Search Results for: "Basra In Iraq"
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Soldiers Across MND-S Celebrated July 4th
Relevance Score: 5.297 2009-07-10 22:27:01
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – While people in the states celebrate Independence Day with fireworks and barbeques, units here let loose with games, food, and one unit even had fireworks. Multi-National Division - South celebrated the 4th of July with sport competitions, a water balloon toss, horseshoes and a fireworks display. Fourth of July weekend began with runs throughout MND-S. More than 200 people took part in the 5K on Contingency Operating Base Basra and hundreds of Camp Adder Soldiers participated in the 10K Peachtree Road Race. “(The run) went well,” said Sgt. Maj. James Bartkey, one of the COB Basra run coordinators from Stillwater, Minn. “It was a good day for it and everyone who ran in it had a great time.” The weekend continued on COB Basra and Forward Operating Base Delta with sports. At Basra volleyball, softball and soccer were played throughout the day. Delta Soldiers were able to compete in softball, soccer and horseshoes. During lunch at Basra, Soldiers could participate in a pie-in-the-face fundraiser for unit family readiness groups or the Army Emergency Relief Fund. During the fundraiser, Soldiers were given the opportunity to pie company commanders, first sergeants and sergeants major as well as members of the command group. “I thought (the pie-in-the-face) was awesome,” said Staff Sgt. Jacqueline Cornwell, personnel noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Headquarters Support Company, 34th Infantry Division and a native of Fountain, Minn. “I really appreciate that the command group and commanders and first sergeants got out there. I’m really glad the money is going to the family readiness groups.” Soldiers at COB Adder received an unexpected treat for their fourth of July night – fireworks. A drive-in style video of a fireworks display was projected onto a pair of concrete barriers to give Soldiers a little taste of home. Basra concluded their day with a parade of Soldier-created floats. The theme of the floats for Independence Day was red, white and blue. Soldiers were judged on creativity and their use of theme colors. “It was fantastic,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Norton, division ammunition noncommissioned officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, and Ogilvie, Minn. Native. “It was pretty cool to have everyone together having fun.”
Satellite Broadband Internet in Iraq and Afghanistan for U.S. Troops
Relevance Score: 3.780 2009-06-28 22:04:20
WARSAW, Poland, Jan. 22 /Reuters/ -- TS2 Satellite Technologies' network in Iraq and Afghanistan has over 15,000 military users of local broadband satellite connections. "We were among the first telecommunications operators in the satellite technology in the territory of Iraq and Afghanistan, and as such we have enjoyed a successful cooperation with the U.S. Army for several years now," says Marcin Frackiewicz, CEO of the TS2 Satellite Technologies. TS2 Satellite Technologies offers two-way high-speed Internet access with no phone lines, no cable and no dial-up modem. It's always on, available virtually anywhere, and affordable. The laptop or Wi-Fi network can receive Internet signal through a special satellite VSAT modem, which was usually set up in a building or tent when deployed. The one VSAT access point provides the following services for soldiers: -- Broadband access to the Internet (WWW, E-mail, FTP etc.) -- Data transfer to many other users simultaneously -- Telephone connections including VoIP, IP phone -- Video-conference connections Advantages of