Friday, November 30, 2018
Thursday, November 29, 2018
US Troops Killed in Ghazni,Afghanistan Identified - General Miller Visited Province Armed with Long Rifle
Three Special Operations Forces members,including two Green Berets,serving in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel,the US antiterror campaign in Afghanistan,
were killed in Andar,Ghazni Province,Afghanistan on 27 November 2018.They were traveling in a convoy on the way to engage the enemy when an IED struck their vehicle.Three other US troops were wounded,as well as a civilian contractor.They were medevaced out for advanced treatment.The Taliban Islamist extremists claimed responsibility for the blast.
Those killed in action were identified as:
CPT Andrew P. Ross,US Army,29,of Lexington,Virginia;
SFC Eric M. Emond,US Army,39,of Brush Prairie,Washington State;
SSgt Dylan J. Elchin,25,US Air Force,of Hookstown,Pennsylvania.
CPT Ross and SFC Emond were members of 1st Battalion,3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne),out of Fort Bragg,North Carolina.SSgt Elchin was a member of 24th Special Operations Wing,26th Special Tactics Squadron,out of Cannon Air Force Base,New Mexico.*
COL Nathan Prussian,commander,3rd Special Forces Group,noted that:
Andrew and Eric were invaluable members and leaders in 3rd Special Forces Group and the Special Operations community.Our most heartfelt condolences go out to the families of these brave men.*
CPT Ross was on his second deployment.Among his decorations were the Bronze Star Medal (second award),Purple Heart Medal,NATO Medal,and the Combat Action Badge.He is survived by his wife and his parents.
SFC Emond was a veteran of more than 21 years of military service,both in the US Marines and the US Army.He was in his seventh deployment.Highly decorated,some of the awards he had earned were the Bronze Star Medal (third award),the Meritorious Service Medal,the NATO Achievement Medal (second award),the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal,and the Combat Action Badge.He is survived by his wife and three children.
SSgt Elchin was a special tactics combat controller,advising the ground forces commander,directing close air support aircraft,and delivering destructive ordnance on enemy targets in support of offensive combat operations.His decorations included the Bronze Star Medal,Army Commendation Medal with Valor,Air Force Combat Action Medal,and the NATO Medal.
LTC Gregory Walsh,commander of 26th Special Tactics Squadron,said that:
Dylan had an unusual drive to succeed and contribute to the team.He displayed maturity and stoicism beyond his years and was always level-headed,no matter what the situation.*
SSgt Elchin is survived by his fiancée and his parents.*
On 22 November 2018,GEN Austin S. Miller,commander,NATO Resolute Support Mission and US Forces-Afghanistan,visited Ghazni to encourage the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces in their struggle,with US assistance, to secure the unstable province.He was photographed carrying his M4 carbine long rifle,which is quite unusual for a general officer to be seen carrying.Another notable instance of a well-armed general was that of General Matthew Ridgway in the Korean War,wearing grenades on his vest.
His spokesman said GEN Miller just hadn't found anywhere to put it.The general varies his armament according to the circumstances and the location.Sometimes he takes his M4;sometimes he doesn't.*
"They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted.
They fell with their faces to the foe."
-Robert Laurence Binyon,from "For the Fallen"
were killed in Andar,Ghazni Province,Afghanistan on 27 November 2018.They were traveling in a convoy on the way to engage the enemy when an IED struck their vehicle.Three other US troops were wounded,as well as a civilian contractor.They were medevaced out for advanced treatment.The Taliban Islamist extremists claimed responsibility for the blast.
Those killed in action were identified as:
CPT Andrew P. Ross,US Army,29,of Lexington,Virginia;
SFC Eric M. Emond,US Army,39,of Brush Prairie,Washington State;
SSgt Dylan J. Elchin,25,US Air Force,of Hookstown,Pennsylvania.
CPT Ross and SFC Emond were members of 1st Battalion,3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne),out of Fort Bragg,North Carolina.SSgt Elchin was a member of 24th Special Operations Wing,26th Special Tactics Squadron,out of Cannon Air Force Base,New Mexico.*
COL Nathan Prussian,commander,3rd Special Forces Group,noted that:
Andrew and Eric were invaluable members and leaders in 3rd Special Forces Group and the Special Operations community.Our most heartfelt condolences go out to the families of these brave men.*
CPT Ross was on his second deployment.Among his decorations were the Bronze Star Medal (second award),Purple Heart Medal,NATO Medal,and the Combat Action Badge.He is survived by his wife and his parents.
