First U.S. service member killed in Syria - Polidicks

[QUOTE]A U.S. service member was killed by an improvised explosive device in northern Syria on Thursday, the Pentagon announced in a statement. The service member was killed near Ayn Issa, a town roughly 35 miles northwest of the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa. The death marks the first time a U.S. service member has been killed in the country since a contingent of Special Operations forces were deployed there in October 2015 to go after the extremist group. “The entire counter-[Islamic State] coalition sends its condolences to this hero’s, family, friends and teammates,” said Lt. Gen Stephen Townsend, the commander of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. “On this Thanksgiving please be thankful there are service members willing to take up the fight to protect our homeland from [the Islamic State’s] hateful and brutal ideology.” There are roughly 500 U.S. troops in Syria, mostly operating in support role to a coalition of Arab and Kurdish fighters fighting the Islamic State known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF. Earlier this month, Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter announced that the SDF had begun the initial operations to isolate and eventually retake Raqqa. [/QUOTE] [URL]https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/11/24/first-u-s-service-member-killed-in-syria/[/URL] I'm kinda suprised the US hasn't taken a KIA in Syria until now. I wonder if he was one of the SOF guys rolling around in Toyotas [t]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-62QPm4vlVdk/V0jK1IW3Q6I/AAAAAAAAEjc/FgC-1b7Xp84lMfZ6sxLoQFNutArk5W-2g/w5149-h3415/1040385467.jpg[/t]

[QUOTE=StrykerE;51423470][URL]https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/11/24/first-u-s-service-member-killed-in-syria/[/URL] I'm kinda suprised the US hasn't taken a KIA in Syria until now. I wonder if he was one of the SOF guys rolling around in Toyotas [t]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-62QPm4vlVdk/V0jK1IW3Q6I/AAAAAAAAEjc/FgC-1b7Xp84lMfZ6sxLoQFNutArk5W-2g/w5149-h3415/1040385467.jpg[/t][/QUOTE] There have been some KIA in operations involving syria. but this man was the first to die on the ground. Technically Cpl. Spears was the first to die in combat operations against Syria over a year ago when his Osprey went down.

[QUOTE=UncleJimmema;51423703]There have been some KIA in operations involving syria. but this man was the first to die on the ground. Technically Cpl. Pierce was the first to die in combat operations against Syria over a year ago when his Osprey went down.[/QUOTE] Either way, anymore than 0 is too many. I really wish we weren't doing any operations over there, or at least any that could harm our servicemen. People who die in battle are often fighting for their homeland, but why are we fighting for? What did these men die for?

[QUOTE=The Pretender;51424050]People who die in battle are often fighting for their homeland, but why are we fighting for? What did these men die for?[/QUOTE] They're fighting ISIS, probably the most justified war since fighting Al-Qaeda.

[QUOTE=UncleJimmema;51423703] Technically Cpl. Pierce was the first to die in combat operations against Syria over a year ago when his Osprey went down.[/QUOTE] His name was Spears.

[QUOTE=Dubeard;51424095]His name was Spears.[/QUOTE] Dupe, you are correct. Now I feel like poop for messing that up, he was a guy I trained.

Update: The DoD has released the serviceman's name [t]https://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-QY498_USSYRI_P_20161125171104.jpg[/t] [QUOTE] The Defense Department announced Friday evening the identity of the service member killed in northern Syria while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. [B]Senior Chief Petty Officer Scott Cooper Dayton[/B], 42, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was killed in an improvised explosive device blast on Thursday near Ayn Issa. He was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Two, which is based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. "We offer our deepest condolences and sympathies to the family and friends of Senior Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton, who made the ultimate sacrifice on a day we set aside time to give thanks for our freedom and to recognize the men and women who defend that right," said Rear Adm. Brian Brakke, commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, in a Navy press release. Dayton's qualifications included: Enlisted Explosive Ordnance Disposal Warfare Specialist and Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist. He joined the Navy in 1993 and his awards include: the Bronze Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, seven Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation, Navy "E" Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, two Iraq Campaign Medals, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. Ayn Issa is about 35 miles north of Raqqa, the Islamic State's self-proclaimed capital. Coalition forces have focused their attention there in recent weeks, saying intelligence assessments have suggested militants in the city are actively plotting terror attacks against the U.S. and its allies. [/QUOTE] [URL]http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/dod-releases-name-of-service-member-killed-thursdasy-in-syria[/URL]

[QUOTE=The Pretender;51424050]Either way, anymore than 0 is too many. I really wish we weren't doing any operations over there, or at least any that could harm our servicemen. People who die in battle are often fighting for their homeland, but why are we fighting for? What did these men die for?[/QUOTE] We are waging war to expunge ISIS, as their existence cannot and will not be tolerated any longer. The longer ISIS remains active, the more damage they do. This isn't exclusively our problem anymore, and american lives are not the only ones at risk anymore. Unfortunately, fighting wars of any sort means casualties. This is the constant risk of warfare that must be accepted. ISIS has declined significantly over the years, but they will remain a threat to the safety and stability of the world until they are snuffed out. We can no longer simply stick our heads in the sand and let these awful things happen on the international level; sooner or later, it will affect us close to home.

[QUOTE=UncleJimmema;51424107]Dupe, you are correct. Now I feel like poop for messing that up, he was a guy I trained.[/QUOTE] Wow, thats kinda crazy

Reports are coming from a few sources that another five men were KIA. [media]https://twitter.com/metesohtaoglu/status/802578647446077440[/media]