Latest news with #OperationEnduringFreedom
New York Post
5 days ago
- General
- New York Post
SEAL Team Six alum named advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff: DoD
A former member of SEAL Team Six has been named the highest ranking enlisted official and an advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, military officials announced Tuesday. Navy Fleet Master Chief David Isom, once a member of Navy Special Warfare Development Group commonly called SEAL Team Six, will become the sixth Senior Enlisted Advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to the Department of Defense. The SEAC position was created in 2005 and is considered the most senior enlisted leader, according to Task and Purpose. Advertisement Navy Fleet Master Chief David Isom is the new Senior Enlisted Advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Department of Defense announced Tuesday. U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anthony J. Rivera Master Chief Isom has a long resume of active duty service including combat and operational deployments in Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and other stints through the Pacific and the Horn of Africa, according to his official biography. The career soldier also deployed with SEAL Team 1 during his illustrious career, according to that biography. Advertisement During his service career, Isom won four Bronze Star Medals, including two with distinction for valor, two Combat Action Ribbons, and a Presidential Unity Citation, Task and Purpose reported. 'Master Chief Isom's assignments have included a full range of duties in Sea, Air, Land (SEAL) Teams at Theater Special Operations Commands and across the joint environment,' the newly minted SEAC's biography read. Isom won four Bronze Star Medals during his combat career that included tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Marine Corps/Cpl. Dean Gurule Most recently, Isom has served as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for US Indo-Pacific Command. Advertisement Isom joined the Navy in 1987, inspired by his Korean War Army veteran father and a love of the ocean that he discovered while surfing off the coast of his native North Carolina, he revealed in an interview in 2022. The decorated SEAL revealed that he was promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer around the time of September 11th, 2001, and was soon deployed to the Middle East. After losing 'teammates' while fighting in Afghanistan in Iraq, Isom said he learned, 'the key role of leaders and caring for people and developing other leaders,' according to that interview. Master Chief Isom is replacing current SEAC Troy E. Black, the DoD said in the release.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Navy SEAL Team 6 operator will be the military's new top enlisted leader
Navy Fleet Master Chief David Isom, a former member of Navy Special Warfare Development Group, or DEVGRU — commonly referred to as SEAL Team Six — has been selected to serve as the U.S. military's next top enlisted leader, defense officials announced on Tuesday. Currently serving as the command senior enlisted leader for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Isom will become the sixth service member to serve as the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or SEAC, since the position was created in 2005. Although the SEAC is considered the U.S. military's most senior enlisted leader, the job involves serving as an advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff rather than as a direct supervisor within a chain of command. Isom enlisted in the Navy in 1987, and after passing Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training, or BUD/S, he went on to deploy with units that include DEVGRU, Naval Special Warfare Group 10, Special Reconnaissance Team 2, and SEAL Team 1, according to his official biography. 'His combat and operational deployments include Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as deployments throughout the Pacific and the Horn of Africa,' his biography says. Isom's military awards include four Bronze Star Medals, including two with 'V' devices for valor; two Combat Action Ribbons; and a Presidential Unit Citation, according to his service record. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, selected Isom to be the next SEAC following two rounds of interviews, a Joint Staff spokesperson told Task & Purpose on Tuesday. Isom will replace Marine Sgt. Maj. Troy Black, who is leaving the job after serving as SEAC for two years. The change of office is tentatively scheduled for mid-to-late June. Black previously served as the sergeant major of the Marine Corps before he was selected as the SEAC by Army Gen. Mark Milley, and he initially served as the senior enlisted advisor to Air Force Gen. Charles 'CQ' Brown Jr., whom President Donald Trump fired as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in February. 18 Army Rangers suspended for allegedly firing blanks at Florida beach Hegseth announces accountability review of Afghanistan withdrawal Coast Guard rescue swimmers saved a worker stuck in hardening concrete after roof collapse This National Guard unit went completely analog to simulate a cyber attack Fewer reenlistment options for soldiers amid high Army retention
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Memorial Day celebration reflects on remembrance amid shared loss
