Showing posts with label humanitarian missions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humanitarian missions. Show all posts

Monday, September 28, 2015

Air Force Media Heading Home After 7th Deployment

After 7 overseas deployments, Air Force medic looks forward to going home
Herald-Times (Tribune News Service)
By Laura Lane
Published: September 27, 2015
He also served on humanitarian missions twice, to help fight wildfires in California in 2007 and to help victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
Matt Scott's world is defined by 15-foot-high cement walls, steel doors, guards with assault rifles, armored Humvees, suicide bombers and vehicle-borne explosives.

It's a short distance to work every day, but he gets transported in a helicopter. It's safer than driving on sabotaged roads in the deserts of Afghanistan, where a thin layer of gray, silt-like dust covers everything in sight and danger lurks always.

When winter cold sets in, air quality deteriorates. "It gets wet and humid and dreary and snowy," the U.S. Air Force master sergeant from Ellettsville, Ind., said. "The people here burn literally everything to stay warm, and the pollution gets very bad."

Six thousand feet above sea level and 7,673 miles from home, the 38-year-old Monroe County native and flight medic is serving out the end of a two-decade military career during which he has been deployed overseas seven times.
read more here

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Six Marine Helicopter Crash Victims in Nepal Identified

Six Marine Helicopter Crash Victims in Nepal Identified
Military.com
Richard Sisk
May 18, 2015

The remains of six Marines and two Nepalese soldiers who died in the May 12 crash of their helicopter while on an earthquake relief mission in the Himalayas have been recovered and identified.

Marine Lt. Gen. John Wissler thanked U.S. and Nepalese search and recovery teams that found the charred wreckage of the Marine UH-1Y Huey helicopter in dense forest at an elevation of more than 11,000 feet and recovered the remains despite mountain storms and temperatures below freezing.

"You never hesitated in the joint effort to bring our brothers home. Everyone united -- the soldiers hiking through hazardous terrain, the pilots flying in uncertain weather conditions and the Nepalese special forces standing watch over our Marines on a mountainside at night," Wissler said.

"We honor our fallen comrades through our unselfish support to each other in this time of grief," said Wissler, commander of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force and of Joint Task Force 505 which arrived in Nepal on April 29 following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 8,000.

The six Marines aboard the Huey from Marine Light Attack Helicopter squadron 469 based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., were identified as:
Capt. Christopher L. Norgren, 31, of Sedgwick, Kans.
He was a UH-1Y pilot with HMLA-469, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Camp Pendleton.

Capt. Dustin R. Lukasiewicz, 29, of Harlan, Neb.
He also was a UH-1Y pilot and was with the same unit as Norgren.

Sgt. Ward M. Johnson, IV, 29, of Seminole, Fla.
He was a UH-1Y helicopter crew chief with HMLA-469.

Sgt. Eric M. Seaman, 30, of Riverside, Calif.
He was a UH-1Y helicopter crew chief with HMLA-469

Cpl. Sara A. Medina, 23, of Kane, Ill.
She was a combat photographer with Marine Corps Installations Pacific in Okinawa, Japan.

Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Hug, 22, of Maricopa, Ariz.
He was a combat videographer with Marine Corps Installations Pacific, Okinawa, Japan.

read more here

Monday, May 18, 2015

Second Marine Died After Nepal Crash

Family mourns 'angel' killed in Marine helicopter crash 
Chicago Tribune
By Linda Girardi
Aurora Beacon-News
May 17, 2015
She was engaged to a fellow Marine from Colorado, and they planned to marry in August, her brother said.
It was Mother's Day when Carlos Medina teased his younger sister, Marine Cpl. Sara A. Medina, about her not being able to join in for a family photo because she was overseas.

The Facebook message to her that day included a picture of their mother, Cecilia Lopez, along with himself and his two young sons.

"I told Sara, 'We miss you' and that 'The only person missing is you,'"Carlos Medina said Sunday. "She told me that she would be with us very soon."

