Captain Kimberly Hampton was a student at Easley High school
in South Carolina, her mother went to a award ceremony for the JROTC
unit in this school last year it was a very special moment watch this
lady speak to the students and parents about her daughter and how
Kimberly was so dedicated to serve her country. Until this day I feel
the chills from her speech after that I realize where Kimberly courage
came from the new library in town is name in Kimberly's honor.
I was stationed with A1C Elizabeth "Liz" Jacobson. She had a
heart of gold. She was the first AF female killed in OIF. I still
remember the memorial service we had at Camp Bucca. She'll never be
forgotten. I have a memorial tattoo with 3 names, her's is one of them.
At least 63 people have
been killed in a suicide bomb attack during a rehearsal for a military
parade in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, officials say.
The assailant, who was reportedly wearing army uniform, blew
himself up among a group of soldiers at al-Sabin Square, near the
presidential palace.
An al-Qaeda source told the BBC one of its members had carried out the attack.
It was the deadliest incident in the capital since President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi took power in February.
"We were in a parade, suddenly there was a huge explosion.
Dozens of our men were killed. We tried to help them," Col Amin
al-Alghabati told the Reuters news agency.
"The suicide bomber was dressed in a military uniform. He had a belt of explosives underneath," he added.
Another soldier, Ahmed Sobhi, told the
Associated Press: "This is a real massacre. There are piles of torn body
parts, limbs and heads. This is unbelievable."
Medical sources told the AFP news agency that at least 96
soldiers had been killed and 300 wounded, who they said were being
treated in seven hospital across Sanaa.
It is not clear if the attacker had been taking part in the
drill or had walked up to the soldiers shortly before detonating his
bomb.
But the attack happened shortly before Defence Minister
Nasser Ahmed and the army chief-of-staff were expected to greet the
troops, officials said. Neither was injured.
Most of the casualties were from the Central Security
Organisation, a paramilitary force commanded by Yahya Saleh, a nephew of
former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
They had been practising for a parade for National Unity Day
on Tuesday, which marks the anniversary of the 1990 unification of the
Marxist People's Democratic Republic of Yemen - also known as South
Yemen - and the Yemen Arab Republic, known as North Yemen.
"Yemenis must stand together in the face of this deadly
terrorist threat," Brig Karim Nahil said. "We will celebrate our unity
tomorrow with the blood of our martyrs on our hands and faces."
Video of the suicide attack that targeted a company of Yemeni soldiers at least 70 killed 100 injured:
KABUL (PAN): Nearly eight security personnel were killed and 41
injured, including five civilians, in the 19-hour long fierce fighting
between government forces and Taliban fighters in the capital Kabul on
Monday, said officials.
Fighting ended on Monday, at about 8 am, after Afghan security personnel flushed out militants in the heart of the capital.
On
Sunday afternoon gunmen took positions in an under construction
buildings in Sherpoor, Darull-Aman, near the Parliament building,
Paktiakot and Pul-i-Charkhi diplomatic areas targetting government
offices.
All the attackers were gunned down after a night-long
battle with security forces, Ghulam Sadique Sediqi, Interior Ministry
spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
He said security forces were
careful when fighting the insurgents to prevent civilian casualties and
the attackers, who had taken up positions, in the Paktiakot area were
eliminated by 8pm.
Produced by TSgt Lisa Carlson, 379th AEW/Public Affairs, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Video by Tech. Sgt. Lisa Carlson from DODLive.mil
This video is from the perspective of a military working dog. Kichi is a
service member just like any other; he has a job to do, likes and
dislikes, loyalty and a sense of pride and accomplishment. Find out a
little about what it’s like to see the world from the view of this
canine companion – a 379th AEW Military Working Dog.
The 379th AEW produces video stories from the men and women in Southwest
Asia. Here's the perspective from a 4-legged military member. Kichi-
379th AEW Military Working Dog. Voiced by SSgt Brandon Durham, 379th
AEW, Dog handler. Produced by TSgt Lisa Carlson, 379th AEW/Public
Affairs. Also available in High Definition.
Map of Herat Province, Afghanistan Extracted from http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/afghanis.pdf (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
HERAT CITY (PAN):
A four-member group, accused of masterminding several attacks and
plotting the assassination of the energy minister, was busted in western
Herat province, officials said on Wednesday.
More than 243 kilograms of explosives were recovered from the suspects planning to assassinate former jihadi commanders, the governor's spokesman, Mohiuddin Noori, said.
"The suspects, residents of Herat, receive instructions from outside
Afghanistan. They planned attacks during Nawroz festival," he said.
