Description The Iraq War was an armed conflict in Iraq that consisted of two phases. The first was an invasion of Iraq starting on March 20, 2003 by an invasion force led by the United States, United Kingdom, AusThe Iraq War was an armed conflict in Iraq that consisted of two phases. The first was an invasion of Iraq starting on March 20, 2003 by an invasion force led by the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Poland which resulted in the end of Ba'athist Iraq and the establishment of a democratic constitution. It was followed by a longer phase of fighting, in which an insurgency emerged opposing the occupying forces and the newly elected Federal government of Iraq. Roughly 96.5 percent of the casualties suffered by coalition forces were suffered during the second phase, rather than the initial invasion. The U.S. completed its withdrawal of military personnel in December 2011, during the ninth year of the war. However, the insurgency is ongoing and continues to cause thousands of fatalities.
Prior to the war, the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom claimed that Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) posed a threat to their security and that of their allies. In 2002, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1441 which called for Iraq to completely cooperate with UN weapon inspectors to verify that Iraq was not in possession of WMD and cruise missiles. Prior to the attack, the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) found no evidence of WMD, but could not yet verify the accuracy of Iraq's declarations regarding what weapons it possessed, as their work was still unfinished. The leader of the inspectors, Hans Blix, estimated the time remaining for disarmament being verified through inspections to be "months".
After investigation following the invasion, the U.S. led Iraq Survey Group concluded that Iraq had ended its nuclear, chemical and biological programs in 1991 and had no active programs at the time of the invasion, but that they intended to resume production if the Iraq sanctions were lifted. Although no active chemical weapons program was found, at least 17 U.S. troops, with 600 other U.S. troops reporting symptoms of exposure, and 7 Iraqi police officers were burned or wounded while in close proximity with the remains of degraded chemical artillery rounds left over from Iraq's pre-1991 chemical weapons program. Paul R. Pillar, the CIA official who coordinated U.S. intelligence on the Middle East from 2000 to 2005, said "If prewar intelligence assessments had said the same things as the Duelfer report, the administration would have had to change a few lines in its rhetoric and maybe would have lost a few member's votes in Congress, but otherwise the sales campaign—which was much more about Saddam's intentions and what he "could" do than about extant weapons systems—would have been unchanged. The administration still would have gotten its war. Even Dick Cheney later cited the actual Duelfer report as support for the administration's pro-war case."
However, George J. Tenet, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, stated Vice President Cheney and other George W. Bush administration officials pushed the country to war in Iraq without ever conducting a "serious debate" about whether Saddam Hussein posed an imminent threat to the United States.
Some U.S. officials also accused Iraqi President Saddam Hussein of harboring and supporting al-Qaeda, but no evidence of a meaningful connection was ever found. Other stated reasons for the invasion included Iraq's financial support for the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. Iraqi government human rights abuses, and an effort to spread democracy to the country.
On 16 March 2003, the U.S. government advised the U.N. inspectors to leave their unfinished work and exit from Iraq. On 20 March the US-led coalition conducted a surprise military invasion of Iraq without declaring war. The invasion led to an occupation and the eventual capture of Saddam, who was later tried in an Iraqi court of law and executed by the new Iraqi government. Violence against coalition forces and among various sectarian groups soon led to the Iraqi insurgency, strife between many Sunni and Shia Iraqi groups, and the emergence of a new faction of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
In June 2008, US Department of Defense officials claimed security and economic indicators began to show signs of improvement in what they hailed as significant and fragile gains. Iraq was fifth on the 2008 Failed States Index, and sixth on the 2009 list. As public opinion favoring troop withdrawals increased and as Iraqi forces began to take responsibility for security, member nations of the Coalition withdrew their forces. In late 2008, the American and Iraqi governments approved a Status of Forces Agreement effective through 1 January 2012. The Iraqi Parliament also ratified a Strategic Framework Agreement with the United States, aimed at ensuring cooperation in constitutional rights, threat deterrence, education, energy development, and other areas.
