Free Republic

Lest the world forget, a war is still raging in Gaza. Among the many obstacles to even a modest cease-fire, there is the Philadelphi corridor. Less than nine miles long and roughly as wide as a football field, it occupies a crucial border location — including the Rafah crossing — between Egypt and Gaza. Egypt patrolled its side of the border after the 1979 peace agreement, then the Palestinian Authority took over control when Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. But the PA was itself driven out by Hamas in 2007. Since then, the Rafah crossing has been a central...

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin put a significant number of U.S. troops on stand-by to "be ready to deploy," over the weekend, though officials say the U.S. role would not be for combat. A U.S. official confirmed with Fox News that Austin issued orders to troops that they should be ready to be deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean within 24-hours of receiving an order. Specifically, top officials say troops would be sent to advise and provide medical support to Israeli forces. The order is less of a deterrence posture like what has been seen with the mobilization of the...

Afghan news outlets, citing CNN, reported Tuesday that the administration of President Joe Biden would soon deploy another 650 troops to Afghanistan, where Biden expanded the U.S. presence through at least September in an order this month. Afghanistan’s Khaama Press and Pajhwok Afghan News reported the alleged troop number increase as meant to protect American forces as they withdraw. CNN claimed the news originated with “several defense officials,” none of whom went on the record.

Soldiers from Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Drum in New York have been ordered to be ready to deploy within four hours if called, according to three people with direct knowledge of the orders. Soldiers in Fort Carson, in Colorado, and Fort Riley in Kansas have been told to be ready within 24 hours.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — Being a U.S. soldier in a fast-response force sometimes means being sent halfway across the world within a day, leaving no time to say goodbye to those staying behind. That’s what happened to April Shumard when her husband, a member of the 82 Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, got the call. He was at home, minding the couple’s five children while Shumard was at work at Healing Hands day spa, when he sent her a text. He had to rush to base. He wasn’t sure if it was a drill or a deployment. Then she...

All U.S. Air Force airmen who have had non-deployable status for more than a year will soon face a disability board or be considered for administrative separation as part of the service’s implementation of the Pentagon’s so-called “deploy or get out” policy. A directive signed Tuesday by Air Force senior leaders states the service seeks to achieve a 95 percent or higher deployable rate within its units. The directive follows the October order by then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for the Pentagon’s military services to create guidelines meant to motivate servicemembers to retain their ability to deploy into combat after troops...

Beijing has deployed advanced Dongfeng-41 ICBMs in Heilongjiang Province, which borders Russia, according to reports based on images, possibly leaked to coincide with Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president. “Pictures of China's Dongfeng-41 ballistic missile were exposed on Chinese mainland websites,” the Global Times said citing reports in “some Hong Kong and Taiwan media.” Russian news agencies identified one of them as the Apple Daily, a Hong Kong-based tabloid-style resource. “It was revealed that the pictures were taken in Heilongjiang Province. Military analysts believe that this is perhaps the second Dongfeng-41 strategic missile brigade and it should be deployed in...

Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, commander of the Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said that his country plans to deploy a naval presence in the Atlantic Ocean sometime this year. The Atlantic Ocean borders both North America and western Europe. Sayyari did not specify how close to the United States his ships would sail, though he said his navy would act "in accordance with international laws and regulations." So reports MNA, an Iranian news agency. Speaking with reporters on Saturday, Sayyari emphasized the self-sufficiency of the Iranian Navy: "All equipment and facilities of the Navy are now home-produced, and...

Iranian Army Commander Maj. Gen. Ataollah Salehi on Saturday announced that Iran intends to deploy warships and destroyers in Latin America, in a sign of the attempts of the leading state sponsor of terror to expand its military cooperation with countries opposing the US. We intend to take a longer stride in marine voyages and even go towards friendly states in Latin America," Salehi told reporters at the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency. Speaking at a ceremony welcoming back the Iranian Navy's 38th fleet after 75 days of international deployment, he said...

<p>FORT STEWART, Georgia — The U.S. Army is sending more than 3,000 Fort Stewart soldiers to Europe to help assure American allies in the region and deter Russian aggression in Ukraine.</p> <p>Officials at the southeast Georgia Army post said Tuesday that soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division will deploy next month.</p>

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – The Marine Corps said it will delay the deployment of an Osprey aircraft squadron to Okinawa following (yet another) Air Force "helicopter" crash in a military training area Monday. The fiery crash of an HH-60 Pave Hawk sent plumes of smoke into the air near Camp Hansen in central Okinawa and left one crew member still missing early Tuesday.

