Valkyrie – the Marines’ life-saving blood program

Valkyrie – the Marines’ life-saving blood program

The Marines’ 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines is on the leading edge of implementing the first whole blood resuscitation program into a conventional war-fighting unit. The program is called “Valkyrie.” The Special Operations community has been utilizing whole blood resuscitation for battlefield casualties for some time. Now it is the Marines’ turn to take advantage of […]

U.S. coalition hands over Camp Taji to Iraqi Security Forces

U.S. coalition hands over Camp Taji to Iraqi Security Forces

The U.S.-led international coalition formally withdrew from Iraq’s Taji military base on Sunday. The coalition handed the base over to Iraqi security forces, coalition and local news reported. The base, 17 miles north of Baghdad, had been the site of frequent rocket attacks, in recent months, by Iran-backed militias targeting U.S.-led troops. Despite the long-term […]

The underground fate of Saddam Hussein’s air force

The underground fate of Saddam Hussein’s air force

After the United States invaded Iraq in 2003 looking for weapons of mass destruction, American troops found a lot of bizarre things: toilets and guns made of gold, a Koran written in blood, and Saddam’s romance novel. Although they didn’t find any weapons of mass destruction, they did manage to find some weapons. Specifically, they […]

2 US MQ-9 Reaper drones collide over Syria

2 US MQ-9 Reaper drones collide over Syria

The United States lost two of their top-end drones in an apparent collision over Idlib, Syria according to officials within the Department of Defense. The two drones may have been targeted by militants on the ground. Several MQ-9 Reaper drones have been sighted over the Idlib area. Last week one may have been used to […]

Turkish officer arrested in Tampa on false imprisonment and battery charges

Turkish officer arrested in Tampa on false imprisonment and battery charges

Turkey’s Senior National Representative to the U.S. Central Command’s International Coalition is sitting behind bars in Tampa, Florida after police responded to a call for a woman not breathing. According to a Military Times article, when law enforcement and Fire Rescue arrived at the apartment of Huseyin Kurtdere, a Major in the Turkish military, they […]

What caused an US Air Force F-15 to buzz an Iranian airliner?

What caused an US Air Force F-15 to buzz an Iranian airliner?

Several days ago, there were news reports that American F-15 Strike Eagle fighter aircraft flew close by an Iranian airliner. Videos from inside the Iranian plane also surfaced. The Iranian pilot sharply dropped the plane’s altitude, to reportedly avoid a collision with the F-15, causing a panic among the passengers, including a few minor injuries. […]

Iranian-led militias attack & destroy US logistical convoy in Iraq

Iranian-led militias attack & destroy US logistical convoy in Iraq

An American logistical convoy was attacked in Iraq on Saturday night. Unidentified assailants, believed to be members of an Iranian proxy militia, burned all three of the convoy’s trucks. The three large trucks carrying vehicles and logistical materials were ambushed between Diwaniya and Samawah while en route from Basra. Before setting the trucks on fire […]

US troops will keep deploying to Iraq

US troops will keep deploying to Iraq

After conducting meetings with the Iraqi government, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), is confident that the United States will continue to have an enduring presence in Iraq for the foreseeable future. General McKenzie was in Baghdad on Tuesday for a meeting with the new Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi. […]

Iranian nuclear facility rocked by fire and explosions

Iranian nuclear facility rocked by fire and explosions

Within just five days, there have been three separate explosions in Iran, one of which was at an area where the Iranians were putting centrifuges into operation. All three incidents shared one common factor: the Iranian government’s explanation of them stretched credibility to the nth degree.  In the first incident, on July 2, a large […]

Qwat al-Khasah: The battle-hardened Iraqi Special Operations unit

Qwat al-Khasah: The battle-hardened Iraqi Special Operations unit

Coalition Special Operations forces have been fighting the good fight in Iraq for over 17 years. The face of the enemy has somewhat changed over the years, but the tactics the enemy uses to inflict damage and terror have largely remained the same. Our Special Operations units have proved their worth time and time again […]

The status of America’s forever wars in the Middle East

The status of America’s forever wars in the Middle East

The Middle East continues to be a hotbed of violence and conflict. U.S. troops have been fighting, advising, and training in the region for almost 20 years. While there will always be U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East under the jurisdiction of the Central Command (CENTCOM), many are questioning how much longer the U.S. […]