the 5th Infantry Division in the 1970s-1980s, and the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in the 1990s and the 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, and the 162nd Infantry Brigade in the 2000s. The land that is now Fort Polk is part of a region of cultural resources, including sites, historic houses and structures. Construction of Camp Polk began in 1941, thousands of wooden barracks sprang up quickly to support an Army preparing to do battle on the North African, European and Pacific fronts. Soldiers at Polk participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers, which were designed to test U. S. troops preparing for World War II, until 1939, the Army had mostly been an infantry force with supporting artillery, engineer, and cavalry units. Few units had been motorized or mechanized, as U. S. involvement in World War II became more likely, the Army recognized the need to modernize the service. But it also needed large-scale maneuvers to test a fast-growing, inexperienced force and that is where Fort Polk and the Louisiana Maneuvers came in. The Maneuvers involved half a million soldiers in 19 Army Divisions, the troops were divided equal armies of two notional countries, Kotmk and Almat. These countries were fighting over navigation rights for the Mississippi River, the Maneuvers gave Army leadership the chance to test a new doctrine that stressed the need for both mass and mobility. Sixteen armored divisions sprang up during World War II after the lessons learned during the Louisiana Maneuvers were considered and these divisions specialized in moving huge combined-arms mechanized units long distances in combat. On the defensive front, U. S. doctrine was based on two needs, the ability to defeat Blitzkrieg tactics, and how to deal with numbers of German tanks attacking relatively narrow areas. As such, the Maneuvers also tested the concept of the tank destroyer, in this concept, highly mobile guns were held in reserve until friendly forces were attacked by enemy tanks. Then, the destroyers would be rapidly deploy to the flanks of the penetration. Tank destroyers employed aggressive, high-speed hit-and-run tactics, the conclusion drawn was that tank destroyer battalions should be raised
15.
7th Cavalry Regiment
–
The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment formed in 1866. Its official nickname is Garryowen, after the Irish air Garryowen that was adopted as its march tune, following its activation, the Seventh Cavalry Regiment patrolled the Western plains for raiding Native Americans and to protect the westward movement of pioneers. From 1866 to 1881, the regiment marched a total of 181,692 miles across Kansas, Montana, the regiment was constituted on 28 July 1866 in the regular army as the 7th United States Cavalry. It was organized on 21 September 1866 at Fort Riley, Kansas as part of an expansion of the army following the demobilization of the wartime volunteer. From 1866 through 1871, the regiment was posted to Fort Riley, in the Battle of the Washita in 1868, the regiment sustained 22 losses, while inflicting more that 150 deaths on a Cheyenne encampment, mostly women and children. This attack was led by George Armstrong Custer, who led the 7th Cavalry to the most calamitous defeat of U. S. forces in the Indian Wars. Typical of post-Civil War cavalry regiments, the 7th Cavalry was organized as a regiment without a formal battalion organization. Battalions at this time were flexible tactical organizations, with companies being assigned and removed as the field commander desired or felt necessary. Throughout this period, the cavalryman was armed with the Colt Single Action Army.45 caliber revolvers and trapdoor Springfield carbines, the regiment used the McClellan saddle, and sabres were also issued but not often carried on campaign. The 7th Cavalry, like the other U. S. Army regiments of the time, had a band, which performed mounted as well as on foot, and seated for concerts. Initially established with the support of Major Alfred Gibbs, the 7ths band adopted Garryowen as their favorite tune and thus gave the Seventh their nickname among the rest of the Army. From 1871 through 1873, 7th Cavalry companies participated in constabulary duties in the deep South in support of the Reconstruction Act, in 1873, the 7th Cavalry moved its garrison post to Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory. From here, the regiment carried out Custers 1874 Black Hills Expedition and this led to the discovery of gold in the Black Hills, starting a gold rush in 1874 that precipitated the Great Sioux War of 1876–77. In June,1876, Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer was killed in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, on 29 December 1890, the regiment instigated the Wounded Knee Massacre in South Dakota, an event that signaled the end of the American Indian Wars. November 1866 – April 1869 Col. Andrew J. Smith May 1869 – June 1886 Col. Samuel D. Sturgis July 1886 – November 1894 Col. James W. From 1895 until 1899, the regiment served in New Mexico and Oklahoma, an enlisted trooper with the Seventh Cavalry, B Company, from May 1896 until March 1897 at Fort Grant Arizona Territory was author Edgar Rice Burroughs. The regiment served in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War from 1904 through 1907, in December 1917, 7th Cavalry was assigned to the 15th Cavalry Division, an on-paper organization designed for service in France during World War I that was never more than a simple headquarters. This was because no significant role emerged for mounted troops on the Western Front during the 19 months between the entry of the United States into the war and the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the 7th Cavalry was released from this assignment in May 1918
16.
