Service & Sacrifice: ‘Significant Escalation’
A snapshot of the burdens being shouldered by brave U.S. troops and military families around the world.
U.S. special operations forces look out into a field during a mine clearance operation in Baghuz, Syria, on August 12, 2023.
Middle East
For the past week, U.S. military personnel in the Middle East have been under almost constant attack. On Thursday, the human toll of those strikes is sadly becoming clearer.
POLITICO reports that “19 American service members stationed in Iraq and Syria have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) after rocket and drone attacks from Iran-backed” terrorist proxy groups.
“Fifteen troops at Al Tanf garrison in Syria and four at Al Asad air base in Iraq were diagnosed with the injury, the official said on Thursday,” defense reporter Lara Seligman wrote. “Two additional service members at Al Tanf sustained other minor injuries, the official said, and all have returned to duty.”
Overall, POLITICO reports that 21 American troops were injured in Syria and Iraq on October 17 and 18. There have been multiple attacks launched throughout this week, but as of Thursday afternoon, no additional injuries had been reported.
Update: U.S. military base in NE Syria hit by rocket attack today, a U.S. official told me. No injuries or damage.
One rocket landed inside the base, near the Abu Hajar Airport, and two rockets landed outside it.
Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed credithttps://t.co/gaEQ0JNOVB— Howard Altman (@haltman) October 25, 2023
News of the TBI diagnoses comes after President Biden publicly warned Iran supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Wednesday that “if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond. And he should be prepared.” There has been at least one attack aimed at the U.S. military in northeast Syria since Biden’s warning and another in Iraq.
Another attack on U.S. forces in Iraq, this time in Erbil, @PentagonPresSec says just now.
U.S. have been attacked in Iraq 12 times and Syria four times between Oct. 17 and 26.
— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) October 26, 2023
In response, American fighter jets struck terrorist targets in eastern Syria early Friday morning, according to the Associated Press. The report said the two targets struck are believed to be “linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.”
“According to a senior U.S. military official, the precision strikes were carried out near Boukamal by two F-16 fighter jets, and they struck weapons and ammunition storage areas that were connected to the IRGC,” the AP reported.
As seen in the photos embedded below, a squadron of F-16 fighter jets landed in the Middle East earlier this week. A steady stream of American aircraft, ships and U.S. military personnel have been arriving in the Middle East to both support Israel and deter Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist forces.
The 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft have arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to bolster U.S. posture to deter further aggression @USAFCENT pic.twitter.com/BaVakOd3uB
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 24, 2023
“We know that the groups conducting these attacks are supported by the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and the Iranian regime,” U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said this week at the Pentagon. “What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region, in the very near term, coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran.”
There are about 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq and another 900 in Syria. Thousands more are now in the Middle East aboard aircraft carriers and other ships. Please pray for the safety of these deployed military heroes, as well as their loved ones here at home.
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Coming Home
A group of U.S. Army soldiers returned home to Colorado this week after a nine-month overseas deployment.
A U.S. Army soldier is greeted by loving family members during a homecoming ceremony at Fort Carson in Colorado on October 23, 2023.
Welcome home, warriors! Thank you for defending our freedom.
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.
