Free Republic

Additional U.S. troops are being rushed to the Middle East during a rise in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah terrorist forces in Lebanon that has elevated risks of a wider regional war, the Pentagon said Monday. AP reports Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder would provide no details on how many additional forces or what they would be tasked to do. Their precise geographical region of deployment has also not been disclosed. The U.S. currently has about 40,000 troops in the region. Just last month U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Aloha, Makahiki! Sailors take part in the Makahiki Games at Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands, Kekaha, Hawaii, June 7, 2024. The Makahiki Games are a traditional Hawaiian competition consisting of multiple games meant to test contestants’ mental and physical capabilities. Sailors competed in Blue vs. Khaki Teams, with the Blue Team, or E-6 and below, emerging victorious. (U.S. Navy photo by Lisa Ferdinando) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies' militaryand family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before....

Outraged family members of US troops hurt in the line of duty slammed Kamala Harris’ brazen claim that no Americans are serving in war zones — a statement which flies in the face of her own administration’s official list of active combat zones. As many as 50,000 US service members currently patrolling countries and oceans across the Middle East and Africa are receiving either “hostile fire” or “imminent danger pay,” monthly payments of up to $225 for troops deployed in areas where they could easily be subjected to — or do come under — enemy attack, retired Army Col. and...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Hafa Adai, Guam! Lt. David Palencia, assistant public affairs officer, left, guides a tour for local media correspondents on the flight deck aboard the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), after pulling into Naval Base Guam for a scheduled port visit, June 19. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman...

Kristen Welker, the moderator of NBC’s weekly Sunday political interview show “Meet the Press,” falsely asserted that Vice President Kamala Harris met with the Gold Star families of the 13 American troops who were killed during the ill-fated US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Welker made the comment as she interviewed Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who took the Biden-Harris administration to task for their treatment of the families. Cotton noted that Harris, the Democratic nominee for the presidency, had not yet met with the kin of the 13 service members who were killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ On Our Way! U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Airmen, assigned to the 146th Air Support Operations Squadron, Oklahoma Air National Guard, and U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Florida, work together with GRUFE (Special Forces Group of the Peruvian Air Force) Defense and Special Operations members to carry a simulated patient to a FAP Mi-17 helicopter, assigned to the FAP Air Group 3, during a joint culminating exercise training event in support of Resolute Sentinel 2024 near Base Vitor, Peru, June 12, 2024. The exercise was a multi staged event...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ You Got This! Breathe! U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Leo Ferguson, the commanding officer of Personnel Administration School, and a native of Sandusky, Ohio, encourages Marines during an obstacle course at Camp Gilbert H. Johnson, North Carolina, May 24, 2024. PAS conducted an obstacle course to strengthen bonds and build confidence through a series of physical challenges. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Zachary Candiani) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies' militaryand family members of the above.Honoring those who have...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Future Pilot Taking Control! BALTIMORE (June 16, 2024) - Families and guests interact with static displays from the U.S. National Guard and U.S. Navy at Martin State Airport, as part of Maryland Fleet Week and Flyover Baltimore. This year marks the City of Baltimore's fourth time hosting Navy Fleet Week. Maryland Fleet Week and Flyover Baltimore provides an opportunity for the citizens of Maryland and the City of Baltimore to meet Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen, as well as see firsthand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services....

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Smiling Before He Takes You Out! CAMP ATTERBURY, IN. - Soldiers from the HSC 149th MEB facilitated a grilling operation at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, throughout the duration of Warfighter 24-4 in June of 2024. Due to the 24-hour operational period, the grill was opened multiple times each day and night to accommodate Soldiers regardless of shift assignment. Warfighter 24-4 is a multi-state exercise conducted by the Army National Guard to test and train for battle readiness. Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Marines & Kids---OOH RAH! U.S. Navy Intelligence Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Coats, right, assigned to U.S. Southern Command, supervises a relay race with elementary school kids during Fleet Week Miami at Miami, May 6, 2024. Fleet Weeks are a tradition of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, where major U.S. cities host Marines, Sailors, and Coast Guardsmen for one week of community-wide events. Fleet Week Miami, in its first year, is an opportunity for residents and visitors to meet with service members, foster community relationships, and...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Honoring Military Kids! Jhone Ebert, Nevada Superintendant of Public Instruction talks to Tech Sgt. Schaedel's children at Scherkenbach Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 22, 2024. Nevada education officials visited several schools in the Las Vegas Valley to present the prestigious Purple Star School Award for their exceptional support of military-connected families during the Month of the Military Child. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Adrianne Lopez)(Photo used tonal adjustments to enhance subjects) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies'...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Please Don’t Drop Me! Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Aircraft Handling) 3rd Class Kejuan Holland, from Carrollton, Georgia, assigned to USS Anchorage (LPD 22), left, and Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Aircraft Handling) 3rd Class Koji Iwasaki, from Los Angeles, assigned to amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli (LHA 7), carry a simulated casualty during an aviation firefighting drill aboard Tripoli in San Diego, April 25, 2024. Tripoli is an America-class amphibious assault ship homeported in San Diego. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Malcolm Kelley) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support...

