US Marines Killed in Taliban Attack Indentified

The US Marines killed in action on 8 April 2019 near Bagram Air Base,Northern Parwan Province,Afghanistan have been identified by the Pentagon.All of them were serving in the 25th Marine Regiment,4th Marine Division,US Marine Forces Reserve.They were:
CPL Robert Hendriks,25,of Locust Valley,New York;SGT Benjamin Hines,31,of York,Pennsylvania;and SSGT Christopher Slutman,43,of Newark,Delaware.All the Marines were deployed through the Georgia Deployment Program-Resolute Support Mission,which is an ongoing six-month rotation in partnership with the Georgian Armed Forces in support of the NATO Resolute Support Mission.The Marines first deployed to the Republic of Georgia in Eastern Europe,where they trained and assisted the Georgian infantry in preparation for executing the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.*
SGT Hines and SSGT Slutman were previously acquainted,both having pulled tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008.SSGT Slutman was fondly called "the old man" in light of his age and depth of experience both within and outside of the Marine Corps.He had been a New York City Fire Department firefighter for 15 years in the Bronx,as well as a volunteer firefighter with the Kentlands Volunteer Fire Department in Prince Georges County,Maryland for 19 years.In New York,he was decorated with the Fire Chiefs Association Memorial Medal for rescuing an unconscious woman from a high rise apartment building fire.SSGT Slutman was married and the father of three daughters.*
"Be strong and of a good courage,fear not,nor be afraid of them:for the Lord thy God,he it is that doth go with thee;he will not fail thee,nor forsake thee."
-Deuteronomy 31:6

Afghan War (Revised and Updated):NATO Special Forces Sent In as Taliban Launch Fierce Attacks - US Airmen killed and wounded

A motorcycle packed with explosives sped up to a joint US-Afghan patrol moving through a village near Bagram Air Base in Parwan Province,Afghanistan and was detonated,killing six US Airmen and wounding two others,as well as a contractor.The Airmen were serving in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel,protecting the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing at Bagram.Among the service members killed was Air National Guard Technical Sergeant Joesph Lemm,45,a 15-year veteran of the New York City Police Department who was recently promoted to Detective on the Bronx Warrants Squad and was on his third combat tour.TSGT Lemm and one of the other Airmen,Staff Sergeant Louis M. Bonacasa,31,were with the 105th Security Forces Squadron,Stewart Air National Guard Base,New York.The other four Airmen were with various units of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.Their bodies were received in a dignified manner at Dover Air Force Base,Delaware on Wednesday by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the vehicle-borne IED attack in an email to the Associated Press.It brings to ten the number of US troops killed in action in Afghanistan this year.Ten others died in non-hostile incidents.*
At the same time as their VBIED attack in the north,the Taliban militants were on the rampage in Helmand Province,thier traditional stronghold in the south of the country,capturing most of the strategic Sangin district.The Taliban have captured or are contesting 12 of Helmand's 14 districts.This fighting season has seen them spreading their offensives over a broad geographic area.They have not paused for a winter break as of yet,and the Pentagon reports that the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces are mounting an uneven response.A resilient Taliban insurgency remains an enduring threat to US,coalition and Afghan forces,as well as the Afghan people,the Pentagon said.
About 100-200 ANDSF were reportedly surrounded in Sangin and taking RPG fire as they ran out of ammunition and supplies.In response to this imminent collapse of Sangin and indeed Helmand itself,a small number of NATO Special Operations Forces have been sent in to advise and assist the ANDSF on the ground.Based at Camp Shorabak about 80 km from Sangin,British and US SOFs are reportedly participating in the operation,and British Apache helicopters have been seen in the air.About 65% of Helmand is currently under Taliban control,said Helmand Provincial Council chief Mohammed Kareen Atal.More than 2,000 ANDSF have been killed in Helmand this year,he added.*
The US Army's been around for 240 years,pointed out General John Campbell,commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan;the Afghan Army's been around for seven years.We're trying to build an airplane in flight.*
It's a tough fight,agreed US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter,who was on a visit to Afghanistan last week,and it's far from over.
Update:ANDSF claim they have liberated their surrounded colleagues with reinforcements and recaptured the government buildings in Sangin district centre.Fighting continued in other areas of Helmand,however.
Update 2:Heavy fighting in the Sangin area flared up again and raged into Saturday,claiming the lives of 21 ANDSF troops despite two US air strikes having been called in.It wasn't enough,ANDSF members complained.As well,they were critical of their leadership.
For his part,Afghan Defence Minister Mahmood Stanekzai criticised NATO for leaving too soon when it ended its combat operations and transitioned to the Resolute Support Mission in 2014.We were overstretched,he said,but I think we will overcome.The root of the problem is,we need more enablers,training and equipment.The right kind of support will enable us to do the job.

