A memorial to the defenders of Wake Island, including Marine Fighter Squadron 211, stands near the command post of Maj. James Devereux, who lead the defense of the island from Dec. 8-23, 1941. On Jan. 8, 2009, approximately 60 Marines from Marine Attack Squadron 211 returned to Wake Island en route to a deployment to Iwakuni, Japan. The visit marked the first time since 1993 the bulk of the squadron, nicknamed the "Wake Island Avengers" after the original defenders where killed or captured by Japanese forces during the island's siege, has returned to the remote Pacific atoll. VMA-211 is based in Yuma, Ariz.
(Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Bill Lisbon)
Cpl. Josh Nesbit, a powerline mechanic with Marine Attack Squadron 211, looks out at the lagoon in the center of the Wake Island atoll Jan. 8, 2009, during a tour of the island where the where a handful of the unit's Marines helped defend the island from an overwhelming Japanese invasion force from December 8-23 in 1941 before it was captured. The squadron, nicknamed the "Wake Island Avengers," returned to its symbolic birthplace en route to Iwakuni, Japan, where it attached to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit for a seven- to nine-month deployment. VMA-211 is based in Yuma, Ariz.
(Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Bill Lisbon)
Soldiers of Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, stand on-line, ready for pre-combat checks and inspections before an early morning patrol brief on Jan. 28 at a patrol base in the Abu T'shir community of the Rashid district in southern Baghdad. The 1st "Raider" Brigade doubled up on its ongoing security operations in preparation for Iraq's upcoming Provincial Elections scheduled for Jan. 31. Searching for any sign of enemy activity or weapons caches, the Soldiers of "Comanche" Troop are assisting Iraqi security forces provide security for Iraq's third democratic election since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams : 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Yaudas, a platoon sergeant from Austin, Texas, assigned to Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, inspects his Soldiers before security operations Jan. 28 in the Abu T'shir community of the Rashid District in southern Baghdad. The Soldiers of "Comanche" Troop continue to search for munitions to deny enemy safe have during the upcoming Iraqi provincial elections scheduled for Jan. 31. Coalition forces are committed to assisting the Iraqi security forces provide security during the milestone event in Iraq's history.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams : 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
An Iraqi citizen tells Capt. Sean Tennimon, commander of Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, about rockets found in his field months prior, Jan. 28, in the Abu T'shir community of the Rashid district in southern Baghdad. Coalition Forces are increasing their efforts to assist Iraqi Security Forces provide security for Iraq's third democratic election. The Soldiers of "Comanche" Troop conducted security operations during the last week of January to deny terrain to potential enemies looking to disrupt the upcoming Iraqi provincial elections scheduled for Jan. 31.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams : 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
Soldiers of Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, search through garbage, digging in rubbish, Jan. 28, while looking for hidden weapons and munitions in the Abu T'shir community of the Rashid District in southern Baghdad. The Soldiers of "Comanche" Troop increased ongoing security operations to assist Iraqi security forces provide security for the upcoming Iraqi provincial elections, scheduled for Jan. 31.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams : 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
Staff Sgt. Arto Brown, a cavalry scout section leader from Tucson, Ariz., assigned to Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, searches a hole for hidden weapons while Capt. Sean Tennimon, Troop C Commander, who hails from Mobile, Ala. provides a little light from his M4 carbine on Jan. 28 in the Abu T'shir community of the Rashid District in southern Baghdad. The Soldiers of the 1st "Raider" Brigade recently increased security operations in preparation for the Iraqi Provincial Elections scheduled for Jan. 31. The elections are Iraq's third democratic elections since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams : 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
Soldiers of 1st Platoon, Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, search for hidden weapons and munitions caches on Jan. 28 in the farmlands on the outskirts of the Abu T'shir community of the Rashid District in southern Baghdad. The 1st "Raider" Brigade increased ongoing security efforts to support Iraqi security forces in providing security and support during Iraq's provincial elections on Jan. 31. The Soldiers of "Comanche" Troop have doubled their security patrols and are working with local ISF to ensure that Iraq's third democratic elections run smoothly.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams : 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
Soldiers of 1st Platoon, Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, spread out across the outskirts of the Abu T'shir community on Jan. 28 during a cache search in southern Baghdad. The Soldiers fill their days with combined security patrols, polling site assessments and security operations to ensure that Iraq's third democratic elections run smoothly. The 1st "Raider" Brigade will continue to support Iraqi security forces in providing security and support during Iraq's provincial elections on Jan. 31.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams : 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
Sgt. Michael Benoit, cavalry scout section leader from Monticello, Minn., assigned to Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, leads Soldiers from the 752nd Explosive Ordnance Company, to members of 1st Platoon, Jan. 28, in a field on the outskirts of the Abu T'shir community in the Rashid District of southern Baghdad. The Soldiers of the "Raider" Brigade increased their ongoing security operations during the last week of January to prepare for the upcoming Iraqi provincial elections, scheduled for Jan. 31. The Soldiers of 1st Platoon, 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt., called for the EOD unit after finding an unexploded ordnance. The 752nd EOD Co. is stationed out of Fort Hood, Texas, and attached to the 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams : 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
Staff Sgt. Arto Brown, a cavalry scout section leader, assigned to Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, walks through fields on the outskirts of the Abu T'shir community during security operations in the Rashid District of southern Baghdad. The Soldiers of the 1st "Raider" Brigade increased ongoing security operations to assist Iraqi security forces secure more than 200 polling sites in the Rashid District.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams : 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Yaudas, a platoon sergeant from Austin, Texas, assigned to Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, leads his Soldiers during a cache search on Jan. 28 in the Abu T'shir community of the Rashid District in southern Baghdad. The Soldiers of "Comanche" Troop continue to search for munitions to deny enemy safe havens during the upcoming Iraqi provincial elections, scheduled for Jan. 31. Coalition forces are committed to assisting the Iraqi security forces provide security during the milestone event in Iraq's history.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams : 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
