President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single
holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in
support of our country.
On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson
announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and
Air Force Days. The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under
the Department of Defense.
---
from MARINES.MIL:
ARMED FORCES DAY 2013
Date Signed: 5/06/2013
ALMARS Active Number: 016/13
R 061212Z MAY 13 UNCLASSIFIED/
ALMAR 016/13
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS(UC)/F002//
SUBJ/ARMED FORCES DAY 2013//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.
FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY, AMERICANS HAVE OBSERVED ARMED FORCES DAY
TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR THE COURAGE AND SELFLESS SACRIFICE OF OUR MEN
AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM. THOSE WHO PROUDLY SERVE IN OUR NATION'S MILITARY
FORCES ACCEPT A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY; ONE THAT ENTAILS PERSONAL
HARDSHIP, RISK AND SACRIFICE.
2. ON THIS ARMED FORCES DAY, LIKE SO
MANY IN OUR PAST, ACTIVE DUTY AND RESERVE SERVICE MEMBERS REMAIN
VIGILANT IN DEFENSE OF FREEDOM. AROUND THE WORLD, MARINES, SAILORS,
SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN CONTINUE TO COMBAT TERRORISM, PARTNER WITH ALLIES,
RESPOND TO CRISES, AND PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE. THESE SERVICE
MEMBERS, WHO MAKE UP LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THE U.S. POPULATION,
CONTINUE TO KEEP AMERICA STRONG AND SECURE.
3. AS WE HONOR THE
MEMBERS OF THE GREATEST MILITARY IN THE WORLD, TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT
ON ALL WHO SERVE AND HAVE SERVED, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO GAVE ALL IN
DEFENSE OF FREEDOM. TO ALL MARINES WHO HAVE EVER WORN OUR CLOTH, THANK
YOU FOR YOUR FIDELITY AND SERVICE TO COUNTRY AND CORPS.
4. SEMPER FIDELIS! JAMES F. AMOS, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS./
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.
According to local authorities in northern Parwan province of Afghanistan, a warehouse belonging to Supreme Group which is providing procurement to US troops in Afghanistan caught fire in this province.
Provincial Council Chief Haji Ahmad Zaki Zahid confirming the report said the incident took place 11 pm local time on Friday night and the warehouse was still burning.
Mr. Zahid further added it is yet not known what types of items were being kept inside the ware.
In the meantime company spokeswoman says insurgents attacked a warehouse full of food and supplies for troops with rocket-propelled grenades at the main U.S. base in Afghanistan late Friday, sparking a fire that destroyed the warehouse and everything inside.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid says in an email that the fire at the Supreme Group compound destroyed a “large stock of food meant for U.S. troops.”
Supreme Group spokeswoman Victoria Frost says no one was injured and the fire was contained by morning, though some areas were still smoldering. She says they are working to make up for the lost inventory with supplies from other warehouses.
At least three NATO service members were killed following a suicide bomb blast in eastern Afghanistan on Monday.
NATO-led International Security Assistance Force following a statement announced, “Three International Security Assistance Force service members and an ISAF-contracted interpreter died following a suicide improvised explosive device attack in eastern Afghanistan today.”
The source did not disclose further information regarding the exact location of the incident and nationalities of the deceased soldiers.
International Security Assistance Force generally do not disclose identities of the NATO soldiers killed in Afghaistan saying, “It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.”
At least 344 NATO service members mostly US troops have been killed in various incidents across the country since the beginning of 2012.
This comes as a suicide bomber detonated explosives packed in his body in a busy area at eastern Khost province on Monday killing and injuring more than 70 people.
The incident took place while Afghan and NATO troops were crossing the area.
--- ISAF Joint Command KABUL, Afghanistan – Three International Security Assistance Force
service members and an ISAF-contracted interpreter died following a
suicide improvised explosive device attack in eastern Afghanistan today.
It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.
"
Then on Monday morning, two American soldiers were shot and killed by
one of their Afghan colleagues in the east, military officials said,
bringing to 12 the number of international troops -- all Americans -- to
die at the hands of their local allies this month.
But Afghan officials said Monday's attack in Laghman province was a
separate case from the rash of recent insider attacks on international
forces, because it appeared to have been an accidental shooting.
