Oct. 4, 2016

U.S. Strike in Syria Targets Key al-Qaida Leader

WASHINGTON — U.S. forces conducted an airstrike near Idlib, Syria, targeting Abu al-Farai al-Masri, one of al-Qaida in Syria's most senior leaders and a legacy al-Qaida terrorist who previously had ties to Osama bin Laden.

Oct. 3, 2016

Mosul, Iraq, native earns title Marine on Parris Island

PARRIS ISLAND, SC, UNITED STATES — As 600 more U.S. troops are headed to help retake Mosul, Iraq, from the Islamic State group, the Issa family knows all too well the dangers of the area. The Issa family escaped Mosul because of the rising threat of the Islamic State group. They stayed in a refugee camp in Turkey for almost a year before moving to Michigan in 2011, a move made for the hope of better education and more opportunities for the three children.

Sept. 29, 2016

Coalition Shapes Mosul Fight by Removing ISIL Leaders From Battlefield

WASHINGTON — Air Force Col. John Dorrian told reporters that the coalition supporting the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is helping to shape the Iraqi forces’ upcoming battle for Mosul, Iraq, by targeting ISIL leaders.

Sept. 28, 2016

Carter: 600 Troops to Deploy to Enable Iraqis to Retake Mosul From ISIL

WASHINGTON — While traveling in New Mexico, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said about 600 U.S. troops will be deployed to Iraq to further enable local forces in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Sept. 28, 2016

The MD-530 Experience

8.25.2016 — Writer’s note: This is a first-person account attempting to accurately describe what flight feels like in an MD-530 Cayuse Warrior helicopter. Although I’ve been in the Air Force for a very long time, I am not a pilot, and I’ve rarely touched the controls while flying. I’ve been a passenger on many, many fixed-wing aircraft. Most notably, I was once in the pilot’s seat of a B-1B Lancer going supersonic over an undisclosed ocean. When I started to write this account, I considered comparing the two. They were both amazing experiences, but they are so different, a direct comparison wouldn’t be fair to the men and women who fly either for a living. My rotary wing experience is limited to a few UH-60 Blackhawk and CH-47 Chinook rides. Those few rides are the baseline for this story.

Sept. 26, 2016

Protecting the Environment

09.23.2016 — CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – Environmental issues are an increasingly important concern for U.S. forces at home and abroad. If left unaddressed, these issues may cause negative impacts to the environment potentially creating life, health and safety risks. Working with host nation partners through ongoing projects this past Summer, such as the implementation of refined incinerators in Iraq, U.S. Army Central has paved the way to becoming a more Eco friendly force throughout its area of operations. In Kuwait alone several current projects are underway including construction of solar powered car ports at Camp Arifjan and planned distribution of a fleet of electric automobiles this fall.

Sept. 21, 2016

The Gun Raid

NORTHERN IRAQ - Staff Sgt. Darryl “Gunny” Joseph leapt into the night of northern Iraq as the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter touched down, the dust from the rotary wash clouding his vision. His mission was simple: set up the landing zone and guide in the aircraft carrying the M777 artillery pieces to the raid site. The process of setting up a landing zone, or sling load area, was not new to him. Back at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Joseph and the Soldiers from Battery C, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, “Task Force Strike,” practiced sling load operations many times before.

Sept. 16, 2016

CENTCOM CSM visits Kuwait troops

Command Sgt. Maj. William Thetford, the senior enlisted leader of U.S. Central Command, visited U.S. Army Central troops deployed to Kuwait on Sep. 14-15. “This is my first trip here,” Thetford said. “It helps me build my situational awareness. I couldn’t ask for a better introduction to what’s going on here in Kuwait.”

Sept. 16, 2016

Meet the MacGyver of AUAB’s medical group

09.15.2016 — The doctor was comparing Bruce to a popular American action-adventure television series character from the 1980s that possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of science and could solve problems by improvising with available materials and a multi-tool. What makes Bruce standout at the 379th Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron is his ability to adapt to a fast-paced environment in a deployed hospital where healing people in an expeditionary environment is the mission.

Sept. 14, 2016

Face of Defense: Field Artillery Officer Advises Afghan Doctor

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Sept. 12, 2016 — As U.S. Army advisors entered the remote police training facility, a bright white lab coat stuck out against the backdrop of the sand-colored mountains in the eastern Afghan desert. The person wearing the lab coat is neither a police officer, nor a male; she is a doctor.