Latest news with #&Purpose
New York Post
27-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
US Marine and Iraq War vet who volunteered to fight for Ukraine killed by a Russian drone strike
A US Marine who fought in Iraq and voluntarily deployed to Ukraine was killed in a Russian drone strike during a dangerous mission near the frontlines in the Eastern European country, his father said. Johnathan A. Pebley, 39, was killed during Russia's relentless bombardment of Ukraine over the last week. In just three days, Kremlin forces launched 900 drones at Ukraine — including 355 drones and nine cruise missiles overnight Sunday for the biggest aerial bombardment in the war to date. 'I'm heartbroken,' his father, Mark Pebley, told The Post. 'I'm crushed, his mother is crushed. His brothers are crushed. Everybody that ever knew him is crushed.' Advertisement Johnathan, whose call sign was Mayhem, had joined Ukrainian troops last August and was a recently assigned team leader of the Delta Knights, a Foreign Legion squad made up of a mix of Americans, Poles, Brits and natives of Scandinavian countries, his dad said. Mark, 63, said Russia's largest-ever drone attack that killed his son mostly targeted civilians — an assault that led President Trump to lash out at Russian President Vladimir Putin. Johnathan A. Pebley, an Iraq War vet and US Marine, was killed by a Russian drone strike while fighting Russians on the frontlines. Task & Purpose/YouTube 'The Ukrainians have been getting pummeled by drones, bombs and missile strikes and it's mostly civilians,' Mark, who served in the Air Force, said. 'What's going on over there is evil and atrocious and the rest of the world really needs to step up to the plate and stop what's really going on.' Advertisement Mark said he did not want to reveal the precise date his son was killed to avoid jeopardizing surviving members of his son's team who remain in active combat. Johnathan was born in a German Air Force base, but grew up in Wakefield, Mass., playing sports and listening to music. He joined the Marines a year after graduating from Wakefield High School and did two combat tours in 2008 and 2009, his father said. After his first tour, Mark said his son still believed in the mission, but he soured on it after his second tour. 'They saw things,' he said. 'They had orders that they didn't particularly agree with.' Advertisement Johnathan alluded to that change of heart in a February interview with Task & Purpose, where he talked about his renewed sense of purpose fighting for the Ukrainian people. Johnathan A. Pebley is interviewed by Chris Capelluto, the host of Task & Purpose, for a segment on trench warfare in Ukraine. cappyarmy/Instagram 'My theologies changed, my politics changed a bit, and I started to have quite a bit of guilt about my role in Iraq,' he said. 'I didn't believe that I should have been there – that we should have been there. And I kind of feel like in a karmic way, this kind of cancels that out. I'm fighting a just cause, defending a people rather than encroaching on them.' Since he left active duty, Johnathan said he had jobs as a corrections officer, a garbage collector, a restaurant owner, and lived in four different countries, but none of it ever felt right. Advertisement That all changed when he arrived in Ukraine last August after being recruited by the Foreign Legion, he said. 'This is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. I feel at home again, everything makes a lot more sense,' the Marine told Task & Purpose. 'Somehow life makes a lot more sense here than it did anytime since I got out in 2009.' The last time Mark talked to his son was May 7, while he was training for the mission that killed him. 'He's always a sticking-up-for-the-underdog type of person. He didn't like bullies,' Mark said. 'And he felt Russia was bullying Ukraine and he felt he could do some good over there. And he did.' Mark said that a brief text conversation he had with Johnathan in January sums up why his son gave up a safe life in America, where he was training to become a firefighter and EMT, to go halfway around the world to defend a people whose language he can't even speak. 'By all accounts, we are considering this a suicide mission,' Johnathan had texted his dad, seemingly knowing his fate. 'And we all agreed to f–king do it anyways. All of us, that CAN say no. Part of it is because 'F–k em' but a lot is a sense of duty. One that didn't exist in the Marines. Because it wasn't a choice. 'So if I get f–king smoked today. Just want to say that this is the best thing I've ever done with my life.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
When the Army tried out nuclear artillery
72 years ago the U.S. Army carried out its first and only nuclear artillery test. The military actually made an atomic artillery shell, loaded it into a 280mm cannon and fired it. And it worked. Task & Purpose has covered many of the dangerous, strategically questionable and outright bizarre Cold War-era nuclear weapon designs and programs. The nuclear cannon used in Operation Upshot-Knothole wasn't quite as risky as the Davy Crockett — at the very least the range that the 'atomic cannon' had was greater than the smaller Davy Crockett. The May 25, 1953 test came at a time when there was a wider attempt to add atomic weapons into more conventional military weapons. Operation Upshot-Knothole was a series of tests carried out between March 17-June 4, 1953. They were 'intended to test nuclear devices for possible inclusion, in the U.S. arsenal, to improve military tactics, equipment, and training, and to study civil defense needs,' the Defense Nuclear Agency wrote. Most of the tests involved air dropping or static, ground-based atomic detonations, according to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The artillery portion of the test, codenamed 'Shot Grable,' took place towards the end of Operation Upshot-Knothole. Technically overseen by the Atomic Energy Commission, Operation Upshot-Knothole featured a large U.S. military