the system: -- Short set-up time -- Fast and easy upgrades -- Possibility of guaranteed CIR -- Transmission in almost all weather conditions The communication among the bases is possible thanks to the simultaneous lease of bands on the Intelsat 10-02, Intelsat 901 and Eutelsat W6 satellites whose coverage enables configuration of connections between any place in Europe, Middle East and Southwest Asia. TS2's satellite military networks are located in Al Taqaddum Air Base, Bahgram AF, Balad Base, Baquba Airfield, Brassfield-Mora, Cob Adder, Cob Speicher, Camp Al Asad Airbase, Camp Bucca Basra City, Camp Buehring, Camp Charlie Basra, Camp Eggers, Camp Fallujah, Camp Grizzly, Camp Korean Village, Camp Liberty, Camp Mejid, Camp Ramadi, Camp Slayer, Camp Stryker, Camp Taji, Camp Victory, Fob Bagram, Fob Brassfield Mora, Fob Delta Al Kut, Fob Diamondback, Fob Falcon, Fob Garryowen, Fob Gardez, Fob Ghazni, Fob Kalagush, Fob Kandahar, Fob Lagman, Fob Mchenry, Fob Marez, Fob Normandy, Fob Rustamiyah, Fob Summerall, Fob Sykes, Fob Salerno, Fob Torkham, Fob Warhorse, Fob Warrior, Herat RTC, Jallahabad Air Base, Kabul Airport, Kabul Camp Eggers, Kandahar Air Base, Lsa Anaconda Balad, Q-West Base Complex and Tallil Ab Lsa Adder. Especially for U.S. Military Personnel, Contracting Officers and DoD Contractors, TS2 delivers satellite equipment to most of all military addresses in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East, within maximum of 7 days. Supported military locations in Iraq - http://www.ts2.pl/en/Internet-in-Iraq-for-US-Army-Soldiers Supported military locations in Afghanistan - http://www.ts2.pl/en/Internet-in-Afghanistan-for-US-Army-Soldiers Contact: Piotr Kubiak and Michal Skrok TS2 Satellite Technologies phone +48 22 630 70 70 fax +48 22 630 70 71 http://www.ts2.pl
TS2 Satellite Technologies
Relevance Score: 2.202 2008-06-29 00:52:58
TS 2 is the prime Internet Provider for US Army soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of all active customers are Polish and US Army soldiers, but TS 2 solutions have been implemented also for private companies and organizations. TS 2' network in Iraq and Afghanistan has over 15 thousand military users of local broadband satellite connections. TS 2 specializes in providing global satellite access services. They core business is broadband access to the Internet in areas with poor telecommunications infrastructure and mobile satellite phones communication. The main medium of used transmission is a two-way satellite transfer system, which provides good access to the satellite network in even the least accessible areas. It not only provides a broadband connection but also a wide range of additional data and voice services. TS2’s satellite networks are available in Al Taqaddum Air Base, Bagram AF, Balad Base, Baquba Airfield, Brassfield-Mora, Cob Adder, Cob Speicher, Camp Al Asad Airbase, Camp Bucca Basra City, Camp Buehring, Camp Charlie Basra, Camp Eggers, Camp Fallujah, Camp Grizzly, Camp Korean Village, Camp Liberty, Camp Mejid, Camp Ramadi, Camp Slayer, Camp Stryker, Camp Taji, Camp Victory, Fob Bagram, Fob Brassfield Mora, Fob Delta Al Kut, Fob Diamondback, Fob Falcon, Fob Garryowen, Fob Gardez, Fob Ghazni, Fob Kalagush, Fob Kandahar, Fob Lagman, Fob Mchenry, Fob Marez, Fob Normandy, Fob Rustamiyah, Fob Summerall, Fob Sykes, Fob Salerno, Fob Torkham, Fob Warhorse, Fob Warrior, Herat RTC, Jallaabad Air Base, Kabul Airport, Kabul Camp Eggers, Kandahar Air Base, Lsa Anaconda Balad, Sather Air Base, Q-West Base Complex and Tallil Ab Lsa Adder. [2] TS2 delivers telecommunication services also for Police Transition Teams in following locations: West Ramadi, Warrar, Tal-Aswad, Saqlawiyah / Saqlawiah, Rutbah, Rumanah, Ramadi