Page 84 - Forward Operating Base News Today

Bombers? yes, you are but you are also guys who provide support to the war fighter on the ground through isr and so forth. >> this a farewell tour by the way? >> absolutely. >> last stop at west point, last stop at colorado springs? >> absolute, final messageness to the services. >> speaking of afghanistan, we mentioned general petraeus apologized for the death of nine boys in afghanistan who were killed accidentally. how did this happen and how much does this set back what the u.s. is trying to...

Been an effort to put as much information and intelligence as far forward to the soldiers as we possibly can so that at a forward operating base they know what the security risks are to them and they also have information to help them accomplish their mission. >> reporter: and gates says now hes looking to see what can be done. he wants to kind of close the loophole so it cannot happen again, but he does not want to close it so much that the soldiers out on the front line who need this intellige...

Pretty much anywhere here in the u.s., we have controls in place that would have allowed us to detect it. but one of the changes that has happened as we have fought these wars in iraq and afghanistan has been an effort to put as much information and intelligence as far forward to the soldiers as we possibly can so that at a forward operating base, they know what the security risks are to them and they also have information to help them accomplish their mission. >> reporter: so, even as the inves...

Accomplices, the armys criminal investigation division looking at it here inside the u.s. military here the in pentagon in the u.s. army. both sides are cooperating, but now you really begin to see how this is broadening out. and that allegation the two people who attend m.i.t. were possibly involved. defense secretary robert gates still looking at how did this happen? how did one soldier in the army download tens of thousands of documents. he is beginning to offer some hints. >> one of the chan...

And the idea that the president of the united states or anybody out of washington would be on tv saying there was nothing new in these documents, hopefully, for them there was nothing new in these documents. they received top level intelligence every day at a level we dont read in the newspapers, but for the masses of american people, there was a lot new in the release of these papers. and one of the things that was critical that was revealed was the story on the front page of "the new york time...

For months. theyre unable to bring security. we cant -- when i was embedded with the marines, we couldnt take roads with vehicles. we couldnt even walk on foot paths because of all of the ieds and roadside bombs. we walked through the middle of the fields, and once you got between one and three kilometers outside of the radius of a forward operating base, we came under fire. people were taking contact every day. thats on the military side. the political side is even worse. the -- general mcchrys...

Secretary of state hillary clinton travels to afghanistan next week for a conference with dozens of foreign ministers to try to better define the goals of the war effort, meet with hamid karzai, general petreaus and others, the trip comes at critical time for our troops. jim maceda with troops near kandahar. >> this is the very heart of the taliban homeland security in fact mullah omar was born miles from what is now a forward operating base, months ago there were probably several hundred u.s. a...

Mid-february. intense combat lead by u.s. marines and british troops and afghan forces to be followed by what general mcchrystal called a government in a box. rolling out governance after the combat. government in a box hasnt worked out that way. marjah hasnt stood out by any means. security isnt established, and people siding with the afghan government there have been threatened and targeted up to and including assassination. kandahar has been portrayed in the press as the twin operation to mar...

>> reporter: a stark difference from serving on the front lines in the iraq war. where 18 months ago, in the blink of an eye, ballard became a different man. >> it was august 13th. and it was ridiculously hot outside. it was about 117 degrees when we got briefed that morning. we were just going to do a patrol. we were going go pick up some soldiers to take them to a different fob. >> forward operating base? >> right. and five, seven minutes outside of our gate, and we got hit. >> ied, ied! >> re...

Troops there, good morning, to you geraldo. >> hi, dave, clayton and alisyn. >> yeah, its usually meals ready to eat the pre-prepared meals, but it is easter sunday afternoon and theyre serving steaks, the marines are very excited. they lined up early, they are enjoying a rare treat in this, in this forward operating base where just 48 days ago, the largest airborne or rather, helicopter born invasion since vietnam took place and there was some bitter fighting in the area and come in, this is th...