But instead of a reunion, the family is experiencing heartbreak. Sara Medina, 23, of Aurora, was killed in a helicopter crash last week during a relief mission in earthquake-hit Nepal, along with five other Marines and two soldiers from Nepal's army.
read more here

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Nepal Army Says Bodies of US Marines Recovered After Huey Crash

All 8 bodies found at crashed US Marine chopper, Nepal army says 
Associated Press
May 16, 2015
KATHMANDU, Nepal – The bodies of all eight people on board the U.S. Marine helicopter that disappeared this week during a relief mission in earthquake-hit Nepal have been recovered, Nepal's army said Saturday.

The wreckage was found on Friday and the first three bodies retrieved the same day by Nepalese and U.S. military personnel from the crash site in the mountains northeast of capital Kathmandu.

The Nepalese army said in a statement Saturday that the remaining five bodies were also recovered. 

The discovery of the wreckage followed days of intense search involving U.S. and Nepali aircraft and U.S. satellites.

The aircraft, with six Marines and two Nepali soldiers on board, went missing while delivering aid on Tuesday. Lt. Gen. John Wissler, commander of the Marine-led joint task force, told reporters in Kathmandu on Friday that his team could not immediately identify the cause of the crash of the UH-1 "Huey" or identify the bodies found. read more here

Friday, May 15, 2015

Nepal: Marine Helicopter "Found in Burned Condition"

Minister: 3 bodies found with wreckage of missing U.S. helicopter in Nepal
CNN
By Sugam Pokharel, Sumnima Udas and Ed Payne
May 15, 2015

Story highlights
Three bodies have been found with burned aircraft wreckage, says Nepal's defense secretary
A U.S. military helicopter is found on the slopes of a mountain east of Kathmandu, Nepali army official says
The chopper, which had six U.S. Marines and two Nepalis aboard, had been missing since Tuesday

Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN)Three bodies have been found with the wreckage of what's thought to be a missing U.S. Marine helicopter, Nepal's Defense Secretary Ishwori Paudyal said Friday.

The helicopter wreckage was found in a burned condition, Paudyal told CNN.

The news came only hours after a local army official said the wreckage of the helicopter -- missing since Tuesday with six U.S. marines and two Nepali service members on board -- had been found on the steep slopes of a mountain east of Kathmandu.

The American chopper was spotted in the Gorthali area, at an altitude of 11,200 feet, according to Brig. Gen. Binoj Basnet.

The U.S. Joint Task Force confirmed the sighting of possible aircraft wreckage near Charikot. It has not yet commented on the reported discovery of bodies.
read more here

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Marine from Florida Among Missing in Nepal

Marine from Altamonte Springs among those missing in Nepal chopper
Sgt. Mark Johnson IV's chopper went missing Tuesday
WESH2 News
By Chris Hush
Published 10:59 PM EDT May 13, 2015
"We were terrified the entire eight months he was in Afghanistan, but when he said he had to go to Nepal to deliver food, we were just proud of him,” Ward Johnson said.
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. —Army helicopters have joined the search for the missing U.S. Marine Corps helicopter that vanished Tuesday in Nepal.

The chopper was delivering disaster aid following the earthquake that killed more than 8,000 people in the country.

U.S. Marine Sgt. Mark Johnson IV, an Altamonte Springs native and father of two, is believed to have been on board that helicopter.

"We said, ‘Love you, be safe,’ and (those) were the last words we said to him,” said Shirley Johnson, Mark Johnson’s mother.

Shirley Johnson and her husband, Ward Johnson III, said they wait by their phones and the door for any indication that their son is OK.
read more here

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Six Marines Missing in Nepal Humanitarian Mission

US Marine helicopter missing in Nepal earthquake aid mission 
FOX News
May 12, 2015

A U.S. Marine Corps helicopter was reported missing in Nepal Tuesday while conducting disaster relief operations following the second deadly earthquake to strike the region in three weeks.

The Huey was delivering tarps and rice to victims near Charikot. Six U.S. Marines and two Nepalese soldiers were aboard the helicopter.

Pentagon Spokesman Col. Steve Warren said there are "no indications of a crash," because the area is rugged.

No emergency beacon was detected. Other aircraft nearby heard the helicopter's pilot say something about a "fuel problem." read more here

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Veteran From Hawaii Shot and Burned in Costa Rica

Former U.S. soldier killed, burned on Costa Rica ranch 
FOX News Latino
Published April 17, 2015

A former U.S. soldier named Robert Lemon was found dead on the private Ojo de Agua Ranch in Puriscal County, San Jose province.

