Criteria Any active member of the California National Guard who attends all ordered unit training assemblies and 15 days of annual training during a calendar year is eligible for this award, providing continuo... Any active member of the California National Guard who attends all ordered unit training assemblies and 15 days of annual training during a calendar year is eligible for this award, providing continuous membership was maintained throughout the entire year. Credit for constructive attendance may be applied toward qualification. MoreHide
Criteria The Army Achievement Medal may be awarded to members of the Armed Forces below the rank of colonel who, while serving in any capacity with the Army in a noncombat area, distinguish themselves by outst... The Army Achievement Medal may be awarded to members of the Armed Forces below the rank of colonel who, while serving in any capacity with the Army in a noncombat area, distinguish themselves by outstanding achievement or meritorious service, but not of a nature that would warrant the award of an Army Commendation Medal. MoreHide
Criteria The Meritorious Unit Commendation is awarded to units for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding services for at least six continuous months during a period of military operat... The Meritorious Unit Commendation is awarded to units for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding services for at least six continuous months during a period of military operations against an armed enemy on or after January 1, 1944. MoreHide
Criteria The Army Good Conduct Medal is awarded on a selective basis to enlisted members of the Army who distinguish themselves by exemplary behavior, efficiency and fidelity during a specified period of conti... The Army Good Conduct Medal is awarded on a selective basis to enlisted members of the Army who distinguish themselves by exemplary behavior, efficiency and fidelity during a specified period of continuous enlisted active service (normally three years in peacetime). MoreHide
Criteria The Army Good Conduct Medal is awarded on a selective basis to enlisted members of the Army who distinguish themselves by exemplary behavior, efficiency and fidelity during a specified period of conti... The Army Good Conduct Medal is awarded on a selective basis to enlisted members of the Army who distinguish themselves by exemplary behavior, efficiency and fidelity during a specified period of continuous enlisted active service (normally three years in peacetime). MoreHide
Criteria The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service... The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service during the current War on Terrorism. In addition, all members of the National Guard and Reserve who were part of the Selected Reserve in good standing between August 2, 1990, to November 30, 1995, are eligible for the National Defense Service Medal. In the case of Navy personnel, Midshipment attending the Naval Academy during the qualifying periods are eligible for this award, and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Midshipmen ae only eligible if they participated in a summer cruise that was in an area which qualified for a campaign medal. MoreHide
Criteria A Federal Service Ribbon may be presented by the Adjutant General to each person inducted into the federal service as a member of a California National Guard unit after September 15, 1940, and who has... A Federal Service Ribbon may be presented by the Adjutant General to each person inducted into the federal service as a member of a California National Guard unit after September 15, 1940, and who has completed not less than a total of 12 months honorable service in the armed forces of the United States between September 15, 1940, and September 16, 1945, and to each person inducted into the federal service as a member of a California National Guard unit after August 1, 1950, and who has completed not less than a total of 12 months honorable service in the armed forces of the United States while the United States is engaged in war as defined in Section 18 of this code and to each person inducted into the federal service as a member of a California National Guard unit on or after October 1, 1961, and who has completed not less than a total of three months honorable service in the armed forces of the United States between October 1, 1961, and August 31, 1962.
