One of the driving forces behind continuing to send care packages to U.S. military troops overseas is the understanding that thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are deployed in hostile, dangerous areas. Though the troops in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan are often classified as being in non-combat roles, a peaceful job description does not typically include dealing with IED's, mortar or rocket strikes, and indirect fire.
Excerpts from a May 31, 2016 Washington Post article:
Two U.S. troops were wounded in Iraq and Syria over the weekend, the Pentagon confirmed Tuesday, a sign that as the number of offensive operations against the Islamic State has increased, so has the danger to American forces in the region.
One service member, probably a Special Operations soldier, was hit by “indirect fire” such as a rocket or mortar strike while operating north of the Syrian city of Raqqa, the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed capital. Another soldier was also hit by indirect fire outside Irbil, a city in the Iraqi region of Kurdistan.
According to publicly available data from the Pentagon, there have been 14 service members wounded in Iraq and Syria since the start of the U.S.-led mission there in 2014. Tuesday’s announcement is the first official recognition of a U.S. service member being wounded in Syria. There are roughly 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and probably about 500 in Syria.
Besides Keating, two other Americans have been killed during combat operations against the Islamic State ... During his annual Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery, President Obama stressed that the three service members gave “their lives in combat on our behalf.”
The Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas are proud to support our troops with care packages.
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