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coming up on Freedom Journal Iraq Hurt

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calvary troops held the terrorists plan

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to boil upcoming elections and a water

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project provides citizens clean water

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in Fallujah . Those stories and more

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coming up next . Yeah , welcome to

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another edition of Freedom General Rock .

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I'm Army Sergeant Melissa villain . And

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here's a look at some of the events

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shaping the region . On january 9th

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first calvary troops embarked on a raid

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proving to be their most successful in

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10 months . Thanks to an informant ,

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the troops conducted a seven hour

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search that led to wanted suspects ,

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numerous C4 explosives artillery shells

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and electrical devices of array . An

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armed man from the regime . Special

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Forces was also found . Yeah , many

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residents of Fallujah are returning

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home and home is now a safer place .

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Multinational forces . Iraq Commander .

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General George Casey says Fallujah was

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an important step in defeating

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terrorism in Iraq and making the

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country safer for residents . Uh the

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elimination of Fallujah as a safe haven

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for the terrorists uh is a significant

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part of our campaign plan and we are

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already beginning to see the results of

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the terrorists and insurgents not

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having that as a base as a safe haven .

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Uh First of all , the symbol of

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intimidation that Fallujah was gone

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and it's a great symbol of strength of

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the resolve of the interim government .

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Although much of the city was damaged

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because of battles between insurgents

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and coalition forces . General Casey

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says many Iraqis are just happy to be

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home . Also in Fallujah . The Iraqi

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Ministry of Water and the U . S . Army

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Corps of Engineers have combined forces

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to bring sanitary drinking water to the

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people . Currently projects are being

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performed at four water treatment

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plants and three water towers . These

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projects are targeted at rehabilitating

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and updating the system that provides

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drinking water for up to 40,000

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residents in the city . Every other

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month . The first Cavalry Division

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hosts a recruitment drive for the Iraqi

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police force in Baghdad Army Sergeant

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at least Al Sharif takes us behind the

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scenes of the initial screening process

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that helped get new Iraqi police out on

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the street . In order to get

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here , you have to start here waiting

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patiently in line to see if you have

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what it takes to handle law and order

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on the streets of Iraq , there are

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several phases to the process which

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begins by making sure you can read and

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write . You must supply answers to

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probing personal questions , be tested

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for recent explosive handling and pass

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the physical fitness test including

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push ups , pull ups , sit

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up and 100 m dash .

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Physical examinations and drug tests

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are also required . But the biggest

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requirement of all could be the one

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that comes from within celebration of

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Iraq . Everything changed in our

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country . We look forward . We want to

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be a democratic country . If you ask

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them , everyone will say that they they

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want to work for in Iraq . Even though

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working for the new Iraq can mean

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becoming a target for anti Iraqi forces .

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You know , it's a dangerous thing but

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they they continue to show up and do

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the right thing . So pretty , it's

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pretty cool to be here with he's

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recruiting call about 150 hopefuls by

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for one of 30 slots available at the

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Iraqi Police Academy . I'm army

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Sergeant Elise Al Sharif one 22nd

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Mobile Public Affairs detachment

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Baghdad coming

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up on Freedom Journal . Iraq tracking

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leaves on the front line . But first

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the Iraqi dinar exchange rate a look

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ahead at your five day weather forecast

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and US troops make a special delivery

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in why we're here . Mhm .

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Mhm .

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Mhm

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Yeah ,

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I'm erIC or Sergeant Melissa Allen and

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this is why we're here a

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civil affairs group prepares for

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another mission on a cold Iraqi

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day loading up the

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Humvees

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and hearing boxes and bags full of

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toys . They delivered the choice to

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some Children in a gunshot .

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Iraq ,

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the group spent the afternoon talking

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to locals and delivering presents .

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Yeah . And the Children

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let loose for some lighthearted photos

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and that's why

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we're here . Thanks to joint combat

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camera . Iraq for the photos . I'm Air

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Force Sergeant Melissa Alan

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scouts from First Cavalry Division

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Thunder Horse Battalion are constantly

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on the front lines following leads and

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tracking inversions . Staff Sergeant

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job Ellen recently followed one of

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their patrols and tells us how one way

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or another the context they make lead

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to success on the battlefield for the

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accounts of the first calorie

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division's Thunder Force battalion

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words like contact engagement are

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commonplace . Having been in Iraq for

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over a year , they've seen action in

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Fallujah , Abu Ghraib and most recently

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in Southern Baghdad . But to these men ,

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the words mean much more than

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firefights and adrenaline patrolling

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the front lines of Iraq's hot spots .

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There . Also , many times the first U .

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S . Forces to come in contact with

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local civilians , basically twofold

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operation was to go out one number one

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to engage with the Iraqi populist and

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find out what kind of information are

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getting from the from the Iraqi

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government and also to go out there and

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do a recount of uh area that we operate

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in uh possibly check rides any

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insurgents in the area , just try to

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gather information this day instead of

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I E . D . S along the route , the

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scouts find only Iraqi bystanders whom

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they stopped and briefly questioned .

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They ask about insurgent activity as

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well as domestic concerns . The

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residents have access to fuel

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electricity and do they know where to

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cast their vote in the upcoming

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election ? By initiating contact . The

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scouts help protect residents , would

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like to help us forces but are fearful

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of becoming targeted by insurgents the

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terrorists or and uh and I asked

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personnel out here will look down upon

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them if they come up , you know , and

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they could hunt , will come upon them .

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So when we come up to them , it kind of

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looks like we stopped them and then

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they kind a little more open so they

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won't approach you . But maybe , you

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know , uh , since you've approached

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them , maybe not , you can get some

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information on them . Each patrol is

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both a show of force and a show of

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compassion for the scouts whose mission

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accomplishment is measured by

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successful contact with the enemy . And

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with those they protect Staff Sergeant

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Job Ellen af News , Southern Baghdad

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Iraq . New units arrive and

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leave Iraq quite often in support of

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Operation Iraqi Freedom . The Louisiana

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National Guard to 56 Tiger Brigade

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known as lead Tigers entered the

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country looking to do their part in

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creating a secure Iraq Specialist co

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evil reports on the 2 56 .

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It's a bright clear day for all the

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soldiers in the 2 56 Higher brigade who

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have just arrived in Baghdad Iraq to 56

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is a brigade combat team that can do

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practically any job the army needs done

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from Humvees on recon missions . It's a

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Bradley controls . There's nothing that

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the 2 56 can't handle . We do what is

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referred to as full spectrum operations .

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It can go from humanitarian , essential

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services restoration building projects

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right on up to combat operations when

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necessary . It was a historic moment

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when the 2 56 colors were unveiled , it

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was more than just a simple encasing

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what we , what we conducted was the

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encasing of the 256 brigade dollars .

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Uh , showing that the 256 brigade is

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present Uh , here in Baghdad and to

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part six is ready to ready to fight .

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The ceremonial encasing of our cars

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formerly signifies and announces to the

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world the presence of the Tiger Brigade

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on this battlefield and our willingness

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to assume the responsibilities for our

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area of operation , the two 55th is

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known for their fierceness on the

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battlefield in the face of danger and

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they hope to continue on that legacy

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here in Iraq Specialist co level af the

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news Baghdad that did it for this

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edition of Freedom Journal Rock . I'm

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Army Sergeant Melissa Rowland , thanks

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for being with us today from all of us

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here have a great day .

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Mhm

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But

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uh huh .

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Mhm .

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Mhm .