On 8 March 2020,two US Marines died in combat against Islamic State forces in the mountains of Northcentral Iraq.They were accompanying and assisting Iraqi Security Forces on an air assault mission in the Southern Makhmur Mountains to evict the IS militants from a well-fortified cave complex.
In the course of the raid,a fierce firefight ensued at close range.Killed in the battle were CAPT Moises A. Navas,34,of Germantown, Maryland and GYSGT Diego D. Pongo,34,of Simi Valley, California.They were members of 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, Marine Corps Special Operations Command, out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
About 12 US Marines accompanied several dozen Iraqi counterterrorism troops in the attempt to evict IS from the caves.Besides the USMC deaths, three other Marines were wounded along with another Coalition member, while 17-19 IS militants were killed.*
Gunney Pongo had served heroically in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2013, receiving a Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device.He is survived by his daughter and mother.CAPT Navas,a native of Panama,had served in Japan and was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal and National Defense Service Medal.He leaves behind his wife and three daughters.*
They are the first American troops killed in action in Iraq this year.*
Thou shalt seek them,and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war with thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
- Isaiah 41:12
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