May 26—ROCHESTER — Kay Swenson has told her family's story countless times since her son, Cpl. Curtis Swenson, was killed in Afghanistan , but each telling for the Gold Star mother remains fresh. "I've worn that badge for 15 years," she said of the Gold Star family status to families of U.S. military members who've died while serving. "At times, it feels like 15 seconds." On Monday, she shared her family's story again as part of Rochester's Memorial Day observance at the Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial. It was Swenson's third time giving the main address at the annual event, but friends and strangers who paused briefly after the ceremony to reach out to her made it evident the emotions shared among them are fresh. "She always gets me," program master of ceremonies Darlene Krebs said. Curtis Swenson was killed in Afghanistan on April 2, 2010, having joined the military shortly after his 2007 graduation from Mayo High School. Enlisting was a family tradition shared by his mother and father, as well as cousins and others. "Because of my family's history of service, I thought that was the thing you do," Kay Swenson said of her own Army service. When the son she described as a "smart, quick-witted, strong-heated, yet soft-hearted, little boy" served in Iraq from 2008 to 2009 and later left for Afghanistan in 2009, she said she better understood that individual service is not truly service of one person. "When a soldier serves their country, a family serves their country," she said. "We go through much of the same mental strain as our loved one." As someone born into a Gold Star family due to the death of her mother's first husband, Sgt Francis Berger on Nov. 14, 1952, Swenson said she knew of sacrifice but didn't understand the full impact on the family until her mother opened up following Curtis' death. "It was something she never talked about," she said of Berger's death in a non-combat plane crash in Korea. Even after Kay Swenson's sister died from cancer while serving, giving the family another Gold Star, she said the full impact didn't strike her. But Curtis Swenson death as the result of an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan during a combat support operation as part of Operation Enduring Freedom changed everything. She said her family opted to publicly mourn, searching for meaning in Curtis' death and letting others in to share their loss and personal stories. The search led to a memorial fund and educational scholarships , but Swenson said it's also helped others share and consider the enduring lessons of pain and sacrifice. "That's why we strive to turn our pain into purpose," she said. Swenson said sharing the experiences helps deal with the pain, even as the sadness remains indefinitely "It makes me incredibly sad, not knowing what might have been," she said, reflecting on her son's goals and plans for the future. "Letting go of our future is almost as difficult as letting go of him." With that, she urged the crowd that filled the seats and poured out of the memorial during Monday's program to remember those honored on Memorial Day, as well as those left behind as battle survivors and loved ones. Amid the variety of traditions carried out Monday, she said the key is remembering the sacrifices of those lost. "We owe a lifetime of gratitude," she said. "We speak their names so their sacrifice is not forgotten."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bay Area fallen hero's legacy lives on in his hometown
The Brief Spc. Zachary L. Shannon was killed in March 2013, along with four other service members, in a helicopter crash during Operation Enduring Freedom. His hometown of Dunedin is honoring his legacy, making sure his sacrifice is not forgotten. DUNEDIN, Fla. - Kimberly Allison raised four brave boys. Each one proudly served their country in the military – but her youngest, Spc. Zachary L. Shannon, never made it home. What they're saying "We have a military wall. So I see his face every day. I live it every minute of every day," said Zachary's mom, Kimberly. She also keeps him close to her heart. "I wear his dog tag, I have his bracelets on, I have the necklace he gave me that says army mom. I talk to him all the time and I know I'll see him again," said Kimberly. Zachary wasn't home long after a 12-month deployment in Korea, when he volunteered to go to Afghanistan. "He said, 'I want to go because then a soldier with a family gets to go home,' So he was home for 3 months. Then he deployed on December 14, 2012, in Afghanistan," said Kimberly. Three months later, on March 11, 2013, Zachary's helicopter crashed, killing him and four other service members in Operation Enduring Freedom. "I think if I knew he was scared it would have hurt even worse. He was not scared; it was where he wanted to be," said Kimberly. "He knew he had a job to do and he'd be home as soon as he's done." His hometown of Dunedin, where he chose to be laid to rest. It's where he played little league baseball, on a field now named after him. A portion of Alternate 19 also bears his name. So does the local VFW, now known as "SPC Zachary Shannon Memorial Post 2550." "A lot of people don't know who Zack is and what he stands for: freedom and free," said Kelly McKinley, VFW Auxillary Patriotic Instructor. Twelve years after his death, the community continues to keep his memory alive. Throughout the month of May, a display at the local library reminds people of the hero who called Dunedin home. "People need to associate a face and a name. He was a Dunedin kid. A hero. I think he represents what its all about," said Kelly. Kimberly finds comfort in knowing the community backs all military families. "You're never truly gone until you're forgotten," said Kimberly. Thanks to people like Kelly McKinley, Specialist Zachary Shannon's legacy will continue to live on. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jennifer Epstein. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