The detainees wanted to attack a gathering on the eighth death
anniversary of Ismail Khan's son, Mirwais Sadiq, a former civil aviation
minister.
A former governor, Sadiq was killed in Herat City during an exchange
of fire between supporters of commander Zahir Nayebzada in March 2004.
A statement issued from the provincial intelligence department said
the detainees were planning attacks in sensitive areas. "The suspects
have confessed to conducting several attacks," it said.
Cpl. Kevin Vaughan was wounded while serving his 2nd tour in Afghanistan
ultimately resulting in the loss of his leg. After many months of
rehabilitation Kevin is finally coming home for the first time. This is
short glimpse of the gratitude and overwhelming support from his local
community of North Merrick and surrounding areas.
Songs in order played by:
"Made in America" - Toby Keith
"Coming Home ft. Skylar Grey" - Ditty
"USA" - Lee Greenwood
Filmed and edited by :
Firefighters Joshua Kaye and Jayson Truglio of North Merrick Fire Department
this is a private post, not the daily war on terror news...
pls watch this, i know little bit long, but it deserved it
i want to hear your thoughts and comments, mine after the video
so, after i saw this report, i'm really hard to find words for now
i'm proud to be hungarian, JUST for Him, and for everyone else who served, fought and died for the U.S. freedom
there are several other hungarians in the same "line", from korean wars, vietnam, iraq etc.
special thx for them for their service!
all of the words in the video, from 11:55....i want to say that too...!
BANGKOK, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Tuesday urged the public not to panic over three explosions in Bangkok related to three Iranians.
According to the latest report from Nationa News Agency (NNA), one suspect has been arrested at the international Suvarnabhumi Airport.
On Tuesday afternoon, three consecutive explosions occurred in downtown Bangkok's Sukhumvit road. The explosions injured four Thais and one Iranian suspect.
Yingluck said police and intelligence agencies are investigating the case.
"I would like to ask the people not to panic. The authorities have now arrested an attacker," Bangkok Post online quoted Yingluck as saying.
The Thai Foreign Ministry has sought cooperation from Iran Embassy to check backgrounds of the Iranian suspect(s), said Deputy PM's Secretary-General Thitima Chaisaeng said, according to The Nation online.
At about 2 p.m. local time, a first bomb went off in a rented house in Soi Pridiphanomyong 31-33 on Sukhumvit 71 road. Three foreigners were reportedly living in the house, one of them confirmed as a Iranian national. The rest, of unidentified nationality, left the house un-injured, according to Thai media.
After the explosion, the Iranian housed renter called a taxi at Soi Pridi Panomyong 33.
The taxi driver did not pull over to pick him up. The man was angry and threw an explosive device at the vehicle. Taxi driver Sanchai Boonsungnoen and passenger Apichart Khamlue were injured. Two Thai passer-bys also wounded in the explosion, according to Thai News Agency. The Iranian man then walked to Kasem Pitthaya School in Soi Sukhumvit 71 and saw the police, inspecting the taxi hit by the bomb. He then accidentally dropped an explosive device on the ground, causing it to go off, wounding him severely -- cutting off his two legs. Three sedans were damaged because of the explosion.
The explosion damaged public telephone booths and his
bag was scattered. The police car and a pizza shop opposite the school
were damaged.
The explosive device was initially believed to be hand grenades.
Police later searched the rented house and found functional C-4
explosive.
The injured were sent to hospitals. Police is investigating.
Thai authorities have not yet commented whether the explosions were related to terrorism.
On January 13, the embassy of the United States warned their citizens
in Thailand of the possibility of imminent terrorist attacks in busy
tourist areas of Bangkok. The warning prompted other 20 countries to
issued same warning for their citizens.
At least three people including a child were killed in a
suicide car bomb blast in southern Helmand province on Thursday, local
officials said.
Thirty two others including a foreign woman were wounded in the blast.
The blast occurred at 10:30 am local time near British PRT, Dawood
Ahmadi, a spokesman for provincial governor told TOLOnews reporter.
Afghan security forces have arrived in the area.
The ambulances were also seen in the area carrying the victims.
Eyewitnesses said that several cars have been damaged in the blast.
Clouds of smoke was also seen rising from the site of the incident.
No group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Violence recently increased in southern Helmand with insurgents
carrying out attacks on Afghan police checkpoints using Improvised
Explosive Devices.
Afghan security forces have taken over security responsibility of
Lashkargh, the capital of Helmand from British troops in the first phase
of security transition.
Britain has around 9,500 troops in Afghanistan, most of them based in Helmand.
The Syrian government claimed that a "suicide terrorist" killed 25 people and wounded scores more in an attack in the capital of Damascus today. The blast took place near a school in the Maidan neighborhood, killing 25 people and wounding more than 40, according to Syrian news services.
