Lt. Col. Alfredo Mycue (left) features as a prominent character in an expansive article about Iraq in Der Spiegel, the German news magazine. Mycue commands the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment Strykers out of Fort Lewis. While Der Spiegel's Ullrich Fichtner found promising conditions in some places, such as Ramadi, he calls the south Baghdad district that Mycue and his men patrol "The Hell Zone."Photo: Tina Hager/DER SPIEGEL/Agentur Focus

There's a lot to chew on in Ullrich Fichtner's long piece in Der Spiegel on his fourth trip into Iraq – found it courtesy of a link on Talisman Gate.

His description of Ramadi is almost unbelievable when you consider what that place was said to be like before.

But his picture of Mycue's southern Baghdad district is grim – it starts on Part 4. Check it out when you've got some time to read.

While the Department of Defense hasn't yet put out the names of the 14 soldiers who were killed in Wednesday's crash, several of the families have come forward to say their soldier was among the dead.

The Fresno Bee reports that one of those killed was Pfc. Nathan Hubbard of Clovis, Calif., who joined the Army with his brother Jason in 2005 after their brother, Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Hubbard, was killed in Ramadi in 2004.

Meantime folks around Fort Lewis are waiting for word as to the identities of the four UH-60 crew members who were killed in the crash. Family members said one was Capt. Corry Paul Tyler, a father of three who lived in Puyallup.

See Army Air Crews for an excellent online tribute to the aviators who have been killed in the line of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the war on terror.

For a glimpse into how I Corps' training might go as they prepare for their likely deployment to Iraq in early 2009, take a look at how the XVIII Airborne Corps has been preparing to do the same mission early next year.

The two-star director of joint training at the Joint Forces Command and the XVIII Airborne Corps' one-star deputy commander for operations briefed Pentagon reporters today.

A couple interesting take-aways: The corps will likely be running training exercises for the division headquarters that will be headed to Iraq next year. And it looks like Fort Lewis could play host to senior leaders from the Iraqi ground forces for at least one training exercise in the months leading up to the deployment.

Here's another good piece from the Los Angeles Times' Alexandra Zavis, with an on-the-ground look at what the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment is contending with in Dora, in the heart of Baghdad.

The headline says it all: "Iraq's 'Alamo' simmers."

Looking back on the past 15 months, the 2-3 and the rest of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Strykers have been up to their armpits in some of the toughest places in Iraq: Ghaziliyah, Dora, Haifa Street, Sadr City, Baqouba.

Looking north from the road that runs atop the Mosul Dam, you get a sense for how much water it's holding back. If engineers' worst fears are realized, all that water ...

... would wind up down here, on the down-river side of the dam, and then on to Mosul.

It seems like a long time ago but Mosul used to be the center of gravity for Fort Lewis' folks in Iraq. Not a lot of news out of there of late, but that could be changing soon as various sources are now reporting that the big dam up north of the city is on the verge of catastrophic failure.

The Army Times' Kelly Kennedy reports in this week's edition that parts of FOB Marez and the Mosul Airfield -- where a U.S. military hospital is located -- would be in the path of the 12 billion cubic feet of water that would be moving south if the dam fails. And that's to say nothing of the heavily populated right and left banks of the Tigris through Mosul and what remains of the ancient city of Nineveh, in the heart of the city.

Kennedy reports U.S. commanders say they've spent $28 million on repairs but the whole thing needs to be rebuilt because Saddam built it on gypsum.

On at least two occasions now PLU French prof Mark Jensen has taken me to task on the United for Peace Pierce County web site for his view that I have failed to adequately cover Lt. Gen. Charles H. Jacoby's report on detainee operations in Afghanistan. Bottom line up front: Reasonable people can disagree about what should be covered in a news story, but Jacoby's report doesn't say what Jensen says it does.

=> Read more!

The 62nd Medical Brigade from Fort Lewis -- their motto: "Proud and steadfast!" -- have taken over responsibility for command and control of the medical mission in Iraq. They completed the transfer with the 3rd Medical Command in a ceremony last week at the Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory.

The brigade left Lewis in July for its third Iraq deployment, 15 months this time.

The brigade said in a press release it's now responsible for more than 3,500 soldiers, sailors and airmen providing care across Iraq to U.S., coalition and Iraqi forces and civilians.