206th Field Artillery Regiment
–
The 1–206th FA is an element of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The regiments history begins with the creation of the 3rd Arkansas Infantry in 1917 as a part of the expansion of the following the Mexican Expedition. The unit was reorganized for World War I as the 141st Machine Gun Battalion, the unit deployed to France but did not see combat before the end of the war. Between World War I and II, the unit was reorganized as the 206th Coast Artillery, the 206th CA was mobilized for World War II and participated in the Battle of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on 3 and 4 June 1942. Following World War II the unit was reorganized as the 206th Artillery, the United States declared war on Germany 6 April 1917 less than two months after the last Arkansas National Guard units completed mustering out from duty on the Mexican border. At this time the Arkansas Guard consisted of two regiments, the 1st and 2nd Arkansas, which had each been mobilized for service on the Mexican border. The National Defense Act of 1916 had provided for an expansion of the National Guard. While a 3rd Arkansas Infantry had existed in the Arkansas State Guard prior to the Spanish–American War, on 17 April 1917, plans for the 3rd Arkansas Regiment were formulated, new units were to be raised in sixteen cities to support the new regiment. On 16 May 1917, it was announced that Little Rock was one of the cities to be allowed a new company which would be part of the 3rd Arkansas Regiment. Enlistments were to be for the duration of the war, the girls distributed buttonhole tags with, Are You A Slacker. The other side of the tag read, Are You A Man, the girls worked until 5 June 1917, when the draft law became effective. On 18 May 1917, the Arkansas National Guard was notified that on 5 August 1917, alexandria, Louisiana, was the location of Camp Beauregard which was named after General P. G. T. Beauregard, C. S. A. The 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment mobilized 5 August and was encamped around the new state capitol by 8 August, the 2nd and 3rd Infantry Regiments were examined for Federal service on 6 August 1917, at Ft. Brough. The regiments, under the control of General Wood, were sent to Ft, roots and moved to Camp Pike by 24 August 1917. In mid-September the Arkansas units were notified that they were to be part of a newly created division, initially called the 18th, the Arkansas troops were reorganized after their transfer to Camp Beauregard under a new national system for numbering army regiments. The 1st Arkansas Infantry became the 153rd Infantry Regiment, the 2nd Regiment became the 142nd Field Artillery Regiment, the 3rd Arkansas Infantry, which had reported to Camp Beauregard with over 1800 soldiers, was divided into two new units. The following units were created, from the old 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment, the 141st Machine Gun Battalion was composed of members of the former 3rd Battalion, 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment and the Machine Gun Company from the 2nd Arkansas Infantry. The 18th Infantry Division was re-designated as the 39th Delta Division, U. S. N. G. in May 1918, twenty percent of the privates of the 39th Division were given the opportunity to volunteer for immediate overseas duty
17.
102nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
–
The 102nd Infantry Regiment currently consists of one battalion in the Connecticut National Guard. Regimental designation is used only in historical tradition, there is no regimental commander, staff or headquarters. The 1st Battalion, 102nd Regiment is headquartered in New Haven, agamemnon and demobilized at Camp Devens, Massachusetts on 29 April 1919. Reconstituted in the National Guard in 1921 as the 170th Infantry, assigned to the 43d Infantry Division, reorganized 20 October 1922 by withdrawal of the 2d Infantry Regiment, Connecticut National Guard, from the 169th Infantry Regiment and redesignation of the 2d Infantry as the 170th Infantry. Regimental Headquarters organized 8 June 1923 and federally recognized at New Haven, the 170th Infantry was redesignated as the 102d Infantry on 28 February 1924. The Regiment conducted annual summer training most years at Niantic between 1921–38, inducted into active Federal service at New Haven on 24 February 1941 and moved to Camp Blanding, Florida, where it arrived 15 March 1941. The 1-102nd Infantry was added as the brigade formed from 2006. The 86th IBCT mobilized in December 2009 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, the brigade returned home in December 2010 after being replaced by 2nd IBCT, 34th ID. Strickland
18.
Connecticut Military Department
–
The Connecticut Military Department is a state agency of the government of Connecticut. Its primary components are the Connecticut Army National Guard, the Connecticut Air National Guard, the Military Department of the State of Connecticut traces its origins to May 11,1637, when the General Courts established a military arm of the provincial government. In 1939, the States Military Department, was established to consolidate the offices of Adjutant General, Quartermaster General, Armory Board, and Armory Board Inspector. It serves as the resource for the Governor in ensuring public safety in a variety of emergencies. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the militia which is now the National Guard of the United States with dual Federal, in fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a State status. The National Guard may be called into Federal service in response to a call by the President of the United States or by resolution passed by the United States Congress. The Federal mission assigned to the National Guard is, To provide properly trained and equipped units for prompt mobilization for war, the state mission assigned to the National Guard is To provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise provided by state law. The Connecticut National Guard bestows a number of decorations for services to or on behalf of the state, major General Thaddeus Martin is the current Connecticut Adjutant General. The Connecticut Army National Guard was originally formed in 1672, the Militia Act of 1903 organized the various state militias into the present National Guard system. Other major historical regiments of Connecticut were the 169th Infantry Regiment, after 1968, the main formation in the state became the 43rd Infantry Brigade of the 26th Infantry Division. Today the Connecticut Army National Guard is composed of approximately 5,000 soldiers and it maintains facilities in 22 communities. In 1999, these facilities included 22 armories, eight shops, four aviation facilities, four training site facilities. The primary combat unit is the 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry, assigned to the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the Connecticut Air National Guard traces its history back to World War I with the beginnings also of the United States Army Air Service. It comprises approximately 1,200 airmen and officers assigned to the 103d Airlift Wing, the 103d Airlift Wing is based in East Granby at the Bradley Air National Guard Base at Bradley International Airport. Known as the Flying Yankees, the 103d Airlift Wing is the third-oldest Air National Guard unit in the United States with a history dating back to World War I. Until 2008, the organization was known as the 103rd Fighter Wing, operationally gained by the Air Combat Command, following this change in mission, the unit was redesignated the 103rd Airlift Wing and placed under the operational claimancy of Air Mobility Command. The 103rd Air Control Squadron is based in Orange, Connecticut, the mission of the 103rd Air Control Squadron is real-time detection, identification and surveillance of air traffic for combat operations and homeland defense. The 103rd ACS is the oldest unit of its kind in the United States military, the Connecticut Air National Guard counts one astronaut amongst its former members, Jack Swigert, who flew on Apollo 13
19.
