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Global War on Terror

Service Reflections of SGT Troy Horn, U.S. Army (1990-2007)

Service Reflections of SGT Troy Horn, U.S. Army (1990-2007)

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I’ve traced my family history back to the Battle of Hastings – my family has chosen military service for as far back as I have been able to trace. I guess it’s in the blood. But really, my decision to enlist in the Army was deeply shaped by the unwavering support and inspiration from my family and friends. Growing up, I was surrounded by loved ones who valued service, discipline, and patriotism, with many sharing stories of their own experiences or expressing admiration for those who served.

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Bravo Troop 3rd Squadron,61st Cavalry Regiment

Bravo Troop 3rd Squadron,61st Cavalry Regiment

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"Destroyers" (Battle of Kamdesh)By: A3C Michael S. Bell "…That he which hath no stomach to this fight,Let him depart; his passport shall be made,And crowns for convoy put into his purse;We would not die in that man's companyThat fears his fellowship to die with us.Henry V, Act IV, Scene III The 61st Cavalry Regiment (1941-45, 2004-2024) was part of the United States Army; motto: "Forging Destiny." The 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment existed until mid-2024, this one being last of the 61st’s original four subordinates. On 3 Oct 2009, an Afghan insurgent force of about four hundred attacked the fifty-four Soldiers of Bravo Troop at COP (Command Outpost) Keating during what is now known as the "Battle of Kamdesh." Eight Soldiers fell and twenty-two were wounded in that obscure part of Nuristan whilst defending the COP for over twelve hours of close-quarter combat. Nuristan ("Land of Light"), also spelled as Nurestan or Nooristan, known as Nuriston and historically known as Kafiristan...

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The Taliban Prison Revolt of Qala-i-Jangi

The Taliban Prison Revolt of Qala-i-Jangi

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In the first chaotic weeks after 9/11, two Americans walked into a 19th-century Afghan fortress with nothing but a translator, a notebook, and the kind of quiet confidence you get from hard jobs and worse timing.  Qala-i-Jangi Becomes the Center of a Deadly Encounter The place was Qala-i-Jangi, a sprawling mud-brick stronghold outside Mazar-i-Sharif where hundreds of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters had just "surrendered" to the Northern Alliance. And those Americans were CIA officers Johnny "Mike" Spann and David Tyson.  What started as a routine sort-and-question session turned into a six-day brawl that set the tone for the next 20 years of war to come. The plan on November 25, 2001, was simple on paper: figure out who mattered among the newly captured fighters. Spann—a former Marine turned CIA paramilitary—worked the courtyard, asking the right questions in the wrong neighborhood. Tyson, a case officer with a linguist's ear and an Uzbek Rolodex, moved through the mass of...

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Iraq War – Operation Restoring Rights – The Battle of Tal Afar

Iraq War – Operation Restoring Rights – The Battle of Tal Afar

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In 2005, Al-Qaida in Iraq was the budding offshoot of Osama bin Laden's notorious terror organization. It would later become notorious worldwide, as AQI was the forerunner of what would eventually evolve into the Islamic State, spreading death and destruction across large swathes of Syria and Iraq. During the Iraq War, however, the group was just getting started. The Battle of Tal Afar Began With a Bold Assault Al-Qaida in Iraq controlled the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, a town filled with insurgents and holding a critical position near the country's border with Syria. From Tal Afar, foreign mujahedin fighters and suicide bombers could cross into Iraq to wage war against American and Coalition troops. Due to its strategic importance, the city was reinforced by a massive number of insurgent fighters, a number that is still not fully known today. On Sept. 1, 2005, the U.S. 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, and two brigades of the New Iraqi Army's 3rd...