Military Reporters and Editors -- "the official association of military journalists" -- is out with its annual awards.

The top prize, the 2007 Galloway Award, went to ESPN.com for its investigation of the fratricide of Pat Tillman and the Army coverup that followed.

The competition was judged by faculty members at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Follow the link to read the other award winners.

Diomaris Neris of Lakewood got to know Alcantara while he was stationed at Fort Lewis. She wanted to share her memories of the young soldier, killed Aug. 6 in Baqouba.

"He was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic and immigrated to New York City at the age of five months. He joined the Army immediately after graduating high school because he wanted to use his GI bill to pay for college.

"He was very excited about going to Iraq because as he put it 'we are going to kick butt.' He was so excited about coming (home) next month because he couldn't wait to meet his daughter. It breaks my heart to think he didn't get that chance.

"... He also wanted to be a police officer once he got out of the military. In addition to being in love with his daughter and being excited about being a soldier, Cpl. Alcantara was a wonderful and loyal friend. Once he became your friend he was truly your friend.

"He loved to laugh (and make others laugh), dance, play basketball and football. It was through his love for dancing that he and my daughter met - dancing at Latin Sensation in Fort Lewis. They became good friends, especially after he found out that she was of Dominican descent as well.

"The night before his deployment he and members of his unit came over to my house for dinner and despite leaving for war he was upbeat and his jovial self. I am deeply saddened by his death as are all of his friends. Juan truly was a human being that made the world a better place."

I have a friend in northern Iraq who is a Yazidi, someone I met on the two trips there with troops from Fort Lewis. He did not lose any family members in the terrorist bombings that killed hundreds of his people, but treated many of the victims in the hospital. He is angry and sounds desperate about the situation there.

I have promised him before that I would not use his name because he fears that it subject him and his family to attack.

He wrote:

"Do you know that what happened yesterday was the most barbaric sectarian attack since April 9, 2003.

"Do you know that all Yazidis in Iraq are less than 200,000 and all over the world are less than one million.

"Do you know that along the whole humanitarian history the Yazidis were the most peaceful people and the most poor and the most humble and they never did anything bad for any one from another religion.

"If you would like to help Yazidis by your pen or your newspaper, you have to ask from UN and USA goverment to help them because the Iraqi goverment and all Muslims had a long history in persecuting Yazidis and genociding them.

"Till now Thursday, Aug. 16 the deads were about 400 and injured about 600.

"Dear friend I am sorry to upset you by this but day by day we feel that the death is so close to me and my town and my family.

"We really do not know what to do. Staying in Iraq is so dangerous but I do not have any other option.

"The real truth that you have to know is: the USA play a role in Iraq. You know every Iraqi now, especially Yazidis and Christians, know that USA does not want Iraq to settle down. I do not know why but this is the truth. How the largest state all over the world can't defeat simple terrorists?!!!!

"I am sorry to say that but the Iraqi goverment & USA goverment are playing with destiny of the Iraqi people.

"Thank you again and I hope you safe all the time. My best regards to you and your family."

The BBC has more Yazidi reaction and context here, and I'll put up this link if you want to read more about the Yazidi religious beliefs and history.

And this Kurdish web site has more context on the recent strife between Yazidi, Muslims and others in northern Iraq.

It's been a few weeks since we last heard from Lt. Col. Matt Green, writing about his experiences with a police training team in Iraq. This installment, No. 20, is out of sequence. No. 18 ended with a surprise -- an arrest warrant issued for Green's comrade, Iraqi National Police Brig. Gen. Bahaa.

We're trying to get our hands on No. 19, but in the meantime, here's No. 20 (and we are assuming that things turned out OK for Bahaa).

July 20, 2007

“Six, this is Five, ya see the smoke?”

“Roger, looks like it’s in our sector.”

“Check it out?”

“Please.”

We turned right, back into the heat instead of left and back home. An afternoon meeting and lunch with a panel of retired four-star generals making their rounds at the beck and call of some congressional or presidential commission had gone exceptionally well. Nothing else was on the schedule and the previous few days had been hectic, so we were going to pack it in early. But a tall pillar of black smoke was a pretty clear indication that the plan was changing.

=> Read more!

The post has scheduled two memorial ceremonies this week for the 10 soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division who were killed in recent attacks in Iraq.