Soldiers of 1st Platoon, Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, search for hidden weapons and munitions caches during pre-election security operations Jan. 28 in the Abu T'shir community of the Rashid District in southern Baghdad. The Soldiers, part of the 1st "Raider" Brigade, have increased security operations to assist Iraqi security forces maintain the Iraqi provincial elections, scheduled for Jan. 31. The Soldiers of "Comanche" Troop have doubled their patrols and continue to conduct weapons searches, and serve warrants for suspected criminals in southern Baghdad.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams : 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
Staff Sgt. David Pena, a cavalry scout squad leader from Grand Junction, Colo., briefs Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Yaudas, platoon sergeant from Austin, Texas, before searching for hidden weapons and munitions along the eastern outskirts of the Abu T'shir community, Jan. 28, in the Rashid District. The Soldiers of Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, increased their security operations to assist Iraqi Security Forces preparing for the upcoming Iraqi provincial elections, scheduled for Jan. 31. Searching for weapons caches and looking to mitigate enemy activity before it begins, the Soldiers of "Comanche" Troop increased their security patrols during the last week of January for Iraq's third democratic elections.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams : 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
Soldiers from Company A, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad came across an interesting find while conducting Operation Trunk Monkey, Jan. 18 in Baghdad's Adhamiyah district - an actual monkey in a trunk. White Platoon, which found the monkey, determined it was vital to the operation to record that there are in fact trunk monkeys within the operational environment. The platoon took a short halt and recorded their find and reported it to higher. Attack Company has encountered a number of different "trunk finds" some of which included a local national, trunk sheep and trunk cauliflower to just name a few.
(Courtesy Photo : 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs)
An Iraqi soldier mans a machinegun on an armoured vehicle during a patrol in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad January 29, 2009. An election in two days in Iraq's most violent province, where al Qaeda and other insurgents are making a last stand, could bring Sunni Arabs back into power and ease resentment that has fuelled the bloodshed.
A Muslim woman tries a Barrett 12.7mm sniper rifle during the Malaysian Armed Forces career exposition in Kuala Lumpur January 30, 2009. The career exposition, held in conjunction with the Armed Forces 75th anniversary, aims to lure more young Malaysians to opt for careers in the military.
A woman sits in an amphibious armoured personnel carrier and fire-support vehicle during the Malaysian Armed Forces career exposition in Kuala Lumpur January 30, 2009. The career exposition, held in conjunction with the Armed Forces 75th anniversary, aims to lure more young Malaysians to opt for careers in the military.
Ukrainian nationalists carry torches during a rally in downtown Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009, to mark the anniversary of a battle near the town of Kruty. Hundreds of cadets were killed defending a newly created Ukrainian state against Bolshevik Red Army forces near the town of Kruty on January 29, 1918.
President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko (R) crosses himself during the service ceremony in front of a grave of slain students and schoolboys in Kiev on January 29, 2009, to mark the 91th anniversary of a battle near the small city of Kruty. 300 Ukrainian students, cadets and schoolboys died on January 29, 1918, during the fight against the regular Red Army to protect the new born Ukraine's People Republic against Bolshevik aggression. Dignitaries are unidentified.
A veteran of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which fought both Nazis and Soviet forces in World War Two, listens to the national anthem as he attends a ceremony to honour several hundred students who died during a battle on January 29, 1918 defending the Ukrainian capital from Bolsheviks, in Kiev January 29, 2009. Ukrainians marked the 91th anniversary of the tragedy by laying flowers at a monument.
British soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment Sgt Maj Jim Leech (L) and Major 'Grin' Grinonneau, part of a Military Transition Team (MiTT), share a joke as they smoke a pipe on the street as they join a Iraqi Army patrol on the streets on January 29 2009 in Basra, Iraq. Most British forces are being confined to their bases and all movements restricted in anticipitation of a peacefull election. Many areas in Iraq are preparing for provincial elections which are being closely watched as a way of evaluating how peaceful and stable the country now is. British forces are due to withdraw from Iraq's second city Basra later this year and the results will also determine how quickly the number of US troops serving in Iraq can be brought down too.
US soldiers of the Alfa troop 5-1 Cavalry secure the area with Iraqi police (background) at the entrance of a polling station in the town of Mandali in Diyala province on January 29, 2009.
An Iraqi policeman stands guard outside a polling center as election officials carry in voting booths in Mosul, Iraq, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009.
An Iraqi police officer, left, and an Iraq Kurd peshmerga stand guard at a polling center in Mosul, Iraq, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009. This weekend's election in Mosul is a showdown for power between Arabs and Kurds, with the outcome likely to influence whether al-Qaida and other Sunni insurgents lose their last major urban foothold in Iraq.
Geneal Bosco Ntaganda, the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) chief of staff who first challenged Nkunda's leadership in early January, smiles after receiving a Congolese army uniform during an integration ceremony held by the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Rumangabo base, north of the Provincial capital of North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo on January 29, 2009
Congolese soldiers embrace fighters of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) during a ceremony held by the Congolese army to bring the CNDP fighters into its ranks
Fighters of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) soldiers wear Congolese army uniforms and eat ceremonial cookies along with Congolese soldiers
National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) fighters line up during a ceremony held by the Congolese army to bring the into its ranks, held in Rumangabo base, north of the Provincial capital of North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo on January 29, 2009. Aid agencies have expressed concern about the humanitarian consequences of further fighting in eastern Congo, where more than one million people have been displaced.
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