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Thunderbolt clears trouble FRONTLINE
Serving the Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield communities (www.stewart.army.mil)
January 24, 2008
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid
Permit no. 43,
Hinesville, Ga. 31314
Vol. 43, Issue 3
Soldiers in Iraq
take the ball, run
with it
See Page 10B
703rd supplies
the lines
See story
on Page 11A
Experience
the Martin
Luther King
Day parade
See Page 1B
New predatory
lending law helps
protects Soldiers,
civilians
See Page 10A
THE
Spc. Ben Hutto
Sgt. Dylan Newton, a tanker in Company D, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, currently
attached to the 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, pulls security on top of a home in Jama
Taha, a small village outside Jisr Diyala. The Soldiers conducted a cordon and search with Iraqi
policemen from the 3rd Brigade, 1st National Police Division, Jan. 8.
See story on Page 14A.
Thunderbolt
clears trouble
Tim Kilbride
MND-C Public Affairs
BAGHDAD
Thousands of
pounds of bombs once again rained
down in Arab Jabour Jan. 20 as
Coalition Forces continued their
relentless pursuit of al-Qaeda.
According to a military commander
in the region, the drop was designed
to eliminate al-Qaedas tactical advan-
tage before Coalition ground forces
move in to clear the heavily agricul-
tural community southeast of
Baghdad.
Col. Terry Ferrell, commander of
the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd
Infantry Division, with responsibility
for the Arab Jabour portion of Multi-
National Division Center, said in an
interview that the improvised explo-
sive devices targeted by the bombing
were part of a defensive belt al-
Qaeda had established around Arab
Jabour to keep Coalition Forces from
entering the area.
See THUNDERBOLT
Page 8A
Kevin Larson
Chief, Public Information
The 3rd Infantry Division was selected as a
recipient of the Director of the Army Safety
Composite Risk Management Award, said
Brig. Gen. William H. Forrester, director of
Army Safety.
In a letter Forrester wrote to Gen. Charles
C. Campbell, commander of U.S. Army
Forces Command headquartered at Fort
McPherson in Atlanta, the 3rd Infantry
Division earned this award by demonstrating
exemplary leadership and employing the ten-
ants of composite risk management to reduce
the command's accident fatality rate.
The division and Fort Stewart-Hunter
Army Airfield took measures to improve safe-
ty including demonstrating exemplary lead-
ership, employing the tenants of composite
risk management. The effort included imple-
menting proactive measures focused on
motorcycle safety, clearing tree lined roads,
installing safety signs, and renovating an off-
duty facility on the installation into Rocky's
for Soldiers to combat drinking and driving.
See SAFETY
Page 8A
Safety remains priority,
Army recognizes effort
Sgt. Tanya Polk
Editor
As the number one priority for wounded
warriors is to heal, doctors appointments take
precedence over anything they choose to do -
to include their education.
Now, Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield is
not only providing the Soldiers of the Warrior
Transition Unit quality medical attention, but
the installation is helping to transition these
troops by providing them a better opportuni-
ty to meet their educational goals.
This new program is a combined effort of
the Soldier Family Assistance Center, Sgt. 1st
Class Paul R. Smith Education Center, Hunter
Education Center and Central Texas College
that has placed Soldiers needs first.
The education program for the WTU is
designed to assist the Soldiers in the WTU
with continuing their education, and it is
designed not to penalize them incase they are
discharged (from the Army) during the class
(semester), said Bruce White, education
counselor with the SFAC.
Now, the WTU Soldiers, regardless of when
they are going to get discharged, are not going
to be penalized if they sign up for a class.
Installation now helps wounded warriors
in transition achieve educational goals
See WTU
Page 8A
2nd Lt. Stephen Williams
Spc. Lamont Dixon, Company B, 92nd Engineers, walks handin-hand with his
daughter, Lachelle, 3, after receiving and Army Commendation Medal during an
awards ceremony held at the Main Post Chapel Jan. 11.