In late February 2009, newly elected U.S. President Barack Obama announced an 18-month withdrawal window for combat forces, with approximately 50,000 troops remaining in the country "to advise and train Iraqi security forces and to provide intelligence and surveillance". UK forces ended combat operations on 30 April 2009. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki said he supported the accelerated pullout of U.S. forces. In a speech at the Oval Office on 31 August 2010 Obama declared "the American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country." ... More
Memories PETERSON departed Norfolk, VA, on September 19, 2001, as part of the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)PETERSON departed Norfolk, VA, on September 19, 2001, as part of the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Aircraft Carrier Battle Group (CVBG) for a scheduled six-month deployment, and in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. For the previous eight months, PETERSON had trained with the CVBG in preparation for this deployment through a series of increasingly demanding exercises and operations. These pre-deployment exercises had culminated the previous month with the successful completion of Joint Task Force Exercise 01-3. The aim of Unified Spirit, which is held every four years, was to train forces and the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) headquarters staff in the planning and conducting of a NATO-led out-of-area United Nations Charter Chapter VII Peace Support Operation. It was a key element in the NATO four-year CJTF headquarters training cycle. During the exercise, forces were faced with two quickly developing scenarios in two different regions. One was a peace support operation between two fictional former warring nations, and the other involved open hostilities in the fictional states of "Kartuna" and "Korona." Both scenarios stressed the ability to react to high-threat environments requiring air, naval and ground operations. They incorporated surveillance, reconnaissance and other missions, including humanitarian assistance, maritime interdiction, embassy support and a non-combatant evacuation.
The Battle Group returned to the US in March 2002 and on October 4, 2002, PETERSON was decommissioned.
PETERSON was homeported in Norfolk, Va., and was a member of Commander, Destroyer Squadron Twenty-Eight, serving as flagship for the Commodore and staff.... More
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 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
Description Awarded to Soldiers/Sailors in a deployed status who have served in military expeditions to combat terrorism since 11 September 2001
Soldiers/Sailors cannot be awarded the GWOTSM and/or Armed Forces Ex... Awarded to Soldiers/Sailors in a deployed status who have served in military expeditions to combat terrorism since 11 September 2001
Soldiers/Sailors cannot be awarded the GWOTSM and/or Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for the same period of time when awarded the GWOTEM
Awarded for OEF (24OCT01-30APR05) and OIF (19MAR03-30APR05)
Eligibility:
30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days
Engaged in combat with hostile forces, killed, or wounded requiring a medical evacuation from OEF / OIF. MoreHide
Criteria Individuals authorized the award of this medal must have participated in or served in support of Global War on Terrorism operations on or after September 11, 2001 and to a future date to be determined... Individuals authorized the award of this medal must have participated in or served in support of Global War on Terrorism operations on or after September 11, 2001 and to a future date to be determined. MoreHide
Description Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism
Service Medal (GWOTSM)
Awarded to Soldiers/Sailors who have served in military operations to combat terrorism since 11 September 2001
Automatically eligible if ... Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism
Service Medal (GWOTSM)
Awarded to Soldiers/Sailors who have served in military operations to combat terrorism since 11 September 2001
Automatically eligible if serving in the military between 11 SEP 01 and 31 MAR 04
After Mar 04, Battalion Commanders (award approval authority), must determine that a Soldier/Sailor serving on active duty has qualified for the GWOTSM
Soldiers/Sailors cannot be awarded the GWOTEM and/or Armed Forces Service Medal for the same period of time when awarded the GWOTSM MoreHide
Description On October 7, 2001 with the beginning of punishing aerial bombardments, missile attacks and special forces commando missions against the Taliban and bin Laden's forces by the United States and the UniOn October 7, 2001 with the beginning of punishing aerial bombardments, missile attacks and special forces commando missions against the Taliban and bin Laden's forces by the United States and the United Kingdom (the Allies). An informal alliance between the Northern Alliance and the Allies developed, with coordination between Allied air attacks and ground attacks by the Northern Alliance.
These attacks led to the fall of Kabul on Nov. 13, 2001, as the Taliban retreated from most of northern Afghanistan.
