pictures

Here are a few pictures from when they left Alaska.

Click here!

all shipped out

From the Newsminer

"GONE TO IRAQ: The last large contingent of Fort Wainwright soldiers departed for Iraq on Thursday (Sept. 25, 2008) , with most of them flying out of Eielson on chartered jumbo jets.

There were more than 14 flights, using DC-10s, 747s, MD-11s, C-5s and C-17s."

I saw one picture of the soldiers boarding a plane. It's funny how you try to pick your guy out of the line. When everyone has on hats, sunglasses, the same uniform and is carrying a black laptop bag, it is almost impossible.

4000 strong

Photo by Eric Engman

Around 4000 troops will be leaving. More photos at the News Miner.

“This wolf pack of thousands of warriors, they’re going to fly from this beauty of Alaska and the warmth of their dinners at home and they’re going to land in a war zone where the enemy is fighting us,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Layfield, the commanding general of U.S. Army Alaska. “They’re trying to hurt our country and they’re trying to hurt our families. You are looking at over 4,000 reasons as to why that will never happen.”

"For many of the soldiers at the ceremony, this will be a return trip to Iraq. About half the 1-25th is made up of soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, the Fort Wainwright unit which had an extended 16-month tour in Iraq in 2005 and 2006." Chris Freiberg

Sarah Palin speaks at Fort Wainwright

The Alaska governor speaks at the deployment ceremony. Her son is deploying with the 1-25.

“As you depart today, don’t mind us, your parents, your friends, your family if we allow for a few tears or we hold you just a little closer once more before you’re gone, because we’re going to miss you,” she said. “We can’t help it. We’re going to miss you."

1-25th Deployment Ceremony

Thanks to Chris Freiberg, a reporter in Fairbanks, for uploading these to Youtube.

From AK to Iraq

My husband is going over to Iraq again so this is just a little blog to collect all the news and whatnot. For us and family and friends. So there will be stuff about the news from 1/25 SBCT and from things happening here in Alaska. I will not post things that haven't been released to the general media.
Here are some general links related to us. I'll add more as needed.
Stryker Brigade News
News Miner (Fairbanks newspaper)
Arctic Wolves