An Islamist insurgency terrorizes Somalia. Terrorist organizations named Al Qaida operate on the Arabian Peninsula and the deserts of North Africa.

And with the nation’s military and intelligence resources focused on fighting two wars, the threat posed by Islamic extremism in other parts of the world is rising, U.S. Rep. Adam Smith told The News Tribune on Friday, days after returning from a six-nation trip to Africa and the Middle East.

"It’s a growing problem," the Tacoma Democrat said in a phone interview. "All of our resources are focused on Iraq and Afghanistan. We don’t have the same coverage to track (Al Qaida) operatives on the ground in places like Somalia, Mali, Mauritania, Algeria and Yemen."

Smith, the chairman of the House subcommittee dealing with terrorism, met with diplomatic, military and intelligence officials on the trip, which included four other congressmen. They visited Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco and Burkina Faso.

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The Hill newspaper reports that National Guard adjutants general from around the country — Washington’s included — are asking Congress for funding for Strykers in the emergency war funding bill. They’re asking for $1.4 billion, enough to buy 549 Strykers.

Specifically, they want the medical evacuation variant. They’re playing up the fact they can be used during domestic emergencies too.

From the article:

The adjutants general from Mississippi, North Carolina, Montana, Minnesota, Washington State, Oregon, California, Idaho, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Tennessee wrote to lawmakers arguing that the Stryker ambulances “will have significant influence

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The Yakima Training Center is dedicating a memorial and renaming a range in honor of a hometown soldier killed in Iraq in 2004, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported.

Staff Sgt. Kyle Eggers, 27, was killed when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle on Dec. 5, 2004. He was serving in Iraq with the 2nd Infantry Division.

The pharmacy service at Madigan gets a facelift. Click below to check out the release:

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The cavalry squadron needed the training. The hospital had the expertise.

Fort Lewis’ community connections program made the link.

In November 2007, the soldiers of 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment were preparing for a deployment to Iraq, where they would play a role in rebuilding the country. The unit leadership contacted Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup and asked for help.

“We approached them and said, ‘We want to learn how to run a hospital on a daily basis. We need to know all the stuff that’s needed to maintain the infrastructure on a daily basis and provide resources to the local community,’” said Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Willing during a farewell party the hospital hosted for the squadron Friday morning. “They were all for it. I teamed up with the maintenance crew. Others shadowed guys in the ER.”

As part of 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, the squadron was linked with Puyallup through community connections, a 9-year-old program that twins a Fort Lewis unit with one of the surrounding communities. And even though the brigade has since been redirected to Afghanistan – it will deploy in early summer – Willing stressed the importance of the experience.

“The relationships we’ve built here have been great,” he said. “After all, we’re all a part of this community.

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A cavalry squadron from Fort Lewis’ 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division is at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup this morning, just weeks before the Stryker brigade is expected to leave for Afghanistan.

The soldiers from 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment will be showing off two of their signature eight-wheeled vehicles in the parking lot of the hospital’s children’s therapy unit. The squadron has been partnered with the hospital through Fort Lewis’ community connections program, which links units with cities.

From a hospital press release:

Members of the Squadron’s leadership were partnered with members of Good Samaritan’s staff;

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Set those alarms a few minutes early tomorrow. Your humble correspondent will be on KMPS-FM (94.1) to talk about my recent embed with the 81st Brigade Combat Team. I’ll be chatting with the folks of the Ichabod Caine and The Waking Crew show.

I’m scheduled to start yabbering at 6:44 a.m.

During my trip to Iraq, I ran into plenty of Washington National Guard soldiers worried about finding work when they return from their deployment this summer.

To help out, the state launched a Web site to help members of the 81st Brigade Combat Team and other units returning from mobilization transition back to stateside life.

Check it out here. And click below to read the full press release:

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