Humvee
–
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, commonly known as the Humvee, is a four-wheel drive military light truck produced by AM General. Primarily used by the United States military, it is used by numerous other countries and organizations. The Humvees widespread use in the Gulf War of 1991, where it negotiated the treacherous desert terrain, since the WWII era Bantam Reconnaissance Car, the United States Army had relied on jeeps to transport small groups of soldiers. The jeep was built around a requirement for a vehicle with a folding windshield that was actually shorter than the Volkswagen Beetle. It seated three with a 660 lb payload and weighed just over one ton, by the 1970s, the U. S. Army had tried larger militarized civilian trucks, but even these no longer satisfied newer requirements. In 1977, Lamborghini developed the Cheetah model in an attempt to meet the Army contract specifications, the specification called for excellent on and off-road performance, the ability to carry a large payload, and improved survivability against indirect fire. Compared to the jeep, it was larger and had a wider track, with a 16 in ground clearance. The new truck was to climb a 60 percent incline and traverse a 40 percent slope, the radiator was to be mounted high, sloping over the engine on a forward-hinged hood. Out of 61 companies that showed interest, only three submitted prototypes, in July 1979, AM General, a subsidiary of American Motors Corporation began preliminary design work. Less than a later, the first prototype was in testing. Chrysler Defense and Teledyne Continental also produced competing designs, in June 1981, the Army awarded AM General a contract for development of several more prototype vehicles to be delivered to the government for another series of tests. The original M998 A0 series had a weight of 5,200 lb, a payload of 2,500 lb, a 6.2 L V-8 diesel engine. The three companies were chosen to design and build eleven HMMWV prototypes, which covered over 600,000 miles in trials which included courses in desert. Ft. Lewis, Washington and the 9th Infantry Division was the unit to employ HMMWV in the new concept of a motorized division. Yakima Training Center in Yakima, Washington was the testing grounds for HMMWVs from 1985 through December 1991, when the motorized concept was abandoned. HMMWVs first saw combat in Operation Just Cause, the U. S. invasion of Panama in 1989, the HMMWV was designed primarily for personnel and light cargo transport behind front lines, not as a front line fighting vehicle. Like the previous jeep, the basic HMMWV has no armor or protection against chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear threats, nevertheless, losses were relatively low in conventional operations, such as the Gulf War. Vehicles and crews suffered considerable damage and losses during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993 due to the nature of the urban engagement
20.
.50 BMG
–
The.50 Browning Machine Gun is a cartridge developed for the Browning.50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up. 30-06 cartridge, under STANAG4383, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. The cartridge itself has made in many variants, multiple generations of regular ball, tracer, armor-piercing, incendiary. The rounds intended for machine guns are linked using metallic links, the.50 BMG cartridge is also used in long-range target and sniper rifles, as well as other. 50-caliber machine guns. A wide variety of ammunition is available, and the availability of match grade ammunition has increased the usefulness of.50 caliber rifles by allowing more fire than lower quality rounds. Armor-piercing incendiary tracer rounds were especially effective against aircraft, and the AP rounds and API rounds were excellent for destroying concrete bunkers, structures, the API and APIT rounds left a flash, report, and smoke on contact, useful in detecting strikes on enemy targets. The rounds dimensions and ballistic traits are totally different, decades later, the.50 BMG was chambered in high-powered rifles as well. An upgraded variant of the M2 Browning HB machine gun used during World War II is still in use today. Since the mid-1950s, some armored personnel carriers and utility vehicles have made to withstand 12.7 mm machine gun fire. A skilled sniper can effectively neutralize an infantry unit by eliminating several targets without revealing his precise location, the long range between firing position and target allows time for the sniper to avoid enemy retribution by either changing positions repeatedly, or by safely retreating. A common method for understanding the power of a cartridge is by comparing muzzle energies. The.50 BMG round can produce between 10,000 and 15,000 foot pounds, depending on its powder and bullet type, the.50 BMG cartridge has a capacity of 290 grains H2O. The round is a version of the. 30-06 Springfield but uses a case wall with a long taper to facilitate feeding. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 1 in 15 in, with 8 lands, the primer type specified for this ammunition is Boxer primer that has a single centralized ignition point. However, some other countries produce the ammunition with Berdan primers that have two flash holes, the proof/test pressure is listed as 65,000 psi.50 BMG cartridges are also produced commercially with a plethora of different bullets and to a number of different specifications. Cartridge, Caliber.50, Tracer, M1 Tracer for observing fire, signaling, target designation and this bullet has a red tip. Cartridge, Caliber.50, Incendiary, M1 This cartridge is used against unarmored, the incendiary bullet has a light blue tip. Cartridge, Caliber.50, Ball, M2 This cartridge is used against personnel and this bullet has an unpainted tip
21.