District HQ, Qatanna, Mulaab, Kubaisa, Khaladiah, Karmah, Jazeera, Hit, Haqlaniyah, Hamdiyah, Habbaniyah, Forsan, Ferris, East Ramadi, Barwannah, Anah, Ameriayah and Al Qaim. [3] Military customers in Iraq and Afghanistan Before end of 2007 year, the TS 2 solutions have been implemented for e.g. US Marine Corps (USMC), US Army Corps of Engineers, Australian Defence Force (ADF), Command of Polish Navy, Special Military Formation GROM, 1st Special Commando Regiment, Polish National Police, Polish National Headquarters of the State Fire Services, Border Guard (Poland), World Bank Group, Lockheed Martin Information Technology, Halliburton Energy Services, KBR, General Dynamics Information Technology, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, US Naval Research Laboratory, ITT Corporation Aerospace / Communications Division, Technest Holdings / EOIR Technologies, North Eastern Aeronautical Company (Neany), EchoStorm Worldwide, Jorge Scientific Corporation, Erinys International, Aegis Iraq, American Heart of Poland and more others. TS2's military services are used by soldiers from 1 BCT 101 ABN DIV, 1-151 CAV HHT, 1-161st FA A-BTRY, 1-206 Field Artillery Battalion, 1-25 SBCT, 1-5 INF B Co, 1-61 CAV SQDN, 1-76 FA, 1/402nd AFSB STRYKER LNO, 1038th HCC, 10TH MTN DIV, 1710 Transpotation company, 184th Ordnance Battalion, 189 CSSB, 18th EN BDE, 1AD 2BCT / TF 1-35 AR, 1AD STB/Datapath, 1BCT, 1STB 1BCT 4ID, 1st BCT 101st Airborne Div., 1st Intel Bn P&A Co AFP, 1st PLT C Co 3-21 IN, 1st Space BDE / MNC-I, 2 BCT 1ID JSS H2, 2/25 DET 1 WPNS CO MAP 3, 2/25 Det 1 H&S Comm Plt, 201st Engineer Bn., 215th ASMC Phipps Clinic, 259 CSSB 155 ICTC, 25th Signal BN, 269 TH MP CO, 269th MP CO, 27th BCT, 3/10 MPCO, 3/4 WPNS CAAT-2, 324 NSC, 330th Military Police Detachment, 345th MI BN, 351st MP CO, 368th Finance DET 4, 370th En Co 54th En Bn, 3ACR, 3D RADIO BN, 401st AFSB MRAP, 41st Fires BDE, 455 EOG/ Spawar/ ATM, 4ID, 4SB 1BCT 4ID, 4th BAT. 101st AB, 4th BCT, 504th MP BN, 527th MP CO, 527th Military Police Company, 542nd SMC, 55th EN CO, 561 MT company, 589th BSB, 58th mp co 1st plt, 5th ANGLICO HQ Det/1st BDE, 5th EN BN, 5th Eng Bn, 6-17 CAV 1-1 ARB, 715th MP CO, 752nd OD CO, 772 Military Police Company, 776 Maintenance Co., 812th MP CO, 836th Engineer Company Sapper, 84th EN BN 643 EN CO, 84th Eng Bn 643rd En Bn, 87th Eng Co, 926th EN BDE, 937th Engineer Company, 97th Trans Det 3, A 2-20 FA, A CO 1-5 IN REGT, A TRP 1-152 CAV, A co. 4SB, A-4/320th, A-BRTY 2-44 ADA, A-CO 1-21 INF, A/2-211 AVIATION, A/CO 1/21, ACO TF 1/35 AR, ALPHA TROOP 1-152, Aco 1-153 INF, Alpha Company, B 4-320th FA, B Btry 3-4 AMD Battalion, B CO Task Force Odin, B CO. Bldg 3455/CH, B Co 1-6 IN, B Co 2-112th, B Co 2-4 GSAB, B Co. Bldg 3455 / CH, B Co. Bldg 3510 / CH, B Company 1-18 Infantry, B co 1-35AR, B co 2-6 IN, B co 563D ASB, B co. 404 ASB CAB 4ID, Bco 1-184 IN L, Bco 1-21, Bco. 2-4 GSAB CAB 4ID, Bco.404 ASB, Bravo Co. 1-184th, Bravo co. 3-159 ARB, C 1/158 fa bn, C BTRY 2-5 FA, C Btry 2-8 FA 1/25 SBCT, C Co 1-12 CAV 1CD, C Co 1-24 IN, C Co. 1/168th GSAB, C Co. 4-4 ARB, C co. 4-4 ARB CAB 4ID, C trp 1-303d Cav 81st hbct, C-Btry 1/158 FA, C/Trp 6-17 CAV, CAB 4ID, CAB 4th ID, CAFFT TAJI, CAV. 2nd PLATOON, CJTF-101 CJ3 Biometrics, CSTC-A CJ6 CSC, Co. B 146 ESB, D Co 2-27 IN/ 3rd PLT, D Co. 2-327 Inf., D. Co. 1/114th INF, D/123 AVN 6-17 CAV, Delta Company 1-151, Delta Company 1-151 Warlords, Delta Troop 7-17 CAV, E CO 3-1 AVN REGT, E Co. 1-161IN, E. CO 1-66 AR, E/FSC 1-22IN 1BCT 4ID, EOD Company 1/3, F Co. 2-10 AVN, GLS/L-3/Titan, HHB 1/6 FA, HHB 2-20 FA BN, HHC 1-24 IN, HHC 1-87 INF, HHC 2-7 CAV 4 BCT 1 CD, HHC 2/327 INF Olsen Medics, HHC 25th STB 25ID G2, HHC 3-103 AR, HHC 3/2 SCR LST, HHC 51st Signal Battalion, HHC 