iran

Israeli Air Force pounds Iranian targets inside Syria

During the early pre-dawn hours of Thursday, the Israeli air force reportedly pounded several proxy Iranian militia targets according to the Syrian government. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 12 militiamen were killed. The Syrian military released a statement through the Syrian state news agency SANA claiming that they downed a […]

His Navy SEAL son committed suicide, now he fights for his name

On a Sunday morning of 2017, Ryan Larkin, a Navy SEAL with four combat deployments under his belt, committed suicide. He was just 29 years old. He was haunted by a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) that was caused by repeated exposure to concussive blows and explosions. But the Navy and the Department of Veteran Affairs […]

CIA strike targets al-Qaeda leader who had survived a SEAL Team Six raid

U.S. government officials believe that an American drone strike has killed the leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Qasim al-Raymi is believed to have been killed by a CIA drone sometime in January. U.S. officials have been hesitant to confirm his death because of previous instances were High-Value-Targets (HVTs) were pronounced dead only […]

The Mattis way of war

Former Secretary of Defence General James Mattis’s no-nonsense approach to life is well-known. Before and during his tenure as SecDef, he pushed for more focus on warfighting and less emphasis on senseless exercises and training.  Gauging by his time of military, and now public service, the Secretary of Defense appears to prefer logic, and not […]

Pentagon suspends weapon deliveries to Iraq, leaving Iraqi F-16 fleet in the air

The United States government has suspended weapon deliveries to Iraq following growing concerns about the ultimate fate of such exports. This comes after continued tensions since the assassination of Iranian command Qassem Soleimani in the country in early January. Particularly vulnerable is Iraq’s fleet of F-16s. The current pause impacts the country’s ability to find […]

American surveillance aircraft crashes in Afghanistan, 2 pilots killed

An American aircraft crashed in the Taliban-controlled area of Afghanistan on Monday. Pentagon officials have denied the Taliban reports that the aircraft was shot down. The bodies of two pilots have been recovered by U.S. forces, but additional recovery efforts are being hampered by poor weather.  The aircraft was assigned to the 430th Expeditionary Electronic […]

What’s the role of the military in American foreign policy?

The use of soft power in foreign policy is often aided by the knowledge that should it not be effective, military (hard) power is waiting in the wings. Following this argument, it seems logical to conclude then that when boots are on the ground, soft power has come up short. The military’s mission is to […]

The Pic of the Day: These Marines would respond in case of an emergency in Middle East

U.S. Marines and Sailors with the Maritime Raid Force, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), prepare for a reconnaissance and surveillance mission aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) during Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) in the Atlantic Ocean Oct. 14, 2019. Bataan is underway conducting a COMPTUEX with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group […]

The Pic of the Day: Sailors get ready to repel small enemy crafts

Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Adreiz Prewitt and Fire Controlman 2nd Class Joshua Messengill stand the small-craft attack team watch manning a .50-caliber machine gun aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) during a Suez Canal transit in route to the Red Sea, Jan. 14. Carney is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area […]

Stay vigilant, Iran isn’t done with its revenge

Just about two weeks ago it seemed like the escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran was heading for open warfare. And contrary to what many believe, the danger hasn’t abated at all for American or European troops in the region.  It began with Iranian-led militias that had rocketed and mortared over a […]

Hand-to-hand trench combat video highlights the danger of combat loadouts

The Civil War in Yemen has been going on for four years. On the one side, there are the Shia Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran. On the other side is the Sunni Yemeni government, which is backed by a substantial coalition of Sunni nations, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. […]

Translator working for German military arrested for spying for Iran

German authorities have arrested a former translator and cultural advisor for the German military, accusing him of spying for Iranian intelligence. The 51-year old man, who has been identified only as Abdul S., was arrested along with his wife and charged with treason and with breaching official secrecy laws in 18 cases. The accused is […]