M2 Browning
–
The M2 Machine Gun or Browning.50 Caliber Machine Gun is a heavy machine gun designed toward the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Brownings earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, the M2 uses the much larger and much more powerful.50 BMG cartridge, which was developed alongside and takes its name from the gun itself. It has been referred to as Ma Deuce, in reference to its M2 nomenclature, the design has had many specific designations, the official designation for the current infantry type is Browning Machine Gun, Cal.50, M2, HB, Flexible. It is effective against infantry, unarmored or lightly armored vehicles and boats, light fortifications, the M2 has been produced longer than any other machine gun. The Browning.50 caliber machine gun has been used extensively as a vehicle weapon and it was heavily used during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Falklands War, the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan in the 2000s and 2010s. It is the heavy machine gun of NATO countries, and has been used by many other countries as well. The M2 has been in use longer than any firearm in U. S. inventory except the.45 ACP M1911 pistol. The current M2HB is manufactured in the U. S. by General Dynamics, Ordnance for use by the U. S. government, and for allies via Foreign Military Sales, as well as foreign manufacturers such as FN Herstal. Machine guns were used in World War I, and weapons of larger than rifle caliber were appearing. Both the British and French had large caliber machine guns, the larger rounds were needed to defeat the armor that was being introduced to the battlefield. Armor was also appearing in the skies, during World War I, the Germans introduced a heavily armored airplane, the Junkers J. I. The armor made aircraft machine guns using conventional rifle ammunition ineffective, consequently, the American Expeditionary Forces commander General John J. Pershing asked for a larger caliber machine gun. Pershing asked the Army Ordnance Department to develop a gun with a caliber of at least 0.50 inches. U. S. Col. John Henry Parker, commanding a machine gun school in France, the Army Ordnance Department ordered eight experimental Colt machine guns rechambered for the French 11 mm cartridge. The French had developed a machine gun for an even larger caliber. The French 11 mm round was found to be unsuitable because its velocity was too low, Pershing wanted a bullet of at least 670 gr and a muzzle velocity of 2,700 ft/s. Development with the French round was dropped, around July 1917, John M. Browning started redesigning his.30 caliber machine gun for a larger caliber. Winchester worked on the cartridge, which was a version of the. 30-06
22.
40 mm grenade
–
The 40 mm grenade is a military grenade caliber for grenade launchers in service with many armed forces. There are two types in service, the 40×46mm, which is a low-velocity round used in hand-held grenade launchers. Both 40 mm cartridges use the High-Low Propulsion System, the less powerful 40×46mm is used in hand-held weapons such as the M79, M203, and the multi-shot M32 MGL. The more powerful 40×53mm is used in automatic grenade launchers mounted on tripods, vehicles or helicopters, in these roles, the rounds are linked together with a metallic disintegrating link. A medium velocity 40×51mm cartridge recently developed in South Africa provides a powerful alternative for hand-held weapons without increased recoil. A new version of the Milkor MGL chambered for the new round remains backward compatible with existing 40×46mm rounds. U. S. military rounds designated specifically for the M79 launcher includes, High Explosive, M381, M386 Airburst, M397, M397A1 MP-APERS, M576 CS gas, M651 Practice, M781 U. S. S. Army ARDEC began development of a 40 mm airburst fuse in 2011 to improve the ability of grenade launchers like the M203, SAGM enables soldiers to accurately incapacitate personnel targets in defilade at ranges between 50 to 500 meters. The round is engineered with three firing modes, airburst, point detonation, and self-destruct, a successful demonstration occurred in November 2013. The SAGM was to undergo evaluation in July 2015 and, if successful, not only does the fuse burst over walls, but it can detonate when passing cover like trees, bursting just as it senses and passes the trunk. The sort of sensor SAGM uses to differentiate clutter from triggering obstacles is highly classified and it is a grenade caliber designed in Poland, and used in Pallad wz.74 underbarrel grenade launchers and Pallad-D wz.83 Grenade launcher. The construction is similar to one used in 40×46mm but grenades are not fully interchangeable, extended Range Low Pressure 40×51mm cartridges extend the range of 40 mm grenades from 400 m to 800 m and are manufactured by companies such as Rheinmetall Denel Munitions. The fuze is programmed through the control of the gun. The fuze is armed at approximately 23 meters. The round is programmed to airburst over the target and the fuze counts down the time via its built in electronics. If an unprogrammed round is fired, it will detonate on impact, the projectile has a built in self-destruct and can be fired by any automatic grenade launcher. There is also the CIS40 AGL and 40LWAGL from Singapores ST Kinetics, the Daewoo K4 Grenade Machine Gun is in service with the South Korean Armed Services. The Soviet GP-25 Kostyor and GP-30 Obuvka and Russian GP-34, BG-15 Mukha and these grenades are caseless, holding their own propellant within the body of the grenade
23.