56 SBCT, HHC 5th Engineer Battalion, HHC 710 BSB 3BCT, HHC 783rd MP BN, HHC 84th Engineers Battalion, HHC 949 BSB, HHC BTB, HQs/ 561st MP Company, HSC 834TH ASB, JCCS-1, JTF Paladin / COIC, KAF NSE Force Protection 1 Platoon, KAIA ISAF Kabul Afghanistan, KBR B4 Services, KBR/LSI C7A McHenry, L-3 Communications Iraq, L3 Vertex Aerospace Iraq, L3/GSI, NSWLOGDET TQ US NAVY, PM BIOMETRICS FWD/BAT, TF 5-09 Canadian Forces, TF Centaur, TF Fighting, TF Phoenix, Task Force 1-6 S6, Task Force ODIN, Task Force Wings and USAF FET in FOB Salerno. [5] TS2 will provide satellite services for the Marines new bases in Afghanistan in first months of 2009 year. The government contract concerns establishing and maintaining full communication in new locations for two years for all soldiers stationed there. The USA are going to transfer 4.5 thousand Marines from Iraq to Afghanistan as early as at the beginning of 2009.
Vietnam War Vet Killed in Iraq
Relevance Score: 1.837 2009-05-13 19:42:14
PHOENIX - A 60-year-old Vietnam War veteran killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq has become the oldest Army soldier to die in that conflict, the military said Thursday. Maj. Steven Hutchison, of Scottsdale, Ariz., served in Vietnam and wanted to re-enlist immediately after the 9/11 terror attacks, but his wife was against it, his brother said. Richard Hutchison told The Associated Press on Thursday that when she died, "a part of him died" so he signed up in July 2007 at age 59. "He was very devoted to the service and to his country," Richard Hutchison said. He described him as a great big brother and friend. "I didn't want him to go," he said through tears, adding that he loved his brother "so much." The Pentagon said Steven Hutchison was killed in Iraq on Sunday. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nathan Banks said Thursday that Hutchison was the oldest Army soldier killed in Iraq. An Associated Press database of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan shows that Hutchison is the oldest member of any service branch killed since the wars broke out. Hutchison served in Afghanistan for a year before deploying to Iraq in October, heading a 12-soldier team that trained the Iraqi military, his brother said. Later, he was assigned to help secure Iraq's southern border. Hutchinson, who grew up in California, taught psychology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles on and off between 1988 and 1996, and lectured and taught at two other colleges, according to school records. He then worked at a health care corporation in Arizona before retiring and re-entering the service, his brother said. He was part of the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.
US soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq offered Internet service
Relevance Score: 1.816 2010-02-07 13:11:40
Soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq are being offered an Internet service primarily aimed at companies in Asia. The new service offers high-speed Internet access with out the need for phone lines, cable or dial-up modem. TS2 Satellite Technologies company is using satellites to power their Internet service. For soldiers deployed to the war zones this service can allow for communications back home. Many of the soldiers arrive in Afghanistan and Iraq with their own lap top hoping to stay in contact with loved ones. The troops can connect with the service when they are in their barracks. Not everyone though in the service is just using the Internet to stay close with family some are using it to blog and stay in touch with their business associates in the US. Having that connect with family and those at home have upped the morale of the troops.
