Gut-Wrenching...

In this image released by the U.S. military, a soldier from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., scans his sector for threats using a Stryker vehicle for cover on a main road in Muqdadiyah, about 90 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2008 during Operation Raider Harvest. The top U.S. commander in still-volatile northern Iraq said Wednesday that a nationwide operation launched against insurgents was meeting less resistance than expected, but that troops would pursue extremists until they are dead or pushed out of the country. (AP Photo/U. S. Army, Spc. John Crosby/ho)

Evening! Wow - the flow of information from all my info hounds today has kept me busy. I am sure you have seen all the posts so I won't bore you with them.

Regrettably, some of the news has been ugly, gut-wrenching. Hearts are breaking somewhere in our world. I would ask that you spend time in prayer tonight. Pray for the families and loved ones of these fallen angels, for the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment warriors who are in the fight at this very moment...for all the warriors working this operation...won't you?

The words of Ms. Marti are spot on for me..."I have to keep reminding myself that our warriors are more than well trained. They are experts at the jobs they do and they will be all right."

Tonights blog...the Bread Basket...I have been asked by some what the heck is the Bread Basket, why should I care, and why is this op any different from the other ops that have been conducted? Fair questions...

To answer them and provide some additional insight, I would encourage you to spend some time with an article written by Phillip Carter, an attorney with McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP in New York City, and a former Army officer and an Iraq veteran.

The article is called Deadly Diyala - here are some snippets I pulled from within the article that might pique your interest...

"Recent dispatches from Iraq should change that. Over the last week, seven U.S. combat battalions (roughly 10 percent of the total American combat force in Iraq) have poured into a 100-square-mile area northeast of Baghdad to root out al-Qaida in Mesopotamia cells. There have been many similar offensives over the last five years, but this one may be different."

"Commanders call this area of Diyala province the "breadbasket." The Diyala River flows down from the Hamrin mountain range, giving rise to verdant farms, palm groves, and riverine areas that bear little resemblance to more arid areas in the south and west of Iraq. Small towns dot the countryside, ranging from as few as 50 residents to as many as 100,000 in the main town of Muqdadiyah. To the north and east, the Diyala river valley gives way to rugged mountains dominated by Iraqi Kurds. The rocky terrain, small towns, and dense vegetation offer countless ways and places for insurgents to evade detection."

"The human terrain in this part of the Diyala province also creates challenges for U.S. commanders. Historically, the Diyala river valley served as a resort area for Saddam Hussein's government. Today's insurgency, and to a lesser extent, al-Qaida in Mesopotamia, relies on those roots for sustenance and support. Journalists in Diyala report extensive foreknowledge about the offensive among civilians, who use such low-tech (but highly effective) methods as counting helicopters to gauge U.S. military activity."

"Although these Iraqi units will inherit a security situation substantially better than that of one year ago, they will also have to contend with the tough challenges posed by places like Diyala, to say nothing of Kirkuk and Mosul. Ready or not, these Iraqi troops will write the final chapter of the Iraq war with their performance. Meanwhile, our seven battalions in the Diyala river valley soldier on."

Got your attention? Again, if you have time I would recommend it as a read...

I will be thinking and praying for our warriors tonight...just like I do every night. What will you be doing?

Chris, I love you buddy. You are constantly on my heart and in our prayers...three simple words but they express how I feel...I love you!

Be safe!

v/r,
- Collabman