He had been shot several times and half of his body was charred, a police spokesperson told Efe Friday.

The body was found Thursday next to the stables, together with two dead dogs, by a woman who works on the ranch and who suffered a grave emotional crisis, according to the reports available. The two dogs apparently tried to defend their owner and were also shot dead.

Details like the age of the victims, how long he had been in Costa Rice and what was his occupation have not been announced to the public, only that he was a native of Hawaii. read more here

Saturday, February 28, 2015

101st Airborne Cases Colors After Liberia Mission

101st Airborne Division cases colors, heads home after successful mission in Liberia
Photo Credit: Spc. Rashene Mincy Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Harris, platoon sergeant for 2nd Platoon, Division Signal Company, takes charge of the formation from Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky, commanding general of the Joint Forces Command - United Assistance and 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), at the end of the 101st's color casing ceremony held at the Barclay Training Center, Monrovia, Liberia, Feb. 26, 2015.

"The Joint Forces Command worked with our Armed Forces of Liberia partners in building and overseeing constructions of ETUs," Volseky said.

The command built and supported 17 ETUs throughout Liberia, facilities which allowed for a more swift isolation and treatment of Ebola patients.

Building the ETUs was Task Force Rugged, a team led by the 36th Engineer Brigade based out of Fort Hood, Texas, along with the 615th Engineer Company (Horizontal), based out of Fort Carson, Colorado. The 902nd Engineer Battalion, out of Grafenwoehr, Germany, and the 161st engineer Support Company of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, also built the facilities.

Along with construction, Task Force Rugged also improved roads critical to the transportation of equipment and personnel to the ETUs, camps and logistical focus points including airports and sea ports.
The Iron Knights cased their colors Feb. 25, and are steadily redeploying their Soldiers back to Fort Bliss.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Iraq Veteran Returns to Fight for Assyrian Christians

Iraq Vet Joins Fight Against ISIS 
Video report from ABC News
He is fighting for Iraq's Assyrian Christians
World News Videos | US News Videos

ISIS abducts scores of Christians in northeastern Syria, groups say
CNN
By Greg Botelho and Gul Tuysuz
February 24, 2015

CNN)Assyrians in northeastern Syria villages awoke Tuesday to ISIS militants at their doors, with the Islamist extremists abducting scores from the Christian group and forcing hundreds more to run for their lives, an advocate said.

The ISIS fighters burst past a few men guarding the village of Tal Shamiram at about 4 a.m. (9 p.m. ET Monday) and abducted children, women and the elderly, said Usama Edward, founder of the Assyrian Human Rights Network.

Talking to CNN from Stockholm, Sweden, Edward said that between 70 and 100 people were kidnapped in that village and others in the same cluster near Tal Tamer.
read more here

Saturday, December 13, 2014

1,200 Fort Carson soldiers volunteered for needy in Colorado

Local Soldiers on a special ruck march Friday morning
KOAA News
By Joanna Wise
December 12, 2014

COLORADO SPRINGS
UPDATE: Fort Carson says more than 1,200 soldiers volunteered for the event, a record-setting number.

Hundreds of Fort Carson soldiers are going the extra mile, marching through downtown Colorado Springs for a good cause Friday morning.

The 5th annual 1st SCBT's Operation Holiday kicked off at Dorchester Park on South Nevada Avenue. More than 500 soldiers from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, donated clothing and canned goods to people in need this holiday season.

They stuffed their rucksacks with the items and then marched from the park to the soup kitchen. The departure time was set for 7:00 a.m.

The soldiers trekked across Pikes Peak Greenway Trail to Bijou Street and were expected to arrive at the Marian House around 7:30 a.m.

Rochelle Schlortt, spokesperson for the Marian House, said the event always has a huge impact.
read more here

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Iraq Army Ranger Veteran Beheaded by ISIS

American veteran executed by ISIS?
MYFOX Tampa Bay
Associated Press
Posted: Nov 16, 2014

The Islamic State group released a graphic video on Sunday in which a black-clad militant claimed to have beheaded U.S. aid worker Peter Kassig, who was captured last year.