The Federal Service Ribbon shall be prepared, designed, awarded and issued according to rules and regulations to be adopted by the Adjutant General and all applications therefor shall be in writing and filed in the office of the Adjutant General. The applicant shall have the burden of proof as to his military service and the decision of the Adjutant General, in case of dispute, shall be final. MoreHide
Criteria The area of eligibility encompasses all land area of the country of Iraq and the contiguous water area out to 12 nautical miles, and all air spaces above the land area of Iraq and above the contiguous... The area of eligibility encompasses all land area of the country of Iraq and the contiguous water area out to 12 nautical miles, and all air spaces above the land area of Iraq and above the contiguous water area out to 12 nautical miles. To be eligible for the Iraq Campaign Medal, a Service member must be assigned or attahced to a unit participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq for 30 consecutive days or for 60 nonconsecutive days or meet one of the following criteria: Be engaged in actual combat against the enemy under circumstances involving grave danger of death or serious bodily injury from enemy action, regardless of the amount of time the individual has served in Iraq; While participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom or on official duties (regardless of the time spent in Iraq) is killed, wounded or injured to the extent that he or she requires medical evacuation from Iraq; or, While participating as a regularly assigned aircrew member flying sorties into, out of, within, or over Iraq in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; each day that one or more sorties are flown in accordance with these criteria shall count as one day towards the 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive day requirement. Service members who qualified for the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal by reason of service between March 19, 2003 and April 30, 2005 shall remain qualified for that medal. However, any such person may be awarded the Iraq Campaign Medal in lieu of the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for that service, at his or her request. In addition, any Army soldier who was authorized the arrowhead device may be awarded the Iraq Campaign Medal with arrowhead device in lieu of the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with arrowhead device. No service member shall be entitled to both the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal for the same act, achievement, or period of service. Only one award of the Iraq Campaign Medal may be authorized for any individual. The Iraq Campaign Medal may be awarded posthumously to any Service members who loses his or her life while, as a direct result of participating in qualifying operations, without regard to the length of time in the area of eligibility, if otherwise applicable. MoreHide
Criteria Individuals authorized the award of this medal must have been deployed abroad for service in the Global War on Terrorism operations on or after September 11, 2001, and to a future date to be determine... Individuals authorized the award of this medal must have been deployed abroad for service in the Global War on Terrorism operations on or after September 11, 2001, and to a future date to be determined MoreHide
Criteria The Overseas Service Ribbon is awarded to all active members of the Army, the Army National Guard, and to Army Reservists who are credited with a normal overseas tour completed since August 1, 1981 (p... The Overseas Service Ribbon is awarded to all active members of the Army, the Army National Guard, and to Army Reservists who are credited with a normal overseas tour completed since August 1, 1981 (provided they have an active Army status on or after August 1, 1981). This ribbon may not be awarded for overseas service recognized by another United States service medal. MoreHide
Criteria The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is awarded to United States Armed Forces Reserve component members (or former members) who complete (or have completed) a total of ten years service. This service need n... The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is awarded to United States Armed Forces Reserve component members (or former members) who complete (or have completed) a total of ten years service. This service need not be consecutive, if it was performed within a period of twelve consecutive years. For the purpose of this award service as a member of a Reserve component MoreHide
Criteria The Army Service Ribbon is awarded to members of the Regular Army, National Guard, or Army Reserve for successful completion of initial entry training. In the case of personnel who receive a Military ... The Army Service Ribbon is awarded to members of the Regular Army, National Guard, or Army Reserve for successful completion of initial entry training. In the case of personnel who receive a Military Occupational Specialty identifier based on civilian or other-service acquired skills, the ribbon is awarded upon honorable completion of four months active service. Only one award of this ribbon is authorized, even if an individual completes both officer and enlisted initial entry training. MoreHide
Camp Bucca, the coalition's primary facility for enemy prisoners of war is near Umm Qasr in southern Iraq. The camp was named after Ron Bucca, a New York fire marshal and Army Reservist w
Camp Bucca, the coalition's primary facility for enemy prisoners of war is near Umm Qasr in southern Iraq. The camp was named after Ron Bucca, a New York fire marshal and Army Reservist who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. Envisioned as a temporary place to hold Iraqi prisoners of war, the camp was emptied and closed by December 2003. However, Iraq's postwar insurgency created the need for a place to house thousands of suspected insurgents, and commanders turned to Camp Bucca to supplement the facilities at Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad.
It was at one point operated by the 800th Military Police Brigade. As of January 2005, the facility was being operated by the 18th Military Police Brigade and Task Force 134.
As of late-January 2005, the facility had a holding capacity of 6,000 prisonners but only held 5,000. These were being supervised by 1,200 Army MPs and Air Force Aimen.
At Camp Bucca's in-processing stations, soldiers fill out cards for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that include the prisoner's name, properties, hometown, and family members. These cards then get sent back to the prisoner's home. The process can take up to a month; so many family members come to the camp instead, to find out for themselves.
