This Week at War: Tensions Rise
The Stream's weekly look at the ongoing sacrifices of U.S. troops and military families around the world.
Middle East
The USS Abraham Lincoln passed through the Suez Canal on Thursday. The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier and other American warships are on their way to the Middle East in response to intelligence reportedly indicating plans by Iran to attack U.S. forces already at war with Islamic terrorists in neighboring Iraq.
As tensions rise with Iran, brave American troops and their families are shouldering the biggest burdens. This excellent USA Today feature shows what it’s like for service members aboard the Lincoln as it heads to one of the world’s most tense regions. Please take a few minutes to look at this powerful collection of photos taken aboard the aircraft carrier.
In Iraq, where U.S. troops are facing even more danger than they were already dealing with on a daily basis, strikes continue against the remnants of ISIS.
According to new strike data from U.S. Central Command, coalition forces launched ten strikes against the terrorist group between April 21 and May 4. “Three tunnels, two buildings, two weapons caches, two supply routes, and one cargo container” were destroyed, according to Centcom.
There were no reported strikes during the same time frame in Syria, where the Pentagon says “42,471 square miles” have been taken back from ISIS by coalition troops. American forces are still risking their lives in Syria, which remains in engulfed in a complex, extremely volatile civil war.
Afghanistan
A ninth American service member has lost his life this year while serving our country in Afghanistan.
According to the Department of Defense, 22-year-old U.S. Army Spc. Miguel L. Holmes, from Hinesville, Georgia, died Monday in an incident that is currently under investigation. It is being classified as unrelated to combat.
Please pray for the family, friends and fellow soldiers of Spc. Miguel Holmes during this unimaginably difficult time.
Coming Home
A group of U.S. Marines recently returned home after serving nine months in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province.
A U.S. Marine assigned is surprised by loved ones during a homecoming from Afghanistan at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina on April 25, 2019.
Welcome home, heroes!
Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is co-author of three books about military heroes: 8 Seconds of Courage, Brothers Forever and Fire in My Eyes. Follow Tom on Twitter @TSileo.
