European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 27, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 stars and s tripes tuesday March 272007 making the Best of a spartan situation troops say Treyve seen Progress in Baghdad now if they could just get internet Access by Monte Morin stars and stripes Baghdad with the push to secure Iraq capital entering its second month us soldiers Are enduring longer Days and fewer creature comforts As they venture from their Forward operating bases and take up positions alongside iraqi soldiers and police throughout Baghdad hot Chow mattresses Western toilets running water telephones and the internet Are a few of the luxuries us troops Are shedding As Gen David h Petraeus implements a new Baghdad Security plan the third such attempt in a years time to quell sectarian violence Here the hardships Are most heavily Felt by those battalions now paired with iraqi army units under the military new counterinsurgency doctrine instead of staging raids and patrols from Large us Camps these troops Are joining up with iraqi soldiers and conducting operations and patrols from Small combat out posts government centers and joint Security stations throughout the City for Days at a time while soldiers in areas like Baghdad Karada Security District say the strategy appears to be working some voiced frustration Over the drop in their Standard of Liv ing Hows the Chow sir one Soldier Grum bled As his humvee braked for a staff officer outside a Fob mess Hall recently the humvee was part of a platoon head ing for a three Day stint at a nearby joint Security station for the next several Days the platoons meals would consist mostly of prepackaged meals ready to eat among those us battalions paired with iraqi army forces in Baghdad is the 2nd battalion 17th Field artillery regiment part of the fort Carso based 2nd brigade 2nd infantry division for roughly two months battalion sol Diers have been rolling out into sector for three or five Days at a stretch conducting a variety of patrol Quick reaction and guard first it Jonathan Martin right Speaks to an iraqi army Soldier through an interpreter left during a joint Baghdad Security plan patrol the interpreter an iraqi has covered his face because he is worried that he or his family will be targeted for assassination if he is recognized by insurgents duties alongside iraqi army soldiers and police in the Karada Security District a predominantly shiite area in Baghdad Southeast the strategy appears to be very effective incidents of mortar rocket and Roadside bomb attacks particularly those involving extremely powerful explosively formed projectiles or Fps Well As execution style murders have fallen drastically it seems to be working said 1st it Jonathan Martin 25 of Independence to Fps seem to be nonexistent Here now said the Leader of 1st platoon Battery b Ive gotten a lot of Gray hairs worrying about those things Martins platoon spent the last several Days responding to a variety of incidents rolling like heavily armed police through the streets of the Zafa ran Yah neighbourhood and bedding Down on Dusty cots at the Zafar Aniyah government Center and joint Security station in most cases outposts like these come with none of the amenities found at Garrison like Forward operating bases commanders say the change is toughest on firs time a employees that generation of Young Soldier who packs their ipod and Laptop for War and is rarely separated from the internet for More than a couple Days at a time five Days is a Long time photos by Monte and stripes for these Guys to be out of touch with their families Martin said but for those soldiers who served during the initial invasion or the first Gulf War the experience is like a blast from the past during desert storm we spent 11 months sitting in the desert with nothing said staff sgt David Earp 38 of san Diego so this is nothing still it would be Nice to be Able to Wash officers say they Are working on making the joint Security stations and combat out posts More liable were trying to increase the Standard of living trying to make it More like Home said capt Christian Schleider the Battal ions Supply officer Schleider who puts in time at the Zafar Aniyah ass As a Battle Cap Tain said plans were in the works to bring showers internet and gym equipment to the spartan station Earp said that was great but he want holding his breath there talking about putting the inter net in Here and that Cool but Ive been around the Block a couple times Earp said if it happens that Fine but if it Doest that Fine too despite the inconveniences soldiers said they would make do rolling into the Zafar Aniyah govern ment Center after a patrol recently sol Diers from 1st platoon broke out a football and began a spirited game of touch foot Ball for More than an hour soldiers laughed and joked As they kicked up Clouds of dust the War seemed far far away what the Baghdad Security plan Means for us is longer Days and More time out in sector said staff sgt Benjamin Schwen Gle 28 of Belleville no were going to make the Best of it though email Monte Morin at soldiers with 1st platoon Battery b 2nd battalion 17th held artillery regiment play touch football while sitting on Call for Quick reaction Force at the Zafar Aniyah government Center in East Baghdad in most cases outposts like these come with none of the amenities found at Forward operating bases and soldiers make do without creature comforts such As hot Chow mattresses Western toilets running water telephones and the internet Iraq court convicts 25 alleged insurgents stars and stripes the Central criminal court of Iraq where us servicemen Bers testify against the suspected insurgents they arrest has convicted another 25 people including six who were Given death sentences according to the us military four men were sentenced to death March 14 after being convicted of plotting and filming Roadside bomb attacks us troops found an antitank mine near one of their vehicles along with a video camera and video tape in the vehicles Glove compartment the videotape showed the men manufacturing Roadside bombs the men also had detailed instructions on How to use a sniper Rifle and scope officials said a fifth Man was Given a death sentence in a separate trial after being convicted of attacking a police recruiting Center in fal Lujah on dec 18 he and two other insurgents used rocket propelled grenades and a pm machine gun in the attack the two others were killed in the resulting fire fight the sixth death sentence resulted from an arrest near Rumba on dec 9 iraqi police found four feet of detonation Cord ten elec tric blasting Caps sixteen 120mm mortars and two 155mm explosive mortar projectiles in the suspects vehicle since april 2004 the Cocci has held 1965 trials of suspected criminals apprehended by coalition troops resulting in 1706 convictions Kasum Sou gallery unique gifts fashions and Home decor 5329 Minami Zabu Mina Toku Tokyo we Are Only a ten minute walk from the new Sanno hotel Galen Nishi Dorf