The following are several press releases concerning news stories from Iraq and also from the Homeland.

Mine-Resistant Vehicle Production Continues Ahead of ScheduleProduction of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles continues ahead of schedule, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said here today.

“For the month of October, we had hoped to produce 431 vehicles,” Morrell said during a news conference. “We have produced 452. That’s 21 more than we had anticipated, which puts us overall, year-to-date, program-to-date, 34 ahead of schedule.”

Economic Revival Stimulates Southern Baghdad’s Doura Neighborhood Bullet holes attest to the battleground that was this two-block portion of the Doura neighborhood. Just a few months ago, residents were afraid to step outside, leaving their neighborhood filled with garbage, without power and with most of its shops closed. That was until members of 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, made a concerted effort to weed out insurgents and put the citizens of Doura’s east side on the track to success.

Concerned Citizens Build Stronghold in Adwaniyah
About 15 al Qaeda operatives ended up dead in Adwaniyah, Iraq, on Nov. 12, as Iraqi citizens stood strong in their town’s defense, a senior military officer said today.

New Initiative Offers Education, Training Funds for Military Spouses Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates joined Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao today in supporting a new initiative to help military spouses get the education and other credentials needed to pursue careers in high-demand, high-growth occupations.

Coast Guard Patrols Guantanamo Bay’s Windward Pass to Protect U.S. Shores Three weeks out of every four, Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Figueroa studies the North Atlantic waters from an HU-25 “Falcon” aircraft, looking for illegal fishing ships and vessels in trouble.

America Supports You: Gift Cards Cheer Recovering Military Families
Ken Fisher, Fisher House Foundation chairman, receives a $100,000 check from Margaret McKenna, Wal-Mart Foundation president, during the kick-off of “Operation: Deck the Walls,” Wal-Mart’s new program to bring holiday cheer to recovering military families at Fisher houses in the United States and Germany. Photo by Linda Hosek
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
The manager of the three Fisher House facilities at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here will use donations from Wal-Mart to buy presents and necessities for military families who stay at Fisher House while their loved ones recover from combat injuries or illnesses.

Troops Detain Eight Suspects, Discover Weapons in Iraq Iraqi soldiers with 9th Iraqi Army Division and U.S. Special Forces advisors captured an alleged extremist leader yesterday during operations in Taji. The suspect, responsible for murdering at least 10 Iraqi civilians, is reported to control several extremist cells, military officials said. He allegedly emplaced multiple improvised explosive devices along a major U.S. military supply route and carried out an IED attack Oct. 4 against a coalition convoy near Baghdad.