Kuwait's cabinet has resigned after protesters and opposition deputies demanded that the prime minister step down over allegations of corruption, state-run television has reported. "The prime minister [Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah] has submitted his resignation to the emir," Kuwait TV said, without specifying whether it had been accepted. Earlier, opposition member Khaled al-Sultan said the cabinets's resignation was accepted amid a bitter political dispute between the prime minister and opposition MPs. "We are waiting for the appointment of a new prime minister before parliament is dissolved in order to be assured of fair elections," the Sultan told reporters outside...

White House, DNC deploy help to WisconsinBy GLENN THRUSH Updated: 2/18/11 11:02 AM EST **SNIP** Obama has deployed his political operation to support public employees rallying to block a Republican bill cutting benefits and scuttling collective bargaining rights. Union officials have been pressuring the White House to speak out forcefully against Walker’s attempt to roll back pension and health care payments to plug a $3.6 billion budget gap — and administration allies have been in close contact with labor leaders for a week, officials say. Organizing for America, Obama’s 2008 grass-roots campaign organization posted a statement on its website late...

FORT HUACHUCA — The importance of unmanned aerial systems can be seen in the increase of requirements for Army systems over areas of conflict. And Wednesday, a small group of soldiers from the Unmanned Aerial Systems Training Battalion left the post for a yearlong assignment in a conflict area, to keep eyes in the skies as part of protecting U.S. and other allied forces. Talking to the nearly a dozen soldiers — five others left earlier as part of the advance party — who departed Libby Army Airfield in an Air Force C-17, was Col. Timothy Edens, the deputy commander...

FORT HUACHUCA — They were a team: husband, wife and son. And for the first time, facing the Kish family is a yearlong separation, or in Army-speak, deployment. At times, it seemed the family could not get close enough, as Brandon, a private first class with Bravo Company, 86th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, and wife Brittney squeezed 13-month-old Kass between them. Then there were times with Brandon going around in circles with a delighted son in his arms, and then putting the boy on his shoulder, as Brittney watched and smiled. It was as if Dad wanted is son to get...

FORT HUACHUCA — Operation Junior Heroes will deploy a new bunch of recruits to Camp Lightning at 9 a.m. March 27. The event is designed to take the mystery out of deployments and help children express feelings about separation due to the military. The deployment includes check in, registration, mock medical check-up, distribution of orders and a trip downrange where soldiers are training/preparing for deployment. In addition to learning what soldiers do, kids will get to eat at the chow tent and experience a mail call. The young recruits will get to visit the mock PX and take part in...

A single mother from Oakland has been discharged from the Army for refusing to leave her infant son behind to go to Afghanistan, but she will not be court-martialed, her attorney said Thursday. Alexis Hutchinson, 21, had faced criminal charges at a court-martial for refusing to accompany her unit when it deployed in November. Although that is no longer a prospect, Hutchinson has been demoted from specialist to private and will lose all military and veteran benefits, said her attorney, Rae Sue Sussman of San Francisco. She said Hutchinson had been given an other-than-honorable discharge. In a statement, Hutchinson said...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2010 – The 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division will deploy to Afghanistan as part of the surge of American troops into that country, Defense Department officials said today. The 3,200 soldiers of the Fort Campbell, Ky.,-based unit will deploy in late summer, along with another 900 active and reserve component soldiers. “This is the last of the major units to be announced,” said Army Lt. Col. Mark Wright, a Pentagon spokesman. The process started with President Barack Obama’s speech in November announcing a new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy. Obama also called for a surge of...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2010 – The 4th Infantry Division’s 4th Combat Aviation Brigade will deploy to Afghanistan this summer as part of the surge of American troops to the country, Defense Department officials said here today. The deployment order brings the number of U.S. troops notified for deployment to 25,000. President Barack Obama promised to send 30,000 additional U.S. forces to the nation this year. The 2,600-man 4th Combat Aviation Brigade is based at Fort Hood, Texas, and makes up the greatest part of this deployment. Another 500 support-forces soldiers also are deploying. Officials did not say where the soldiers...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 17, 2009) — Today, Congressman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) joined Congressman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-N.C.), and 26 other members of the House of Representatives in introducing H.R. 3590, the “Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009.” This deficit-neutral legislation would amend the federal tax code to ensure military personnel can take full advantage of the first-time homebuyer tax credit. Current law requires first-time homebuyers who utilize the $8,000 tax credit created by the Recovery Act to repay the credit if they move from...