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
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
Posted by Scott Fontaine @ 08:12:12 pm

The Iraqi police chief wanted the American soldiers to build a wall to protect his officers from sniper fire.

He wanted them to fix his station’s showers and toilets.

He needed drinkable water, glass for windows and new doors.

He asked for rocket-propelled grenades, rifles, night-vision binoculars and a television.

Lt. Michael Cryer, a platoon leader with the Fort Lewis-based 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, tried his hardest to reassure the Iraqi, at least about the security wall.

“That’s something we can definitely talk to our commanders about,” Cryer said Thursday. “We know it’s important to you, and we want to help you.”

The session was part of a training exercise at Fort Lewis in which Iraq-bound Stryker platoons are participating this and next week. The Iraqi police chief was a role player.

He smiled and switched subjects. The American military wrongfully detained one of his officers last week. The man had done nothing wrong, the chief insisted.

Cryer, sharing a table with the police chief, an interpreter and five others from the platoon, told him he would ask about the case and verify why the policeman was detained.

“I am telling the truth,” the chief said, “because I am not a liar.”

=> Read more!

Categories: Military
Posted by Matt Misterek @ 06:32:57 pm

A soldier who was killed in a car crash at Fort Lewis was identified Thursday as 22-year-old Pvt. Nahum Abriz-Sanchez of Tyler, Texas.

Abriz-Sanchez, who died early Saturday, was assigned to Headquarters & Headquarters Company of the 593rd Sustainment Brigade, said Fort Lewis spokesman Joseph Piek.

Abriz-Sanchez joined the Army in April and was assigned to Fort Lewis in October.

“It’s a tough time anytime we lose a soldier, and it’s especially tough when we lose a soldier in an accident,” Piek said. “We extend our condolences to his family and friends back home in Texas.”

(This report comes from News Tribune reporter Brian Everstine.)

Categories: Military