Two years ago, Staff Sgt. Ryan Frye of 1st BCT, 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He was crossing a 50-meter field with two of his colleagues when they were the targets of enemy fire.
One of Frye's fellow soldiers, Staff Sgt. Jason Hamane, was able to find cover and return fire to the opposing forces. His other teammate, Spc. Antonio Burnside, was fatally wounded by the enemy, leaving Frye as the primary target for the opponents, reported Military Times.
Eventually, Frye was struck with a round of enemy ammunition from their AK-47s. He experienced an intense ringing in his ears and a rush of pain to his head. Military Times reported that it was only when he reached up to touch his helmet that Frye realized he had been shot.
After spending only 10 days in a medical facility, Frye returned to combat. He gives credit to both his helmet and Hamane's firing at the enemy for saving his life.
In a ceremony on Oct. 30, organized by Program Executive Office Soldier, an organization that works with military uniforms and gear, Frye was recognized for his bravery and received an award featuring the life-saving helmet. He was eager to be reunited with the piece of equipment not only because of its role in saving his life, but also because it reminds him of his last moments with Burnside, his colleague killed during the ambush, noted Military Times.
Prompted by threats from the jihadist terrorist group known as the Islamic State, the U.S. Department of Defense has issued an increased security warning for servicemembers and their families.
According to USA Today, the most official warning issued to date came from the Pentagon, where leaders released an internal memo urging workers to remain vigilant. The memo declared that the government institution could be a potential target for attacks involving guns, bombs or knives, though no specific threat has been made targeting the building.
Because of the militant terrorist group's use of social media, the Marine Corps warned its members to be careful about what images and information they post online. Officials at MacDill Airforce Base in Tampa, Florida, recommended servicemembers not display their military affiliations in public, as this could make them a target for "lone wolf" attacks. Similar warnings were issued by leaders at U.S. armed service bases in Europe, reported Military Times.
This increase in caution comes after the murder of two Canadian soldiers by speculated terrorist sympathizers. Government officials believe these small-scale, military personnel-targeted attacks will be one of the main tactics used by the terrorist organization in an attempt to scare and harm Western nations, noted Military Times.
Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Roberts is a food service sergeant with 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group. His passion for serving his country does not stop when he is off duty, however. According to a Department of Defense press release, Roberts has put his skills to work at the Boys and Girls Club of Hopkinsville and Christian County, Kentucky.
Roberts first got involved with the organization through his church, which has a connection to the local youth facility. Community leaders knew that Roberts loved food and thought he might be interested in taking on some volunteer work. The minute he started helping out, he knew it was a perfect fit.
According to the release, Roberts' experience cooking for over 100 hungry soldiers came in handy when he started preparing food for the children in the program. That – in addition to making meals for his own children – made him feel right at home as he served up hot food to the kids, many of whom are extremely low income and rely on the institution for their dinner every night.
Roberts spends much of his own money purchasing food and kitchen supplies for the Boys and Girls Club, where he has become a welcomed fixture in the past year.
"He is a positive role model for the young men who come here; they look up to him," Mary Curlin, ministry coordinator for All Nations House of Prayer and a volunteer at the club, told the Department of Defense.
According to Clarksville Online, Roberts has also started coaching the club's football program. He enlisted some of his servicemember colleagues to assist with the team as well, knowing their expertise could lead the youth program to some wins.
The soldier's outstanding community contributions will be recognized at Austin State University's Military Appreciation game, were he will receive his battalion's jersey, noted the source. He attributes receiving the honor to the motto by which he lives his life.
"In all you do take pride in it, always strive for excellence, and when you're passionate about something follow that passion; stay true, stay humble," he told Clarksville Online.
While serving in Iraq in 2004, Army Capt. Stephen Machuga experienced a number of supply drops that, while sent with the best intentions, did very little to stir up excitement among his fellow troops. According to Marine Corps Times, the soldiers often received tattered old library books that would be used for little more than target practice.