American Military News
6 days ago
- General
- American Military News
‘I felt called to serve': Marine severely injured in evacuation of Afghanistan receives Bay State honor
When the planes hit the twin towers on September 11, 2001, Tyler Vargas-Andrews was just three years old. He couldn't have known it then, but the events of that day and the subsequent decades-long war which followed would shape his life in profound and lasting ways — far more than the average American or even most veterans. Vargas-Andrews, 27, was a 23-year-old U.S. Marine sergeant when he became one of the last U.S. casualties of the nearly 20 year war in Afghanistan. And on Thursday, he was honored by Massachusetts Fallen Heroes with their 2025 Daniel H. Petithory Award, named for the first soldier from the Bay State to die during the war. The first and the last Sgt. 1st Class Petithory was killed by friendly fire in early December of 2001, and was among the very first casualties of Operation Enduring Freedom. The bomb that took Petithory and two other U.S. service members also injured the future President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai. At the time, Vargas Andrews was a toddler and too young to know his country was at war. Even though he didn't come from a military family, Vargas-Andrews said that he knew he wanted to serve his country from a young age. He went to Vanden High School, a Fairfield, California, a district also attended by the children of service members stationed at nearby Travis Air Force Base, until the 10th grade. It was there, he told the Herald, that he saw what service meant, with 'one if not both' of his friends' parents deployed repeatedly as the Global War on Terror entered a second decade. With the conflict building through his entire childhood, the desire to serve eventually became impossible to ignore. 'I chose a path where I could do the most good for others — I felt called to serve — and I'm grateful to say I did it,' he said. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in August of 2017 and eventually was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, known as 'the Professionals.' He was a rifleman, like all Marines, but also a sniper. According to Congressional records describing his service, he was a 'professionally instructed gunmen and radio operator for his sniper team.' According to Vargas-Andrews, he spent his enlistment doing what all Marines try to do in 'chasing the legacy of those who came before us.' It was 'almost four years to the day' after his enlistment, he told the Herald, when he was assigned the task of helping to evacuate U.S. personnel, assets, and allies from Afghanistan at Hamid Karzai International Airport, named for the now-former President injured nearly 20 years earlier on the day Petithory died. Records show he and his team 'aided in the evacuation and processing of over 200 United States Nationals at Abbey Gate in Kabul, Afghanistan and were the primary Ground Reconnaissance and Observation asset throughout Evacuation Operations at Abbey Gate.' As the evacuation was underway on August 26, 2021, a suicide bomber detonated explosives outside the Abbey Gate. Vargas-Andrews was among the dozens of U.S. troops caught in the blast, which claimed the lives of 13 service members and at least 169 Afghan civilians. Vargas-Andrews was severely injured. He lost his right arm and left leg, and needed 49 surgeries. He spent months in recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He wasn't done there, though. Vargas-Andrews has spent the time since he was medically retired from military service attempting to help his fellow veterans learn to live with their own wounds, and heal where they can. He's testified before Congress, become a fitness advocate, and has run in marathons across the country. Coming full circle Choosing Vargas-Andrews to receive the Daniel H. Petithory Award this year, according to Dan Magoon, the executive director at Massachusetts Fallen Heroes, was a 'no-brainer.' 'Tyler is an amazing, resilient warrior,' Magoon told the Herald. Vargas-Andrews, Magoon said, has dedicated his life post-service to his 'brother and sister veterans and gold-star families.' 'And he's used his experience and the tragedy that he lived through to share that message of resiliency. He has a motto: 'you are never a victim.' The way he carries himself and does more for others makes him — not only an exceptional Marine — but an unbelievable human being,' he said. Vargas-Andrews, in speaking with the Herald ahead of Thursday's award presentation, was remarkably positive considering his tragic circumstances. It's not always easy, he explained when asked how he manages to keep his spirits up, but continuing to serve helps a great deal. 'I owe it to my friends who died to try to be happy and live a good life,' he said. 'The Marine Corps has shaped me into the man that I am today and it's given me the people I love most in my life.' ©2025 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
