Jan 29, 2024 WHBF TV
Illinois National Guard troops to be deployed to Middle East
“Members of the 34th Division Sustainment Brigade and 433rd Signal Company will help Operation Spartan Shield. The soldiers will support logistics and technology efforts with the goal to stabilize the Middle East and deter aggression.”
“The deployment could last 400 days.”
Video above: “Comments are turned off.”
Jan 29, 2024 WBN Audio:
LISA DENT
IL National Guard prepare to deploy to Middle East for Operation Spartan Shield
“Tom Mockaitis, DePaul Professor and terrorism expert, joins Wendy Snyder (filling-in for Lisa Dent) to talk about the 300 Illinois National Guard soldiers that will be deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Spartan Shield, and what it means for America’s war on terror.”
Freedom
Jan 28, 2024 ABC 7 Chicago
More than 300 Illinois National Guard soldiers prepare for deployment to Middle East
“Combat veteran U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth also spoke at the mobilization ceremony of the dangers soldiers are walking into and the respect for their sacrifice.”
“We are in awe of your bravery and thank you for your commitment to our country. In fact, there’s a saying that for those who serve in uniform, freedom has the flavor that the protected shall never taste,” Duckworth said.
Senator Duckworth,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
December 21st 2019 KOMO News
Legal age to buy cigarettes, vapes raised to 21 nationwide
Operation Spartan Shield is recently in the news because 3 US troops were KIA:
Jan 28, 2024 Stars and Stripes
Biden says US ‘shall respond’ after drone strike by Iran-backed group kills 3 US troops in Jordan
Related:
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam – Biden says US ‘shall respond’
Real newspeople and some Americans may point out:
Real newspeople and some Americans may point out that the USA has been working to stabilize the region over there since the 1990 Operation Desert Shield:
Or, was it the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing.
Respect for The National Guard
These are the people who need to maintain a place to live and a regular job in their hometown area when they are not doing time in foreign lands helping DOD with undeclared/unwon wars and missions completely unrelated to their home state.
A few decades back, people might think of the National Guard as one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer plus a way to support your home state by being ready to get called out for floods, fires, natural disasters, civil unrest, etc. Maybe a way to help the next state over if they needed it.
Thousands of men and women who signed up for the National Guard in the past 25 years did tours in places like Syria, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Why do the people of Home State, USA need services in distant lands, absent any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war?
Recruiting crisis for Uncle Sam? Elected officials, top Pentagon Generals and the press earned it.
The people of Alaska need services in the Middle East
The People of New Jersey Need Services In Iraq and Syria
The people of Iowa need services in Kosovo
Sign up to serve the people of Oregon and head over to Africa.
Zero questions from newspeople:
Gov. Kotek hosts mobilization ceremony for Oregon National Guard members deploying to Africa
South Carolina National Guard to Africa – Zero Questions from Newspeople
“Their commitment to protecting our freedom…”
April 18, 2023 Lincoln Journal Star
National Guard unit bound for East Africa gets send-off at Memorial Stadium
“There hasn’t been a more dangerous time in our world in decades,” Ricketts said, alluding to US rivalries with China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. “Our soldiers will be out there protecting our freedoms.”
May 28, 2020 WMAR
Salisbury Mayor deploying to Africa with Maryland National Guard
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our physical security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms-The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
Photo-
Something from the last century