See story on Page 12A.
92nd Engineers
receive awards
92nd Engineers
receive awards
Pat Young
Frontline Staff
Free Tax assistance is available to
Soldiers, Family members and retirees
at two new Marne Tax Centers, which
opened for business Jan. 22 on Fort
Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield.
The tax centers, located at building
617 on Stewart, and at building 1211 at
the Hunter Legal Center can assist in
routine forms for both individuals and
Families through the mail or using elec-
tronic filing.
Last year the centers helped Soldiers
retrieve $6 million in refunds and saved
them $500,000 in preparation fees.
Bruce Anglin, Marne Tax Center coor-
dinator and legal assistant, said the tax
centers are open 8:30 to 4 p.m. Monday
through Friday, but are closed on feder-
al holidays. He said filing electronic,
where a refund was due would usually
take seven to 10 business days; however
there could be delays for some people
due to recent legislation regarding the
Alternative Minimum Tax. The delays,
locally, generally affect people with
child credits.
He said the delay only affected peo-
ple who were doing electronic filing
because the IRS had to build five new
forms into the tax programs; which
include Form 8863, education credits;
Form 5695, residential energy credits;
Schedule 2 (Form 1040A), child care
expenses for Form 1040A; Form 8396 for
mortgage interest credit; and Form 8859
for District of Columbia first-time
homebuyer credit.
The new forms are expected to be
integrated into the system by mid
February according to Anglin, but the
forms were available to individuals not
filing electronically, and could be down-
loaded from a Web Site at IRS.gov.
Free tax help available
at installation centers
See TAX
Page 4A
3rd BCT
prowls in
Jama Taha
3rd BCT
prowls in
Jama Taha 2A
Frontline
January 24, 2008
3rd Infantry Division
Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch
3rd Inf. Div. commanding general
We are currently in the middle of our
largest operation yet, and the magnificent
Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team
the Spartans are leading the charge for
Operation Marne Thunderbolt.
Last June and last September, the
Spartans cleared northern Arab Jabour dur-
ing Operation Marne Torch I and during
Operation Marne Torch II. Now, the
Spartans are going deeper south in order to
stabilize southern Arab Jabour.
This time, 1/30 Inf. is joined by 6/8 Cav.
from our 4th Brigade Combat Team. The
Mustang Squadron is holding the terrain in
western Arab Jabour, and doing a phenom-
enal job.
Recently, 5/7 Cav. from our 1st Brigade
Combat Team joined us from their fight in
the Al Anbar province. Now
the Warpaint Squadron is
taking the fight to the enemy
in southern Arab Jabour; and
only a week into the fight,
they are already making a
tremendous difference. In
the last 48 hours alone,
Soldiers have found more
than 50 improvised explosive
devises.
When the Division
deployed to Iraq last spring,
Arab Jabour was a safe haven
for Al Qaeda insurgents.
Through Operation Marne Torch I and
Operation Marne Torch II, Soldiers secured
northern Arab Jabour. Now, that area has a
local council, open shops, and flowing
water and electricity. Northern Arab Jabour
is no longer an Al Qaeda safe haven. Its a
place we take Army leaders to
show them the results of the
Surge, and the work of our
amazing Dog Face Soldiers.
We hope to accomplish the
same in southern Arab
Jabour.
On Jan. 10, and again this
past weekend, the Air Force
dropped thousands of
pounds of bombs on targets
in southern Arab Jabour.
These targets included sus-
pected IED sites and booby-
trapped houses. About half of
these targets resulted in secondary explo-
sions proving these locations were
designed to kill our Soldiers. But we blew
them up before they could cause harm.
Despite our shift to capacity building, we
are going to continue to take the fight to the
enemy every day between now and when
we redeploy. We are chasing the enemy in a
relentless pursuit phase. After Operation
Marne Thunderbolt, the 3rd Brigade
Combat Team will continue to squeeze the
enemy and the 4th BCT will do the same. We
are giving him no where to hide.
Our