SFC Emond was a veteran of more than 21 years of military service,both in the US Marines and the US Army.He was in his seventh deployment.Highly decorated,some of the awards he had earned were the Bronze Star Medal (third award),the Meritorious Service Medal,the NATO Achievement Medal (second award),the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal,and the Combat Action Badge.He is survived by his wife and three children.
SSgt Elchin was a special tactics combat controller,advising the ground forces commander,directing close air support aircraft,and delivering destructive ordnance on enemy targets in support of offensive combat operations.His decorations included the Bronze Star Medal,Army Commendation Medal with Valor,Air Force Combat Action Medal,and the NATO Medal.
LTC Gregory Walsh,commander of 26th Special Tactics Squadron,said that:
Dylan had an unusual drive to succeed and contribute to the team.He displayed maturity and stoicism beyond his years and was always level-headed,no matter what the situation.*
SSgt Elchin is survived by his fiancée and his parents.*
On 22 November 2018,GEN Austin S. Miller,commander,NATO Resolute Support Mission and US Forces-Afghanistan,visited Ghazni to encourage the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces in their struggle,with US assistance, to secure the unstable province.He was photographed carrying his M4 carbine long rifle,which is quite unusual for a general officer to be seen carrying.Another notable instance of a well-armed general was that of General Matthew Ridgway in the Korean War,wearing grenades on his vest.
His spokesman said GEN Miller just hadn't found anywhere to put it.The general varies his armament according to the circumstances and the location.Sometimes he takes his M4;sometimes he doesn't.*
"They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted.
They fell with their faces to the foe."
-Robert Laurence Binyon,from "For the Fallen"
Mattis: Actions in Ukraine Show Russia’s Word Cannot Be Trusted
Mattis: Actions in Ukraine Show Russia’s Word Cannot Be Trusted: Russia’s seizure of three Ukrainian ships in the Sea of Azov in contradiction to signed treaties and the Law of the Sea show that Russia cannot be counted on to keep its word, Defense Secretary James
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
NATO Bulletin and Update:Three More US Troops Die in Ghazni,Afghanistan Blast;Initial Review of Nimruz Province Incident Indicates Friendly Fire
NATO's Resolute Support Mission has issued two news releases today on US fatalities in the Afghan War,one of them updating yesterday's release on the death of SGT Leandro A.S. Jasso;the other reports a separate,later incident which occurred on 27 November 2018.
The new incident:
Word has been received that three more US service members were killed in action on 27 November 2018,this time near the city of Ghazni,which is south of the Afghan capital,Kabul.They died in an IED explosion that was claimed by the Taliban Islamist extremists.Three more troops were wounded,as was a civilian contractor.The wounded personnel were medevaced out for advanced treatment.Further details are pending family notification.*
The update:
An initial review of the 24 November 2018 incident that took the life of SGT Jasso of Leavenworth,Washington State shows that he likely died of friendly fire,NATO explained.SGT Jasso was accompanying members of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces on an assault of multiple barricaded al-Qaida shooters.In the close quarters combat that ensued,it is believed that an ANDSF member mistakenly shot SGT Jasso.There is no evidence of a green on blue attack (insider attack) in this case.
In the words of Resolute Support and US Forces-Afghanistan commander GEN Austin Scott Miller:
SGT Jasso was killed defending our nation,fighting al-Qaida alongside our Afghan partners.All of us,and throughout our Coalition of 41 nations,recognise the threats posed by groups such as al-Qaida and ISIS and are determined to fight them here.*
The two lethal incidents bring the total US troop losses in the Afghan War this year to 13.
The new incident:
Word has been received that three more US service members were killed in action on 27 November 2018,this time near the city of Ghazni,which is south of the Afghan capital,Kabul.They died in an IED explosion that was claimed by the Taliban Islamist extremists.Three more troops were wounded,as was a civilian contractor.The wounded personnel were medevaced out for advanced treatment.Further details are pending family notification.*
The update:
An initial review of the 24 November 2018 incident that took the life of SGT Jasso of Leavenworth,Washington State shows that he likely died of friendly fire,NATO explained.SGT Jasso was accompanying members of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces on an assault of multiple barricaded al-Qaida shooters.In the close quarters combat that ensued,it is believed that an ANDSF member mistakenly shot SGT Jasso.There is no evidence of a green on blue attack (insider attack) in this case.