The first thing the MPs had to do was find a proper spot to set up an EPW camp. To put up a camp, Army planners first scout out a site isolated enough to be able to protect the prisoners and their guards from attack. Free Iraq Forces are also used to help locate a safe place. The FIF is a group of native Iraqis who have joined to help the American and British forces in freeing the Iraqi people. The local towns are checked for nearby places to buy needed products, warehouses for storing supplies, and the potential for local doctors, caterers, and contractors -- anything that would enhance the operations. In Umm Qasr, Maddocks used interpreters who spoke to local businessmen and helped find the things they needed to help build and maintain Camp Bucca.
The 800th MP Brigade was a "command and control" operation - the top of a wide umbrella of military units from across the operational theater that work together to create an effective, efficient EPW management program. As of late April 2003 units involved in the EPW control and containment process included: The 223rd MP Co., Army National Guard, Lexington, Ky., which was responsible for transporting EPWs from collection centers to Camp Bucca;· The 724th MP Battalion, USAR, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., confinement and control; The 822nd MP Company, Arlington Heights, Ill., perimeter security, gate control and community liaison between the camp and the local Iraqi community;· The 320th MP Company, Ashelee, PA, in-processing and medical care of arriving prisoners. Other support units included Army engineers who did the heavy construction, joint psychological operations units that accustom the prisoners to their temporary safe haven, and joint civil affairs units that were to handle EPW repatriation after the war was over. International partners included British forces, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and a Spanish Marine Corps medical unit which was at one point expected to eventually take over EPW medical facilities at the camp.
The 267 MP Company had alot of different missions. Like the 223rd and the 822nd, the 267th was attached to the 724 MP BN. The Company had Area Security (not the 822nd) when the camp was first handed over from British to American MPs, border convoy security, Prison Guard, supply convoys to the port, and prisoner transport to Abu Ghraib. There many more missions that the company had but those were the ones from APR03-JAN04.
Initially members of the 800th MP Brigade believed they would be allowed to go home when all the detainees were released from the Camp Bucca Theater Internment Facility following the cessation of major ground combat on 1 May 2003. At one point, approximately 7,000 to 8,000 detainees were held at Camp Bucca. Through Article-5 Tribunals and a screening process, several thousand detainees were released. Many in the command believed they would go home when the detainees were released.
As of January 2004 the centerpiece of the 530th Military Police Battalion headquarters' living area at Camp Bucca was a little reminiscent of the old TV show "Petticoat Junction." On a raised wooden gazebo, soldiers built a deep tub that now serves as the swimming hole for the headquarters staff. The only thing missing are the pretty girls in petticoats. "We just throw some bleach in it every once in a while to keep it clean," said Staff Sgt. Vern Schulte, an MP in the battalion at Bucca, where hundreds of enemy prisoners-of-war are held. The pool, which looks more like a California-style hot tub, is a welcome relief. "This place was just a big square of sand when we walked into it," Schulte said. "Now we've got everything just like it should be."
A 07 January 2004 incident involved the escape of detainee #115032 from Camp Bucca (310th MP Battalion). A detainee allegedly escaped between the hours of 0445 and 0640 from Compound 12, of Camp Bucca. Investigation by CPT Kaires (310th MP Battalion S-3) and CPT Holsombeck (724th MP Battalion S-3) concluded that the detainee escaped through an undetected weakness in the wire. Contributing factors were inexperienced guards, lapses in accountability, complacency, lack of leadership presence, poor visibility, and lack of clear and concise communication between the guards and the leadership.
A 12 January 04 incident involved the escape of Detainees #115314 and #109950 as well as the escape and recapture of 5 nknown detainees at the Camp Bucca Detention Facility (310th MP Battalion). Several detainees allegedly escaped around 0300 from Compound 12, of Camp Bucca.