Mk 19 grenade launcher
–
The Mk 19 grenade launcher is an American 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher that was first developed during the Vietnam War. The first model in 1966 was determined to be unreliable and unsafe, the Navy made further improvements to the weapon, resulting in the Mod 3 in 1976. The Mod 3 was adopted by the U. S Army in 1983, the Mk 19 is a belt-fed, blowback-operated, air-cooled, crew-served, fully automatic weapon that is designed not to cook off. It fires 40 mm grenades at a rate of 325 to 375 rounds per minute. The weapon operates on the principle, which uses the chamber pressure from each fired round to load. The Mk 19 can launch its grenade at a distance of 2,212 meters, though its effective range to a point target is about 1,500 meters. The nearest safe distance to launch the grenade is 310 meters in training and 75 meters in combat, though the Mk 19 has a flash suppressor, it serves only to save the eyesight of its operator, not concealing the weapons position. For night operation, a picatinny rail quadrant sight can be added for thermal, the primary ammunition for it is the high-explosive dual-purpose M430 grenade. On impact, the grenade can kill anyone within a radius of five meters and it can also punch through 2 inches of rolled homogeneous armor with a direct hit, which means it can penetrate most infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. It is especially effective when used against enemy infantry formations, the ammunition comes in cans that hold a 32- or 48-grenade belt weighing 42 and 60 pounds, respectively. The Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher replaced the earlier Mk 18 hand-cranked multiple grenade launcher, the 40 mm ammunition used is not interchangeable with that used in the M203. The M203 ammunition develops a lower pressure, and resultant lower muzzle velocity and range. The Mk 19 fires from an open bolt, the rounds are mechanically fed onto the bolt face with the pull of the charging handles. When the trigger is pressed, the bolt closes, and the pin is released. The recoil blows back the bolt, feeds a new round onto the bolt face, production of the Mk 19 is managed by Saco Defense Industries. S. The 40 mm airburst grenade uses a programmable, time-based fuse that computes and programs the detonation time into it, the airburst ammunition is compatible with the Mk 19, which would give it greater effectiveness and lethality, particularly against concealed and defilade targets. The U. S. Army plans to introduce new features to the Mk 19 in an upgrade package that could be introduced by late 2017. GDOTS has built nearly 35,000 Mk 19 Mod 3 systems for roughly 30 customers since 1984, users of the Mk 19 include, Afghanistan, Orders by Afghan National Army
24.
BGM-71 TOW
–
The BGM-71 TOW is an American anti-tank missile. TOW replaced much smaller missiles like the SS, first produced in 1970, the TOW is one of the most widely used anti-tank guided missiles. It can be found in a variety of manually carried and vehicle mounted forms. Originally designed by Hughes Aircraft in the 1960s, the weapon is produced by Raytheon. Initially developed by Hughes Aircraft between 1963 and 1968, the XBGM-71A was designed for ground and heli-borne applications. In 1997, Raytheon Co. purchased Hughes Electronics from General Motors Corporation, so development, the weapon is used in anti-armor, anti-bunker, anti-fortification and anti-amphibious landing roles. The TOW is in service with over 45 militaries and is integrated on over 15,000 ground, vehicle, in its basic infantry form, the system comprises a missile in a sealed tube which is clipped to a launch tube prior to use. When required, the tube is attached to the rear of the launch tube, the target sighted. The 1983 TOW2 featured a larger 5.9 kg warhead with a 21.25 in extensible probe, improved guidance and this was followed by the TOW 2A/B which appeared in 1987. Hughes developed a TOW missile with a data link in 1989, referred to as TOW-2N. Raytheon continued to develop improvements to the TOW line, but its FOTT program was canceled in 1998, although this missile has been in production since 2004, no U. S. Army designation has yet been assigned. Also, a version of the TOW-2B Aero was developed that uses stealth one way radio link. The TOW missile in its current variations is not a fire-and-forget weapon and this means that the guidance system is directly linked to the platform, and requires that the target be kept in the shooters line of sight until the missile impacts. This has been the impetus to develop either a fire-and-forget version of the system or to develop a successor with this ability. In October 2012, Raytheon received a contract to produce 6,676 TOW missiles for the U. S. military, Missiles that will be produced include the BGM-71E TOW 2A, the BGM-71F TOW 2B, the TOW 2B Aero, and the BGM-71H TOW Bunker Buster. By 2013, the U. S. Marine Corps had retired the air-launched TOW missile, the TOW is designated as a BGM by the U. S. military, a multiple launch environment surface attack guided missile. The B launch environment prefix is used only when the system can be used essentially unmodified when launched from a variety of launch platforms. The M151 and M220 launchers are used by infantry, but can also be mounted on a number of vehicles, including the M151 jeep, the M113 Gavin APC, the M966 HMMWV and these launchers are theoretically man-portable, but are quite bulky
25.
M240 machine gun
–
The M240, officially Machine Gun,7. 62mm, M240, is the US military designation for the FN MAG, a family of belt-fed, gas-operated medium machine guns firing the 7. 62×51mm NATO cartridge. The M240 has been used by the United States Armed Forces since the late-1970s and it is used extensively by infantry, most often rifle companies as well as ground vehicles, watercraft and aircraft. Despite being heavier than weapons, it is highly regarded for reliability. All variants are fed from disintegrating belts, and are capable of firing most types of 7.62 mm NATO ammunition, M240 variants can use non-disintegrating belts. There are significant differences in weight and some features among some versions which restrict interchangeability of parts, the M240s used by the US military are currently manufactured by FN Manufacturing, a US-based branch of FN Herstal. Manufactured by Fabrique Nationale, the FN MAG was chosen by the U. S. military for different roles after large world-wide searches, the MAG is a belt-fed, gas-operated, air-cooled, crew-served, fixed headspace weapon. Its versatility is demonstrated by its ability to be mounted on the M122A1 tripod and it was first adopted by the U. S. Army in 1977, as a coaxial tank gun, and slowly adopted for more applications in the 1980s and 1990s. The M240 and M240E1 were adopted for use on vehicles and this led to further adoption in more uses, especially for the Army and Marine infantry. While possessing many of the basic characteristics as its predecessor. The MAG actually has a more complex gas system than the M60, compared to other machine guns, its rating of 26,000 mean rounds between failure is quite high for its weight—in the 1970s when it was first adopted it achieved about 7,000 MRBF. It is not as reliable as some very heavy older designs and it would go on to be deployed in this role in the 1980s, but was additionally adopted for infantry and other uses. It was deployed in new roles in the 1990s and 2000s. As mentioned, during the 1970s the Army was looking for new 7.62 mm machine guns for vehicle/AFV mounts, the 1950s-era M73 had been rather troubled, and the derivative M73E1/M219 was not much of an improvement. A number of designs of the period from various countries were considered and they underwent comprehensive testing alongside the older M219 for comparison. Two main criteria analyzed were mean rounds between stoppages and mean rounds between failures, the results for the evaluated machine guns were the following, The test applies only to the 1970s-era versions tested. The MAG itself underwent some improvements and the M60E2 was a specialized coaxial variant that differed from some of the other types, the qualities of the M60 variants vary considerably, such as between the M60E4 and the M60C. That aside, for these types the clear winner was the MAG and it went on to replace many older types for the vehicle/coaxial role in the 1980s. The M240 proved popular enough that it was adapted by the later on, spawning the M240B
26.