By November 25, 2001, the last Taliban/Al-Qaida stronghold in the north, Konduz, had fallen to the Northern Alliance. American and British special forces, numbering only in the hundreds, are on the ground in Afghanistan to liaison with the Northern Alliance as well as to conduct raids, ambushes and reconnaissance in order to destroy the Taliban and Al-Qaida forces.... More
Memories Navy Engineman 1st Class Vincent Parker, 38.
Navy, USS Peterson, Norfolk Naval Station, Va.
Preston, MNavy Engineman 1st Class Vincent Parker, 38.
Navy, USS Peterson, Norfolk Naval Station, Va.
Preston, Mississippi
November 18, 2001 in Operation Enduring Freedom. Drowned in the Persian Gulf when the ship they had boarded, which had been smuggling Iraqi oil, sank.... More
Worst Moment
Search Goes On for 2 U.S. Sailors Missing After Ship Sinks Off Iraq. WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2001 - Navy ships and helicopters continued to search today for two American sailors missing in the northern Persian Gulf after an overloaded cargo ship they had boarded for inspection sank in rough seas, the Pentagon said. The sailors were part of an eight-member team from the destroyer Peterson who had boarded the ship on Sunday after American officials became suspicious that it was carrying oil from Iraq in violation of United Nations sanctions. Pentagon officials said the team discovered tanks carrying 1,700 metric tons of oil hidden under bags of grain. The ship, the Samra, which was registered in the United Arab Emirates, was so overloaded that it was already riding dangerously low in the water when the Peterson first spotted it, officials said. The Samra, which was at anchor at the time not far from the Iraqi coastline, sank in high seas just 30 minutes after the sailors boarded it, the officials said. There were no sounds of explosions or gunfire on the Samra before it began to sink, indicating that the crew had not attempted to resist the inspection, officials said. SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters dispatched from the Peterson were able to rescue 6 American sailors and 10 members of the Samra's 14-member Iraqi crew not long after the ship went under. The body of one Iraqi sailor was also recovered, while three remaining crew members from the Samra were missing tonight. Today, the Peterson and its two helicopters, which are part of the Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain, were joined in the search by two other American warships, four additional helicopters and a PC-3 Orion patrol plane. In addition, an American supply ship and an Australian warship, the Sydney, were involved. The missing American sailors were identified as Petty Officer First Class Vincent E. Parker, 38, of Preston, Miss., and Petty Officer Third Class Benjamin Alan Johnson, 21, of Rochester. Cmdr. Thomas Van Leunen, a spokesman for the Navy, said the search would continue through the night. ''The water temperature there is high, so the chances of their surviving are better,'' he said. The United Nations imposed sanctions on Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990, allowing Iraq to export crude oil only under United Nations supervision. This year, American ships and other navies involved in enforcing the sanctions have inspected 99 tankers suspected of smuggling oil from Iraq. The Security Council has said the sanctions would be removed only when Iraq had eliminated all its weapons of mass destruction. Iraq insists that it has done that and has refused to allow United Nations weapons inspectors back into the country.
Other Memories
PETERSON departed Norfolk, VA, on September 19, 2001, as part of the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Aircraft Carrier Battle Group (CVBG) for a scheduled six-month deployment, and in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. For the previous eight months, PETERSON had trained with the CVBG in preparation for this deployment through a series of increasingly demanding exercises and operations. These pre-deployment exercises had culminated the previous month with the successful completion of Joint Task Force Exercise 01-3. The aim of Unified Spirit, which is held every four years, was to train forces and the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) headquarters staff in the planning and conducting of a NATO-led out-of-area United Nations Charter Chapter VII Peace Support Operation. It was a key element in the NATO four-year CJTF headquarters training cycle. During the exercise, forces were faced with two quickly developing scenarios in two different regions. One was a peace support operation between two fictional former warring nations, and the other involved open hostilities in the fictional states of "Kartuna" and "Korona." Both scenarios stressed the ability to react to high-threat environments requiring air, naval and ground operations. They incorporated surveillance, reconnaissance and other missions, including humanitarian assistance, maritime interdiction, embassy support and a non-combatant evacuation. The Battle Group returned to the US in March 2002 and on October 4, 2002, PETERSON was decommissioned. PETERSON was homeported in Norfolk, Va., and was a member of Commander, Destroyer Squadron Twenty-Eight, serving as flagship for the Commodore and staff.