Multiple outlets in Ukraine and South Korea reported this week that communist North Korea is preparing to send military engineers to aid the Russian invasion of Ukraine – reports Pyongyang has not confirmed at press time, but the Pentagon addressed on Tuesday as concerning. The alarm regarding the potential presence of the North Korean armed forces in the Ukraine war theater follows a brief but consequential visit to Pyongyang by Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, who signed a mutual defense treaty with his counterpart, communist tyrant Kim Jong-un, that requires either country to act in the event that one of the...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Marines Save The World & Eat Food! U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Caden Lloyd, left, the food service officer for MCAS Iwakuni, and a Florida native, left, and Sgt. Maj. Jody Armentrout, right, the sergeant major of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, and a Texas native, pose for a group photo during the Food Pantry cooking competition held by Matthew C. Perry High School at MCAS Iwakuni Japan, April 18, 2024.The students of M.C. Perry High School were tasked with creating unique dishes with non-perishable items such as spam,...

The first Kenyan police officers assigned to tackle rampant gang violence in Haiti are leaving Kenya on Tuesday and are set to arrive this week, the U.S. State Department said on Monday. "We hope to see further measurable improvements in security, particularly with respect to access to humanitarian aid and core economic activity," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters Kenya volunteered in July 2023 to lead an international force to tackle violence in the Caribbean nation, where gangs control most of the capital Port-au-Prince and have carried out widespread killings, kidnappings and sexual violence. SNIP

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Taking Time For The Youngest Fans! The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Team "Thunderbirds" greet Charleston Airshow attendees after their performance at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, April 19, 2024. The airshow offered more than 50 demonstrations and displays including science, technology, engineering and mathematics exhibits, static display aircraft and aerial demonstration performances like the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, C-17 Globemaster III, and F-35B Lightning. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Alex Fox Echols III) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Take A Bow, Sailors! Congratulations! PORTSMOUTH, Va. (April 18, 2024) Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Blaine Jackson, a native of Brooklyn, New York, and assigned to Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command, and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Jhandi Hansford, a native of Silver Spring, Maryland, and assigned to Reserve Component Naval Medical Forces Atlantic pose for a photo during the fiscal year 2023 Naval Medical Forces Atlantic Regional Active Duty and Reserve Sailor of the Year (SOY) announcement, April 19, 2024. SOY finalists participated in a variety...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Dad Dancing With His “Dandelion”! Leaders from across the 1st Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) conduct the “Dandelion Ball” on Fort Belvoir, VA, April 6, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Ethan Scofield) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies' militaryand family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. Military Kids Are The Best! Children from the 97th Air Mobility Wing (AMW) pose for a photo with base leadership and Robert Garrison, city of Altus mayor, during...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Don’t Mess With Him! Soldiers with the Presidential Salute Battery (PSB), HHC, 1st Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) leave via UH-60 Blackhawks on Fort McNair, DC., April 15, 2024. PSB left Fort McNair en route to Marine Corps Base Quantico in order to conduct their quarterly live fire exercise. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Ethan Scofield)Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies' militaryand family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. Lookin’ Sharp! Service members from across...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Gone Fishin’! Team Little Rock members reel in a line during Sports Day at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, April 12, 2024. Participants took part in this morale event to bolster wellness and camaraderie. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Sarah Ortega Corona) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies' militaryand family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. Wheelchair Rugby goes up a notch! U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Corey Nowell, 436th Aerial Port Squadron traffic...