283 Bases, 170,000 Pieces of Equipment, 140,000 Troops and an Army of Military Contractors
Relevance Score: 1.674 2009-03-31 11:41:15
With last week's announced escalation of the war in Afghanistan, including an Iraq-like "surge" replete with 4,000 more U.S. troops and a sizable increase in private contractors, President Barack Obama blew the lid off of any lingering perceptions that he somehow represents a significant change in how the U.S. conducts its foreign policy. In the meantime, more reports have emerged that bolster suspicions that Obama's Iraq policy is but a downsized version of Bush's and that a total withdrawal of U.S. forces is not on the horizon. In a dramatic understatement, the GAO notes that the U.S. "has an extensive basing footprint in Iraq. … Closing or handing over U.S. installations in Iraq will be time consuming and costly." With no fewer than 283 such installations throughout Iraq -- 51 large bases and 232 smaller bases -- the Obama administration has not said how it will approach this formidable task. This is no minor detail. "According to U.S. Army officials, experience has shown that it takes one to two months to close the smallest platoon -- or company -- size installations, which contain between 16 and 200 combat soldiers or Marines." However, the U.S. "has never closed large, complex installations -- such as Balad Air Force Base, which contains about 24,000 inhabitants and has matured over five years. U.S. Army officials estimate it could take longer than 18 months to close a base of that size." Obama should explain clearly how he intends to dismantle these bases or to what forces he is going to give control over them. It is very hard to imagine that the U.S. will simply walk away from large bases it spent years building. So, will they be turned over to Iraq? If so, to whom? What guarantee is there that they would not be used as operating bases for death squads? Will some be destroyed? What about the environmental impact? In addition to the bases, the GAO reveals that, as of of March 2008, "the United States had in place about 170,000 pieces of equipment worth about $16.5 billion that would need to be removed from Iraq." Erik Leaver, a senior analyst at the Institute for Policy Studies, says,"An example of a tough question: What to do with MRAPs [Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles]?" "The MRAPs are so heavy, transport back to the U.S., plus the rehab charges may make it cost-effective to actually destroy them," says Leaver. "Plus, if you need to move 120,000 soldiers in a rapid time frame, do you even have the space to bring them back if you take the MRAPs?" Then there are the facilities in Iraq currently being run by U.S. contractors. According to the GAO, Defense Contract Management Agency officials estimate "there is at least $3.5 billion worth of contractor-managed government-owned property in Iraq."
High-Speed Satellite Internet Access for U.S. Troops in Afghanistan and Iraq
Relevance Score: 1.673 2009-12-08 14:15:10
Hughes Network Systems, a major player in broadband satellite networks and services, reportedly has expanded the provision of high-speed satellite Internet access for U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Hughes is proud to provide high-speed Internet service to our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, reinforcing the military's Morale, Welfare & Recreation [MWR] efforts in the region," said Rick Lober, vice president and general manager of Hughes Defense and Intelligence Systems Division, in the release. Lober said staying connected with spouses, children, extended family, and friends is essential for the troops' morale, especially as they often are deployed overseas for a year or more. "Hughes has been providing broadband satellite terminals throughout the region since 2003, and the additional bandwidth and resources from our new Dubai-based hub now enables us to connect even more men and women of the military with their loved ones at home while they serve our country overseas," said Payam Herischi, senior director of Hughes Global Services. The high-speed satellite Internet service is available at U.S. military bases in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait, with local installation and logistics support provided by partner companies in the region.
$5.8M to Improve FOB Speicher, Iraq
Relevance Score: 1.651 2008-06-03 23:41:16
Wintara, Inc. in Fort Washington, MD received a $5.8 million firm-fixed price contract for replacement facilities for Forward Operating Base, Speicher near Tikrit, Iraq. Work is expected to be complete by Jan 31/09. 98 bids were solicited on Feb 4/08, and 12 bids were received by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Programs Center in Winchester, VA. Capt. Speicher’s F/A-18 Hornet fighter was shot down over Iraq during Operation Desert Storm on Jan 17/91, and was listed as killed. There has been considerable controversy regarding his fate, however, and in January 2001, the Secretary of the Navy took the extremely rare step of changing his status to “missing in action.” In 2002, it was changed again, this time to “missing-captured.” Many also believe that his aircraft was not shot down by a surface-to-air missile, as claimed at the time, but by an Iraqi fighter that passed American planes who were not allowed to engage it. See also the March 27/01 CIA report. After Operation Iraqi Freedom, evidence was found that included a flight suit believed to be his, an escape and evade sign located on the desert floor, and what appear to be the initials “MSS” scrawled on a wall of a cell in the Hakmiyah prison in Baghdad. Speicher’s name was also found on a document in Iraq, dated January 2003, that had the names of prisoners being held in the country. Despite these efforts and clues, however, Speicher’s whereabouts and the exact details of his fate remain unknown.
