Service & Sacrifice: ‘In Harm’s Way’ in Middle East
A snapshot of the burdens being shouldered by brave U.S. troops and military families around the world.
An F/A-18F Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in the Mediterranean Sea on October 7, 2023.
Middle East
Almost every week for the past seven years, The Stream has been highlighting the sacrifices of U.S. military personnel stationed overseas — even as many inside media and political circles looked away.
With Israel now at war after Saturday’s brutal terrorist attacks by Hamas, the risks being faced by brave American troops serving in the Middle East are back in the forefront. From Hamas terrorists (not “militants” or “fighters,” CNN) and their backers in Iran to other terrorist groups like Hezbollah and ISIS, U.S. service members in Syria, Iraq, the Persian Gulf and elsewhere in the region are facing a plethora of threats.
Writing in POLITICO, Lara Segilman reports that “U.S. military forces in the Middle East are ‘aware of malign actors who may seek to capitalize on conflicts and instability in the region,’ said Maj. Geoffrey Carmichael, the spokesperson for the American military operation to counter ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
‘We will not let nefarious actors pull us into engagements that detract from our mission,’ Carmichael said. He did not mention Iran by name, but said: ‘Make no mistake, we reserve our inherent right to self-defense whenever faced with threats that place our forces in harm’s way.'”
As The Stream often reminds readers, there are approximately 2,500 U.S. military personnel in Iraq and another 900 in Syria. Iranian-backed terrorist groups have staged attacks against U.S. troops in both countries, along with U.S. Navy ships being targeted and harassed by Iran in the Persian Gulf and nearby international waters.
#USSGeraldRFordCarrierStrikeGroup Sailors stand watch in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. @USNavyEurope @US_EUCOM pic.twitter.com/vos5tYHOZ5
— USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) (@CVN78_GRFord) October 10, 2023
As the barbaric terrorist attacks began to unfold inside the Jewish state, the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford began heading toward the coast of Israel in a dramatic show of force and support. As WVEC-TV reports, four F/A-18 E and F Super Hornet fighter jet squadrons are aboard the ship.
Among the ships joining the aircraft carrier off the Israeli coast, according to the TV station, are “the Norfolk-based Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy and the Norfolk-based Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ramage.”
“The reason they’re there is to be a deterrent. The reason they’re there is not to provoke action,” said Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia, as quoted by WVEC-TV. “And we’re trying to deter any further aggression and deter war. That’s what being a strong nation does. And it’s important that we send a very clear message that we stand with Israel.”
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The Messenger‘s James LaPorta reports that U.S. military hostage rescue experts are advising Israel Defense Forces on how to safely recover approximately 150 hostages abducted from Israel by Hamas. The White House confirmed that several Americans are among the hostages being held by terrorists in Gaza, which is still being bombarded by Israeli warplanes in response to Saturday’s attacks.
Notably, LaPorta also reports that “U.S. special operations forces have been placed on alert in a nearby European country, according to two senior U.S. military officials who spoke to The Messenger under condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive national security matters.
Sources described these troops as ‘door kickers,’ who could conduct a rescue effort themselves, if ordered.”
#BREAKING Defense officials tell me the U.S has sent members of the U.S. intelligence community and special operation forces to Israel to advise (not participate) in hostage rescue efforts. A JSOC unit is on standby if needed in a nearby European country. https://t.co/Xn0vQtMD1A
— Jim LaPorta (@JimLaPorta) October 10, 2023
Needless to say, this is a time to pray for our troops, their families, the hostages, the injured, the grieving loved ones of innocent people murdered by Hamas and all civilians caught in the crossfire of this war launched by radical Islamic terrorists against the Jewish state of Israel.
As the brilliant Dr. Michael Brown poignantly wrote on Sunday, “And just as out of the ashes of the Holocaust the modern nation of Israel was birthed, God can bring something beautiful out of the agony and screams and terror and blood and suffering. Let us lean hard on Him in the days ahead, continuing to pray for His merciful intervention.”
Coming Home
A group of U.S. Marines recently returned home to California after completing a deployment to Africa.
Family and friends gather to welcome home U.S. Marines returning from Africa to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California on October 6, 2023.
Welcome home, warriors! Thank you for your dedicated service to our country.
Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is the author of the forthcoming I Have Your Back, the recently released 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.
