Fort Lewis will receive its new garrison commander Thursday.

Col. Thomas H. Brittain will assume the post, tasked largely with running day-to-day operation and supervising growth and construction on post. He takes over for Col. Cynthia Murphy, who has commanded since Aug. 15, 2006. She will take a staff position at I Corps.

The ceremony is 10 a.m. Thursday at Memorial Stadium.

Brittain, an infantry officer and West Point graduate, comes to Lewis after studying at the Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pa.

Murphy won’t be at the ceremony; she relinquished command on July 17 and left early for treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

I Corps/Multi-National Corps-Iraq
Colonel Overcomes Heart Attack (DVIDS)

5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
Snipers Take Aim (DVIDS)

To lead the daily roundup of newslinks about local troops, I submit a source that hasn't been seen in these parts too often. The Pakistan Observer -- which bills itself as the "eyes and ears of Pakistan" and "widely read and trusted daily" reports about the American troop buildup in Afghanistan.

Here's part of what it has to say about 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, which is leaving for South Asia:

The US Stryker Brigade presently under deployment in Kandahar will operate alongside the Canadian Task Force that is struggling to stem the Taliban resilience to evict the occupation forces in the province for the past four years, losing 119 dead and several hundred wounded in the process. A key objective of this troop reinforcement is to impose a greater authority over the southern provinces before the Afghan presidential election on August 20. Taliban leaders have boycotted the ballot, declaring any vote under foreign occupation to be illegitimate.

=> Read more!

Today's daily dose from DVIDS:

I Corps:
Army Celebrates, Soldiers Reflect

4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division:
Interview with Col. John Norris
Stryker Live Fire Exercises
Detainee Operations at JRTC

A few local troops made it into the news this weekend:

The Columbia of Vancouver offers a nice feature on an Army Reserve captain who's a nurse with the 396th Combat Support Hospital.

And DVIDS, where many stories written by public affairs officials are posted, offers a few stories:

Soldiers Hear Message, Address Important Issues to Senior Leader [I Corps]
Highlander Combat Medics and Balad Airmen Deliver Medical Aid to Balad Iraqis [81st Brigade Combat Team]
Medical Treatment at Fort Polk [4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division]
4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Offload at Rail Head Station

Frank Grippe walked on stage with his M-4 rifle in hand. The reaction of the host across the desk – a faux right-winger wearing a camouflage suit and a fresh buzzcut – was one of mock terror.

"Don’t touch that gun," Stephen Colbert said. "I’m a friendly, I’m a friendly."

The crowd of hundreds of service members giggled. Grippe, the command sergeant major for Fort Lewis-based I Corps, cracked a smile.

Welcome to "The Colbert Report," Iraq-style. The Comedy Central show featuring a self-important talking head – the credits list the host as Sir Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, DFA – spent a week with troops in Iraq. Many of the hundreds in the audience are serving in Baghdad with Fort Lewis-based I Corps, which is running daily operations of the military in Iraq.

The tour, organized by the USO, was a great distraction, Grippe told The News Tribune by phone Friday. He and corps commander Lt. Gen Charles Jacoby sat for interviews, and hundreds more were in the audience for the tapings. Colbert also shook hands and chatted with the service members after the cameras were off.

"His audience really fits the demographics of a lot of people in the military today," said Grippe, a 46-year-old New York native. "They’re all about Steve."

Colbert broadcast from the Al Faw Palace, a hulking marble building in Baghdad. The palace is home to Multi-National Corps-Iraq, which I Corps has run since April.

=> Read more!

Fort Lewis' Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby sat down for an interview with Stephen Colbert on last night's episode. Among the

Among the things the men discussed:

Who does more work: Jacoby or his boss, Gen. Ray Odierno?
Which of the 130,000 soldiers deployed to Iraq is Jacoby’s favorite?
Is Afghanistan near Paraguay?
Did the surge work because of its cool name?
Will the lessons in Iraq help with the coming war with Iran?

Check out the episode here.

Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby will be on "The Colbert Report" tonight as part of the show's weeklong broadcast from Baghdad. (Colbert's stage has been erected inside the Al Faw Palace, the marble-and-glass giant inside Victory Base Complex that's home to I Corps durings its deployment as Multi-National Corps-Iraq.)

Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe will be on Thursday night's show.

