Veterans & Military Families Monthly News April 2010 Vol. 1 No.

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Good Afternoon. My name is Matthew Hauser. Ive be working with Lt. Col. Hank Fuhs and the Michigan Republican Party on veteran issues from across the state. Welcome to our new monthly newsletter. This is our first issue and we are excited to share it with you. If anyone has any suggestions for article topics or wants to write their own piece, we will gladly try to work it in. We hope you enjoy. Please let us know what you think. Thank you very much!

From the Military Report and www.militray.com

Senate Approves TRICARE Legislation

The Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill that explicitly states service members, military retirees and their families will not have to purchase additional health insurance under the new health reform law. The House passed the bill (H.R. 4887) on March 20, a day after it was introduced by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo. It clarifies the tax code to stipulate that TRICARE and Defense nonappropriated fund health care plans meet all requirements for individual health insurance under the recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. "Our nation's military provides us with first-class protection, and it is our obligation to provide them and their families with first-class health care in return," Skelton said. The bill heads to President Obama to be signed into law. Check out "The Tank" to learn what the experts have to say about this heated issue. Military.com surveys have found that most service members and their families are confused by TRICARE. Get the facts and latest news on TRICARE Military Report is the most comprehensive military benefits and quality-of-life newsletter for military personnel and retirees. Make sure that you and your colleagues subscribe for this free update publication. For more information click on www.militray.com

Helping Those Who Protect US

By: Larry Harr Msgt. USAF ret.
In the world today, many men and women of the United States military are serving far away from home and family. Families do what they can to stay in touch with their loved ones by letters, email and even sending a box of goodies from time to time. Maintaining a household and caring for the kids can be a daunting task for some of those families. Keeping up with letter writing or getting those goodies out may not happen as often as they would like. The military members get a morale boost too when they receive something from home. There are helping hands out there and most can find them at their local church. Many churches have bulletin boards with pictures and addresses of members of the congregation now serving in the military. Some churches even have committees to arrange for sending packages and letters from home. The local post office or even nearest recruiting station should have information on the correct procedures. This is just one way those families can get a little help and show their loved ones just

how special they are and how everyone appreciates their service to our country. If your church doesnt have anything like this established yet, then go out there and start one up, put up a bulletin board, get some addresses and pictures. Youll be glad you did and so will those you help.

We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States Military. Thank you for your service to this county. Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds. Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee. 520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933

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The Frontlines of Freedom

Military-Veteran Talk-Radio Denny Gillem Hosts Biography and Vision Statement Denny graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in June 1964 and was commissioned in the infantry. After military schooling he was assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, CO, where he served with the 5th Infantry Division, met and proposed to his wife, Marilyn, and volunteered for duty in Vietnam. He served in combat with the First Infantry Division for a year and returned to marry Marilyn; he then assumed command of an airborne rifle company of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY. He first visited Michigan when his company deployed to the Detroit Riots in 1967. Shortly thereafter his division deployed to Vietnam in time for the fighting during Tet 1968. As a consequence of these two combat tours Denny received the Combat Infantrymans Badge and 7 US awards for valor. He was selected for early promotion to major and sent to earn his masters degree in political science at the University of Texas at El Paso. He subsequently served with the ROTC unit at Stanford University where he earned another MA (in Education) and helped close the ROTC unit. After serving with a mechanized infantry battalion in Germany, Denny returned to the US to be a war planner for Europe and the Middle East at US Readiness Command in Florida. He served as the head of the Army ROTC unit at the University of Tampa and then was transferred to serve as an Army Advisor to the Michigan National Guard. Denny and Marilyn fell in love with western Michigan and decided to retire from the Army