A 26 January 04 incident involved the escape of detainees #s 115236, 116272, and 151933 from Camp Bucca (310th MP Battalion). Several Detainees allegedly escaped between the hours of 0440 and 0700 during a period of intense fog. Investigation by CPT Kaires (310th MP Battalion S-3) concluded that the detainees crawled under a fence when visibility was only 10-15 meters due to fog. Contributing factors were the limited visibility (darkness under foggy conditions), lack of proper accountability reporting, inadequate number of guards, commencement of detainee feeding during low visibility operations, and poorly rested MPs.
In January 2005, approximately 400 Air Force Security Forces assigned to the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron began helping operate Camp Bucca. According to a Jan. 30, 2005 report by the San Antonio Express-News, the planning for the posting of the airmen at Camp Bucca had begun in early 2004, and was being driven by the high-demand for Military Police troops. The airmen were to be stationed at the facility for six months before being replaced by another Security Forces contingent.
In January 2005 there was a large riot at Camp Bucca that left four Iraqi prisoners dead and six others wounded. The riot took place during a search for contraband in one of the camp’s 10 compounds. The riot quickly spread to three additional compounds, with detainees throwing rocks and fashioning weapons from materials inside their living areas. Officials said guards attempted to calm the increasingly volatile situation using verbal warnings and, when that failed, by use of nonlethal force. After about 45 minutes of escalating danger, officials said, lethal force was used to quell the violence.
In March 2005 a fuel truck accidentally drove over and collapsed the roof of an escape tunnel that was being dug out by several detainees living in Camp Bucca. The four-foot underground tunnel was an estimated 300-feet long and wide enough for a man to crawl through. Authorities claim no one escaped through the tunnel and the ringleaders were placed in isolation at the camp.
In May 2005, to cope with the continuing influx of detainees, the Pentagon announced that Bucca, which has eight compounds, would construct two more compounds. These new compounds would add the ability to hold an additional 1,400 prisoners. The expansion was estimated to cost $12 million.
As of March 2006, Bucca was Iraq's largest detainee facility with over 8,500 detainees.
Description Camp Justice (also known as Camp Al-Adala) was a joint Iraqi-American military base in the Kadhimiya district of Baghdad, Iraq. The location was renamed from "Camp Banzai" in mid-September 2004 as parCamp Justice (also known as Camp Al-Adala) was a joint Iraqi-American military base in the Kadhimiya district of Baghdad, Iraq. The location was renamed from "Camp Banzai" in mid-September 2004 as part of an effort to give Army facilities around Baghdad friendlier names. Camp Justice was the location of the 2006 execution of Saddam Hussein; the 2007 hanging of Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Awad Hamed al-Bandar, and Taha Yassin Ramadan; and the 2010 hanging of Saddam's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, a.k.a. Chemical Ali. The former president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein was executed at approximately 03:00 UTC on December 30, 2006. Two weeks later on January 15, 2007, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, former head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, former head of the Iraqi Revolutionary Court, were also executed by hanging at this site. Saddam's former deputy and former vice-president, Taha Yassin Ramadan (who was originally sentenced to life in prison on November 5, 2006, but had it changed to a death sentence three months and a week later), was likewise hanged here on March 20, 2007, two months and five days after Barzan's and al-Bandar's execution. Likewise Saddam's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid (Chemical Ali) was hanged on January 25, 2010 (three years and about a month after his cousin's execution), after receiving four death sentences.... More
Description Balad Air Base is an Iraqi Air Force base located near Balad in the Sunni Triangle 40 miles (64 km) north of Baghdad, Iraq.
It was opened during the 1980s called Al-Bakr Air Base which housed MikoyanBalad Air Base is an Iraqi Air Force base located near Balad in the Sunni Triangle 40 miles (64 km) north of Baghdad, Iraq.
It was opened during the 1980s called Al-Bakr Air Base which housed Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighters, during the 2000s the base was occupied by the United States Armed Forces as part of the Iraq War and called both Balad Air Base by the United States Air Force and LSA Anaconda by the United States Army before being renamed Joint Base Balad on 15 June 2008. The base was handed back to the Iraqi Air Force during December 2011 returning to be called Balad Air Base.
During the Iraq War it was the second largest U.S. Base in Iraq and today is home to the Iraqi Air Force's General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons.... More