In the words of Resolute Support and US Forces-Afghanistan commander GEN Austin Scott Miller:
SGT Jasso was killed defending our nation,fighting al-Qaida alongside our Afghan partners.All of us,and throughout our Coalition of 41 nations,recognise the threats posed by groups such as al-Qaida and ISIS and are determined to fight them here.*
The two lethal incidents bring the total US troop losses in the Afghan War this year to 13.
Monday, November 26, 2018
Afghan War:Army Ranger Killed in Battle with al-Qaida
A US Soldier killed in action over the weekend has been identified.On 24 November 2018,a US Army Ranger,SGT Leandro A.S. Jasso,25,of Leavenworth,Washington State,was killed as a result of a firefight with al-Qaida militants,the Pentagon said.Struck by small arms fire,he was medevaced to the neighbouring Helmand Province for advanced treatment,where he died.The battle occurred in Khash Rod District of Nimruz Province in Southwestern Afghanistan.Nimruz has desert borders with both Pakistan and Iran.The incident is under investigation.*
SGT Jasso was a team leader with Alpha Company,2nd Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington.He was on his third tour in Afghanistan,serving in support of the US counterterror mission there,Operation Freedom's Sentinel.SGT Jasso had earlier received the Combat Infantryman Badge,indicating he was already a combat veteran at the time of Saturday's battle.According to 2nd Battalion commander LTCOL Rob McChrystal:
SGT Jasso was a humble professional who placed the mission first,lived the Ranger Creed and will be deeply missed.*
It was the second American death in the Afghan War this month,and the tenth of 2018.On 7 November,MAJ Brent R. Taylor,Mayor of North Ogden,Utah,was killed in a green on blue attack in the Afghan capital,Kabul,while serving with the Utah Army National Guard.
SGT Jasso was a team leader with Alpha Company,2nd Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Washington.He was on his third tour in Afghanistan,serving in support of the US counterterror mission there,Operation Freedom's Sentinel.SGT Jasso had earlier received the Combat Infantryman Badge,indicating he was already a combat veteran at the time of Saturday's battle.According to 2nd Battalion commander LTCOL Rob McChrystal:
SGT Jasso was a humble professional who placed the mission first,lived the Ranger Creed and will be deeply missed.*
It was the second American death in the Afghan War this month,and the tenth of 2018.On 7 November,MAJ Brent R. Taylor,Mayor of North Ogden,Utah,was killed in a green on blue attack in the Afghan capital,Kabul,while serving with the Utah Army National Guard.
Saturday, November 24, 2018
NATO:US Service Member Killed
NATO'S Resolute Support Mission has announced in a press release that a US service member was killed in Afghanistan today,24 November 2018.
In accordance with Department of Defense policy,the service member's identity is being withheld for 24 hours following notification of family.
It is the tenth US death in the Afghan War this year,according to the Stars and Stripes newspaper.About 2400 Americans have died in the war since it began when President George W. Bush dispatched the CIA and US military to Afghanistan in 2001,in order to respond to al-Qaida's 9-11 attacks on the United States.
In accordance with Department of Defense policy,the service member's identity is being withheld for 24 hours following notification of family.
It is the tenth US death in the Afghan War this year,according to the Stars and Stripes newspaper.About 2400 Americans have died in the war since it began when President George W. Bush dispatched the CIA and US military to Afghanistan in 2001,in order to respond to al-Qaida's 9-11 attacks on the United States.
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Natural Notebook:Female Asiatic Cheetah Killed in Iran,Highlighting the Subspecies' Precarious Position
A critically endangered Asiatic cheetah,also called Iranian cheetah,was killed in a road accident in North Khorasan Province,Iran recently,the Provincial Department of the Environment announced.The loss of a female,one of the approximately 50 Asiatic cheetahs left in the wild-all of them in Iran-was especially hard to bear.She had sustained a severe spinal cord injury and died while being transported to the DOE.Several road signs in the area were apparently unheeded.The wreck caused irreparable harm to Iran's biodiversity and the conservation of a valuable species,the DOE said.*
Between 32,000 and 67,000 years ago,a new subspecies of cheetah branched off from the African cheetah and established itself from the Arabian Peninsula,the Near East and the Caspian Sea region to Pakistan and India.The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubilatus venaticus) has now been extirpated from most of its range,only occurring on the Iranian central plateau, a remote and mountainous desert area which is sparsely populated.