Please Support Veterans Radio with Frontlines of Freedom Hosted by Lt. Col. Denny Gillem You can hear it every Saturday at 1pm on 1260 AM the Pledge (Zeeland, MI), or by visiting the website at www.frontlinesoffreedom.com
and settle there. Since leaving the Army, Denny has worked in sales, leadership, consulting, and academic positions in Michigan. He currently teaches American Government at Grand Rapids Community College and political science and management for the University of Phoenix. He was the founding chair of the 1776 Society of Veterans, a political action committee. He has served in senior positions in state & national political campaigns and has run for office locally. Denny is also a business-networking fanatic, serving as a local director for Business Network International and as the past-chair of the Grand Rapids Area Chambers Business Networking Committee. Denny enjoys reading, spending time with family, politics, and refereeing youth soccer. Dennys vision for Frontlines of Freedom is to focus on the brave Americans who have and are defending our freedom. Freedom isnt free and the price for it is paid by the soldiers who serve in harms way. The show looks at the groups that support our veterans and their families, the employers who sometimes have to see their best employees leave for a while, and the organizations who care for veterans who cant care for themselves. We also look at other aspects of Homeland Security. The weekly feature, News and Comment by the Colonel, will normally focus on our current war. Guests will provide insight into current events. This is a show for soldiers and those who care for them.

We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States Military. Thank you for your service to this county. Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds. Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee. 520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933 p. 2

The Battle of Najaf

From: Sean M. Furr Specialist 4, US Army, Veteran The Battle of Najaf was fought March 24April 4, 2003, during the opening stages of the Iraq War (2003-). Armies & Commanders: United States General William S. Wallace Major General Buford Blount Major General David Petraeus 3rd Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division, 1st Armored Division Iraq Unknown Elements of the Republican Guard, Fedayeen Saddam, Iraqi Army, and Baath Party militia Battle of Najaf Overview: Driving through Iraq in late March 2003, American forces approached the city of Najaf. Located on the highways running north to Karbala and Baghdad, Najaf occupied a strategic position along the United States' intended supply lines. Rather than bypass the city and continue the advance as had been done at Nasiriyah and Samawah, the 3rd Infantry Division elected to isolate the city to ensure that Iraqi forces there could not mount attacks against supply convoys. This isolation was to be accomplished through the capture of two bridges over the Euphrates River north and south of Najaf. Cutting Off Najaf: Capture of the northern bridge at Al Kifl, dubbed Objective Jenkins, was assigned to Colonel Will Grimsley's 1st Brigade Combat Team (1st BCT), while

securing the southern bridge at Abu Sukhayr, Objective Floyd, was given to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment (3/7 Cav). Once the bridge at Floyd was secured, the 3/7 Cav would cross and advance north to block entry into the town from the east. Planning for the attack, Grimsley was forced to assign the mission to Captain Charles Branson and the brigade's air defense battery as 1st BCT was strung out along a wide front. Equipped with M6 Bradley fighting vehicles equipped with the Linebacker missile system, Branson's men moved out around 2:00 AM on March 25. To support Branson's advance, Lieutenant Colonel Marcone's Task Force 3, 69th Armored Regiment was detailed as a rapid reaction force if the attack bogged down. Encountering heavy resistance from Iraqi paramilitary forces, Branson's men fought through the night before requesting assistance around dawn. To assist, Grimsley dispatched B Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment (B Co. 3/7 Inf) from Marcone's command. Arriving on the scene thirty minutes later, Marcone's men took over the fight as the air defense troops were shifted to guard the flanks. Pushing toward the bridge, infantry from B Co. 3/7 Inf cleared the building, while the armor moved forward. Around 11:00 AM, three tanks moved onto the bridge and were nearly across when Iraqi engineers attempted to demolish the span. While the explosives detonated, they failed to drop the bridge, though American commanders believed the three tanks were trapped on the far bank. Assessing the damaged bridge, scouts were able to drive a HMMWV across safely. Arriving on the scene, Marcone immediately inspected the bridge.

We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States Military. Thank you for your service to this county. Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds. Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee. 520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933 p. 3

Determining that it could support a tank, he waved his personal M1A1 Abrams forward. Though the bridge bowed, it held. Leading American forces across the span, Marcone and his men secured the far bank and began expanding the bridgehead. Establishing a strongpoint, American forces beat off repeated Iraqi counterattacks through the evening of March 26. To the south, 3/7 Cav moved up from As Samawah and commenced their attack on Objective Floyd around 6:00 AM on March 25. Battling through a sandstorm, American troops were forced to rely on thermal imaging during the advance. Taking the bridge at 10:43 AM, they found that it was not wired for demolition. Crossing, Troops A and B moved north to establish blocking positions, while Troop C remained to hold the bridge. As the two troops fought north, they encountered hundreds of Iraqi fighters in various vehicles. These attacks were repulsed, though the fighting was at close quarters due to the sandstorm. To the south, Troop C came under heavy attack near the bridge but was able to hold. As the sandstorm precluded the use of helicopters for air support, aircraft that could fly above the sand used GPS-guided munitions to aid the men on the ground. In the fighting east of Najaf, Troop B was ambushed losing two tanks. Though the bridges were secured, American forces on the east bank of the river were under heavy attack for most of March 26. After nightfall, the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment crossed the river and attacked south from Objective Jenkins in an effort to link up and relieve the 3/7 Cav. This was accomplished and the 3/7 Cav withdrew on the 27th. Taking Najaf: With the city surrounded, the situation in Najaf began to deteriorate as the Fedayeen Saddam militia and Baath Party officials terrorized the civilian population. On March 28, the 101st Airborne Division