When the group of U.S. and Afghan soldiers came under attack, they
returned fire and ran to take up fighting positions, said Noman Hatefi, a
spokesman for the Afghan army corps in eastern Afghanistan. But an
Afghan soldier fell and accidentally discharged his weapon, killing two
American soldiers with the errant rounds, he said.
"He didn't do this intentionally. But then the commander of the unit
started shouting at him, `What did you do? You killed two NATO
soldiers!' And so he threw down his weapon and started to run," Hatefi
added. The U.S. troops had already called in air support to help with
the insurgent attack and the aircraft fired on the escaping Afghan
soldier from above, killing him, Hatefi said."
A member of the International Security Assistance Force was shot
and killed in southern Afghanistan today when a man in an Afghan police
uniform turned his weapon on a group of ISAF soldiers, ISAF stated in a
press release. The release did not identify the nationality of the dead
ISAF soldier, and did not specify whether other troops were injured in
the attack.
There has been an extraordinary spike in green-on-blue attacks
recently; they now account for over 13% of ISAF casualties this year.
Today's attack is the eighth such attack on ISAF personnel in the past
two weeks; 11 soldiers have been killed in the eight attacks.
The US is becoming increasingly concerned about the rise in attacks
by Afghan forces against their Coalition colleagues, and is pressing the
Afghan government to adopt more stringent vetting measures for recruits
to Afghan forces, according to Reuters.
The US military also issued a directive this week to all Coalition
troops instructing them to carry a loaded weapon at all times.
As the attacks have increased, the Taliban have seized on them in
their propaganda. On Aug. 7, the Taliban released a video of two Afghan
soldiers who attacked ISAF soldiers in Kunar and Uruzgan [see Threat Matrix report, Observations on Taliban video 'welcoming' rogue ANA soldiers].
In a statement released on jihadist forums this week, Mullah Omar,
the leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, or the Taliban,
addressed the issue of green-on-blue attacks. Omar claimed that the
Taliban have "cleverly infiltrated in the ranks of the enemy according
to the plan given to them last year." He urged government officials and
security personnel to defect and join the Taliban as a matter of
religious duty. He also noted that the Taliban have created the "Call
and Guidance, Luring and Integration" department, "with branches ... now
operational all over the country," to encourage defections. [See Threat Matrix report, Mullah Omar addresses green-on-blue attacks.]
ISAF Joint Command Date Taken:08.19.2012 Date Posted:08.19.2012 13:26 Location:KABUL, AFKABUL, Afghanistan – An International Security Assistance Force service member died when an individual wearing an Afghan Uniformed Police uniform turned his weapon against ISAF service members in southern Afghanistan today.
Afghan and ISAF officials are investigating the incident.
It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.
Afghan, coalition service members die in ISAF helicopter crash
2012-05-C-031
For Immediate Release
KABUL, Afghanistan (Aug. 16, 2012) — An ISAF helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan today.
The
crash resulted in the deaths of four International Security Assistance
Force service members, three United States Forces-Afghanistan service
members, three members of the Afghan National Security Forces, and one
Afghan civilian interpreter.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.
---
Crashed helicopter was UH-60 Black Hawk
Department of Defense confirmed on Thursday that 7 American soldiers were killed in the incident.
DoD official told NBC that the helicopter was completely destroyed in the crash impact.
UH-60L Blackhawk helicopter flies a low-level mission over Iraq (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the
creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air
Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of
the Armed Forces under one department — the Department of Defense. Each
of the military leagues and orders was asked to drop sponsorship of its
specific service day in order to celebrate the newly announced Armed
Forces Day. The Army, Navy and Air Force leagues adopted the newly
formed day. The Marine Corps League declined to drop support for Marine
Corps Day but supports Armed Forces Day, too.
In a speech announcing the formation of the day, President Truman
“praised the work of the military services at home and across the seas”
and said, “it is vital to the security of the nation and to the
establishment of a desirable peace.” In an excerpt from the Presidential
Proclamation of Feb. 27, 1950, Mr. Truman stated:
“Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined
demonstration by America’s defense team of its progress, under the
National Security Act, towards the goal of readiness for any
eventuality. It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified
forces of our land, sea, and air defense”.
