Afghanistan

“The Taliban have nowhere to hide,” the commander of American troops in Afghanistan, U.S. Army Gen. John Nicholson, said this week. “There will be no safe haven for any terrorist group bent on bringing harm and destruction to this country.”

Indeed, as this Sky News article underscores, the Taliban, ISIS, al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations in Afghanistan should be afraid. Very afraid.

Over a four-day period, a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress – much like the one shown in this recent Military Photo of the Day – dropped a record 24 “smart bombs” on enemy encampments in northern Afghanistan. According to the article, expert American pilots are also putting pressure on terrorists in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, where so many U.S. troops have served and sacrificed over the past 16 years.

With an estimated 14,000 Americans still serving in Afghanistan, it is crucial that we as a nation resolve to keep supporting them. That doesn’t just mean keeping “Support Our Troops” magnets on our cars. It means paying daily attention to the sacrifices of our nation’s heroes. Most importantly, we need to keep praying for their swift and safe return, while asking God to comfort their worried families here at home.

Iraq

Last month, we mentioned an upcoming deployment for more than 500 brave soldiers stationed at Fort Drum in New York. That includes the 925th Contracting Battalion. As a new article by Michael Strasser explains, the unit is heading to Iraq and Kuwait after most recently deploying to Afghanistan in 2015.

One of those soldiers is U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Welch, who is leaving home to support the fight against ISIS.

“I’m just ready to go,” Welch said at a farewell ceremony. “We’ve spent some time preparing for this, reaching out to the unit we’re going to replace and coordinating with them. We take their lessons learned so when we get there, we are ahead of the game.”

Please keep Sgt. 1st Class Welch, his family and the soldier’s entire unit in your thoughts and prayers.

Syria

I was amazed to read the first paragraph of this February 7 New York Times article. It highlights two top U.S. military generals who recently rode around one of the most dangerous places in Syria with huge American flags flying from their vehicles.

“We’re very proud of our positions here, and we want to make sure everybody knows it,” Maj. Gen. Jamie Jarrard told The New York Times.

As Rod Nordland’s piece explains, Manbij, Syria, is at the center of newfound tensions between the U.S. and Turkey, which recently threatened to attack the war-torn city. Turkey’s president also told American troops to leave.

While I will leave it to the experts to analyze policy ramifications, Maj. Gen. Jarrard and Lt. Gen. Paul Funk’s willingness to risk their lives to fly the American flag is a bold symbol of our entire military’s courage. We pray that U.S. and Turkish leaders are able to resolve this troubling dispute without any shots fired.

Asia

Vice President Mike Pence stopped at Yokota Air Base in Japan this week to visit with U.S. troops before heading to South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Thousands of American troops and military families are also stationed on the Korean Peninsula, where tensions have been high. God willing, the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang will be peaceful.

Coming Home

Is there anything more heartwarming than a military homecoming photo?

The commander of U.S. Navy Amphibious Squadron 3 greets his family during the Feb. 2, 2018, homecoming of USS America in San Diego, California.

The above image shows the command and crew of USS America, an amphibious assault ship, returning to San Diego. The ecstatic U.S. Navy sailors were finally able to embrace their loved ones after finishing a deployment to the Middle East and Western Pacific earlier this week. Welcome home, heroes!

Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is co-author of three books about U.S. military heroes: 8 Seconds of Courage, Brothers Forever and Fire in My Eyes. Follow Tom on Twitter @TSileo.