presence. Thousands of troops, alongside military scientists and observers, were there to help stage the tests and carry out their own training as part of the Desert Rock exercises. For 'Shot Grable,' the Artillery Test Unit from Fort Sill carried out operations on the cannon. According to the Nevada National Security Site, two 280mm cannons were brought in, and roads had to be paved for them to be put into place, given the weight of each artillery piece. Additionally, 2,600 troops were on hand for exercises coinciding with the test. The atomic shell was given the designation of 'W9,' while the special cannons made for it were called the M65, later nicknamed 'Atomic Annie.' At 8:30 a.m., May 25, 1953, they fired the cannon. The nuclear shell flew 6.25 miles, detonating a few hundred feet above ground with a yield of 15 kilotons. The blast was as powerful as the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Soldiers in trenches and foxholes watched as the mushroom cloud rose over the Nevada grounds. Teams tried to get closer to inspect the impact of the blast but couldn't get closer than 0.9 miles from the epicenter of the detonation. Although the May 25, 1953 test would be the only time the nuclear artillery shells would actually be fired, the U.S. military liked the test so much it manufactured several more of the artillery pieces themselves. Only one cannon would fire a single round during Operation Upshot-Knothole, but the battlefield applicability of such a weapon was clear. Even just one of these could take out a large enemy position. And presumably one salvo would be enough. And the Army seemed to agree on the effectiveness. Nearly two dozen atomic cannons were made, but only were fielded for a few years. Despite the success of 'Shot Grable,' the atomic artillery approach would soon end up obsolete, like several other early Cold War weapons ideas. Smaller, more compact artillery designs as well as the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles meant the need for relatively closer range nuclear strike capabilities diminished. Army to eliminate 2 Security Force Assistance Brigades, reassign experienced soldiers Why the Army's new XM7 rifle reignited a debate over volume of fire Air Force delay on separation and retirement orders isn't 'stop loss,' defense official says F-35's close call over Yemen raises questions about how it's used An Army unit's 'extreme use of profanity' was so bad, they made a rule about it
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The White House said book bans aren't happening. Now JD Vance's memoir is a target.
Vice President JD Vance's memoir became a political lightning rod that propelled him to office, but now 'Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis' has been caught up in a censorship controversy sparked by the White House. The 2016 bestseller, adapted for film by Netflix four years later, is one of over a dozen books reportedly pulled from the shelves of Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school libraries. The DoDEA runs 161 schools across the globe for children from active-duty U.S. military families and DoD civilian families. The agency has not outright banned 'Hillbilly Elegy,' but its officials have flagged the book for a compliance review, according to PEN America, a freedom of expression advocacy group. The pending review appears to be a case of 'soft censorship,' which occurs when officials temporarily pull books for evaluation, require parental permission for students to read, relocate materials to certain parts of libraries or impose other restrictions short of a ban. The claims of censorship come after President Donald Trump's administration issued executive orders prohibiting the Armed Forces from promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), divisive concepts concerning race or sex, and 'gender ideology.' For similar reasons, DoDEA schools are reportedly no longer celebrating cultural heritage months like Black History Month or allowing trans students to play on sports teams or use bathrooms that align with their gender identity. Schools have also scrubbed references to historical figures including Susan B. Anthony, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman from bulletin boards, multiple outlets have reported. Jessica Tackaberry, communications director for DoDEA's Europe region, where some of the censorship claims originated, said in a statement to The 19th that the agency is reviewing its current policies and instructional resources to comply with the White House's recent executive orders and Department of Defense guidance. 'At this time, we are conducting a review,' she said. 'No materials have been permanently removed from our school libraries pending completion of the review. During this period, materials under review will have access limited to professional staff.' Tackaberry would not confirm which books have been pulled from shelves or disclose when the compliance review period will end. DoDEA officials have a March 3 deadline to complete the review, according to Task & Purpose, which covers military news. On February 7, Rep. Jamie Raskin posted a memo to X addressed to teachers at a DoDEA school. The directive informed them that books 'related to gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology topics' will be removed from circulation so they can be assessed. It also advised the teachers to evaluate books in their classroom libraries for potential violations of recent executive orders. Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, said his constituents are outraged that military families have been subjected to censorship. 