The militant was standing over a severed head, but it was not immediately possible to confirm that it was Kassig, 26, who was pictured in the video. U.S. officials said they were working to determine the video's authenticity and the Kassig family said it was awaiting the outcome of the investigation.

The video, which was posted on websites used by the group in the past, appeared to be the latest in a series of blood-soaked messages to the U.S. warning of further brutality if it does not abandon its air campaign in Iraq and Syria.
Kassig, a former U.S. Army Ranger, was providing medical aid to Syrians fleeing the civil war when he was captured inside Syria on Oct. 1, 2013. His friends say he converted to Islam in captivity and took the first name Abdul-Rahman.
read more here

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Joint Base Lewis McChord Prepares to Quarantine Troops

JBLM could house about 1,000 quarantined troops ending Ebola missions
The Olympian
BY ADAM ASHTON
Staff writer
November 7, 2014
“Once they’re in, they’re in for the 21 days,”

American troops finishing overseas Ebola-response missions will be quarantined temporarily at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and four other domestic military bases, the Pentagon announced Friday.

Military service members departing from assignments in West Africa must spend 21 days in isolation under an order issued last week by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. The quarantines are intended to keep them away from civilians during the Ebola virus’ incubation period.

JBLM could be asked to house about 1,000 military service members during quarantines, said I Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Dennis Swanson.

They would be kept in empty, World War II-era barracks that JBLM had used until recently to house ROTC students during summertime exercises, Swanson said. The barracks area already is somewhat separate from other headquarters buildings and barracks.

Quarantined troops would eat their meals within the confinement area. They would not be able to leave unless they have a medical emergency.
read more here

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

"The sacrifice and skill of our warriors" still ready to serve

Vets still ready to serve nation
Philly.com
By Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran
November 4, 2014

The platoon mustered at 0800 on a balmy Saturday, its members in shorts and standard-issue shirts, ready to be put to work.

All of them were veterans of the Iraq or Afghanistan war - or both. They had gathered that morning, as they do once a month, to volunteer their labor, spending the next six hours sanding, stripping, and painting the walls of a cash-strapped nonprofit in Orlando that trains developmentally disabled youth.

Sweaty mornings of community service are part of the veteran experience that civilian Americans rarely see. The press, politicians, and even many veterans' groups tend to focus on service members who have returned banged up or who are struggling in their new civilian lives. But this fails to convey the full measure of this generation of veterans.

That wouldn't be a problem if Americans knew their military, but fewer than 1 percent of Americans have participated in our latest wars.

Americans often don't understand that most of our veterans have successfully navigated the transition to life after the military. Even those suffering from trauma or physical injuries can have an enormously positive impact in their communities. Our veterans are making valuable contributions in business, government, education, health, and community service.

The reliance on an all-volunteer military, however, has led many Americans to pay scant attention to the sacrifice and skill of our warriors. We let them protect us, while we go on with life as usual.
read more here

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Joint Chiefs: Quarantine All Us Troops in Ebola Deployment

Joint Chiefs recommend quarantine for all US troops returning from West Africa
Stars and Stripes
By Jon Harper and Chris Carroll
Published: October 28, 2014

WASHINGTON — The military’s top brass has recommended that all American troops returning from the mission to combat Ebola in West Africa be quarantined, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.

Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel “shares the concerns by the chiefs about the safety and well-being not only of our troops but also of their families,” but has not yet made a decision about whether to approve the recommendation from the Joint Chiefs.

Hagel received the chiefs’ recommendation on Tuesday, shortly after Army leadership decided to isolate Maj. Gen. Darryl Williams and 10 other soldiers for three weeks to ensure they are not infected after spending time in Liberia, where they were participating in Operation United Assistance.

They and other soldiers arriving in Vicenza, Italy, will be allowed no physical contact with family members but will have access to telephones and the Internet, Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Alayne Conway said.
read more here

Monday, October 27, 2014

Soldiers Fighting Ebola Coming Home to Quarantine

Will they get hazardous pay for this?
ARMY TO QUARANTINE TROOPS WHO WERE FIGHTING EBOLA
ABC News 7 Los Angeles
Luis Martinez
October 27, 2014

The Army has decided that troops returning from deployments to Liberia should be quarantined so they can be monitored for possible exposure to the Ebola virus and a general was among the first people affected.

