A Humvee in Sadiyah. The other side of the wall is Route Irish. (Photo by Matthew Vea)
22 Feb 2021 We Are The Mighty | By Blake Stilwell
Once dubbed “the world’s most dangerous road,” the 7.5-mile stretch from Baghdad’s Green Zone to the airport was called “Route Irish” during the American-led occupation of Iraq.
It was a fitting introduction to the country during the height of the war. For years, Route Irish was a trial by fire: if you survived the drive from the airport, you would be ready for anything.
Route Irish (Google)
The Americans and British had a hard time controlling the road for nearly two years. Most taxi drivers refused to go anywhere near it and those that did sometimes got caught up in the mix between the insurgency and the occupation forces. It wasn’t just dangerous for troops; it was dangerous for everyone.
Army ‘taking a hard look’ at what end-strength it can actually afford February 18 Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade pictured in December at Grafenwöhr Training Area, in Germany. (Maj. Robert Fellingham/Army) As the Army faces tighter budgets in the coming years, keen observers wonder whether ambitious modernization programs will be curtailed to make way for end-strength growth, or vice versa. “We’d like a much bigger Army, but what I have to do at my level is say, you know, what can we actually afford,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said Wednesday during a virtual discussion hosted by the Heritage Foundation. “That’s what we’re taking a hard look at.”
Feb 12, 2021
BISMARCK A North Dakota Army National Guard unit has received an alert for possible mobilization. If ordered to mobilize, the Grand Forks-based 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (1-188th ADA) would leave for duty in the National Capitol Region (NCR) early- to mid-summer 2021.
The unit is headquartered in Grand Forks with subordinate units in Fargo and Bismarck and has about 225 Soldiers assigned. If ordered to mobilize, the unit would collaborate with other Department of Defense agencies as part of the integrated air defense system designed to protect NCR airspace. The length of their mission is expected to be about one year and would be consistent with typical U.S. Army ADA missions and tasks associated with aerial surveillance and protection of facilities and personnel from air attack.
The disappearance of Pvt. Richard Halliday in July ignited scrutiny of his battalion at Fort Bliss, as the unit faced claims of a toxic culture at the base.