After venting about the issue to a friend in the video gaming industry, Machuga and his colleagues were greeted with what seemed like far too many copies of slightly dated but good-quality games. As soon as the soldiers started playing, however, it was clear that they would need more, reported Marine Corps Times.
Six years later, Machuga founded Operation Supply Drop, an organization committed to bringing fun to servicemembers stationed all over the world. The group takes requests from units and delivers to them in order of how severe their situation is. The more rural and dangerous a deployment is, the faster those servicemembers will receive a drop from Machuga and his team. Marine Corps Times noted that these soldiers are the ones who need a fun distraction the most, and are often the last to receive special packages because of their remote locations.
OSD also started offering the service to allied troops and quickly received requests from soldiers in the Australian, New Zealand and British armed forces.
Marine Corps Times noted that a typical package sent by OSD contains one gaming console, two to four controllers, a few headsets and a selection of around 15 games. The organization reported that so far it has helped distribute over $1 million worth of video games to troops located all around the world.
"It's hard to describe just how much of a difference one box of video games can make. It was essential," Air Force F-16 pilot Maj. Brian Gerwe told Marine Corps Times after receiving a drop from the organization.
Two female South Korean soldiers have become the first women to earn the U.S. Army's Expert Infantrymen Badge.
According to USA Today, the badge is given to servicemembers who display a complete mastering of critical infantry tasks. Soldiers undergo a rigorous five-day exam where they are assessed on more than 30 elements including marching, fitness and navigation. Typically, the rigorous exam only has a pass rate of 8-10 percent due to its extreme difficulty.
The exam was open to American infantrymen in addition to members of the Republic of Korea's infantry and soldiers in the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army, noted Army Times. While U.S. women are ineligible to join the infantry, Korean women are allowed to serve in this military occupational specialty. While in the past U.S. women soldiers have successfully completed the test, they were not able to receive the honor due to their non-infantry status.
Army Times reported that the female badge recipients, Staff Sgts. Kim Min Kyoung and Kwon Min Zy, trained since June to prepare for the test, studying both U.S. and Korean military skills. In addition to actively serving Korea, they took the time to learn U.S. Army weapon systems by watching videos. They also adopted rigorous fitness routines, noted the source.
The servicemembers earned the opportunity to compete after successfully finishing a similar evaluation implemented by the Korean armed forces. The two women encourage the U.S. to be open to the idea of female infantry members.
"Female soldiers are capable of doing the missions successfully in the ROK army, so she thinks that it's OK for the U.S. Army to allow women in the infantry. By looking at her example, women are as capable as males," a translator told Army Times on behalf of Zy.
Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division headquarters in Fort Stewart, Georgia, will deploy to Afghanistan in November for a one-year tour, officials announced Tuesday, Oct. 28. The purpose of their deployment is to take on their role as U.S. Forces Afghanistan National Security Element.
Although NATO's International Security Assistance Force Mission will end on Dec. 31, 10,000 U.S. troops – including this new deployment – will stay in Afghanistan to implement the Resolute Support mission, reported Military Times. As Afghani authorities increase their capabilities over the next year, U.S. forces will transition power to them and reduce their presence in the country significantly.
"The Resolute Support mission will focus on training, advising and assisting at higher echelons. We look forward to joining the team in Afghanistan and doing our part to ensure the [Afghan National Security Forces] are left a more capable force, and to solidify the incredible gains of those who have served and sacrificed before us," Maj. Gen. Mike Murray, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said in a statement.
Military Times noted that this mission will also have a liaison in Kuwait and a supportive element in Qatar.
The Army has begun isolating servicemembers arriving at U.S. military bases upon returning from West Africa.
According to Military Times, 12 soldiers were ordered to remain isolated for 21 days – the Ebola incubation period – at the U.S. Army's base in Vicenza, Italy, after they arrived from Liberia, though none of them were visibly ill. While current Defense Department standards do not require soldiers without symptoms to be quarantined, this could represent a step toward a stricter, more cautious policy, noted the source.