Mechanic
–
A mechanic is a tradesman, craftsman, or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery. Auto mechanics, for example, have many trades within, some may specialize in the electrical aspects, while others may specialize in the mechanical aspects. Other areas include, brakes and steering, automatic or standard transmission, an auto technician, on the other hand, has a wide variety of topics to learn. A mechanic is typically certified by an association or regional government power. There are different types of mechanics, heavy weight and light weight, heavy weight work is on bigger machines like tractors and trailers, light weight work on smaller items like engines for a car
27.
Truck driver
–
A truck driver is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck. Truck drivers are responsible for inspecting all their vehicles for mechanical items or issues relating to safe operation. Others, such as workers, are also responsible for sales. There are also ones that lease a truck from a company, company drivers are employees of a particular trucking company and drive trucks provided by their employer. Both owner operators/owner driver and company drivers can be in these categories, auto haulers work hauling cars on specially built trailers and require specific skills loading and operating this type of specialized trailer. Boat haulers work moving boats ranging in size from 10-foot-long bass boats to full-size yachts up to 60 ft long using a low boy trailer that can be set up for each size of boat. Boats wider than 8 feet 6 inches wide or 13 feet 6 inches high have to have a permit to move and are an oversize load, dry van drivers haul the majority of goods over highways in large trailers. Contents may be perishable or non perishable goods, dry bulk pneumatic drivers haul bulk sand, salt, and cement, among other things. They have specialized trailers that allow them to use pressurized air to unload their product, - Commonly known as Flow Boys among truckers. Flat bed drivers haul an assortment of large bulky items, a few examples are tanks, steel pipes and lumber. Drivers require the ability to balance the load correctly, reefer drivers haul refrigerated, temperature sensitive or frozen goods. Local drivers work only within the limits of their local areas and these areas may include crossing state lines, but drivers usually return home daily. Household goods drivers, or bedbuggers, haul personal effects for families who are moving from one home to another, Regional drivers may work over several states near their homes. They may be away from home for short periods, Interstate drivers often cover distances of thousands of miles and are away from home for days, weeks or even months on end. For time critical loads, companies may opt to employ team drivers which can cover more miles than a single driver. Team drivers are two drivers who take turns driving the truck in shifts, or several people in different states that split up the haul to keep from being away from home for such long periods. Tanker drivers haul liquids, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, milk, & crude oil, liquid tanker drivers need special driving skills due to the load balance changing from the liquid movement. This is especially true for food grade tankers, which do not contain any baffles and are a single compartment, also fuel oil/petroleum drivers require special certifications
28.
Ali Air Base
–
Imam Ali Air Base is a military airbase located near Nasiriyah, Iraq. It is also known as Tallil Air Base, until December 2011, the base was used by United States Armed Forces. It is generally known as Camp Adder by the U. S. Army, the name Ali Air Base is used chiefly by the U. S. Air Force, the base occupies 30 square kilometers and is protected by 22 kilometers of security perimeter. The ancient Babylonian city of Ur, known as the birthplace of Abraham, is located within the security perimeter for Ali Base, Talil Air Base was an Iraqi Air Force base. The airbase was bombed in Operation Kaman 99 on the day of the Iran-Iraq war. The air base served as the home of a unit of Soviet-built MiG fighter aircraft as well as several Mi-24D helicopter gunships, the aircraft could be serviced and stored in fortified concrete aircraft hangars located at either end of the main runway. It is possible that Sukhoi Su-20s may have located at the base at some point during this period. During the 1991 Gulf War, the base and its fortified aircraft shelters were damaged by Coalition bombing missions. After the ground began, elements of the U. S. Army 82nd Airborne Division took the base with little opposition. Combat Engineers then destroyed whatever serviceable aircraft and ordnance was missed during the air campaign. After the start of the Iraq War in 2003, Talil, the 726th Maintenance Battalion arrived in May 2003 to operate as the Mayor cell for LSA Adder. These trainees were then designated the Iraqi Air Force 23rd Squadron, units from various Coalition groups have used designated sections of Ali Air Base during the course of the occupation. Camp Terendak was used by Australian troops until the Australian Battlegroup withdrawal on June 1,2008, Romanian troops used Camp Dracula until the Romanian Army withdrew in the summer of 2009. Camp Dracula was then used as the Regional Center of Excellence for Civil Capacity, Ali Air Base was thereafter used primarily by U. S. forces, including elements of the U. S. Army, Air Force, the Navy, and the Marine Corps. Camp Adder, used by the Army, was also the home to three Provincial Reconstruction Teams for the provinces of Dhi Qar, Muthanna, and Maysan. The Dhi Qar team was led by Italian personnel, while the Muthanna, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District managed these and most other construction projects, from start to finish, for the PRT Iraq wide. The base was nearly vacated of all US Forces on 16 December 2011, the 20th Engineer Brigade, serving as the COB Adder Mayor Cell and Theatre Engineer Brigade, led and managed the transition of the final US base in Iraq. The closure of this base and the movement of the remaining US Forces to Kuwait were the final actions in Operation New Dawn
29.