The order immediately affected up to a dozen soldiers who returned to their home base in Italy this weekend, including Maj. Gen. Darryl Williams, the former top U.S. commander in Liberia.

"Out of an abundance of caution the Army directed a small number of personnel, about a dozen, that recently returned to Italy to be monitored in a separate location at their home station of Vicenza," Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said today. "None of these individuals have shown any symptoms of exposure."

The Army later released a statement confirming that the decision was made by Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff.

"The Army Chief of Staff has directed a 21-day controlled monitoring period for all redeploying soldiers returning from Operation United Assistance," the statement said. "He has done this out of caution to ensure soldiers, family members and their surrounding communities are confident that we are taking all steps necessary to protect their health."
read more here

Saturday, October 4, 2014

DoD May Deploy up to 4,000 Troops to Combat Ebola

DoD May Deploy up to 4,000 Troops to Combat Ebola
DOD News
By Jim Garamone
Defense Media Activity

FORT MEADE, Md., Oct. 3, 2014 – The Defense Department could deploy up to 4,000 service members to Liberia as part of Operation United Assistance against Ebola, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters at the Pentagon today.

There are 205 U.S. service members in Liberia today with another 26 in neighboring Senegal. All service members are supporting the lead federal agency for American participation in the crisis -- the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel “has approved the potential deployment of up to 4,000 [service members],” Kirby said. “But I want to make one thing real clear, that that’s a potential deployment. That doesn’t mean it is going to get to that number.”
Troop deployments
The U.S. Army announced the units that will deploy to the region beginning in mid-month and running through November. With the previously announced unit deployments, this will bring the total Army commitment to about 3,200 soldiers.

More than 1,800 Fort Campbell, Kentucky-based soldiers will arrive in Liberia sometime late this month. Other soldiers will deploy from the 101st Sustainment Brigade, the 86th Combat Support Hospital of the 44th Medical Brigade, and a Military Police company from the 16th Military Police Brigade.

These units will provide medical and logistic support, as well as site security, to the Joint Task Force. Soldiers will deploy from other bases as well including,
Fort Hood, Texas
Fort Carson, Colorado
Fort Bliss, Texas
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Stewart, Georgia
Fort Benning, Georgia
Fort Eustis, Virginia
Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
read more here

Combat PTSD was caused by your deep devotion to those you served with

Your love was shown more by what you did
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
October 4, 2014

Everyone joins the military with some level of commitment but not everyone joins with the same level of devotion. Just like people get married because they are committed to one another all too often the marriages fail unless there is a deep devotion able to withstand all the hardships. Being devoted to those you serve with is much like a marriage because it is ingrained within your soul.

It may be hard to think of love and combat, but that is exactly what is required. It is what enables you to weep. To reach out a hand to comfort. To mourn for someone you lost or for someone wounded as they are taken away for care. To grieve for the innocent people killed in the process of trying to save more.

There is a slogan about the Vietnam War, "All gave some, but some gave more" appropriately because while everyone did their duty, some paid with their lives. Much like some pay emotionally more than others.

There is great confusion about Combat PTSD. It is different from all other types caused by one event. For you, there were many upon many more. It is about the nature of the trauma but it is more about what you were willing to do for the sake of others.


Corinthians 13 New International Version (NIV)
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

Sometimes you knew the right words to say but more often, what you shared, was not shared with simple words. Your love was shown more by what you did.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.


If you could have predicted one minute to the next, knew what was going to happen, moved at superhuman speed, then maybe it would have turned out differently, but you are not superhuman. You are just a super human without those kinds of powers. You could not have known what was going to happen yet because you loved so much, you wish you had.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

You did give up all without expecting anything in return. You endured many hardships over and over again. You were willing to give your own life so that others could live.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

When someone calls you "hero" you don't like it. You see nothing heroic within you. Consider you are among 1% of the population if you serve today and 7% of the population if you left the military with the title of veteran. If you are disabled, you are among less than 4 million in this entire country. Yet so humble, you see nothing special about you.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.



It forgives. Forgives "enemies" as well as friends. A buddy said the wrong thing at the wrong moment. Something they could not take back but you forgave them even though you were deeply hurt. You knew they would have said they were sorry for saying it if they had the chance. Love helps you forgive yourself for whatever wrong you believe you are guilty of because your intent was based in doing good. Doing for others was the reason you joined the military. You risked your life for the sake of others.


