 | Sgt. Nicolas Thornbro graduated from Marion High School, Marion, Kansas in 1997. He joined the United States Army immediately following graduation. He was deployed in February 2004 and is currently serving with the 1st Infantry Division’s Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment in Iraq. His home station is with the 1/18th in Schweinfert, Germany. Thornbro has received numerous awards, ribbons and medals including the Army Service Ribbon, the Army Achievement Award, the National Defense Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Air Assault Badge (wings), the Parachutes Badge (airborne wings), the Expert Infantrymans Badge, and the rarely given Gold German Proficiency Badge. Nicolas’s training includes several advanced programs at Ft. Benning, Ft. Campbell and Ft. Bragg. Sgt. Thornbro and his wife, Karen, have 5 children, including the newest member... a baby boy born this past July. You may contact Sgt. thornbro by mail at: Sgt. Nicolas J. Thornbro, HHC TF 1/18 IN, 2 BCT 1 IN DIV FWD, FOB Danger, APO AE. |
Defending America
2004-06-01 09:59:00
The ‘Sunni Triangle’
Question: What is the Sunni Triangle? How did it get its name? Was it coined such just since the war began? How did Saddam rise to power?
ANSWER: The Sunni (SU-nie) Triangle consists of Ramadi on the western tip, Baghdad on the eastern tip, and Tikrit (Ta-kreet) on the northern tip. It is an area of Iraq that has the highest concentration of Sunni Muslims. The name Sunni Triangle was coined for use during the war, as it would be an area of high activity.Explaining the entire Triangle and its history could best be explained by someone else more knowledgeable, so I will try my best to explain Tikrit, the area I live and operate in. Tikrit was Saddam’s hometown and was the center for the Ba'ath Party. Most of the people that lived here were untouchable under the protection of Saddam and reaped the benefits of their party being in power. The majority of the people however, lived in poverty and fear.Saddam rose to power through years of underground work. This provided him with a small core of loyal, like-minded friends… many of whom were related to him either by blood or marriage and most were from his hometown of Tikrit. After the coup in 1968, this clique established itself as the Revolutionary Command Council with absolute authority in the country.