'Suicide terrorist' kills 25 in Damascus: Syrian state TV By Bill Roggio - January 6, 2012, LWJ
The Syrian government claimed that a "suicide terrorist" killed 25 people and wounded scores more in an attack in the capital of Damascus today. The blast took place near a school in the Maidan neighborhood, killing 25 people and wounding more than 40, according to Syrian news services.
A screen grab from Syrian state television shows a car damaged by a suicide bomb that rocked Damascus on Friday. (AFP/HO/Syrian TV)
"Immediate information indicates that a suicide terrorist blew himself up at a traffic light in the Maidan neighborhood," state television said, according to Reuters. "There are dozens of dead and wounded, mostly civilians."
No group has claimed credit for today's attack. It could not be confirmed that the blast was carried out by a suicide bomber, as independent media outlets do not have access to the site.
In addition to today's attack, the Syrian government has claimed that two other suicide attacks have taken place in Damascus since late December 2011. The Syrian government said that twin blasts targeting security headquarters on Dec. 23 were the work of al Qaeda. Over 40 people were reported killed and scores more were wounded in the blasts.
But no group claimed credit for the Dec. 23 blasts. In fact, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, an al Qaeda affiliate that operates in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and throughout the Middle East, denied responsibility.
The Abdullah Azzam Brigades released an official statement denying any role in the Dec. 23 attacks and said the bombs were the work of the Mukhabarat, Syria's military intelligence branch, which is controlled by President Bashir al Assad.
"The mujahideen, in all their groups, have no connection to these vicious bombings, and accusing them of it is falsehood and lies. The one truly responsible for them is he who is benefiting from them, and it is the regime of al Assad and his intelligence agencies," the Abdullah Azzam Brigades said in a statement that was released on Dec. 27 and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.
Assad's regime is fighting a rebellion that has seen hundreds of his soldiers defect to the Free Syrian Army. Assad's security forces have ruthlessly put down protests in major cities and villages across Syria. His forces are said to have killed more than 5,000 Syrians since the uprising began last year, according to human rights groups.
On Tuesday evening, an improvised explosive device exploded without causing any injuries, said Zalmai Ayubi, spokesman for the Kandahar governor. But when police and locals gathered around the area of the blast, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up near the crowd, he said.
Nine people -- including six police and three civilians -- were killed, according to Dr. Abdul Qayoom Pokhla, director of health department in Kandahar. Sixteen others were injured.
U.S. soldiers walk with their Afghan translator near the scene of a suicide attack in Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012.
Today results of the "trio" bombings: 12 dead (4 ANP, 8 civvies). 35 wounded (10 ANP, 25 civvies). 4 dead, 6 wounded are children.
video embeding disabled on CBSNEWS currently, so you need to navigate to the site
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(CBS News)
The Afghan government Monday signaled that it may be open to peace talks with the Taliban. In the meantime, Taliban fighters keep slipping back and forth across the border with Pakistan. American soldiers are on a mission to stop them and CBS News correspondent Clarissa Ward spent time with one squad on a remote base in a mountainous border region.
Sgt. Eric Scharf knows the importance of discipline as squad leader at a tiny outpost of just 19 soldiers overlooking the dangerous Pakistani border. His men are the eyes and ears for key U.S. bases below, trying to keep them safe from insurgent attacks.
"If they are close enough to be firing us, we're close enough to be firing them," said Scharf. "The guys need to be quick. They need to be accurate and they need to be absolutely brutal when the time calls for it."
Perched at 7,000 feet, it doesn't get much more isolated than here. The stunning scenery provides abundant hiding places for an enemy the men rarely catch a glimpse of.
Normally by December these mountains would be covered in snow. But this year has been unseasonably warm, which means that enemy fighters from Pakistan have been able to come down and move freely through the mountain passes.
Scharf relies heavily on the expertise of his Afghan guards, who have been fighting in these mountains for more than 30 years and who monitor Taliban chatter.
"Through our monitoring of radio traffic and things like that, Pakistan is playing a huge role's in the insurgency's ability to freely move about," said Scharf.
Less than 36 hours after CBS News arrived, a nearby outpost came under enemy attack. The men were instructed to fire off mortars at suspected enemy positions to hold off the attackers. It was a reminder that the enemy can strike at any time.
"I know that the moment I slack off is the moment that one of my guys could catch a bullet in the head," said Scharf. "That's the main thing -- [it's] just encouraging them to try to understand their enemy, to learn about the fight and to be ready at any given point."
Ready for an enemy that takes refuge on both sides of a porous border.
