US troops killed in blast in northern Syria

[Kraut783]

Unknown details, but assuming SOF.....damn, rest in peace to the fallen.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019...targets-soldiers-reports-190116115319189.html
https://www.npr.org/2019/01/16/6858...-in-syria-islamic-state-claims-responsibility

 

[Centermass]

Looks like the boys took a hard hit......a very hard hit.

Absolutely sucks.

 

[Poccington]

CENTCOM. has confirmed the four personnel who died as two US service members, one DOD civilian and one contractor.

Three US service members were also wounded in the explosion. Identities are being withheld for 24 hours while families are notified.

RIP to the fallen.

 

[BlackSmokeRisinG]

Fuck this....and Fuck Al-Jazeera and that article...

R.I.P. to the soldiers and contractors doing the deed.

 

[PDL]

As usual, politicians have the wrong take:

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said Wednesday's attack underscores the danger in Trump's policy.
"The tragic death of three American service members, which has been recently reported, is a reminder both of how lethal ISIS is and how risky an abrupt pullout can be, that it may well encourage ISIS to be more aggressive as our forces begin to depart," he told reporters

The correct answer is:

"Four people died that didn't need to. Why aren't they home in America yet?"

 

[LibraryLady]

Prayers out to those affected by the loss of the fallen. Even more prayers out for the injured and those caring for them

LL

 

[Kheenbish]

Update. RIP to the fallen.

https://www.npr.org/2019/01/18/6865...names-of-three-u-s-casualties-in-syria-attack

 

[Brill]

I really do feel bad for the surviving family members as this was completely preventable.

I hate the NYT but this is concerning:

A Favorite Restaurant in Syria Led ISIS to Americans

 

[Gunz]

RIP to the fallen, prayers out to their families.

Trump's pullout announcement may have had absolutely nothing to do with this. Probably didn't.

But just as a random observation: when our Group was a month away from standdown and withdrawal, word got around. Our Counterparts knew it and the enemy knew it...and attacks by NVA and VC units in our AO greatly intensified and our casualties tripled. It was like they wanted to give us a kick out the door.

 

[Marauder06]

RIP to the fallen, prayers out to their families.

Trump's pullout announcement may have had absolutely nothing to do with this. Probably didn't.

But just as a random observation: when our Group was a month away from standdown and withdrawal, word got around. Our Counterparts knew it and the enemy knew it...and attacks by NVA and VC units in our AO greatly intensified and our casualties tripled. It was like they wanted to give us a kick out the door.

Do you think any of that had to do with complacency or risk aversion? “No one wants to get killed on the last patrol?”

 

[Gunz]

Do you think any of that had to do with complacency or risk aversion? “No one wants to get killed on the last patrol?”

I don't think so, sir. Certainly it can happen and has happened. But we were small teams that lived in the bush at all times. We had no where to go to avoid risk and any react would be from a sister unit, on foot...meaning by the time they humped 4 or 5 klicks in the dark we'd probably be dead. In our case at least enemy activity greatly increased in the last two months, they got bolder, took more risks, hit compounds and Group HQ, stepped up infiltration etc. My team got almost overrun a few weeks before Group stand-down and we'd been aggressively patrolling and setting up ambushes every night.

 

[Brill]

Do you think any of that had to do with complacency...

100%

Along with disassociation with reality that they were in a war zone. SDF took Manbij in summer of 2016 if memory serves correctly.