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Lt. Michael Murphy, U.S. Navy (2000 – 2005)

Lt. Michael Murphy, U.S. Navy (2000 – 2005)

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On June 28, 2005, deep behind enemy lines east of Asadabad in the Hindu-Kush of Afghanistan, a very dedicated four-man Navy SEAL team was conducting a counter-insurgency mission at the unforgiving altitude of approximately 10,000 feet. Lt. Michael Murphy was the officer in charge of the SEAL team. The other three members were Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Danny Dietz, Sonar Technician 2nd Class Matthew Axelson and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell. Their assignment was to capture or kill high-value target Ahmad Shah - a terrorist leader of a Taliban guerrilla group known as the "Mountain Tigers" that had aligned with other militant groups close to the Pakistani border. The mission was in response to Shah's group killing over twenty U.S. Marines, as well as villagers and refugees who were aiding American forces. Michael Murphy Faces the Enemy As the team carefully moved to where they hoped to find Shah, the SEALs were accidentally discovered by an elderly shepherd and two teenage...

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AO2 Zachary Bryan, U.S. Navy (2013–2021)

AO2 Zachary Bryan, U.S. Navy (2013–2021)

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Zach Bryan is a name synonymous with raw authenticity in the country music world today. But before his rise as a celebrated singer-songwriter, Bryan served an honorable eight-year tenure in the United States Navy. His military service not only shaped his character and worldview but also deeply influenced his music, providing a unique texture and depth that resonates both with civilians and veterans alike. Here, we explore the details of Zach Bryan's military career, his transition to music, and the recognition he has earned as a civilian artist. Zach Bryan’s Early Life and Enlistment Zach Bryan was born into a family with a strong naval tradition. His birthplace was Okinawa, Japan, where his parents were stationed during their military service. He grew up surrounded by the values of duty and service, with his father, grandfather, and even great-grandfather all serving in the Navy. Zach spent the majority of his youth in the rural haven of Oolagh, Oklahoma, with the Grammy-nominee...

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Side-By-Side

Side-By-Side

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Friday morning February 2, 2008 was cold in Baghdad but since Friday is a big shopping day, shoppers crowded the markets throughout the city. At one of Baghdad's most popular gathering places, the al-Ghazl animal market, hundreds of closely packed shoppers moved from stall to stall when suddenly and without warning, a huge explosion shattered the silence, killing dozens of Iraq's. Twenty minutes later, another bomb ripped through an open air market in south eastern Baghdad. The two suicide bombers who carried out the attacks that ultimately killed 99 people were mentally challenged women with Down's syndrome. The unwitting pawns were apparently fooled into wearing explosive vests which were then detonated remotely by mobile phones as the women mingled with crowds, killing 46 people and injuring 100 in the al-Ghazl explosion. In the second bombing at the smaller bird market in south-eastern Baghdad, 27 people were killed and at least 67 wounded, many dying later. When it became...

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Extortion 17

Extortion 17

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On August 6, 2011, a quick reaction force (QRF) aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter was dispatched from Forward Operating Base Shank in Afghanistan's Logar Province. They were on their way to support U.S. Army Rangers on a kill-or-capture mission against a senior Taliban official. It was carrying 30 U.S. military members, mostly American special operators.  Extortion 17 Was Sent on a High-Risk Mission in Afghanistan But the transport, callsign Extortion 17, was shot down before it could land the QRF, making it the largest single loss of life for the International Security Assistance Force during the War in Afghanistan. It was a high-risk, high-reward mission. Qari Tahir was a senior Taliban fighter and the leader of the Taliban's forces in the Tangi Valley, which borders Logar and Wardak Provinces. When the United States got wind that Tahir might have been operating out of an abandoned U.S. combat outpost in the valley, the Army dropped 47 Rangers to mount an assault. Watching...