Colbert spent the first two shows interviewing generals and joes, cracking jokes about military life, going through basic training and playing video greetings from politicians and former presidents. He wore a camouflage suit and delivered his monologues in front of a large, standup microphone while carrying a wooden golf driver, a la Bob Hope.

He talked with Gen. Ray Odierno, the top American commander in Iraq, and broadcast a video message from President Barack Obama ordering Odierno to shave Colbert’s head.

The RSS feeder kicked this up from Gazeta de Sud, a Romanian newspaper:

În cadrul ceremonialului, locotenent-colonelul Gabriel Toma a fost decorat de generalul locotenent american Charles Jacoby, comandantul Corpului Multinaţional din Irak, cu Steaua de Bronz, iar mai mulţi ofiţeri, subofiţeri şi soldaţi gradaţi voluntari au fost decoraţi atât de partenerul american, cât şi de ministrul apărării naţionale, Mihai Stănişoară, şi de şeful statului major general, amiral dr. Gheorghe Marin.

Here's a rough translation (via Google):

=> Read more!

In case you haven't heard, President Barack Obama made a surprise trip to Baghdad today.

His visit included a stop with Multi-National Corps-Iraq, better known around these parts as I Corps.

Here's the press release:

BAGHDAD - In an unannounced visit, President Barack Obama addressed approximately 1,500 United States service members, government civilians and contractors assembled in the rotunda of Al Faw Palace in Baghdad, the headquarters of Multi-National Corps - Iraq, this evening.

During his remarks, the President lauded U.S. troops and government employees for their professionalism and sacrifice, telling them, "You have performed brilliantly in every mission that has been given to you."

The President praised the assembled service members for their steadfast focus on the task at hand: "Through controversy and difficulty and politics, you kept your eyes focused on just doing your job."

President Obama acknowledged that work remains to be done in Iraq, but told the service members that through their service, they have been critical in ensuring that Iraq no longer remains a haven for terrorists. "You have given Iraq the opportunity to stand on its own as a democratic country. That is an extraordinary achievement, and for that you have the thanks of the American people," he said.

In closing his remarks, the President assured the audience that "we have not forgotten what you have already done; we are grateful for what you will do; and as long as I'm in the White House, you're going to get the support you need, and the thanks that you deserve, from a grateful nation."

I Corps took command of day-to-day operations of Iraq during a change-of-command ceremony Saturday in Baghdad, marking the first time since the Korean War the Fort Lewis-based unit has deployed to a combat zone.

“Our time is now to deliver with success and honor,” said Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby, the corps commander who will become the American military’s No. 2 officer in Iraq.

The Fort Lewis unit deploys at a crucial time in the Iraq War. The level of violence has dropped the lowest levels since the invasion, and President Barack Obama announced plans in March to withdraw combat troops by August 2010 – a process that will be overseen in part by I Corps.

I Corps takes over as Multi-National Corps-Iraq, the second-highest coalition military unit in the country. Multi-National Force-Iraq is the overarching unit under which all coalition forces fall. MNC-I is a step lower; it’s in charge of running daily operations and supporting subordinate units.

Jacoby will answer directly to Gen. Raymond Odierno, the top military commander in Iraq.

I Corps relived XVIII Airborne Corps, which oversaw the end of the troop surge during its yearlong deployment. Jacoby praised the advances made by the Fort Bragg, N.C., unit during a meeting with The News Tribune editorial board last month and said it's absolutely important momentum it built isn't lost.

=> Read more!

BAGHDAD – The American military needed buildings in a hurry, and it shows six years after the invasion of Iraq. Desks are often made of unfinished plywood. The walls are corrugated iron. The closest thing to plumbing is the portable toilet outside.

And then there’s the al Faw palace. I Corps’ new home is stunningly ornate. The walls, ceilings and floors are marble. An enormous chandelier hangs from the roof. The bathrooms boast gold-plated fixtures. One of Saddam’s thrones is still there.

I met Brig. Gen. Peter Bayer for an interview on the palace’s third floor. The windows of the conference room looked out on smaller buildings on a sparkling lake that surrounds the building.

It’s almost surreal after months of covering the joes working at dusty FOBs. The American military has installed cubicles -- Scott Adams of Dilbert fame could have a field day with this -- and if you keep your head straight, it looks like any other office. Look up, and you see ornate pink, blue and white marble carvings.

Not a bad place to spend a deployment.