along with a battalion from the 1st Armored Division relieved the 3rd Infantry Division around Najaf. Attacking the next day, they drove Iraqi forces from an agricultural college on the southern side of Najaf and secured the city's airport. Heavy fighting resumed on March 31, when the 101st conducted a reconnaissance-in-force near the Imam Ali Mosque. Battling for four hours, American forces utilized heavy doses of air support to neutralize the enemy. The next day, troops attacked and cleared the eastern and southwestern sections of the city, while elements of the 70th Armored Regiment conducted a "Thunder Run" through Najaf with a column of tanks. On April 2, several coordinated assaults were launched around Najaf against Fedayeen Saddam strong points. By April 4, the city was deemed to be cleared and fully under American control. Aftermath: The fighting around Najaf cost the Iraqis 590-780 killed, while American forces suffered only 4. An important political and strategic victory, the capture of Najaf secured Coalition supply lines as troops pushed on to Baghdad and liberated a largely Shiite city. The tactics developed and employed around Najaf became the formula by which Coalition troops would secure other cities in Iraq
If you have personal experience with the above conflict, please share it with us. Or if you have a story of your own. We can share your experiences/thoughts with everyone in future issues.

Staff Layout- Matthew X. Hauser (mhauser@migop.org) Writers- Larry Harr Msgt USAF Retired Denny Gillem Lt. Col., US Army, Retired Claude McManus Command Master Chief (Surface Warfare), USN, Retired Sean M. Furr Specialist 4, US Army Veteran Publisher- Hank Fuhs Lt. Col., USAF, Retired, ANG

Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds. Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee. 520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933

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In Closing
Thank you for your service to our country. For it is truly the men and women like you that make this nation great. Through my time with the Michigan Republican Party on this project, one problem Ive heard and seen time and time again is homeless veterans in this states urban centers. It makes me ask: what other problems are facing veterans that I dont know about and others in the state dont know about? Please let me know any problems you find, see or know about throughout the state that are facing veterans. My hope is that by getting more and more people from different parts of the state talking, we can help veterans who otherwise would not get helped. Of course I know The Veterans Administration and other organizations throughout the state are working hard to ensure our veterans are taken care of. But just trying to find new ways to get the word can help to further the aid to these brave men and women who need it. Sincerely, We would like to salute our Veterans in the Michigan Legislature Matthew X. Hauser
If you dont want to receive these emails please Click Here.

Another good source to send issues facing veterans is the VFW of MI page called Sound Off http://www.vfwmi.org/soundoff.htm

"Sound Off"
The editorial page of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Michigan website. The purpose of this page is to serve as a platform or a tool that can used to help us improve the way we all do business in the VFW. This forum will allow our readers, our members, our Posts, our Districts and our Department to gain an insight on how others view us as veterans. Please email your comments, opinions, problems and even compliments to vfwmi@att.net & please use "Sound Off" on the subject line and we will publish your comments on this page. The VFW reserves the right to edit or return, unpublished, any postings submitted. Please include your name, phone number & email address in your email. We will only publish your email address without your permission. Feel freely to speak out on anything you think that we need to address, improve or change that could help other veterans, members, Posts, Districts or the Department of Michigan.

Sen. Jason Allen, Sen. John Pappageorge Sen. Valde Garcia, Rep. Dave Agema Thank you for your service.

If you have anything you would like share, have any questions, or have an article idea please let us know! Contact Matt Hauser at mhasuer@migop.org We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States Military. Thank you for your service to this county. Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds. Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee. 520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933

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