LTC Olinger

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is my last update from Baghdad, Iraq and I'll be off the net for about 7 days. For those of you remaining in Iraq best wishes to you, your soldiers, and families. Keep your powder dry. For all of you thank you again for the support you have provided and professional advice. The TF 1AD G4 is spread across three countries again with us redeploying to Germany and the United States. Attached is the photo of the team present here in Iraq after our last update this morning and includes MAJ Crook, USAF, our Staff Weather Officer.

God Bless of you. Take care and I'll see you on the high ground.

LTC O

Happy 4th of July! Today we cased the colors of Task Force 1st Armored Division, marking the conclusion of our mission here in Iraq. With this event our Soldiers and units are preparing to redeploy to home station.

228 years ago, an assembly of brave and determined Americans met to announce to the world the birth of a new nation, a nation borne of ideals rather than of coercion, where the power to govern rested with the consent of the people. Adams, Franklin, Livingston, Sherman, and Jefferson, starting with just a few words etched on simple parchment, set in motion a radical experiment in democracy and in free enterprise.

Not surprising, the Declaration of Independence signed by those visionaries caused panic in the capitals of Europe. It moved King George III to order the English churches to conduct prayer services against it. The Declaration of Independence also inspired enlightened men everywhere, statesmen, scientists, philosophers, and theologians, to abandon old ways of power and privilege and to embrace new ideals of freedom and justice. Slowly, they began to remake the world on principles that the Founders believed were self-evident and the world has never been the same.

Amid the spectacular fireworks, parades and barbecues most will be able to reflect on the precious endowment given to our nation and to our world by the Founders. Across the world Americans will pause to remember the tremendous effort and sacrifice rendered by millions of Americans who have preserved that endowment for generations yet to come.

We follow in the footsteps of previous generations, liberating the oppressed, fostering democratic reforms and above all, protecting the American people, even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice. As long as America is blessed with such young heroes, the efforts of the Founding Fathers will not have been in vain and the fruits of their labors will be preserved for each future generation of Americans.

History has shown the tremendous potential possessed by a nation whose citizens are willing to fight for ideals, willing to take a stand for freedom and the right of national self-determination. British military strategist Sir Liddell Hart once said that "Soldiers who are infused with a faith will beat men who have no faith; only a good one can withstand the impact." From the Revolutionary War to the liberation of Iraq, America's Soldiers have proved the truth behind that time-tested idiom and few have withstood their impact. Liberty and freedom are our Soldiers' gifts to the Nation.

President Truman’s July 4th message to the Nation in the immediate aftermath of World War II holds special relevance for us today. He wrote:

“This year, the men and women of our armed forces, and many civilians as well, are celebrating the anniversary of American Independence in other countries throughout the world. Citizens of these other lands will understand what we celebrate and why, for freedom is dear to the hearts of all men everywhere. In other lands, others will join us in honoring our declaration that all men are created equal and are endowed with certain inalienable rights — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Have a safe and blessed Independence Day. God bless you, your families, our Nation, and our Soldiers.

We are four days away from the transfer of sovereignty back to the Iraqi people. As most of you are aware of from the news the insurgents are attacking Iraqi Government officials, Iraqi Security Forces, and the Coalition. What you may not be seeing are the success stories occurring across the country. Thanks to U.S., Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces, these children have been freed from a life under a brutal dictatorship to pursue their dreams. A majority of the Iraqis want to move into the future, have their own government, but they remember 35 years of the Ba’ath Party.

Since the extension of Task Force 1st Armored Division in early April our soldiers have taken Al Kut and Ad Diwaniyah by force defeating elements of Sadr’s Mahdi’s Army. In Al Kut, soldiers began rebuilding a government building that will house the town's elders and have hired about 50 former members of Sadr's Mahdi's Army to reopen an amusement park. When they were part of the militia, all they were doing was looking for a job. Al Kut is called Mayberry today, because it is so peaceful.

