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Three U.S. Service Members, One Contractor Killed in Afghanistan

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By Townhall. Resolute Support, the NATO mission to train, advise and assist Afghan security forces, announced on Monday three U.S. service members and one contractor were killed by an improvised explosive device.

Three U.S. service members were also wounded by in IED attack that took place near Bagram Air Base. The wounded were evacuated and are receiving medical treatment.

The identities of those that were killed are being withheld for 24 hours to ensure next of kin has been notified. (Read more from “Three U.S. Service Members, One Contractor Killed in Afghanistan” HERE)

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Car Bomb Kills 3 U.S. Troops and a Contractor in Afghanistan

By Military Times. Three U.S. service members and one contractor were killed by an improvised explosive device Monday near Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

Three other U.S. service members were wounded in the blast, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan said in a press release Monday afternoon.

The wounded troops were evacuated and are receiving medical care, U.S. officials said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack through the group’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid. The insurgent group claimed the attack was conducted by a suicide vehicle-borne IED. . .

There have been four other U.S. troop deaths in Afghanistan so far this year. Those deaths occurred during combat operations in more remote Afghan provinces. (Read more from “Car Bomb Kills 3 U.S. Troops and a Contractor in Afghanistan” HERE)

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Hotel Fires Employees Who Posted Sign Refusing Military Members

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A DoubleTree hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado, fired multiple employees and issued an apology after the hotel displayed a sign refusing service to members of the military and their guests who had been attending a post-deployment celebration held at the hotel.

“Two Supervisor-level employees, who have since been terminated, made poor decisions including displaying a sign that they created, which we find very offensive,” Daniel Kammerer, the hotel branch’s general manager, said in a statement posted to the hotel’s Facebook page. “Their actions were in no way associated with the values of the hotel management.”

“We deeply regret any offense to the service members and their guests, and have implemented a retraining of our employees to ensure this does not happen again,” he added. . .

One Facebook user, Justin Vames, said in his post that 600 people attended the post-deployment ceremony at the Colorado hotel, adding that hotel employees would not leave food out for guests and treated them “like crap.”

Vames’ Facebook post about the incident went viral, being shared more than 28,000 times as of Sunday afternoon. (Read more from “Hotel Fires Employees Who Posted Sign Refusing Military Members” HERE)

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Afghan Who Saved U.S. Soldiers Becomes Citizen

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By USA Today. Nabi Mohammadi, who spent years risking his life for Americans, became an American last week.

The soft-spoken native of Afghanistan, who helped Iowa National Guard troops patrol a violent region of his homeland, took the U.S. citizenship oath at the federal courthouse in Des Moines.

“This is something I hadn’t even dreamed about. This is unbelievable,” he said before the ceremony. “I’m so happy to live in a place with peace and freedom for my family. It’s what everybody wants.” . . .

The joyful courtroom audience included several of Mohammadi’s friends from the Iowa National Guard, who’d seen him support and defend America plenty of times. He served as their interpreter in 2010 and 2011, accompanying them on scores of patrols through a mountainous area of Afghanistan near the Pakistan border.

Taliban bombs were common, and friends were hard to identify. The Iowa soldiers said Mohammadi volunteered to go on extra patrols, up to three a day. Each time he went out, he put himself and his family at risk of being killed for helping the Americans. (Read more from “Afghan Who Saved U.S. Soldiers Becomes Citizen” HERE)

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As Grateful Iowa Soldiers Watch, Afghan Man Who Risked His Life for Them Becomes an American

By Des Moines Register. Mohammadi, 28, grew up in northern Afghanistan. The dominant language there is Dari, a dialect of what people in Iran speak. He decided as a teenager to become an interpreter for the U.S. troops. That meant he had to learn two foreign languages — English and Pashto, which is the dominant tongue in eastern Afghanistan.

His accomplishment was akin to an English-speaking American teen learning to interpret between people speaking Polish and Chinese.

His Iowa Guard comrades included Sgt. Dalton Jacobus, who helped Mohammadi fill out his visa application while they were stationed together at Combat Outpost Herrera.

Mohammadi met all the requirements for a special visa program designated for Iraqis and Afghans who worked with U.S. troops. He gained a prominent sponsor in Jacobus’ father, retired National Guard Col. Todd Jacobus. But his application was repeatedly snagged in a bureaucratic snarl, and the Iowa National Guard troops came home in the summer of 2011 without Mohammadi.

A couple weeks after the Iowans left, the interpreter was riding with Oklahoma National Guard troops when an insurgent’s bomb exploded under their armored truck. Mohammadi was slammed into the roof, injuring his neck, back and legs. A doctor told him he was lucky not to be paralyzed. (Read more from “As Grateful Iowa Soldiers Watch, Afghan Man Who Risked His Life for Them Becomes an American” HERE)

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Judge Gives Ruling on Male-Only Military Draft

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A federal court judge in Texas has struck a blow for “feminism,” ruling Friday that a men-only draft is unconstitutional and represents an instance of “gender-based discrimination” under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the judge “sided with a San Diego men’s advocacy group that challenged the government’s practice of having only men sign up for the draft,” though the judge “stopped short of ordering the Selective Service System to register women for military service.”

