Free Republic

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Great View From The “Office”! U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II’s prepare for re-fuel from a KC-46A Pegasus assigned to the 334th Air Refueling Squadron, McConnell Air Force Base, KS, during exercise Cope North 22 on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 15, 2022. Participants exercise Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, concepts during Cope North 22. ACE is Pacific Air Forces’ model to project combat power via a network of distributed operating locations throughout the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Amy Picard) Canteen Mission StatementShowing...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Mushrooms Falling From The Sky! U.S. Air Force tactical air control party (TACP) specialists assigned to Detachment 1, 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron descend over Malemute Drop Zone during airborne training at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Feb. 10, 2022. Air Force special warfare Airmen and Alaska Army National Guardsmen from the 207th Aviation Troop Command conducted the training to demonstrate airborne and mission-readiness skills in an arctic environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Alejandro Peña) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies'...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Yep! Still The Best Looking Navy In The World! 220129-N-PG226-1344 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Jan. 29, 2022) An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, attached to the "Dragonslayers" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 11, conducts a vertical replenishment alongside the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), Jan. 29, 2022. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to maintain maritime stability and security, and defend U.S., allied and partner interests in...

Enlisted leaders of the military branches told a House Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday that service members who were forced out of the military due to their refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine now have a process that can allow them to return. The testimony came in a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies. Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston testified that the Army’s guidance allowing the return of people to the service was published “in the past 24 hours.” The process is the same for anyone who has had a “break in...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Until We See Each Other Again! The South Carolina National Guard conducts a deployment ceremony Jan. 16, 2022 in Florence, South Carolina to recognize the 133rd Military Police Company's mobilization in support of Operation Spartan Shield. Approximately 150 U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers with the 133rd Military Police Company, 51st Military Police Battalion, 59th Troop Command, South Carolina National Guard, will deploy to the Middle East for approximately nine months. While deployed, the 133rd Military Police Company's mission will be to provide support to customs operations. (U.S. Army...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Birds Eye View! PACIFIC OCEAN (Jan. 21, 2022) Marines of Marine Wing Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 and sailors of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 133 link up with Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 and Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136 to conduct integrated training missions to include suppression of enemy air defense. Abraham Lincoln Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Ooh Rah! Semper Fi! U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class Selena Serrano, a Marine with Golf Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, poses for a photo with her eagle, globe and anchor on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 5, 2022. Serrano just completed the crucible – a 54-hour event that challenges all the skills a recruit has learned throughout recruit training. Serrano was recruited out of Los Angeles, C with Recruiting Station Montebello. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Christopher A. Madero) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Nope! No Land Sighting. Keep Floating! PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 6, 2022) Seaman Anthony Dyer, from Baltimore, stands watch on the bridge wing of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62). Fitzgerald is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Catie Coyle) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour...

Ukraine has reported that more than 1,000 Russian troops were killed on Monday alone as the war between the neighboring countries approaches its first anniversary. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in a Telegram post that 1,030 Russian personnel were killed in fighting, raising the total throughout the conflict to just more than 133,000. Ukrainian forces also destroyed 14 tanks and 28 armored personnel vehicles, officials said. Reuters reported that the number of Russian soldiers killed made Monday the deadliest 24 hours of the war for Russia so far, but it could not independently verify Ukraine’s claims. It also reported that...

American officials estimate that nearly 200,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in Moscow’s nearly yearlong conflict with Ukraine, The New York Times reported. The rising number of casualties is driven in part by heavy fighting in Bakhmut and Soledar in eastern Ukraine, where Russia is increasingly sending poorly trained recruits and convicts to the front lines in an effort to deplete Ukrainian artillery, according to the Times. However, officials have warned that the casualty numbers — which are based on satellite imagery, intercepted communications, social media, on-the-ground reporting and official government numbers — are difficult to estimate and...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ We’re Practicing A Soldier and a Military Working Dog observe the landing of a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter for a collaborative exercise to simulate field care, loading, transport, and in-route emergency medical care for MWDs in Vilseck, Germany, Oct. 20, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Gertrud Zach) 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. The Old Guard Always On Watch Soldiers assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! Leap Frogs Edition~ Fun Fact #1 The Navy’s parachute team dates back to 1969, when Underwater Demolition Team members volunteered to perform at air shows. In 1974, the team was officially given its name by the Chief of Naval Operations, who tasked them with demonstrating the Navy’s excellence throughout the United States. Today, the West Coast-based team of 15 keeps the mission alive by touring nationwide and dazzling audiences with aerial demonstrations. Credit: https://bit.ly/3c9e1Y9Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies' militaryand family members...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Don’t Get Paid Enough For This Firefighters with the Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department conduct ice rescue training Jan. 11, 2023, at a frozen Big Sandy Lake on South Post at Fort McCoy, WI. Several firefighters with the team took their turn getting in a suit, strapping on an air tank and full-face mask, and diving into the depths of Big Sandy Lake under the ice on Fort McCoy’s South Post. The divers were covering depths of up to 15 feet or more completing several types of...

Ukraine claimed that Russia has lost close to 117,000 troops since the beginning of the full-scale invasion last February — which is more servicemen than the US lost during World War I. There have been 116,950 enemy troops “eliminated” since Feb. 24, according to the latest tallies released by Ukraine’s Armed Forces Tuesday, which The Post could not independently verify. Kyiv reported that in the last 24 hours alone, 870 Russians had been killed in Ukraine. For comparison, the US lost 116,516 soldiers during World War I, of whom more than 63,000 suffered non-combat deaths mostly related to illnesses.

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ More Ways To Kill Terrorists (Jan. 8, 2023) A Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel, guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) and an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, attached to the “Vipers” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 48, operate in the Arabian Gulf, Jan. 8. Delbert D. Black is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeremy R. Boan) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Taking Care of Kids For Christmas! ” ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, GA – Fellow cancer survivor Kyler Pike and ‘battle buddy,’ left, looks on as Keason Milton, right, opens an item from his Christmas wish list fulfilled by members of the 561st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, Dec. 22, 2022. At this event, Keason rung a bell to signify he completed his last chemotherapy treatment. (U.S. Air Force photo Kisha Foster Johnson) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Proud Americans Graduating! More than 300 Airmen assigned to the 331st Training Squadron graduated from Basic Military Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, Dec. 14-15, 2022. Col. Scott Mills, Commander of the 355th Wing, Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, reviewed the ceremony. (U.S. Air Force photo by Gregory Walker) 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. Donated Cookies from The Community! Awesome! Cookies sit on a table in the...

The United States plans to expand its training of Ukrainian troops in Europe as Russia continues to bombard the country with missile strikes, the Pentagon announced. “We will expand U.S.-led training for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, to include joint maneuver and combined arms operations training, while building upon the specialized equipment training that we’re already providing to the Ukrainians,” Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Thursday.

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Feed Us!!” PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 12, 2022) U.S. Navy Culinary Specialist Seaman Recruit John Patrick, from Maui, Hawaii, prepares blackened catfish in the galley of the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52). Bunker Hill, part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, is currently underway conducting routine operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jordan Jennings) 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. Marines Doing Marines Stuff!...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Happy Birthday, USMC!! U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Derrick V. Lewis II, the executive officer of Recruiting Station Sacramento, recites Lt. Gen. John A. Lejeune’s birthday message during the 247th Marine Corps Birthday Ball at Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada on Nov. 12, 2022. Marines across the globe recognize and acknowledge the sacrifices made to defend democracy, and the Marine Corps’ enduring legacy as America’s premier fighting force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Seaira Moore) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military...