Political Opinions, News Aggregation

Iraqi friends join Thanksgiving feast

In this photo from another Thanksgiving celebration in Iraq, The Red Bull logo of the 34th Infantry Division is displayed in bread for their Thanksgiving meal on Contingency Operating Base Basrah, Nov. 26. Photo by Spc. Samuel Soza, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division. BAGHDAD — Two cultures come together at a table. The hosts, strangers in an exotic land, welcome native guests with a rich history stretching back thousands of years. This scene, reminiscent of the historic celebration at Plymouth, took place here on Forward Operating Base Falcon, Nov. 26, as dozens of Iraqi tribal, civil and military leaders and...

Iraqi Air Force 70th Squadron flying solo

Col. Sami Saeed (right), commander of the Iraqi Air Force’s 70th Squadron, conducts preflight checks on a CH2000 surveillance plane during training on Contingency Operating Base Basrah, Nov. 19. Photo by Spc. Samuel Soza, 367th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. COB BASRAH — Reaching a critical training milestone, the Iraqi Air Force’s (IqAF) 70th Squadron is now conducting its own training from beginning to end, ushering in an era of independence it has worked toward so diligently. The goal has always been to create a sustainable training squadron that can effectively transition new recruits into operational missions and put the protection...