Afghan War:Ongoing Need For Counter-Terrorism Requires Indefinite US,NATO Involvement

I will not allow Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven to attack Americans,said President Barack Obama,his closely cropped hair looking grayer than ever,at a White House briefing announcing that US troops-and very likely NATO forces-will remain in that nation at least into 2017 and the next presidency.For Mr.Obama,the altered course was nothing less than letting go of his cherished and long-stated goal of bringing all but 1,000 US troops home from the 14-year-long conflict by the end of 2016.Now,the current number of 9800 must stay on for most of next year,and 5500 on into 2017,so long as conditions on the ground permit the drawdown to continue.These troops will be posted to three bases:Bagram Air Base in Kabul;Jalalabad in the East (which ISIL desires to make its capital);and Kandahar.These bases will give us presence and reach,and are a key piece of the counter-terrorist strategy.The troops will have the same twofold mission:training and assisting Afghan forces;and supporting the counter-terrorist mission against al-Qaida remnants.*
Note:it's being reported that special forces have just carried out a big raid on an al-Qaida training camp inside Afghanistan.*
Afghan forces have continued to step up.They are fighting bravely and tenaciously.They continue to hold most urban areas;at the same time,they are still not as strong as they need to be in such areas as intelligence,logistics,aviation and command and control.*
This year,25 Americans,both military and civilian,have been killed in the war,the President noted.We understood the Taliban would try to exploit our withdrawal.More al-Qaida have come in,and we're beginning to see ISIL.As your Commander-in-Chief,I believe this mission is vital to our national security interests in preventing terrorist attacks against the US and our people.Given what's at stake,I am firmly convinced we should make this extra effort.After so many years of war,Afghnistan will not be a perfect place.There will continue to be contested areas.If we were to fail,it would endanger the security of us all.This modest but meaningful extension of our presence can make a difference.This is not the first time those adjustments have been made;it probably won't be the last,the President admitted.*
Al-Qaida networks or other networks that might harm us;force protection;the ability of our embassy to operate effectively:those things all factor into this decision.We're going to continue to make adjustments;and we will continue to evaluate this-and so will the next president.We're going to be a steady partner for them,President Barack Obama promised.*
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said he has already started contacting US allies to encourage their participation in the new plan.For his part,NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised President Obama for deciding to extend a substantial US military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2016.
Update:German Chancellor Angela Merkel has strongly welcomed President Barack Obama's decision to keep a significant number of US troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016,hailing it as a strong signal by the United States.The German Defence Ministry in turn announced that Germany would also keep the same number of troops in Afghanistan for the time being,saying the understanding always was that the Allies would leave Afghanistan together.

Militant Attack Damages General Dempsey's Plane-the full story,plus the Blackhawk crash

Afghan militants fired rockets at Bagram air base,damaging the plane of Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin E. Dempsey,US Army,and wounding two US Air Force maintenance technicians.The general was not in the area at the time.
The attack took place at 2am Monday.Two rockets landed on the air base's flight line,damaging the front and one engine of the C-17 transport aircraft.The two airmen suffered cuts and bruises from shrapnel.A NATO helicopter was also damaged in the assault.
The attack was similar to others launched by Taliban militants against Bagram on a regular basis,coalition spokesman Jamie Graybeal noted.He was sceptical of militant claims that they specifically targeted the general's plane,having exact information as to its location.Bagram is the main coalition air base in Eastern Afghanistan.
General Dempsey was in the country with General James R. Mattis,US Marine Corps,Commander US Central Command.They had met with coalition commander General John R. Allen,US Army and Afghan officials on the status of the war,the longest in US history.
Last Thursday,militants claimed they had shot down a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter that crashed in a firefight northeast of Kandahar,Afghanistan,killing seven US service members and four Afghans.Two US Navy SEALs were among the dead,along with a Navy explosives specialist and four US Army soldiers.
Blackhawks are a workhorse helicopter in Afghanistan,transporting troops,supplies and dignitaries over the mountainous and explosives-laden terrain.
The crash is under investigation.