Balad Air Base
–
Balad Air Base is an Iraqi Air Force base located near Balad in the Sunni Triangle 40 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq. The base was handed back to the Iraqi Air Force during December 2011 returning to be called Balad Air Base, during the Iraq War it was the second largest U. S. Base in Iraq and today is home to the Iraqi Air Forces General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons, Balad was formerly known as al-Bakr AB, named in honor of Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, the president of Iraq from 1968 to 1979. It was considered by many in the Iraqi military to be the most important airfield of the Iraqi Air Force, during most of the 1980s, it operated with at least a brigade level force, with two squadrons of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighters. Al-Bakr AB was especially known for the large number of hardened aircraft shelters built by the Yugoslavs during the Iran–Iraq War in the mid-1980s. It had four hardened areas—one each on either end of the main runways—with approximately 30 individual aircraft shelters, the base was captured during April 2003 as part of the Iraq War The Armys 310th Sustainment Command and the Air Forces 332d Air Expeditionary Wing were headquartered at JBB. It was decided that the facility share one name, even though for reasons and for its many occupants. Until mid-2008 the US Army had been in charge of the base but, Balad was the central logistical hub for forces in Iraq. Camp Anaconda has also been more colloquially-termed Life Support Area Anaconda or the Big Snake and it housed 28,000 military personnel and 8,000 civilian contractors. Carrie Underwood played there in December 2006 and Gary Sinise visited again going out of his way to greet the troops at the Base/Post Exchange, oct 2007 - Dec 2008 602nd Maintenance Co. By mid-2006, this rate had dropped by about 40%, due to these attacks, the soldiers and airmen refer to the base as Mortaritaville, though this name is shared with other bases in Iraq. Joint Base Balad had a burn pit operation as late as the summer of 2008 burning 147 tons of waste per day when the Army Times published a story about it. Respiratory difficulties and headaches were reported, Joint base Balad was also home to the Air Force Theater Hospital, a Level I trauma center which boasts a 98% survival rate for wounded Americans and Iraqis alike. As American forces left Iraq, Joint Base Balad was returned to the Iraqi Air Force in December 2011, the base came under attack by ISIS militants in late June 2014, with the insurgents launching mortar attacks and reportedly surrounding the base on three sides. The base is home to the Iraqi Air Forces General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons
30.
39th Brigade Support Battalion (United States)
–
39th Brigade Support Battalion is an element of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, of the Arkansas Army National Guard. The battalion is headquartered at Hazen, Arkansas, the 39th Support Battalion was constituted on 2 November 1967 from existing units in central Arkansas and assigned to the 39th Infantry Brigade with headquarters in Hazen. Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 206th Field Artillery Regiment, at Hazen was reorganized and redesignated as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, in 1996, the unit reorganized into only four companies, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Company A, Company B, and Company C. The Forward Support Companies are task-organized to the battalion they habitually support, members of the unit supported a 2002 deployment in support of the Multinational Force and Observers mission in Egypt. The battalion has mobilized twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, once in 2003–2005, on order, the 39th Brigade Support Battalion will mobilize and deploy in order to plan and supervise logistics and combat health service support operations for the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. 2–153rd was sent to Egypt in order to take over the Multinational Force and Observers mission, in 2003, a platoon from Company A mobilizes along with the 1123rd Transportation Company for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Except for the deployment to Bosnia in 2000 in support of SFOR09, in 1999, volunteers from Company A deployed with B/3-153rd Infantry to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Southern Watch. In 2001, members of the HHC Property Book Section and several medics from Company C along with a doctor deployed to the Sinai Peninsula in support of the Multinational Force Observers mission. In 2002, the 39th SB was notified that it would be participating in a rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, LA along with the rest of the 39th Brigade. The battalion was required to complete a Mission Rehearsal Exercise during the Annual Training 2003 which was conducted at Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, Arkansas. Less than a month after the completion of major training milestone. On 12 October 2003, the 39th SB, commanded by LTC Allen P. Hargis, was ordered to service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II for a period of up to eighteen months. The battalion would undergo post mobilization training at Fort Hood, Texas, in January, the brigade shipped its vehicles and equipment to Iraq from Fort Hood, and then moved to Fort Polk for a Mission Rehearsal Exercise at the JRTC. When the battalion received its alert, it was approximately 130 soldiers short of its end strength. The 39th Support Battalion was stationed at Camp Taji, Iraq, the battalion effectively conducted its doctrinal missions supporting the 39th Brigade Combat Team, and they performed numerous non-doctrinal missions. One such mission was running the Division Distribution Center in which they performed supply support for the entire 1st Cavalry Division and this mission is normally conducted by a Main Support Battalion. These are just two examples of the missions the Providers conducted over the course of the deployment that caused it to be recognized by the 1st Cavalry Division commander. The Iraqi deployment did not come without cost, the 39th Support Battalion lost five soldiers to enemy contact
31.
