Optimism Trumps Fear - Installment #1

As the quote says in the banner for this blog, optimism ultimately defeats fear. In browsing the web and blogs for great stories to bring back to everyone here I stumbled on a reality: where is the optimism out there? Well, CENTCOM has a great utility I just discovered can dispense untold amounts of optimism: their press releases search utility! It's time to bring everyone else into the fold.

Have you taken the time to search CENTCOM Press Releases? I am flat out amazed at the number of positive headlines I found. I only searched back 15 days. Oh yeah, I said 15 DAYS! Over the last 15 days we, the US Military, have had 56 successes, 3 setbacks, and 2 corrections to previous items. Again, 56 successes in 15 days! When all you read out there is about milestones without true context, I felt it was about time we started to spread the beam of optimism into the darkest corners of the fear-riddled internet.

[2 weeks ending October 2nd, 2005]

The GOOD = 56
Three Terrorists Detained In Ad Duluiyah -- 11/02/2005
Eleven Detained In Mosul Cordon And Search -- 11/02/2005
Ana, Coalition Soldiers Find Caches In Easter Afghanistan -- 11/02/2005
Task Force Band Of Brothers Assumes Mission In North Central Iraq -- 11/02/2005
U.S. Air Force Pakistan Relief Summary -- 11/02/2005
Husaybah Terrorists Hit -- 11/02/2005
Baghdad Raid Nets Al Qaeda Suspects -- 11/02/2005
Iraqi, U.S. Dragnet Scoops Up 12 Terrorists After Attack -- 11/02/2005
U.S. Soldiers Locate Source Of Deadly Rocket Attack -- 11/02/2005
Investigating Officer Recommends General Court-Martial -- 11/01/2005
Disaster Assistance Center Helicopter Incident -- 11/01/2005
Terrorists Caught After Firing At U.S. Soldiers -- 11/01/2005
500 Security Detainees Released From Abu Ghraib -- 11/01/2005
Uss Pearl Harbor Makes Third Pakistani Relief Delivery -- 11/01/2005
Security Forces Take More Weapons And Terrorists Off The Streets In Northern Iraq -- 11/01/2005
Task Force Baghdad Patrols Stop Bomb Attacks -- 11/01/2005
10th Mountain Brings PVC Pipe, Iraqi Citizens Do The Rest -- 11/01/2005
U.S. Soldiers Clear Junkyard Of Bomb-Making Ammo -- 11/01/2005
Iraqi Contractors Go From Dollars To Dinar -- 11/01/2005
Al Qaeda Foreign Fighter Facilitator Killed -- 10/31/2005
U.S. Soldiers Stop Terrorist Planting Bomb -- 10/31/2005
U.S., Iraqi Forces Sweep Up 49 Terror Suspects -- 10/31/2005
Flight Crews Air Drop Humanitarian Aid Into Pakistan -- 10/30/2005
Pakistan Aid Relief Summary -- 10/30/2005
Coalition Forces Disrupt Terrorist Ambush -- 10/30/2005
U.S. Soldiers Evacuate Victims Of Mortar Attack -- 10/30/2005
Security Force In The North Continue To Put Down Terrorist Activities -- 10/30/2005
Foreign-Fighter Leader Targeted -- 10/29/2005
Husaybah Terrorist Strongholds Destroyed -- 10/29/2005
U.S. Central Command Air Forces Support Pakistan Aid -- 10/29/2005
U.S. Soldiers Stop Potential Ied Attacks -- 10/28/2005
Afghan, U.S. Forces Conduct Offensive Operations In Oruzgan Province -- 10/28/2005
Terrorists Killed In Bombing -- 10/28/2005
III MEF Marines And Sailors Prepared To Deploy To Pakistan For Relief Efforts -- 10/28/2005
Terrorists Fleeing Attack Scenes Nabbed By U.S. Soldiers -- 10/28/2005
Uss Cleveland Provides 280 Tons Of International Relief Supplies -- 10/28/2005
Late-Night Explosion Leads To Early Morning Arrests -- 10/28/2005
Insurgents Killed, Weapons Seized In Ramadi -- 10/27/2005
CFLCC Quake Aid Continues At Port -- 10/27/2005
Mosul Terrorists Cell Leader Killed -- 10/26/2005
Task Force Baghdad Soldiers Uncover Weapons Cache -- 10/26/2005
More Helicopters Enroute To Pakistan -- 10/25/2005
Terrorist Stronghold Raided -- 10/25/2005
U.S. Soldiers Find, Destroy Roadside Bombs -- 10/25/2005
Car Bomb Attacks Fail; Soldier Fires On Cement Truck -- 10/24/2005
Stryker Brigade Unearths Another Large Weapons Cache Near Rawah -- 10/24/2005
Explosions At Baghdad Hotels, Soldiers And Iraqi Forces Secure Area -- 10/24/2005
Iraqi, U.S. Forces Catch Terrorists In The Act -- 10/23/2005
Uss Cleveland, Seabees To Take Relief Equipment To Pakistan -- 10/23/2005
Significant Strides Made In Operation Restoring Rights -- 10/22/2005
Stryker Brigade Uncovers Huge Weapon Caches Near Euphrates River -- 10/22/2005
Coalition Forces Raid Husaybah Foreign Fighter Safe Houses -- 10/22/2005
Task Force Liberty Soldiers Find Cache, Detain Suspects In Bayji -- 10/21/2005
Coalition Forces Destroy Terrorist Safe House -- 10/21/2005
Female Detainee Released -- 10/21/2005
Ramadi-Based Zarqawi Lieutenant Killed -- 10/20/2005


The SETBACKS = 3
Charges Filed Against Two U.S. Soldiers For Alleged Assault -- 10/30/2005
U.S. Soldier Dies Of Non-Combat Wounds -- 10/26/2005
UPDATE: Alleged Misconduct By U.S. Forces -- 10/20/2005


The CORRECTIONS = 2
Press Statement: Recent Reports On Bargram Detainee Escape Misleading -- 11/02/2005
Points Of Clarifications - Media Reporting That Helicopters Will Stop Flying -- 10/31/2005


Every week I am going to post the good, the setbacks, and corrections here at PCS to LinkedInUSAF. Look for an installment every Wednesday night or Thursday morning and get your weekly dose of optimism.

Stay Tuned to ... LinkedInUSAF