Two men in Texas, who were then of age to register for the Selective Service System, filed suit against the government over the draft back in 2013, claiming that it was unfair to discriminate against women in the draft, particularly given that women now serve in front-line combat roles in the military and are competing with men for some of the military’s most difficult roles. . .

According to the Supreme Court in the Obergfell case legalizing gay marriage across the country, the judge noted, the government has an obligation to make decisions on issues of gender equality quickly, and must determine immediately whether such discrimination serves “an important governmental interest today.”

The judge believes the time has come to rectify the problem, justifying his decision to upend 1980s guarantees exempting women from the Selective Service with a 2015 Defense Department order lifting all gender-based restrictions on military service and combat roles, noting that the DOJ’s intent with the order was clearly to eliminate all gender-based restrictions in the military across the board, USA Today reports. (Read more from “Judge Gives Ruling on Male-Only Military Draft” HERE)

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Police: Two Soldiers Plotted Murder of Another Soldier on Snapchat

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Police in Michigan say that two Georgia-based soldiers spent months planning the murder of the husband of one of the soldiers and specifically used Snapchat as a way of attempting to keep the plot secret.

In a story highlighted by Military Times, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports that while both Spc. Kemia Hassel, 22, and her co-defendant, Spc. Jeremey Cuellar, 24, have pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, police say that Hassel admitted to them that she planned the New Year’s Eve murder of her husband, U.S. Army Sgt. Tyrone Hassel III, 23 — and says she and Cuellar used Snapchat in an attempt to conceal their plot.

“The wife of an Army sergeant killed in December admitted that she planned his killing together with another man, communicating on Snapchat in an attempt to hide their communications, according to statements she made to police,” the Gazette reports.

Snapchat’s key distinguishing feature is that it deletes video and image messages sent between users as a way of keeping interaction flow more “natural” and to avoid the “permanent” and public nature of other social media platforms.

St. Joseph Township Police Officer Mike Lanier told the court Wednesday during a preliminary examination that Hassel had plotted with Cueller for months about killing her husband so they could be together and she could collect his life insurance money. (Read more from “Police: Two Soldiers Plotted Murder of Another Soldier on Snapchat” HERE)

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Here’s How Many More Active-Duty Troops Are Being Sent to the US-Mexico Border

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In a statement released Sunday, the Pentagon revealed the number of active-duty service members that will be deploying to the U.S.-Mexico border in response to more migrant caravans making their way north.

“The Department of Defense will deploy approximately 3,750 additional U.S. forces to provide the additional support to CBP at the southwest border that Acting Secretary of Defense Shanahan approved Jan. 11,” the statement reads. “That support includes a mobile surveillance capability through the end of September 2019, as well as the emplacement of approximately 150 miles of concertina wire between ports of entry.”

The surge in troops will bring the total amount of active-duty members to around 4,350. (Read more from “Here’s How Many More Active-Duty Troops Are Being Sent to the US-Mexico Border” HERE)

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Revealed: Nathan Phillips’ Discharge Papers Released… And He Was AWOL a LOT

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Lauretta already wrote about how Nathan Phillips wasn’t a Vietnam War veteran, despite original reports. He was in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1972-1976 and never left stateside. Phillips is at the center of a media controversy that has gotten out of control. During the March for Life, a group of students from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky gathered by the Lincoln Memorial during the March for Life. They were being accosted verbally by a group of Black Hebrew Israelites, an alleged black supremacist and racist group that hurled obscenities at the teenagers. They, in turn, did sports chants to drown out the nonsense, which prompted Phillips, who was part of an Indigenous Peoples March, to approach the group, hoping to intervene and stop things from escalating. There was no controversy, but the kids were wearing Make America Great Again hats. So, of course, the knee-jerk liberal media reaction is that these kids hounded Phillips and chanted, “Build the wall.” All of this is fake news. It never happened.

This story has become a fiasco. Nick Sandmann, the student captured in the video footage of Phillips beating his drum by the students, issued a statement clarifying what happened. Phillips felt like his narrative was stolen, whatever that means. Brick after brick of the original reporting from the anti-Trump opposition press has been refuted. Now, after the Vietnam veteran angle was blown up, we know a little more about his military service. Over at RedState, Jennifer Van Laar wrote about his DD-214 form that further refutes what he did while in the service. For starters, he was AWOL a lot working as a refrigerator repairman:

He enlisted under Nathaniel Richard Stanard, an “adopted” name, according to the DD-214, but his birth name was Nathaniel Phillips. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves, serving from 1972 to 1976. He never left the United States during his service in Lincoln, NE, and El Toro, CA, and was discharged as a private.

Now, I’m not the military expert that Streiff is, but during my years living near Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune I came in contact with quite a few soldiers and Marines. My understanding is that it takes a special talent – of the “I don’t really want to do any work” type – to not promote beyond private in four years. (I’m sure I will be corrected in the comments if my take is incorrect.)