Following our success in those two cities we focused our efforts against the insurgents in Karbala and Najaf. In those cities we established military exclusion zones around the Holy Shrines. Because of the Holy Shrines we had to conduct a very subtle and precise operations against Sadr’s militia. In Karbala based on intelligence detailing the insurgent’s exact locations, commanders put 70-ton M1A1 Abrams tanks right into the city square. In another instance, soldiers discovered and freed four Iraqi policemen who had been kidnapped, gagged and beaten. One agreed to go on Arab TV and tell Iraqis what cleric al-Sadr's men did to him. In the course of six weeks of tough fighting we defeated this militia in both cities. We accomplished this by the use of tanks, infantry, and attack helicopter conducting intelligence-based operations and capturing key leaders.

Last week we completed the vanquishing of radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's renegade militia. His status has been left up to the Iraqi government and people. While some insurgents remain and continue to offer resistance. Their days are numbered as sovereignty is returned to the Iraqi people and the insurgents are isolated.

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigues of supporting it.”

Today is the Army’s 229th Birthday and it is serving a Nation at war. The Global War on Terrorism will not be short and requires a deep and enduring commitment. Since its birth over a year before the Declaration of Independence the United States Army has performed a vital role in the growth and development of our nation. The foundations of this decision by the Continental Congress began with the mobilization of the militia and minutemen in April 1775 to confront British Regulars marching out of Boston to Lexington and Concord to seize military stores at Concord on April 19th. It was Captain James Parker who at Lexington said “Stand your ground; don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” In fighting the regulars the militia and minutemen fought their way into the hearts of Americans of all the following generations, and few are the calls to patriotic spirit that do not evoke them as a symbol of preparedness.

After reaching a consensus position the Continental Congress authorized the creation of the Continental Army. The desire for secrecy accounts for the sparseness of the official journal entries and the record indicates only that Congress undertook to raise ten companies of riflemen. The following day George Washington was appointed the General and Commander-in-Chief.

Since the end of the Revolution, American Soldiers, imbued with the spirit of the original patriots, have pledged their allegiance to our Nation through their sacrifices in uniform. The battles, campaigns, and wars in which the American soldier has fought includes Miami, Lundy’s Lane, Bladensburg, New Orleans, Seminoles, Vera Cruz, Chapultepec, Bull Run, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Appomattox, Little Big Horn, Pine Ridge, Santiago, Peking, Mindanao, Cambrai, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, New Guinea, Sicily, Normandy, Rhineland, Korea, Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia, and the on-going war against terrorism.

Our Soldiers will always place the mission first, never accept defeat, never quit and will never leave a fallen comrade. Nevertheless, the mission will continue to be the same as it has been since its founding, to close with and destroy the enemy.

“A thoughtful mind, when it sees a Nation's flag, sees not the flag only, but the Nation itself; and whatever may be its symbols, its insignia, he reads chiefly in the flag the Government, the principles, the truths, the history which belongs to the Nation that sets it forth.”

Today America honors the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our great Nation. We remember not only our friends and comrades who served alongside us, but also those brave Americans from generations past whose legacy of service secured our liberty. They did not celebrate war, but they stepped forward and answered when America called. Generations of brave Americans have shouldered the heavy burden of defending freedom, serving a cause worth fighting for. Every generation has had its heroes.

As brave Americans prepared for the Allied invasion of Normandy, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, told his troops, "The eyes of the world are upon you!"

Sixty years ago this June, Allied forces liberated Rome and began the liberation of Western Europe with the landings at Normandy. Their brothers-in-arms, half a world away, steadily drove back Japanese Imperial forces. What the world saw was a tremendous display of courage, honor, and sacrifice. Young Americans placed the mission first, did not accept defeat, did not quit, and did not leave their fallen comrades. Those warriors at a great cost opened the way to the heart of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. We express our gratitude for those who gave their lives to defeat a global threat to democracy and freedom.

The eyes of the world are upon us once again as we face another threat to democracy and freedom - global terrorism. Our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Philippines and all around the globe go bravely into harm's way to guarantee the same liberties Americans defended in World War II. Our Nation’s sons and daughters are serving America with great courage and honor during dangerous times. We owe a debt of gratitude to those heroes who have purchased our freedoms on battlefields around the globe.

It is equally important that we remember the families of our fallen service men and women. Every morning in my prayers I say one asking God to comfort those who've lost loved ones in this war and from previous conflicts. I ask that you keep them in your hearts, prayers and thoughts on this day - and every day.

“Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it.”