A group of 75 more servicemembers will be arriving in Italy within the next week and they will all be ordered to undergo the same isolation procedure. According to Military Times, they will be monitored closely by a medical team, but will have plenty of access to food and recreational activities.
This added safety precaution comes after an American doctor living in New York City tested positive for the virus after being home from Africa for a few days. According to NBC News, he declined voluntary quarantine, increasing the risk of exposing the virus to other people.
Currently, there are 700 troops in West Africa working to eradicate the Ebola outbreak – a number that will soon reach 4,000 as more soldiers deploy to assist with the mission, noted Military Times. Though they are not treating infected people, being in the central zone of the epidemic puts them at some risk of catching the illness.
After 13 years, the Marine Corps officially transferred their last base in Afghanistan to the nation's National Army Troops.
According to Military Times, a ceremony was held to hand over the U.S. base, Camp Leatherneck, as well as the British airfield, Camp Bastion, to the Afghani military. NBC News reported that the flags of both the U.S. and U.K. were lowered and folded to represent the countries' departures.
The base is located in Afghanistan's Helmand region, which includes the Marjah and Sangin districts, noted Military Times. The area experienced many of the war's 458 Marine casualties.
According to NBC News, the Marines' reason for vacating the base has not yet been revealed for safety purposes. It also remains unknown how Afghan police and military will use the U.S. site.
While they plan to use Bastion as an aviation center mainly for travel to Kabul, Camp Leatherneck's new purpose is still under evaluation. It measures 1,600 acres and holds $230 million worth of U.S. military equipment and buildings, reported Military Times. NBC News speculated that the large base will remain a central location for local officials to continue the fight against the region's Taliban insurgency.
Sgt. Daniel Vasselian was killed in Afghanistan on Dec. 23, 2013, by enemy fire. During a ceremony in Abington, Massachusetts, on Oct. 13, his family was given the Bronze Star award he earned for the heroism displayed during his time serving as a Marine.
According to Marine Corps Times, the 27-year-old was a squad leader with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines when he was shot and killed during a security patrol. When small enemy fire erupted, Vasselian led his troops in pursuit of the source. He was shot while protecting the other soldiers in his unit.
Prior to his death, he displayed leadership and bravery during his participation in Operation Nightmare III, a heliborne raid mission. Even under heavy enemy machine gun fire, Vasselian was able to delegate important commands. Under his direction, troops were not only able to fire back at opposing forces but were also able to find protective cover, reported Marine Corps Times.
The award citation also mentions two other heliborne missions in addition to 10 combat patrols during which Vasselian displayed outstanding leadership. Marine Corps Times noted that the servicemember was originally set to receive a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, but upon reevaluation of his actions his honor was upgraded to that of the Bronze Star award.
A press release issued by the Marine Corps noted that the medal was given to Vasselian's wife and parents during a memorial ceremony in his hometown.
A Boy Scout troop in Yuma, Arizona, was rescued by Marines after getting stranded while canoeing up the Colorado River on Sunday, Oct. 19, according to Military Times.
The 28 children and four chaperones traveling in 16 canoes had been lost for hours, attempting to navigate the difficult terrain. A call was placed to the Yuma police in the mid-afternoon, expressing concern about the group's location after they did not make it to their check-in point in a timely fashion, reported Fox News.
Police were not able to find the missing group before nightfall. Knowing that the impending darkness would make their task nearly impossible, officers placed a call for backup to the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. These servicemembers are one of the only resources in the area equipped with night-vision gear.
According to Military Times, it was only minutes before the Marines assembled in helicopters to search for the Boy Scouts. After flying over the target area using night-vision goggles, the rescue team was able to easily spot the missing party. They had swerved away from the course and were stranded in a small clearing. After establishing that nobody in the group was injured, officials identified an escape route and helped guide the Scouts out of their remote location, back to the main river.