One Mission: To bring home wounded Soldiers and Marines Everybody trust, hope, support and love them, but nobodies want to meet them :)
DET 1 C CO 1-171 GSAB says Hello and Merry Christmas to the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade Ball 2011 and thier families from Afghanistan. Movie filmed and edited in Afghanistan by Poolman Productions.
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is wishing a Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all Americans in his weekly radio and Internet address, with a special message of thanks to the troops.
“Let’s take a moment to give thanks for their service; for their families’ service; for our veterans’ service,” the president said Saturday. “And let’s say a prayer for all our troops standing post all over the world, especially our brave men and women in Afghanistan who are serving, even as we speak, in harm’s way to protect the freedoms and security we hold dear.”
The president was joined by his wife, first lady Michelle Obama, in recording the weekly address. Mrs. Obama added her own word of thanks, saying “let’s make sure that all of them know just how much we appreciate everything they do.”
The president noted that with the Iraq war over, the last troops from that conflict are home for the holidays. And the Obamas urged people to find a way to give back to the military, directing listeners to Joining Forces, the first lady’s initiative to help military families.
Republicans also set aside talk of legislative and partisan battles in their weekly address, recorded by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.
Pence urged Americans to remember the troops and also to think of those who are less fortunate, struggling to make ends meet in the tough economy or unable to find work.
“This holiday season, let’s all make a special effort to come alongside these families in their time of need and support local charities as they provide for the needs across our communities,” Pence said. “Let’s also make a point to personally reach out to that neighbor or friend who needs a helping hand, a kind greeting or an invitation — it might be just the gift someone needed most.”
Since 1775, over 1.3 million American troops have made the ultimate sacrifice. Thank you and please visit SemperFiFund.org to help give back to those who protect our freedom.
A Big Thank you to everyone who voted and helped us win the Good Morning America Contest.
Thanks to Ford at Ford@fordproductions.com for doing all the music work and his wonderful wife for doing the voiceover.
This house can be seen on Mossy Creek Lane in Southwood, Tallahassee, FL from 6-10 on weeknights and until 11 Friday and Saturday night. Christmas night will be the last night.
While soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines came together with members from
the surrounding communities of Soto Cano Airbase in Honduras to celebrate the
holiday season, members of the Joint Security Forces kept a watchful eye to
ensure everyone remained safe.
The bike patrols are prepared to handle any task, to keep service members, their families and the community safe during this festive season of the year.
Army Sgt. Donnie Martin has the details.
12/23/2011 By Cpl. Justin M. Boling , 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd)
CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan —Unmanned systems have revolutionized combat aviation, providing a colossal advantage in the fight against terror with surveillance and close-air support. Recently, a detachment of Marines from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 in Afghanistan added aerial resupply to the list of UAV capabilities. The detachment completed its first unmanned aerial system cargo delivery in a combat zone using a helicopter in Afghanistan, Dec. 17. “We delivered cargo today that was supposed to be delivered by convoy, now that convoy has three pallets that it does not have to carry, “explained Maj. Kyle O’Connor, the officer-in-charge of the squadron’s cargo resupply unmanned aerial system detachment. The unmanned helicopter moved about 3,500 pounds of food and supplies to troops at Combat Outpost Payne. The helicopter, an unmanned variant of a K-MAX, completed the delivery in about an hour and a half. “It is a milestone, certainly. We have delivered a lot of loads in the States during training, testing and evaluation,” said Steven Athanas, a representative from Lockheed Martin. “Now that we have integrated it into the battlespace, we have gone from what you think can happen -- to what can happen.” A human-piloted variant of the K-MAX helicopter was first developed in the 1990s. The manned version is used for heavy-lifting in corporate industry, including logging. “This is a demonstration phase to test the true capabilities of this aircraft and how well it can perform its job in a combat environment,” said O’Connor. “With every flight in theater we are collecting data, and at the end of the day we are going to look at all of that data and decide whether or not to make it a program of record.” “During this phase we will be making some adjustments to make it easier to use, but mostly I think the biggest adjustments will be seeing how many different ways we can use the unmanned aerial system,” said Athanas. At the end of a six month assessment in Afghanistan, the Marine Corps will have the option to fully implement the platform.
Afghan National and U.S. Soldiers from the Alpha Company, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th IBCT, conducted a joint operation, Operation Thunder Clinton to capture a known Taliban commander in Wat-Ed-Jaber Khel, Nuralam Valley, Afghanistan, December 05-06, 2011.
The kill/capture of this known insurgent is a demonstration of the ability and capability of the ANA to provide necessary security to Laghman Province.
(U.S. Army video by Pfc. Matthew Wager/Released)