Gonzalez	Heinlein	Jairala	Santos	Rojas-Gallego	Salinas

At 2 p.m. Wednesday, the post will remember Spc. Zachariah J. Gonzalez, Pfc. Charles T. Heinlein, Jr., Pfc. Alfred H. Jairala, Staff Sgt. Fernando Santos, Spc. Cristian Rojas-Gallego and Spc. Eric D. Salinas.

At 11 a.m. Friday, there will be a ceremony for Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Thompson, Sgt. Nicholas A. Gummersall, Cpl. Juan M. Alcantara and Cpl. Kareem R. Khan.

Thompson	Gummersall	Alcantara	Khan

Both ceremonies will be held at the Main Post Chapel.

I took this picture of Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Thompson in Samarra in December 2003, when he was a specialist in the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Division. He was with Blackhawk Company, and the soldiers were searching houses where insurgents were believed to have stashed weapons and ammunition. Samarra was a real hot spot back then, and it was the Stryker brigade's first big combat operation after arriving in Iraq earlier in the month.

You can read stories about Thompson in the Minnesota papers here and here and here.

An Army photographer captured Sgt. Nicholas A. Gummersall back in February, laughing it up with Iraqi kids while on patrol in Baghdad. Photo: Sgt. Tierney Knowland/U.S. Army

The New Jersey papers have stories about Spc. Kareem R. Khan, including this excellent piece in the Asbury Park Press.

New York papers had short stories Friday and Saturday about Cpl. Juan M. Alcantara. The Post reported he never got to see his newborn daughter, and that he aspired to one day become a New York City policeman like his sister. The Stamford Advocate had the most comprehensive story.

There's more about the battalion's recent work in Baghdad's Doura district in a Washington Times story this morning.

Attacks are down and the battalion has begun to put out contracts for reconstruction projects, although they know that the militias, the terrorists and the street gangs are demanding a cut from the Iraqis who win the jobs.

"It is accepting reality on the ground. The more realistic of us have always known it, that this is not a black and white place," the 2-3 battalion commander, Lt. Col. Barry Huggins, told the Times.

I sent a note to Lt. Col. Barry Huggins asking for comment on his battalion's losses over the last several days. He commands the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment – "The Old Guard" – and has seen six of his men killed this past week by insurgent bombs in Baghdad.

Spc. Zachariah J. Gonzalez, Pfc. Charles T. Heinlein, Jr., and Pfc. Alfred H. Jairala were killed July 31. Staff Sgt. Fernando Santos, Spc. Cristian Rojas-Gallego and Spc. Eric D. Salinas died Aug. 2.

Huggins' reply:

"It was a rough week; we are operating in parts of Baghdad that have been dangerous for a long while. Things are relatively better lately, but this past week was a stark reminder that we can ill afford to be complacent as we near the end of our tour.

"The Soldiers who died were single, married, with and without children, from Texas and Michigan, California and New York, Florida and Colorado; they ranged in age from 24 to 29; they were riflemen and grenadiers, team leaders and a squad leaders. Here, they were brothers, and they made a difference - from Mosul to Najaf, and all over Baghdad, they helped Shi'a
and Sunni alike, without hesitation. These men were the best of their generation, and we miss them terribly.

"The rest of the battalion went back to work, in their honor, and the
Soldiers did what they do so well -- they grieved, then put it aside and went back about accomplishing their mission. We have had some very proud moments lately, watching attacks and murders in the area where we are operating go from 53 a week to 12; still high, but a significant reduction. That has allowed us to bring in sewer and water line repairmen, and issue small business grants to jumpstart commerce; and we, like everyone else, are knee-deep in reconciling formerly intransigent elements with their government.

"We will turn our mission over to another Stryker battalion soon, and we're
all ready to do it; we will leave sadder, maybe wiser, and proud of what we
have done for people who will never know our names."

Megan Rojas-Gallego called me Tuesday afternoon to take issue with information that I printed in this morning's story about her husband, Spc. Cristian Rojas-Gallego, 24, one of three Stryker soldiers killed in a bombing Thursday in Baghdad.

I reported that the soldier's brother had told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that after serving a hitch in the Marine Corps and then trying life as a civilian, he rejoined the military – the Army this time – because he hadn't been able to make ends meet and Megan was expecting their third child.

