Walking off the loading ramp of a C-17 cargo plane and into vibrant sunlight, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment arrived at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, Dec. 15. Within moments, fine, beige dust clings to uniforms and warming layers are shed. Even during the winter, it gets hot.

As New Yorkers and visitors gear up for New Year's Eve celebrations, the citizen-Soldiers of the New York National Guard remain on duty in support of homeland security missions across the state. At the direction of New York Gov.

After more than nine months of work and $12 million in funding, a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules became the first aircraft to utilize a new apron at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti (CLDJ), Dec. 22, marking the beginning of operational missions on the apron known as 'Enduring Ramp'. "Initially, Camp Lemonnier was built as an expeditionary base with expeditionary hardware," said Lt. j.g. John Woods, the air operations officer at CLDJ.

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MASSACRE AT FORT HOOD

5 November, 2009 has become a date that will live in infamy. Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly used a personally owned Fabrique Nationale Five-seveN handgun to shoot nearly four dozen of his fellow soldiers. 13 were dead, and at least 30 were wounded.

The investigation into the shooting at Fort Hood, allegedly carried out by Nidal Malik Hasan, is continuing. That said, a number of lessons are already emerging –lessons necessary to prevent the next such attack (or much worse).

 

SECTARIAN HELL

We met with Lt. Col Ralph Peters, USA (Ret.), Fox news strategic analyst and New York Post columnist in Washington, D.C. for a face to face since some of his columns have been reprinted in Soldier of Fortune.