Iraq's hot, but a tourist hotspot?
Relevance Score: 1.613 2009-06-10 11:37:14
Iraq's first notable tourist, Jonah, hated it. Belched out of a whale and stuck under Ninevah's parching, sweltering sun, the Bible says he cared more for the plant that shaded him than for the city he was sent to save. Thousands of years later, it's cliché to say Iraq is not everyone's ideal day-trip. But, in the six years since Saddam Hussein was deposed, conditions have reached the point where tourism is now a viable industry. That's where Master Sgt. Dave Cullen of the 34th Infantry Division comes in. "My job is to increase tourism to Iraq," said Cullen, noncommissioned officer-in-charge for Tourism and Employment in Multi-National Division-South. Hundreds of thousands of people already travel to Najaf, Karbala and Babil for religious events every year, said Cullen. "Some of the northern provinces in our area have over 30% of the economy based on tourism." In addition, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates has hundreds of historical sites and is the birthplace Hammurabi, Nebuchadnezzar and also the wheel. "The history of the world starts there," Cullen said. Unfortunately for history buffs everywhere, nations ravaged by over 30 years of war and tyranny generally do not offer a plethora of five-star accommodations. "They don't have a very good hotel industry or service industry," said Cullen. The good news, however, is that Cullen will not have to revive Iraq's tourism sector all by himself. In addition to the brigade combat teams and non-government organizations in the area, Cullen will be working by, with, and through Iraqi nationals. "It can't be Dave Cullen going down there and saying I need to set up a hotel," said Cullen. "It has to be agreed upon through their eyes." By working together with the Iraqi government, Cullen will be helping ensure a healthy economy for Iraq after Coalition forces are no more. "The increase of tourism by increasing their economy is going to build a safer environment," said Cullen. Like Jonah and his whale, Cullen and the 34th Red Division have been tasked with a unique mission: to help make Iraq a better place.
U.S. Moves to Replace Contractors in Iraq
Relevance Score: 1.609 2009-03-19 02:32:25
The decision not to renew Blackwater Worldwide's security contract in Iraq when it expires in early May has left the State Department scrambling to fill a protection gap for U.S. diplomats and civilian officials there. Two other U.S. security contractors with a far smaller presence in Iraq -- DynCorp International and Triple Canopy -- have been asked to replace the ousted company, according to State Department and company officials. To meet time, training and security-clearance pressures, officials said, one or both of the firms are likely to undertake the task by rehiring some personnel now working for Blackwater. The Iraqi government refused to issue Blackwater a license to perform security services after a 2007 incident in which company guards on a diplomatic protection mission shot and killed 17 civilians in Baghdad. U.S. prosecutors have indicted five of the guards on charges of manslaughter. Blackwater (which recently changed its name to Xe) still has State Department contracts for air transport in Iraq and security for U.S. diplomats in Afghanistan. ad_icon Meanwhile, fallout from the shootings -- including a new U.S.-Iraq status-of-forces agreement that places contractors under Iraqi legal jurisdiction for the first time -- has led both the Pentagon and the State Department to create new categories of "full-time, temporary" federal jobs to handle some tasks currently done by contractors. The Blackwater incident helped fuel a wider debate on the overall cost and conduct of contractors. President Obama last week ordered a government-wide review of federal contracting procedures, saying that his administration "will stop outsourcing services that should be performed by the government." Nowhere has that outsourcing been larger or more contentious than in Iraq, where contractors have long outnumbered the U.S. military presence, even at its peak of 160,000 troops. The days of massive U.S. reconstruction contracts in Iraq are over, with little to show for tens of billions of dollars spent, according to government auditors. While the military continues to outsource much of its supply chain, contracts for services such as transport and food will diminish as combat forces begin to draw down. More in The Washington Post