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The Front Lines

News and notes from the homefront to the war front

March 3, 2009

Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began the U.S. Army has been relearning how to conduct counterinsurgency and stability operations while also trying to maintain conventional war-fighting capabilities.

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March 2, 2009

On Tuesday, nearly three years after he was injured in an explosion during the war on terror, Army veteran Gary Connellis will undergo back surgery.

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December 5, 2008

The U.S. Army is streamlining the way it manages the delivery of “bullets and beans” to its troops.Brig. Gen. Gregory Couch, of Olathe, is at the forefront of the process.

November 11, 2008

Think outside the box. Take some risks. Surround yourself with quality people who you trust."Leaders change the shape and focus of the world they live in."

October 11, 2008

Gary Connellis and his family are about to be evicted from their Leavenworth apartment.

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October 1, 2008

I called the Pentagon Tuesday. I had a simple request.I wanted the names of Kansans from all military branches who received Purple Heart medals during the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was hoping for more than just the names. I also wanted hometowns, military rank, military unit, and the circumstances that led to receiving the medal.I didn't think I was embarking on Mission Impossible.

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September 18, 2008

A firsthand look at soldiers who are undergoing several weeks of special training before heading to Iraq, where their mission will be to help the Iraqis learn to secure their country's borders.

September 15, 2008

I'm one of 10 journalists from around the country participating in the first annual Military Journalist Experience, organized by Kansas University's William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the Army. It's funded by the McCormick Foundation.

September 5, 2008

Lawrence man Darrell Hunsaker is in Iraq working for General Dynamics to improve tanks.

September 2, 2008

Gary Connellis finally got some good news from a physician with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

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August 20, 2008

Injuries shorten Army career.

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October 25, 2007

Career paths and action against Iran.

October 24, 2007

Hears complaints from soldiers.

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October 19, 2007

It's a scary scenario, a terrorist attack at Fort Riley. But it's a reality check for these soldiers and hospital crews to see if they can handle it.

October 18, 2007

Plus: A Fort Leavenworth grad is promoted in New Zealand.

October 16, 2007

Training together.

October 15, 2007

"Here at the base on the bluffs above the Missouri River, once a frontier outpost that was a starting point for the Oregon Trail, rising young officers are on a different journey - an outspoken re-examination of their role in Iraq."

October 11, 2007

"Ms. Kidwell concludes that PMCs (private military contractors) will be an increasingly important facet of US military operations for the foreseeable future; however, the use of contractors on the battlefield is not a panacea for all logistics problems," Col. Timothy Reese, director of CSI, writes in the forward.

October 10, 2007

The Army is in the midst of an "intense debate" over a force-wide reorganization that would put a new premium on training foreign military units to fight their own battles against terrorist threats. And officers at both Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley are playing key roles in that debate.

October 9, 2007

"Just because you have the right to use lethal force, it doesn't mean you should. That's what we are trying to teach these soldiers," he said.