The Asiatic cheetah has been shown to be genetically distinct from the African cheetah by a mitochondrial DNA study.It is morphologically distinguished from its African cousin by a smaller head;shorter legs;a thicker coat in winter,particularly on the ruff and belly,when it encounters snowfall;and a longer,more powerful neck.It preys on smaller mammals such as gazelles and hares.*
Road accidents are a major source of mortality for the Asiatic cheetah and its prey alike,with guard dogs being another significant threat.Habitat has also been fragmented by mining operations and roadbuilding.Fencing along roads is supposed to be done,but has been incompetently handled by the Transport Ministry,environmental officials complain.Cheetahs are wide-ranging,covering up to several thousand square kilometers a year.
The UN supports Iran's cheetah conservation programme,which consists of a network of 92 specially trained park wardens spread over a total of six million hectares of habitat in Central and Northern Iran.*
The Asiatic cheetah is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List,the standard conservation status reference in use among environmental professionals.
Between 32,000 and 67,000 years ago,a new subspecies of cheetah branched off from the African cheetah and established itself from the Arabian Peninsula,the Near East and the Caspian Sea region to Pakistan and India.The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubilatus venaticus) has now been extirpated from most of its range,only occurring on the Iranian central plateau, a remote and mountainous desert area which is sparsely populated.
The Asiatic cheetah has been shown to be genetically distinct from the African cheetah by a mitochondrial DNA study.It is morphologically distinguished from its African cousin by a smaller head;shorter legs;a thicker coat in winter,particularly on the ruff and belly,when it encounters snowfall;and a longer,more powerful neck.It preys on smaller mammals such as gazelles and hares.*
Road accidents are a major source of mortality for the Asiatic cheetah and its prey alike,with guard dogs being another significant threat.Habitat has also been fragmented by mining operations and roadbuilding.Fencing along roads is supposed to be done,but has been incompetently handled by the Transport Ministry,environmental officials complain.Cheetahs are wide-ranging,covering up to several thousand square kilometers a year.
The UN supports Iran's cheetah conservation programme,which consists of a network of 92 specially trained park wardens spread over a total of six million hectares of habitat in Central and Northern Iran.*
The Asiatic cheetah is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List,the standard conservation status reference in use among environmental professionals.
F-16 Getting GPS Anti-Jam from Rockwell Collins - Avionics
F-16 Getting GPS Anti-Jam from Rockwell Collins - Avionics: The U.S. Defense Department has given Rockwell Collins a $30 million contract to upgrade F-16s with the company’s digital GPS anti-jam receiver (DIGAR) for the U.S. Air Force Reserves and National Guard. The F-16 will be the first fighter to receive the latest version of the DIGAR, which provides GPS jamming protection across 16 simultaneous …
Monday, November 19, 2018
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Operation Inherent Resolve:Combat Against Islamic State Continues in Both Syria and Iraq
Many members of the public may believe the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant is over;but that is far from the case,recent press releases from Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve make plain.For example,on 24 October 2018,US Army Soldiers fired an M777 A2 howitzer from Firebase Saham,Iraq.They were acting in support of Operation Roundup,a military offensive to eliminate ISIL from the Middle Euphrates River Valley and the Syria-Iraq border region.
The Soldiers at Firebase Saham are members of Bravo Battery,Field Artillery Squadron,3rd Cavalry Regiment.It is a physically demanding team effort to load and fire the howitzers.Providing indirect fires along with French artillery in Iraq,the US troops are part of the overall Coalition effort against Islamic State,Operation Inherent Resolve,which also includes training missions and air strikes in support of Iraqi Security Forces on the ground in Iraq and Syrian Democratic Forces in neighbouring Syria.*
NATO has begun a training mission in Iraq as well.*
ISIL is reportedly going underground and operating at night,while trying to blend with the civilian population during the day.The Islamist extremist militants have a remarkable ability to transform and regenerate themselves.*
More recently,on 30 October,ISF and Iraqi Counter Terrorism Services,with Coalition support,conducted multiple strikes against Daesh (an Arab word for ISIL) on Khanukah Mountain in Salah ad Din Province,Iraq.Killed in the raids were five senior Daesh leaders and over 30 other Daesh militants.The leaders had oversight responsibility for Daesh operations in Salah ad Din,Kirkuk,Nineveh and Northern Anbar Provinces.The other militants helped coordinate VBIED attacks in Sharqat and Qayarrah that injured civilians;as well as several attacks against ISF,Iraqi civilians and infrastructure in Salah ad Din and Kirkuk Provinces.