'One asked a school official why they removed photos on the walls of Susan B. Anthony and Dr. King but not Leonardo DaVinci and was told: 'He was a real historical figure,'' he shared on X. Many of the books DoDEA schools reportedly flagged for review implicitly or explicitly promote diversity. That includes 'Hillbilly Elegy,' a race-conscious book in which Vance often likens the White Appalachian population to other marginalized groups, particularly the Black and Latino communities. At times, Vance revels in the diversity around him. Describing his experience in a constitutional law seminar at Yale Law School, Vance writes: 'We called ourselves the island of misfit toys, as there was no real unifying force to our team — a conservative hillbilly from Appalachia, the super smart daughter of Indian immigrants, a black Canadian with decades' worth of street smarts, a neuroscientist from Phoenix, an aspiring civil rights attorney born a few minutes from Yale's campus, and an extremely progressive lesbian with the fantastic sense of humor, among others — but we became excellent friends.' Discussing his time in the Marines, Vance recalls being pleasantly surprised by the diversity in his boot camp platoon. The members were White, Black and Hispanic; Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, atheist; rich and poor, he points out. The Trump administration has directed DoDEA schools to give their students a patriotic education that avoids divisive concepts related to race or sex. In 'Hillbilly Elegy,' Vance critiques the government by suggesting that the child welfare system lacks the cultural awareness to understand how Black, Latino and Appalachian families function. In these communities, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins play an influential role in children's lives rather than the nuclear family alone, Vance posits while discussing how his troubled mother almost lost custody of him. But social service agencies ignore this, he continues. They not only require extended family members to obtain licenses to become foster parents to their young kin but are also just as likely to place vulnerable youth with strangers than they are with blood relatives. 'In other words, our country's social services weren't made for hillbilly families, and they often made a bad problem worse,' Vance says. While the book makes no reference to transgender people, it discusses sexuality throughout — that of the author and of others. In fact, Vance, who convinced himself he was gay as a child, takes aim at the church for focusing more on the 'gay agenda' than on Christian character. The memoir's sympathetic portrayal of LGBTQ+ people and descriptions of substance use disorder would be enough to get the book banned in both red and blue states, if not in DoDEA schools. It is also littered with the F-word and other foul language — 'Do you want to suck dicks?' his grandmother asks him when Vance frets over his sexuality. The Office of the Vice President did not respond to The 19th's request for comment before publication. Vance was elected to the U.S. Senate in Ohio in 2022 and sworn in as vice president in January. It's not as clear why the DoDEA has targeted other books, such as Oscar winner Julianne Moore's 2007 picture book 'Freckleface Strawberry.' Illustrated by LeUyen Pham, the children's book contains no references to race, gender or sexuality, but it tacitly celebrates diversity. The protagonist, who doesn't like how her red hair and freckles make her stand out, comes to appreciate these features. She realizes that her classmates also have unique characteristics, and she is shown playing with a diverse group of friends, including girls who appear to be Black and Asian American, though the book never calls out their race or ethnicity. 'Freckleface Strawberry is a semi-autobiographical story about a seven-year-old girl who dislikes her freckles but eventually learns to live with them when she realizes that she is different 'just like everybody else,'' explained Moore on Instagram, adding that she graduated from a Department of Defense-run school. 'It is a book I wrote for my children and for other kids to remind them that we all struggle, but are united by our humanity and our community.' PEN America reports that DoDEA officials also pulled an Advanced Placement psychology book because it includes a chapter on 'sexuality and gender' and a social studies lesson for fourth-graders called 'A Nation of Immigrants.' A publication for elementary school students called 'How Does Immigration Affect the US?' and a biography of a transgender man who served in the Civil War were also flagged. 'The removal of these titles is yet another indicator of the new administration's flippant and autocratic approach to K-12 education,' Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America's Freedom to Read program, said in a statement. News of censorship in DoDEA schools comes just weeks after the Trump administration denied that censorship is an issue in schools, calling such claims a 'hoax.' Instead, schools are simply removing materials that are obscene or grade level-inappropriate, the administration said in a January 24 press release announcing that the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights would not be investigating multiple claims of book banning. PEN America says that over the past three years, book bans have nearly reached McCarthy-era levels, referring to Sen. Joe McCarthy, who led the charge against communist influences in government, the arts and other parts of society during the 1940s and '50s. The organization has recorded almost 16,000 instances of book bans nationally since 2021. Other books PEN America says have been pulled for review from DoDEA schools: 'Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family' by Amy Ellis Nutt 'No Truth Without Ruth' written by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Nancy Zhang 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley 'An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States' by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz 'Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves' by Glory Edim 'War: How Conflict Shaped Us' by Margaret MacMillan Instructional materials for sixth graders for Black History Month The post The White House said book bans aren't happening. Now JD Vance's memoir is a target. appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter.