82nd Airborne Division
–
The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army, specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areas. Based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the 82nd Airborne Division is part of the XVIII Airborne Corps, the 82nd Airborne Division is the U. S. Armys most strategically mobile division. Some sources consider the 82nd Airborne Division the most highly trained light infantry division in the world, recently the 82nd Airborne has been conducting operations in Iraq. The 82nd Airborne has been assigned to advise and assist Iraqi Security Forces, since its initial members came from all 48 states, the unit acquired the nickname All-American, which is the basis for its famed AA shoulder patch. Famous soldiers of the division include Sergeant Alvin C, York, General James M. Colonel Chris Gibson, Brigade Commander 325 Airborne Infantry, New York Congressman. The 82nd Division was first constituted on 5 August 1917 during World War I in the National Army and it was organized and formally activated on 25 August 1917 at Camp Gordon, Georgia. The division consisted entirely of conscripted soldiers. The citizens of Atlanta held a contest to give a nickname to the new division, Major General Eben Swift, the commanding general, chose All American to reflect the unique composition of the 82nd—it had soldiers from all 48 states. The bulk of the division was two infantry brigades, each commanding two regiments, the 163rd Infantry Brigade commanded the 325th Infantry Regiment and the 326th Infantry Regiment. The 164th Infantry Brigade commanded the 327th Infantry Regiment and the 328th Infantry Regiment and it sailed to Europe to join the American Expeditionary Force, commanded by General John Pershing, on the Western Front. William P. Burnham, who had commanded the 164th Brigade, led the division during most of its training. In early April, the division embarked from the ports in Boston, New York and Brooklyn to Liverpool, England, on 16 June it moved by rail to Toul, France to take position on the front lines in the French sector. Its soldiers were issued French weapons and equipment to simplify resupply, the division was briefly assigned to I Corps before falling under the command of IV Corps until late August. It was then moved to the Woëvre front, in the Lagney sector, the division relieved the 26th Division on 25 June. Though Lagney was considered a defensive sector, the 82nd Division actively patrolled and raided in the region for several weeks, from there it moved to the Marbache sector in mid-August, where it relieved the 2nd Division under the command of the newly formed US First Army. There it trained until 12 September, when the division joined the St. Mihiel offensive, once the First Army jumped off on the offensive, the 82nd Division engaged in a holding mission to prevent German forces from attacking the right flank of the First Army. On 15 September, the 328th Infantry, in order to protect the 90th Divisions flank, resumed the advance, and reached Vandières, on 17 September, the St-Mihiel Operation stabilized, and the 90th Division relieved the 82nds troops west of the Moselle River. During this operation, the division suffered casualties from enemy artillery
32.
Hurricane Katrina
–
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest natural disaster and one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. The storm is ranked as the third most intense United States landfalling tropical cyclone. Overall, at least 1,245 people died in the hurricane and subsequent floods, total property damage was estimated at $108 billion, roughly four times the damage wrought by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 in the United States. Early the following day, the new depression intensified into Tropical Storm Katrina, the cyclone headed generally westward toward Florida and strengthened into a hurricane only two hours before making landfall at Hallandale Beach and Aventura on August 25. After very briefly weakening to a storm, Katrina emerged into the Gulf of Mexico on August 26. The storm caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas, much of it due to the storm surge, severe property damage occurred in coastal areas, such as Mississippi beachfront towns, over 90 percent of these were flooded. Boats and casino barges rammed buildings, pushing cars and houses inland, over fifty breaches in New Orleanss hurricane surge protection were the cause of the majority of the death and destruction during Katrina on August 29,2005. Eventually 80% of the city and large tracts of neighboring parishes became flooded, according to a modeling exercise conducted by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, two-thirds of the deaths in Greater New Orleans were due to levee and floodwall failure. All of the studies concluded that the USACE, the designers and builders of the levee system as mandated by the Flood Control Act of 1965, is responsible. This is mainly due to a decision to use shorter steel sheet pilings in an effort to save money, exactly ten years after Katrina, J. Many other government officials were criticized for their responses, especially New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, several agencies including the United States Coast Guard, National Hurricane Center, and National Weather Service were commended for their actions. They provided accurate hurricane weather tracking forecasts with sufficient lead time, Hurricane Katrina formed as Tropical Depression Twelve over the southeastern Bahamas on August 23,2005, as the result of an interaction of a tropical wave and the remains of Tropical Depression Ten. It strengthened into Tropical Storm Katrina on the morning of August 24, the tropical storm moved towards Florida, and became a hurricane only two hours before making landfall between Hallandale Beach and Aventura on the morning of August 25. The storm weakened over land, but it regained hurricane status about one hour after entering the Gulf of Mexico, on August 27, the storm reached Category 3 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, becoming the third major hurricane of the season. An eyewall replacement cycle disrupted the intensification, but caused the storm to nearly double in size, the storm rapidly intensified after entering the Gulf, growing from a Category 3 hurricane to a Category 5 hurricane in just nine hours. This rapid growth was due to the movement over the unusually warm waters of the Loop Current. Katrina attained Category 5 status on the morning of August 28 and reached its peak strength at 1800 UTC that day, with sustained winds of 175 mph. However, this record was broken by Hurricane Rita
United States