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Service Reflections of Col Christopher Steinhilber, U.S. Marine Corps (1987-2021)

Service Reflections of Col Christopher Steinhilber, U.S. Marine Corps (1987-2021)

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Great question…I don’t think I can pinpoint any one person or a singular event that motivated me to enlist in the Marines in 1986. I was an average (okay, maybe a little below average) student in HS and decided I wanted to enlist in my Junior year as part of the Delayed Entry Program. The idea of four more years of academia at an institute of higher learning did not particularly appeal to me, despite the majority of my peers seeming excited to head off to college. Maybe it was because, like many youths, I questioned what I wanted to do with my life and what my true purpose was. I visited my local recruiter, Staff Sgt. Webster Bridges to find out more information. Unfortunately, in order to enlist at age 17, I needed the permission of my parents, who both wanted me to attend college. They made me a deal that I had to apply to at least one college before they would consider signing my enlistment documents. My mother has heard about a small military college in Vermont, Norwich University, and she insisted on driving me three hours there (one-way) for a visit. I was intrigued by the Corps of Cadets and its regimented lifestyle. However, I was still more interested in enlisting on active duty in the Corps than in pursuing a college education. I begrudgingly completed my Norwich application and short essays and continued to work with the local recruiting office on my enlistment. I was somehow accepted to Norwich, despite my somewhat lackluster HS academic performance. Truth be told, I was more interested in playing sports (lacrosse), street hockey, and other sports with my friends. In the end, I compromised with my parents, who agreed to sign my enlistment documents in the Marine Corps Reserves if I attended Norwich in the fall of 1987.

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JD Vance (Cpl. James D. Hamel), U.S. Marine Corps (2003-2007)

JD Vance (Cpl. James D. Hamel), U.S. Marine Corps (2003-2007)

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JD Vance, the Vice President-elect of the United States in 2024, is widely recognized for his bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy and his role as a U.S. Senator from Ohio, has a lesser-known but significant chapter in his life: his service in the United States Marine Corps. This period was a pivotal time for Vance, providing him with discipline and a profound sense of purpose that shaped his future endeavors. JD Vance’s Early Life: From Middletown to the Marines James David Vance was born on August 2, 1984, in Middletown, Ohio, a town struggling with the decline of the American manufacturing industry. His early life was marked by significant challenges, including his parents' divorce and his mother's battles with drug and alcohol addiction. Eventually, his mother changed his middle name to David, and he took on his mother’s maiden name, Vance, as his surname.  Vance grew up primarily under the care of his maternal grandparents, who had moved to Middletown from eastern Kentucky's...

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Distinguished Military Unit: 3rd Bn, 1st Marines (Fallujah) by A3C Michael Bell

Distinguished Military Unit: 3rd Bn, 1st Marines (Fallujah) by A3C Michael Bell

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"In this case, we were in an extremely violent political campaign over ideas, and we were trying to treat the problem of Fallujah like a conventional war… But that was the order: Attack."James Mattis, General, USMC (Ret), SecDef (2017-19) The 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (3/1) is an infantry unit in the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed the "Thundering Third," the Battalion consists of approximately 1,200 Marines and Sailors. It falls under the command of the 1st Marine Regiment and 1st Marine Division, based at Camp Horno on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. It has four subordinate companies: Headquarters and Service Company (H&S Company), India Company, Kilo Company, and Lima Company. Weapons Company is also a subordinate unit, though it is a non-rifle company. Mike Company is a reserved designation for augmenting a fourth rifle company if needed, but it is currently deactivated. The 1st Marines in Fallujah: A Turning Point in the Iraq War The second Battle of Fallujah,...

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Iraq War – The Battle of Abu Ghraib

Iraq War – The Battle of Abu Ghraib

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Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison was notorious long before U.S. troops were found guilty of abusing detainees there. Originally built in the 1960s, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein used the site to house and later execute political prisoners. He closed the prison in 2002, but when the U.S.-led Coalition ousted Hussein by force in 2003, it was reopened. Because Coalition forces used it as an internment camp, it also became a forward operating base – and a target for insurgents.  The Battle of Abu Ghraib Begins With Coordinated Assault Insurgent battles in Iraq don't always get their due attention from historians, but for the longest time, the biggest obstacle to American success in the Iraq War was these insurgent groups. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, was one of the architects of Iraq's Sunni insurgency. Determined to hit the Abu Ghraib base to show that nowhere in the country was safe as long as the Americans were in control, he launched an attack on Abu Ghraib so...

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