The Soldiers at Firebase Saham are members of Bravo Battery,Field Artillery Squadron,3rd Cavalry Regiment.It is a physically demanding team effort to load and fire the howitzers.Providing indirect fires along with French artillery in Iraq,the US troops are part of the overall Coalition effort against Islamic State,Operation Inherent Resolve,which also includes training missions and air strikes in support of Iraqi Security Forces on the ground in Iraq and Syrian Democratic Forces in neighbouring Syria.*
NATO has begun a training mission in Iraq as well.*
ISIL is reportedly going underground and operating at night,while trying to blend with the civilian population during the day.The Islamist extremist militants have a remarkable ability to transform and regenerate themselves.*
More recently,on 30 October,ISF and Iraqi Counter Terrorism Services,with Coalition support,conducted multiple strikes against Daesh (an Arab word for ISIL) on Khanukah Mountain in Salah ad Din Province,Iraq.Killed in the raids were five senior Daesh leaders and over 30 other Daesh militants.The leaders had oversight responsibility for Daesh operations in Salah ad Din,Kirkuk,Nineveh and Northern Anbar Provinces.The other militants helped coordinate VBIED attacks in Sharqat and Qayarrah that injured civilians;as well as several attacks against ISF,Iraqi civilians and infrastructure in Salah ad Din and Kirkuk Provinces.
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Unsafe Interaction:US Navy Criticises Russian Intercept
On 5 November 2018,a Russian fighter jet conducted an intercept of a US Navy SIGINT plane,drawing a critical response from the Navy.According to a news release from US Naval Forces Europe and Africa/US 6th Fleet,a Russian Su-27,NATO code name "Flanker,"intercepted a US Navy EP-3 Aries over international waters of the Black Sea:
The interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the Su-27 conducting a high speed pass directly in front of the mission aircraft,which put our pilots and crew at risk.The intercepting Su-27 made another pass,closing with the EP-3 and applying its afterburner while conducting a banking turn away.The crew of the EP-3 reported turbulence during the first interaction,and vibrations from the second.The duration of the intercepts was approximately 25 minutes.*
In conclusion,the Navy stated:
Unsafe actions increase the risk of miscalculation and potential for midair collisions.
The US aircraft was operating in accordance with international law and did not provoke this Russian activity.*
The EP-3 Aries is a Lockheed Martin turboprop aircraft based on the EP-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft.It was perhaps collecting SIGINT from Russian military activity in or near Crimea,Ukraine,which has been intensifying for the past five years.The classified missions of the EP-3 Aries are mainly conducted in high threat environments where long-range standoff capability is desirable.
The EP-3 Aries is the Navy's only land-based SIGINT platform.*
Lockheed Martin (LMT)
The interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the Su-27 conducting a high speed pass directly in front of the mission aircraft,which put our pilots and crew at risk.The intercepting Su-27 made another pass,closing with the EP-3 and applying its afterburner while conducting a banking turn away.The crew of the EP-3 reported turbulence during the first interaction,and vibrations from the second.The duration of the intercepts was approximately 25 minutes.*
In conclusion,the Navy stated:
Unsafe actions increase the risk of miscalculation and potential for midair collisions.
The US aircraft was operating in accordance with international law and did not provoke this Russian activity.*
The EP-3 Aries is a Lockheed Martin turboprop aircraft based on the EP-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft.It was perhaps collecting SIGINT from Russian military activity in or near Crimea,Ukraine,which has been intensifying for the past five years.The classified missions of the EP-3 Aries are mainly conducted in high threat environments where long-range standoff capability is desirable.
The EP-3 Aries is the Navy's only land-based SIGINT platform.*
Lockheed Martin (LMT)
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