Service & Sacrifice: Our Military Is at War
A snapshot of the burdens being shouldered by brave U.S. troops and military families around the world.
An F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet recently launches from the flight deck of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Gulf of Oman.
Middle East
Seven American military and civilian heroes are recovering from wounds suffered when an Iran-backed proxy group attacked their base in Iraq earlier this week.
Monday’s rocket attack on Al Asad Airbase was just the latest close call for U.S. troops in the Middle East, who have been under siege in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan as Iran-supported terrorist groups expand their maniacal reach. As Israel also braces for more terrorist attacks from Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran itself, it’s hard to imagine a more dangerous environment for the American warriors currently deployed to the Middle East.
Those tensions were underscored on Thursday, when more American fighter jets arrived in the Middle East “to address threats posed by Iran and Iranian-backed groups,” according to U.S. Central Command.
U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Aug. 8 as part of U.S. force posture changes in the region and to address threats posed by Iran and Iranian-backed groups. pic.twitter.com/jnZBZdLKpt
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 8, 2024
About 2,500 U.S. military personnel are deployed to Iraq, with just short 1,000 in neighboring Syria. Their mission is to battle the remnants of ISIS, which as we saw this week in Austria, remains a very real threat.
Had it not been for the remarkable work of European and American intelligence professionals, the world would likely be mourning a shocking ISIS terrorist attack that was set to take place outside one of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna.
BREAKING: Taylor Swift terror plot: Suspect who pledged allegiance to ISIS had chemical substances, devices at home https://t.co/662UaDoR3R
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 8, 2024
One of the suspects “wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using the knives or even using the explosive devices he had made,” said a top Austrian intelligence official, as quoted by Fox News.
All three shows were canceled. We thank God this horrific plan was discovered in advance and broken up.
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Brave American troops continue to battle another Iran-backed terrorist group – the Houthis – in and around Yemen.
To put it mildly, the U.S. military is having a busy week in the increasingly dangerous region. As of Thursday afternoon, U.S. Central Command said it had destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis in the Red Sea, along with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
In the Gulf of Aden, the U.S. military took out “three Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen,” also according to CENTCOM.
So far this week in Yemen itself, American service members eliminated two UAVs and a UAS. The brave men and women of our military also blew up hree Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles and a ground control station, using precise weapons.
August 7 U.S. Central Command Update
In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles, one Houthi ground control station, and three Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.… pic.twitter.com/MdLOaRWYBb
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 7, 2024
Since the Houthis dramatically escalated attacks on military and commercial ships following the October 7 massacre in Israel by fellow Iran-backed terrorists, American troops have retaliated with a staggering arsenal of firepower. Politico reports that in the past year, “U.S. forces have launched roughly 800 missiles and seven rounds of air strikes” against the Houthis.
It’s a battle that has emerged as the United States’ most expansive and enduring military operation currently underway, a campaign that risks chewing through munitions the Pentagon would rather stockpile for a potential confrontation with China. It also in some ways contradicts Biden’s declaration last month, as he announced that he was ending his reelection campaign, that he is the first president of this century to “report to the American people that the United States is not at war anywhere in the world.”
Make no mistake: The U.S. military is at war in the Middle East. Please pray for all U.S. military personnel stationed in the perilous region, as well as their concerned families here at home. America supports you and appreciates the extraordinary sacrifices you are making to keep us safe.
Coming Home
Hundreds of soldiers have returned to Virginia after a five-month deployment in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Gaza. These brave soldiers were tasked with helping build a floating pier designed by the U.S. military to deliver humanitarian aid to the war-torn region.
U.S. Army soldiers return to a welcome ceremony at the Anderson Field House on Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Newport News, Virginia, on August 3, 2024.
Welcome home, soldiers! Thank you for risking your lives while trying to help others.
Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is the author of the newly released I Have Your Back, Be Bold and co-author of Three Wise Men, Brothers Forever, 8 Seconds of Courage and Fire in My Eyes. Follow Tom on X @TSileo and The Stream at @Streamdotorg.