Also, his duty status lists “discharged,” not “honorably discharged.” That could have to do with his multiple stints in confinement after being AWOL.

(Read more from “Revealed: Nathan Phillips’ Discharge Papers Released… And He Was AWOL a LOT” HERE)

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Trump Personally Intervened to Pay Coast Guard in Shutdown

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Concerned about U.S. Coast Guard forces losing a paycheck in the partial government shutdown, President Trump personally urged his team to find a solution that would allow the administration to make this week’s $75 million payroll, according to officials.

Trump stepped in on Wednesday, calling on top lawyers and staffers to determine if the Coast Guard could make payroll despite being included in the shutdown that has impacted about 25 percent of the government, including the Department of Homeland Security, which houses the Coast Guard.

Military personnel under the Department of Defense are not included in the shutdown, because their appropriations were approved earlier in Congress. . .

At his urging, the Office of Management and Budget, DHS and the Coast Guard determined that the rules governing pay to Coast Guard forces requires it be made through the end of the year. To make it, the lawyers said that unused funding could be tapped for pay. The service had a bit more than the needed $75 million left over from its past continuing resolution appropriation, enough to make this month’s last payroll check. . .

The administration also sped up check writing in other cases and was able to deliver this week a payroll check to furloughed federal employees for time worked up to the shutdown, which began Dec. 22. (Read more from “Trump Personally Intervened to Pay Coast Guard in Shutdown” HERE)

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Sarah Sanders Reveals Touching Moment With U.S. Soldier — His Reason for Joining Army Will Give You Chills

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By The Daily Caller. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders shared details of a “powerful” moment between President Donald Trump and a U.S. soldier in Iraq on Wednesday. . .

According to Sanders, the young Army member rejoined the military because of President Donald Trump’s election.

Trump allegedly replied, “And I am here because of you.” (Read more from “Sarah Sanders Reveals Touching Moment With U.S. Soldier — His Reason for Joining Army Will Give You Chills” HERE)
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Powerful: U.S. Soldier Tells Trump He Returned to Serve in the Military Because of Him

By Washington Examiner. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders on Wednesday shared behind-the-scenes images of President Trump’s first visit to a war zone as commander in chief, including one memorable exchange with a soldier.

“Powerful moment – Member of United States Army told the President he came back into the military because of him. And President Trump responded, ‘And I am here because of you,'” Sanders tweeted of Trump’s trip to Iraq. “I met him after and he gave me the patch from his arm. Incredible.” . . .

Trump’s Middle East travels comes after he had been widely criticized for being the first president since 2002 not to spend time with military personnel during the holiday season. It also followed his announcement last week that he intended to withdraw troops from neighboring Syria and nearby Afghanistan. (Read more from “Powerful: U.S. Soldier Tells Trump He Returned to Serve in the Military Because of Him” HERE)

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Trump Visits U.S. Troops in Iraq for First Trip to a Conflict Zone

By The Washington Post. President Trump greeted U.S. troops on an unannounced trip Wednesday to Iraq, where he defended his decision to withdraw forces from neighboring Syria and declared that the Islamic State is “very nearly defeated” while making his first visit to a conflict zone as commander in chief. . .

After months of public pressure for him to spend time with troops deployed to conflicts in the Middle East and Central Asia, Trump touched down at the joint U.S.-Iraqi base west of Baghdad after a secret flight from Washington.

Accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, the president sounded a triumphant note as he addressed U.S. service members on the day after Christmas. “We’re no longer the suckers, folks,” he said. And he warned that he was committed to withdrawing troops from foreign wars even when his administration’s experts object. (Read more from “Trump Visits U.S. Troops in Iraq for First Trip to a Conflict Zone” HERE)

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Surprise and Merry Christmas! The 5 Best Videos of Soldiers Coming Home

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This Christmas season, the best gifts by far are families reuniting with loved ones who serve in the armed forces. Here are a few of the best videos of soldiers surprising their families for Christmas this year.

1.“Daddy, Daddy!”

Coming home from a six-month deployment in Nepal, Army Captain Eric Morski surprised his 10-year-old daughter at his family’s home in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

2. “The only Christmas gift he asked for.”

This little boy got the one thing he wanted for Christmas: His dad to come home.

3. “Best Christmas, ever!”

Two Minnesota sisters got their Christmas wish when their dad, Capt. Steve Guptill of the Army National Guard, came home from Kuwait.

4. “I don’t think anything will ever top this.”

A local Ohio school teamed up with U.S. Army Private Zackery Douglas on a secret mission to surprise his two favorite cousins.

5. This one will make you cry

A girl in central Indiana was reunited with her soldier mom at a school Christmas concert after a whole year apart. If you’re not crying by now, this one will do it.

(For more from the author of “Surprise and Merry Christmas! The 5 Best Videos of Soldiers Coming Home” please click HERE)

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