By Army Staff Sgt. Brock Jones
Special to American Forces Press Service

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, Jan. 21, 2009 – Dogs are known as \”man’s best friend,\” and in recent years, they also have become a soldier’s best friend.

Army Sgt. Jess Storie, a dog handler, and his \”battle buddy\” Jose, a Labrador retriever, take a break following an afternoon training session in explosives search on Camp Slayer, Iraq, Jan. 16, 2009. The dog and handler are one of only seven dog teams that support Baghdad and the outlying province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brock Jones
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

With their keen sense of smell, dogs have taken on the dangerous duty of finding weapons and explosives in the combat zones of the Middle East.
Army Sgt. Jess Storie, an off-leash dog handler with the 94th Engineer Detachment out of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and Jose, his black Labrador retriever, are front and center in the constant battle to eliminate dangerous weapons before they can be used to hurt or kill.
They’re one of only seven dog teams that support Baghdad and the outlying province, officials said. 

John W. Stiefel of Gloucester City, formerly of Mickleton died suddenly on January 22, 

2009, age 46 years. John worked as a building inspector for Gloucester City and owned his own construction company. He was an avid Eagles fan and sportsman and enjoyed the horse races.

PHOTO: John Stiefel on the right with Joe Stecklair in front of the Gloucester City Building and Housing Office. Date July 2007

Survived by his beloved mother Joan Stiefel-Funk; and loving family Elaine; 2 daughters Barbara (Jason) Kane; Nichole Bebe; a brother Bill (Lynn); 3 sisters Sue (Eugene) DiLuigi; Carol Northdurft; Nancy (Glenn) Sweeten and 3 grandchildren, Joey; Brianna and Mia and many nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral services on Monday eve 8:00PM at the ELLIS-STIEFEL FUNERAL HOME, 301 Highland Ave., Westville, NJ, where friends may call after 6:00PM. Interment will be private.

The family request contributions be made in his name to the Animal Humane Shelter, 509 Centennial Blvd.,Voorhees Twp., NJ.

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2009 – Iraqi soldiers and police, \”Sons of Iraq\” civilian security group members and U.S. soldiers seized several weapons caches and arrested two suspected roadside bombers during raids conducted throughout the Baghdad area yesterday, military officials reported.

The caches contained hundreds of rounds small-arms ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, boosters, artillery rounds, hand grenades, an anti-aircraft machine gun with ammunition, improvised explosive devices, explosives, timers, AK-47 assault rifles, rockets, fuses, blasting caps, and land mines. The two suspects were caught in the act of emplacing roadside bombs.
In other operations yesterday:
— Iraqi and U.S. soldiers confiscated several AK-47s during operations in Baghdad’s Rashid district.
— Sons of Iraq members found an improvised explosive device during a search in the Ghazaliyah neighborhood of northwest Baghdad.
— Iraqi soldiers discovered several rockets during a combat patrol in the Adl neighborhood in northwestern Baghdad’s Mansour district.
In Jan. 23 operations:
— Iraqi and coalition forces killed a suspected al-Qaida insurgent and captured another during operations in Hawijah, west of Kirkuk.
— Iraqi police and U.S. soldiers found several weapons caches and unexploded ordnance during operations in Baghdad’s Rashid district. The caches contained pistols, homemade bombs, AK-47s, rocket-propelled grenades, artillery and mortar rounds, rockets, anti-tank mines, and propane tanks.
— Sons of Iraq members thwarted a group of suspected al-Qaida operatives from murdering their leader while he played soccer in the Mahmudiyah community. Two of the three attackers were wounded by the Sons of Iraq leader, who pulled out and fired his pistol in self-defense. One of the Sons of Iraq members was wounded in the incident. Some of the attackers fled the scene, and the Sons of Iraq leader emerged unharmed. The incident is under investigation, officials said.
— Iraqi police and U.S. servicemembers teamed up to disarm bombs and seize weapons during operations in Baghdad’s Rashid district.
— U.S. servicemembers and Iraqi police coordinated to disarm a bomb found in Baghdad’s Arab Jabour community.
— Iraqi police and U.S. troops confiscated eight AK-47s and a pistol in the Shurta community.
— Iraqi police and U.S. troops confiscated another AK-47, a bag of machine-gun rounds and an old bayonet during a search in the Saha community.
— Iraqi and U.S. soldiers teamed up to find several weapons caches of munitions, rocket launchers, hand grenades, and other ordnance in the Baghdad area. 

In other news, Iraqi police discovered a weapons cache on a rooftop of a building in the New Baghdad district Jan. 22. The cache contained mortar rounds with fuses, some heat-seeking rockets, pistol parts, mortar tubes, and rocket and grenade launchers.
Also, an Iraqi special weapons and tactics squad seized a weapons cache during a Jan. 21 operation conducted north of Tikrit. The cache contained mortar and artillery rounds, fuses, and some mortar tubes. 

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

Related Sites:

Bill Bates

Mount Ephraim borough officials started off the first meeting of the New Year by applauding all of the work by the many organizations and borough departments over the holiday season. \”A tremendous job was done by all to make this holidays season a bright and cheerful one despite the sluggish economy\” stated Commissioner Bruce Greenwald. Similar comments were echoed by Commissioner Andy Gilmore and Mayor Joe Wolk.

Some of the highlights were the Touch New Jersey Incorporated (food pantry) collecting non perishable items for holiday meals, the Celebration Committee collecting new unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots, Troops Support 08059 sending over 300 gift bags to soldiers serving over seas, the Mount Ephraim Fire Department for hosting the annual Christmas parade, assisting the food pantry and for providing their hall to the Camden County Center Family Services to sort and distribute gifts, Celebrations Committee & the MEFD Ladies Auxiliary for hosting the lunch with Santa at MEPRI to the holiday concerts that were put on by the Public School System.

American Forces Press Service

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 25, 2009 – Coalition forces in Afghanistan killed 15 Taliban militants and detained one suspect during an operation in Laghman province Jan. 23, military officials reported.

The operation targeted a wanted Taliban commander and took place in the province’s Mehtar Lam district, northeast of Kabul. As coalition forces approached the militant leader’s compound, several armed insurgents emerged, and a firefight ensued. Nine militants were killed by coalition troops’ fire during the gun battle and four other Taliban fighters were dispatched by coalition air-to-ground support. 

Shortly afterward, the coalition force again was engaged by armed militants firing from inside some buildings. Coalition forces killed two more militants in the firefight. A search of the area yielded AK-47 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, RPG rounds, a hand grenade, ammunition and other military equipment. 

(From a U.S. Forces Afghanistan news release.)