NEWS ARTICLES

WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON — In Syria and Iraq, local ground forces backed by the U.S.-led coalition have made significant progress over the past two days in the fight to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told reporters today.

Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, welcomes 43 chiefs of defense to a discussion on combating global violent extremism at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Oct. 17, 2016. The chiefs are looking for ways to enhance their understanding of the threat and to fit into a global network against extremism. DoD photo by Jim Garamone

Oct. 17, 2016

Dunford Hosts Chiefs of Defense to Discuss Counter-Extremism Strategy

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — The defense chiefs from 43 nations and the commanders of the U.S. combatant commands joined Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., for a discussion on the global strategy to defeat violent extremism.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gary J. Volesky, left, commander, Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve, visits with an Iraqi soldier at a tactical assembly area in northern Iraq, Iraq, prior to the start of the Mosul offensive, Oct. 10, 2016. The TAAs are where ISF assembled prior to making their push toward Mosul. A Coalition of regional and international nations have joined together to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class R.W. Lemmons IV)

Oct. 17, 2016

Coalition supports ISF Mosul offensive

BAGHDAD — BAGHDAD – Iraqi security forces began the offensive to retake Mosul Oct. 17, 2016, with support from the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve.

Peshmerga soldiers rehearse urban tactical movement at a training base near Irbil, Iraq, Jan. 26, 2016. Peshmerga soldiers attend a six-week infantry basic course that will help improve their tactical knowledge to aid in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. There are six Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve training locations: four building partner capacity sites and two building specialized training sites. Army photo by Spc. Jessica Hurst

Oct. 17, 2016

Iraqi Forces Begin Battle for Mosul

WASHINGTON — Iraqi Forces have begun their counter-attack to liberate Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, according to a statement released by Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Marcus Seaverns, from Norristown, Pa., scans for surface contacts on the port bridge wing of the guided missile destroyer USS Mason during an anti-submarine formation exercise with the guided missile destroyer USS Nitze, and Australian ships RFA Fort Victoria -- an auxiliary oiler replenishment ship -- and the frigate HMAS Perth, Aug. 28, 2016. Mason, deployed as part of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, is supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Janweb B. Lagazo

Oct. 13, 2016

U.S. Responds to Missile Attacks, Targets 3 Radar Sites on Yemen’s Coast

WASHINGTON — The United States conducted sea-launched cruise missile strikes against three radar sites on Yemen’s Red Sea coast to protect American service members and to safeguard freedom of navigation in the region, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told reporters.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Mason is replenished at sea, Aug. 3, 2016. The ship responded to an incoming missile threat off the coast of Yemen on Oct. 12, 2016, the second such response in four days. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Taylor A. Elber

Oct. 12, 2016

USS Mason Responds to Missile Threat Off Yemen's Coast

WASHINGTON — For the second time in four days, the guided missile destroyer USS Mason responded to an incoming missile threat while conducting routine operations in international waters off the Red Sea coast of Yemen.

Peshmerga soldiers acquire targets by using the scopes on their M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle during the sniper portion of a combined arms training exercise near Erbil, Iraq, July 26, 2016. The combined arms exercise allowed trainers to review the soldiers’ understanding of all the training conducted over the past several weeks during the modern brigade course. Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve aims to enable and equip indigenous forces to take the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant head on while leveraging Coalition nation airpower to halt the terrorist’s momentum. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kalie Jones/Released)

Oct. 12, 2016

Liberating Mosul Will Be Iraq’s Biggest Fight, OIR Spokesman Says

WASHINGTON — The size of Iraq’s second-largest city will make the liberation of Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s two-year grip the largest mission Iraqi security forces have undertaken against the enemy, the spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve said.

Soldiers of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery Regiment, fire a rocket from a M142 high mobility rocket system during a decisive action training environment exercise on Oct. 4, 2016 near Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The unit certified four HIMARS operator crews as well as a contingent of forward observers during the exercise (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Aaron Ellerman)

Oct. 11, 2016

Launching into Readiness

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait — A roar echoes across the desert as a speeding bright light rips through the sky leaving a white smoke trail as it disappears into the rising sun. Seconds later it reports from the distant horizon with a thunderous boom. Soldiers of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery Regiment, certified on the M142 High Mobility Rocket System during a decisive action training environment exercise Oct. 4, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

Oct. 4, 2016

U.S. Strike in Syria Targets Key al-Qaida Leader

WASHINGTON — U.S. forces conducted an airstrike near Idlib, Syria, targeting Abu al-Farai al-Masri, one of al-Qaida in Syria's most senior leaders and a legacy al-Qaida terrorist who previously had ties to Osama bin Laden.

Pfc. Amanda H. Issa prepares for a graduation ceremony Sept. 30, 2016, on Parris Island, S.C. Issa, 21, from Madison Heights, Mich., grew up in Mosul, Iraq, and moved to the U.S. in May 2011. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Carlin Warren)

Oct. 3, 2016

Mosul, Iraq, native earns title Marine on Parris Island

PARRIS ISLAND, SC, UNITED STATES — As 600 more U.S. troops are headed to help retake Mosul, Iraq, from the Islamic State group, the Issa family knows all too well the dangers of the area. The Issa family escaped Mosul because of the rising threat of the Islamic State group. They stayed in a refugee camp in Turkey for almost a year before moving to Michigan in 2011, a move made for the hope of better education and more opportunities for the three children.