Criteria The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 r... The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 required four years of service. MoreHide
Criteria The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 r... The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 required four years of service. MoreHide
Criteria The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 r... The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 required four years of service. 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 The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 r... The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 required four years of service. MoreHide
Search Goes On for 2 U.S. Sailors Missing After Ship Sinks Off Iraq. WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2001 - Navy ships and helicopters continued to search today for two American sailors missing in the northern Persian Gulf after an overloaded cargo ship they had boarded for inspection sank in rough seas, the Pentagon said. The sailors were part of an eight-member team from the destroyer Peterson who had boarded the ship on Sunday after American officials became suspicious that it was carrying oil from Iraq in violation of United Nations sanctions. Pentagon officials said the team discovered tanks carrying 1,700 metric tons of oil hidden under bags of grain. The ship, the Samra, which was registered in the United Arab Emirates, was so overloaded that it was already riding dangerously low in the water when the Peterson first spotted it, officials said. The Samra, which was at anchor at the time not far from the Iraqi coastline, sank in high seas just 30 minutes after the sailors boarded it, the officials said. There were no sounds of explosions or gunfire on the Samra before it began to sink, indicating that the crew had not attempted to resist the inspection, officials said. SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters dispatched from the Peterson were able to rescue 6 American sailors and 10 members of the Samra's 14-member Iraqi crew not long after the ship went under. The body of one Iraqi sailor was also recovered, while three remaining crew members from the Samra were missing tonight. Today, the Peterson and its two helicopters, which are part of the Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain, were joined in the search by two other American warships, four additional helicopters and a PC-3 Orion patrol plane. In addition, an American supply ship and an Australian warship, the Sydney, were involved. The missing American sailors were identified as Petty Officer First Class Vincent E. Parker, 38, of Preston, Miss., and Petty Officer Third Class Benjamin Alan Johnson, 21, of Rochester. Cmdr. Thomas Van Leunen, a spokesman for the Navy, said the search would continue through the night. ''The water temperature there is high, so the chances of their surviving are better,'' he said. The United Nations imposed sanctions on Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990, allowing Iraq to export crude oil only under United Nations supervision. This year, American ships and other navies involved in enforcing the sanctions have inspected 99 tankers suspected of smuggling oil from Iraq. The Security Council has said the sanctions would be removed only when Iraq had eliminated all its weapons of mass destruction. Iraq insists that it has done that and has refused to allow United Nations weapons inspectors back into the country.
PETERSON departed Norfolk, VA, on September 19, 2001, as part of the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Aircraft Carrier Battle Group (CVBG) for a scheduled six-month deployment, and in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. For the previous eight months, PETERSON had trained with the CVBG in preparation for this deployment through a series of increasingly demanding exercises and operations. These pre-deployment exercises had culminated the previous month with the successful completion of Joint Task Force Exercise 01-3. The aim of Unified Spirit, which is held every four years, was to train forces and the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) headquarters staff in the planning and conducting of a NATO-led out-of-area United Nations Charter Chapter VII Peace Support Operation. It was a key element in the NATO four-year CJTF headquarters training cycle. During the exercise, forces were faced with two quickly developing scenarios in two different regions. One was a peace support operation between two fictional former warring nations, and the other involved open hostilities in the fictional states of "Kartuna" and "Korona." Both scenarios stressed the ability to react to high-threat environments requiring air, naval and ground operations. They incorporated surveillance, reconnaissance and other missions, including humanitarian assistance, maritime interdiction, embassy support and a non-combatant evacuation. The Battle Group returned to the US in March 2002 and on October 4, 2002, PETERSON was decommissioned. PETERSON was homeported in Norfolk, Va., and was a member of Commander, Destroyer Squadron Twenty-Eight, serving as flagship for the Commodore and staff.