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Operation Mountain Lion Patrols, Weapons Seizures Continue
Monday, June 17, 2002
By SFC Kathleen T. Rhem
U.S. Army
American Forces Press Service

"Our troops are ready. They're enthusiastic and they're dedicated," Rumsfeld said. "We are indeed fortunate to have such truly outstanding young men and women voluntarily stepping forward to serve our country."

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
U.S. and coalition forces' continued Operation Mountain Lion patrols in Afghanistan and have reaped "hundreds of thousands" of munitions in recent weeks, Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard Myers said today.

Myers and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld spoke to Pentagon reporters this morning. Myers said several large caches of confiscated weapons have included large numbers of rocket-propelled grenades and launchers, small arms and small-arms rounds, grenades and mortars.

The chairman also noted the first battalion of the Afghan national army, being trained by U.S. and other coalition forces, is nearing the mid-point of its training cycle and that a second battalion is now beginning training.

Rumsfeld briefly described his overseas tour last week through Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. "Clearly there is broad understanding of the terrorist threats," he said of the countries he visited. "Many of those countries have experienced those threats."
(More: DoD News Source)
2002 © The United States Department of Defense.

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