An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader in a Kandahar province raid today.

The leader was actively involved in vehicle-borne improvised explosive device planning, attacks and assassinations against Afghan civilians, Afghan government officials and Afghan and coalition forces in Kandahar City. He was coordinating the acquisition of uniforms and ID cards to gain access to coalition bases.

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Coalition forces continue to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya, striking air defense capabilities and regime forces that threaten Libyan civilians, Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney said here March 24.

The director of the Joint Staff said during a Pentagon news conference that the coalition enforcing the United Nations resolution continues to grow in size and capabilities.

U.S. soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, brought Iraqi soldiers up to speed on how to use newly issued M-16 rifles at Iraqi Forward Operating Base Texan, March 22.

“Golden Dragon” soldiers of 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment used skills acquired in basic combat training, refined through years of experience, to mentor and train Commando Company, 15th Brigade, 12th Iraqi Army Division, building muscle memory for Iraqi soldiers learning to use the M-16 rifle.

As 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit AV-8B Harriers conducted air strikes on Libya as part of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn, the new Lofted Communications System was operationally deployed for the first time aboard ship, March 20.

The helium-balloon transmission system was used to bridge the gap in communications from ship to Harriers conducting air strikes against the Libyan Leader Muammar al-Qadhafi's ground forces and air defenses, as part of an international effort to halt an offensive against the Libyan populace.

Video by Regional Command Southwest

An Afghan and coalition security force killed a Haqqani Network facilitator and captured another in Sabari District, Khost province, today.

The facilitators were responsible for planning and carrying out improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan civilians, Afghan and coalition forces. The second individual was also responsible for indirect-fire attacks throughout Sabari District.

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Duke, completed a major operation intended to severely degrade insurgent activity prior to the spring fighting season in eastern Afghanistan, March 20.

Operation Maiwan was conducted by TF Duke alongside their Afghan National Security Force partners in Khowst and Paktya provinces to recover and eliminate weapons caches across the two provinces, with the ultimate goal of increasing security and reinforcing the ANSF’s control over the area.

An all-Iraqi Air Force crew successfully fired an AGM-114 Hellfire missile from an AC-208 Cessna Caravan over the Aziziyah Training Range, south of Baghdad March 23.

The Iraqi airmen destroyed the target with a single shot in their first-successful solo launch of a Hellfire missile.

The Iraqi Air Force crew from Squadron 3, Kirkuk Air Base, hit a specific ground target with guidance and direction from Iraqi Special Operations Forces forward air controllers on the range.

While Operation Odyssey Dawn brewed up quickly, the U.S. Navy already was positioned for operations over Libya, the chief of naval operations (CNO) said March 23.

CNO Adm. Gary Roughead told the Defense Writers Group that having Navy ships and submarines in the Mediterranean Sea enabled a quick response to the order that began Operation Odyssey Dawn.

"The need, for example in the opening rounds, for the Tomahawk strikes, the shooters were already in place," Roughead said. "They were already loaded, and that went off as we expected it would."