6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Combat PTSD was caused by your deep devotion to those you served with. What else would you call being willing to die for their sake? The stronger your emotions are, the more you will feel pain as well as joys.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

No matter how much pain you were in while deployed, you refused to allow that pain to stop you from protecting those you were with. You did not allow that pain to be felt until all of you were out of danger.


8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.



John 15:13 New Living Translation (NLT)

13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
This you were willing to do. You grieve because you loved enough to put your life on the line, pay any price, carry any burden and go to the ends of the earth for their sake.

Former U.S. Army Ranger Peter Kassig held by ISIS

Peter Kassig's parents make video plea to ISIS
CNN
By Arwa Damon and Michael Martinez
October 4, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Ed and Paula Kassig urge ISIS to release their son
Peter Kassig changed his first name to Abdul-Rahman when converting to Islam
"We implore his captors to show mercy," his father says on videotaped message
"Most of all, know that we love you," his mother says to son

(CNN) -- The family of ISIS hostage and U.S. aid worker Peter Kassig released a YouTube video Saturday asking his captors to show mercy and free him.

Referring to him as Abdul-Rahman -- a first name his family says he took, having converted to Islam while being held hostage -- father Ed Kassig said: "We implore his captors to show mercy and use their power to let our son go."

Peter Kassig, 26, first went to the Middle East as a U.S. soldier and returned as a medical worker, feeling compelled to help victims of war.

His mother, Paula, addressed her son in the video: "We are so very proud of you and the work you have done to bring humanitarian aid to the Syrian people," she said.
read more here

'LET OUR SON GO'

How former U.S. Army Ranger threatened with beheading fought in Iraq and then returned to Middle East to run Syrian aid group
Daily Mail
By EMMA GLANFIELD and WILLS ROBINSON FOR MAILONLINE
3 October 2014

Former U.S. Army Ranger and Iraq war veteran Peter Kassig, 26, is believed to be the latest U.S hostage to be held by Islamic State militants in Syria after he featured at the end of Alan Henning's execution video
Peter Kassig appears in latest ISIS video showing British aid worker's death
In footage, 26-year-old is shown on his knees as he is held by 'Jihadi John'
Video released tonight claims to show beheading of hostage Alan Henning
'Jihadi John' tells camera that President Obama's aerial bombardment in Syria means that 'it is only right to continue to strike necks of your people'
Mr Kassig enlisted in the Army in 2006 and served in the Iraq war in 2007
He then went to provide aid to Syrian war refugees and his family said that while in captivity he converted to Islam and took the name Abdul Rahman
The 26-year-old, from Indianapolis, (pictured) enlisted in the Army in 2004 and was deployed to Iraq in 2007

An Iraq war veteran who launched his own aid group to provide medical help for Syrian war refugees has been named as the next potential victim of ISIS.

Former U.S. Army Ranger Peter Kassig, 26, has been confirmed as the latest American hostage to be held by Islamic State militants after he featured at the end of a video showing the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning.

In the footage, which emerged on the internet tonight, Mr Kassig, from Indianapolis, is shown on his knees next to 'Jihadi John'.

The young aid worker is being held by the Jihadi who tells the camera that President Obama's aerial bombardment in Syria means that 'it is only right to continue to strike the necks of your people.'
read more here

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

TEAM Rubicon Vietnam Veteran Still Serving Others

Team Rubicon: Veterans help flood victims
Veterans who served their country, now serve their communities
4 News Detroit
Author: Lauren Podell
Local 4 Reporter
Published On: Aug 20 2014

DEARBORN, Mich.
They served in the military at different times.

“I am actually still serving, I am an Army reservist,” said Eric Burghardt of Kalamazoo.

They served at different places.

“I’m a Vietnam veteran, so I am considered one of the older guys in the group,” said Bob Pries of Farmington Hills.

Meet Team Rubicon.

When disasters strike anywhere across the country, this veterans group helps with the clean up. That’s exactly what the cities of Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and Southfield did after last week’s flooding left so many homeowners helpless.

“We like to say disasters are our business but Veterans are our passion,” said Pries, Team Rubicon’s incident commander.
read more here