That's not how it was at all, Megan told me.

"My husband was a patriot, OK?" she said. "He joined the Army because I wanted to join. He told me, 'No, honey. You're too beautiful. Let me go.' He was the bread winner. He didn't want me to do it."

What's more, she said they didn't learn she was pregnant until after they arrived at Fort Lewis. And he was doing just fine income-wise in the work he'd found after the Marines.

Megan Rojas-Gallego said readers should not draw the conclusion that they were desperate or poor or lacking in options. Her husband served three combat tours in Iraq as a Marine and willingly returned as a soldier, she said.

"He was a perfect husband. A wonderful man. A wonderful father."

It's short notice I know but there's still time to get down to Military Appreciation Night at Cheney Stadium tonight.

There'll be a color guard, tributes to the branches of the service and the Rainiers will wear the shirts you see on the right. Granted, it's not that grayish digitized motif that's all the rage in Baghdad just now, but there's a certain flair to the BDU-style trim, don't you think?

The shirts will be autographed and auctioned off, proceeds to benefit the Mike Coolbaught Memorial Fund. He was the Tulsa Drillers hitting coach and father of three who was killed a few weeks back when he was struck by a line drive in the head.

About 80 soldiers from Company C of the 373rd Military Intelligence Battalion are scheduled to return home to Fort Lewis after a year-long deployment in Iraq.

The reservists were assigned "to conduct military intelligence collection missions" in Baghdad and southern Iraq, Fort Lewis said in a press release.

My McClatchy colleague Mike Drummond has folks a little bit worked up with his report about "segregated bathrooms" at FOB Warhorse in Baqouba, where the Fort Lewis Strykers from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division are headquartered these days.

(We ran it Saturday under the headline, "Interpreters in Iraq claim U.S. racism.")

The gist of Drummond's story is that at Warhorse, some latrines are off-limits to Iraqis, and that Drummond and an Iraqi interpreter at the FOB and a spokesperson for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Commitee in Washington, D.C., think that's bad.

I have not been to Warhorse, but I can report there were similar measures at many of the other FOBs I stayed at across Iraq in 2003 and 2004. And the practice had nothing to do with racism.

Many of the Iraqis that were hired to work as laborers on the American military FOBs were local country folks from the towns and villages nearby. Don't want to get too graphic here, but there are differences in the way people go to the bathroom.

The latrine trailers at U.S. military FOBs are built to accommodate the American way of pooping (i.e. sitting): individual stalls, porcelain bowls, toilet seats and paper, flushes, and so on.

Many Iraqis are accustomed to squatting, and so they would climb up on the commode with their feet on either side of the seat and squat down and do their business. Their aim was not always true.

For the troops, who live day in and day out in close proximity to dozens or even hundreds of their closest friends, it is no small thing to have a quiet, private and clean place to poop.

And I can tell you from personal experience that it is a singularly unpleasant surprise to hike to the latrine in the dark, in your flip-flops, with your favorite magazine tucked discretely under your arm, and open the stall door to see. ... Let's just say it was foul.

I can see why the Iraqi guys who work as interpreters – citified, educated, Westernized – would be offended at the restriction.

But what are the folks who run the FOBs supposed to do -- station bilingual attendants outside each latrine trailer to politely inquire of all who enter, "Sitter, or squatter?"

McClatchy's Nancy Youssef has an interview today with retired Gen. Volney F. Warner, who draws parallels between Iraq and Vietnam. He's the former four-star commander of the U.S. Army Readiness Command (which became the U.S. Army Forces Command).

Warner was also 9th Infantry Division and Fort Lewis commander as a two-star back in 1975-77 and then moved to Fort Bragg as three-star boss of the XVIII Airborne Corps.

Another Fort Lewis connection: He is the grandfather of Lt. Laura Walker, a young officer with the post's 864th Engineer Battalion who was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in 2005.

We generally don't see much coverage of the Fort Lewis military police units that are in Iraq and Afghanistan -- not sure why that is. The Army public affairs folks did this feature Thursday, about the 571st MP Company in Baqoubah, and posted it on the MNF-I web site.

Unfortunately, the writer and editor somehow omitted the rank and first name of the only American soldier who was quoted in the short story, somebody named Parker. Anybody know who that is?