Turkey’s Military Continues Offensive Into Syria
Photo by via Wikimedia Commons
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Turkey’s military launched a military offensive in northeast Syria Wednesday to push US-backed Kurdish forces away from its border, reports CNN. President Donald Trump, who announced Sunday that US troops would pull back from the area, called the Turkish offensive “a bad idea.”
Earlier in the day President Tayyip Erdogan’s communications director said Turkish and Syrian rebel forces would start Syria offensive ‘shortly’, reports Reuters. Ahead of the offensive, senators on both sides of the aisle demanded Trump brief all senators on his withdrawal decision, reports The Hill. Trump, earlier in the week, defended pulling US troops out of Syria, saying, “We’re not a police force,” reports Military Times.
Major al-Qaida leader was killed in joint US-Afghan raid, reports Military Times. The US has ramped up air campaigns in Afghanistan to the highest level in nine years.
Federal investigators consider restricting or banning rides for the public aboard World War II-era aircraft following the fiery crash of a restored B-17 Flying Fortress bomber in Connecticut last week that killed seven and injured eight, reports Miltary.com.
The Marine Corps reopened an old aviation mishap investigation following deadly 2018 midair tanker collision, reports Marine Corps Times. During the investigation of the deadly 2018 midair collision of a KC-130 and Hornet, the corps discovered a strikingly similar mishap in 2016, which was improperly investigated. Proper investigation could have provided insights that might have prevented the tragic 2018 crash.
Check out a second trailer to “1917” by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sam Mendes, offered here by Military Times. The World War I blockbuster is about two young soldiers — played by George McKay (“Captain Fantastic”) and Dean-Charles Chapman (“Game of Thrones”) — who embark in a race against time through the apocalyptic hellscapes of the Western Front to deliver a message that could save 1,600 lives.
A small robot able to slide beneath a tank is a modern iteration of an old promise in remote warfare. C4ISR.net reports on a recent exhibition of unmanned ground vehicles by Iran that suggests the time is now, or at least just around the corner.
The Navy-Marine Court of Criminal Appeals withdrew an earlier opinion saying military retirees shouldn’t be court-martialed and will reconsider the case of Stephen Begani, a retired Navy chief petty officer who faced a court-martial over attempted sexual abuse of a child, reports Military.com.
Navy announces a new way for enlisted sailors to become a petty officer first class, reports Stars and Stripes. To qualify under the Advance-to-Position program, petty officers second class must complete necessary training and be within 12 months of transferring to a new command.
A US F-16 fighter jet crashes in Germany, pilot ejects to safety, reports Air Force Times. The Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, was conducting a routine training sortie when it crashed.
Wisconsin GOP backs F-35s at Truax Field, despite noise concerns, reports Air Force Times. Republican legislators supported defense officials stationing new F-35 jet fighters in Madison despite neighborhood concerns about the noise and the effects on property values.
VA refunds $400 million in mistaken home loan fees, reports Military Times, after an inspector general’s finding that tens of thousands of veterans paid extra costs when applying for the loans.
The Netherlands will buy nine more F-35s for $1.1 billion, reports Defense News. The purchase would bring the country’s inventory to 46. The additional aircraft are expected contribute to the air force’s objective of having four jets available for NATO missions while also performing homeland defense operations and accounting for training requirements and maintenance downtime.
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