The theme of the first Armed Forces Day was “Teamed for Defense.” It
was chosen as a means of expressing the unification of all the military
forces under a single department of the government.
Although this was
the theme for the day, there were several other purposes for holding
Armed Forces Day. It was a type of “educational program for civilians,”
one in which there would be an increased awareness of the Armed Forces.
It was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job is
performed and the role of the military in civilian life. It was a day
for the military to show “state-of- the-art” equipment to the civilian
population they were protecting. And it was a day to honor and
acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States.
According to a New York Times article published on May 17, 1952:
“This is the day on which we have the welcome opportunity to pay special
tribute to the men and women of the Armed Forces … to all the
individuals who are in the service of their country all over the world.
Armed Forces Day won’t be a matter of parades and receptions for a good
many of them. They will all be in line of duty and some of them may give
their lives in that duty.”
The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated by parades, open houses,
receptions, and air shows. In Washington D.C., 10,000 troops of all
branches of the military, cadets, and veterans marched pass the
President and his party. In Berlin, 1,000 U.S. troops paraded for the
German citizens at Templehof Airfield. In New York City, an estimated
33,000 participants initiated Armed Forces Day “under an air cover of
250 military planes of all types.” In the harbors across the country
were the famed mothballed “battlewagons” of World War II, the Missouri,
the New Jersey, the North Carolina, and the Iowa, all open for public
inspection. Precision flying teams dominated the skies as tracking radar
were exhibited on the ground. All across the country, the American
people joined together to honor the Armed Forces.
To learn more about the men and women of our Armed Forces and their
families, and how people and communities are supporting them, here are
some helpful links:
Get to know our military and the families who sustain them, and learn about the unique experiences of military life:
Spanish army paratroopers from the 3rd Bandera exit a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Bala Murghab Forward Operating Base during an International Security Assistance Force mission, Sept. 27, 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
At least two NATO service members were killed following militants attack in eastern regions of the country on Friday.
NATO-led International Security Assistance Force following a statement on Friday announced, “Two International Security Assistance Force service members died following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan today.”
The statement did not disclose further information regarding the exact location of the incident and nationalities of the deceased soldiers.
International Security Assistance Force generally do not disclose identities of the NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan saying, “It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.”
At least 158 NATO service members including 110 US troops, 20 British soldiers and 28 soldiers from the other NATO member countries have been killed in various incidents since the beginning of 2012 in Afghanistan.
A NATO soldier was shot dead by an individual in Afghan National Army uniform in eastern regions of the country on Friday.
NATO-led International security Assistance Force following a press release on Friday announced, “An individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform turned his weapon against coalition service members in eastern Afghanistan today, killing one service member.”
The source did not disclose further information regarding the exact location of the incident and nationality of the deceased soldier.
International Security Assistance Force generally do not disclose identities of the NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan saying, “It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.”
At least 149 NATO service members including 103 US troops, 18 British and 28 troops from the other NATO member countries have been killed in various incidents since the beginning of 2012 in Afghanistan.
Three U.S. Military Service Members Killed in Auto Accident
STUTTGART, Germany,Apr 20, 2012 — Three U.S. military members and three civilians died in a vehicle accident in Bamako, Mali today.
The
U.S. military members were in Mali as part of an on-going engagement
prior to the unrest that occurred in Mali on March 21. Though U.S.
military engagement has been suspended in Mali, those U.S. military
members in country remained to provide support to the U.S. Embassy.
The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.
The names of the service members are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
For
more information, please contact the U.S. AFRICOM Public Affairs at +49
711 729 4714 or after hours at +49 151 1217 8717 or
AFRICOM-Media@usafricom.mil.
The Commander of ISAF and US troops in Afghanistan, General John Allen,
has been to visit the base in the east of the country where two US
soldiers were killed yesterday by a man wearing an Afghan army uniform.
General Allen was accompanied on his trip by General Sher Mohammed
Karimi, the Afghan National Army's Chief of Staff. At the time of the
incident, the base was under attack by protestors demonstrating against
the burning of Koran at the detainee facility in Parwan.
Washington Time
Kabul Time
London Time
