FOB Tacoma
Complete coverage of military and veterans issues in the South Puget Sound.

Scott Fontaine covers Fort Lewis, McChord Air Force Base, the Washington National Guard and the veteran community. Fontaine has worked at The News Tribune since 2006. E-mail along story suggestions and tips to scott.fontaine@thenewstribune.com

Or, if you prefer, you can send mail to The News Tribune, PO Box 11000, Tacoma 98411.


Also contributing:
Matt Misterek is the communities and military team leader at The News Tribune and has supervised local military coverage since 2003.
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FOB Tacoma
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007
Posted by Mike Gilbert @ 10:28:37 am

The Austin American-Statesman's Robert W. Gee had a good story yesterday that provides some insight into the job ahead for Col. Jon Lehr, commander of the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

Gee's story profiles the work that Col. David Sutherland has done with local sheiks the last few months in forging reconciliation in post-Arrowhead Ripper Diyala Province. He commands the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.

But now Sutherland's brigade is returning to Fort Hood. It was to formally turn over responsibility for Diyala to the 4-2 in a ceremony this week.

For the 4-2, the change means a greatly expanded area of operations. Sutherland and a senior U.S. military spokesman on Saturday told reporters that the 3-1's depature would result in an overall decrease in American soldiers in Iraq but a net increase in Diyala. Reading the transcript it's not completely clear how the latter is the case, but it is true that a Stryker brigade like Lehr's is much larger and has several hundred more infantrymen to employ than Sutherland's cav brigade.

Two of the 4-2's infantry battalions – the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment and the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment – have moved up from Baghdad to Baqouba and Muqdadiyah to cover down on the new area, brigade officials said.

Last information I had was the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, the 202nd Brigade Support Battalion and the brigade headquarters was still at Taji, and the 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment was working in Baqouba and Khan Bani Sa'ad.

MEANTIME, in case you missed it earlier this week Michael Yon had a one-paragraph update on Baqouba, scene of so much hard work by soldiers from the just-returned 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division before and during Operation Arrowhead Ripper.

An excerpt:

The markets are opening and the streets are again filled with people. I thought the veterans of Baqubah might like to know that their efforts have made a tremendous difference for the people here. You fought hard. This writer saw it. Your sacrifices truly meant something.

Categories: Military, Fort Lewis, Iraq, 4-2 Strykers, 3-2 Strykers 1 comment

COMMENTS:

K S @ 17:06 - Tuesday, November 27th, 2007 Email
The brigade has a great leader. Got a chance about a year and a half ago to hang out with COL Lehr and his wife, without knowing who they were until a few hours into it - great people. COL Lehr really made an effort to make sure he had good leadership in his brigade before they left - I only wish there had been room in his brigade for my own husband to transfer in, but no such luck.
And Mrs. Lehr - I've met a few senior officer's wives, and she was hands-down my favorite - she's a fantastic role model for military wives for supporting your husband but maintaining your own vibrant personality and career. She was awesome.
So if anybody can do the job, I feel like 4/2 has good leadership from top down, and hopefully that helps.

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