There’s a new assault vehicle in town, watch out for the Marine Corp’s Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV), AKA – “The Shredder.” Cool video below!

The Breacher is a force to be reckoned with that became operational in Dec. 2009. The Marines used it to during Operation Cobra’s Anger, an operation in northern Helmand Province Afghanistan that focused on cutting off enemy supply and communications lines to the north.

That was just the beginning. Marines headed to the Marjah battle in Helmond province with Assault Breacher Vehicles. According to Brig Gen. Larry Nicholson, Marines commander in southern Afghanistan, “This may be the largest IED threat and largest minefield that NATO has ever faced.”

When an Assault Breacher hits and detonates a mine or IED, the Breacher hardly shudders!

“The Shredder” looks similar to bulldozer and tank and weighs in at 72 tons with a length of over 40 feet. It includes a plow and nearly 7,000 pounds (3,175 kilograms) of explosives.

This $3.75 million machine is designed to safely clear minefields and improvised explosive devises (IEDs) that the enemy has planted ahead of time. Breachers have powerful capabilities like firing rockets carrying high grade C-4 explosive up to 150 yards forward, detonating the hidden bombs at a safe distance so that troops and vehicles can pass through safely.

ABVs are operated by combat engineers. Watch out – the Breacher is coming! Watch this amazing video of the latest assault vehicle! I’ve never seen anything like it!

Services took place around the world to mark the 91st anniversary of the armistice signed between Germany and the Allies on November 11, 1918.

Depending on where it is celebrated, the day is alternatively known as Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, Poppy Day or Veterans Day.

Veterans – we honor YOU. Thank you for your service to our country. We join the rest of the nation on Veterans Day in remembering the sacrifices of America’s 25 million veterans and expressing our appreciation for your service.

Here’s the cool part: for the past year, every package sent through Operation Hooah was personally delivered by her son, an Army Chinook pilot.  He ensured that every package got delivered. She is hoping to continue these package deliveries when his deployment ends, but will need pilots to be Santa Claus(s) for Operation Hooah.

And, getting those packages and flying them out truly enriched her son’s time in Afghanistan. As you can imagine,  he was a pretty popular guy with the soldiers out there.

Thousands of brave soldiers are deployed to FOBs in rugged conditions. Some in remote outposts live in dugouts or hand built fort-like structures of timber and rock/mud sandbags. In the WINTER, it is very cold and wet, and in SUMMER it is beastly hot, dusty and dry over there in Afghanistan. Soldiers deployed to outposts and firebases are often dirty, hungry, bored, lonely, very cold, or miserably hot, and much of the time, in harm’s way. Many do not have any laundry facilities; the only water is what the Chinooks can deliver, so some only get a shower once a month. Often, sanitary conditions are quite dispiriting. Though the platoon FOBs and outposts are resupplied by helicopter, it is no small task to keep them completely supplied and able to function and keep morale high when their surroundings are unsanitary, crude, hostile… and… WAY in the HECK out in the wilderness so far away from comfort, safety, and loved ones!

What an awesome job Operation Hooah is doing! There are 2 simple ways that you can help. Visit Operation Hooah! to find out how you can help! – http://www.operationhooah.com/

HOOAH!

The gunman today in a deadly rampage that claimed 13 lives was identified as military doctor who feared an impending war deployment.  He wounded 30 others before he himself was shot and killed.

This terrible tragedy is unbelievable. We fear sending our families off to strange soil in distant lands – we shouldn’t have to fear when they are at home.

Federal law enforcement officials say the shooter, Hasan, had come to their attention at least six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats.

Learn more at FoxNews.com and USAToday.com

Red Cross local blood centers are asking for much needed donations.  More information: Blood Needed.

Prayer is needed! Say a prayer for those who were seriously wounded in today’s attack.

There was moment of silence on Capitol Hill today and the President also expressed his deep sympathy.

The eight deaths occurred during “multiple, complex” bomb strikes that also killed one Afghan civilian, the U.S. military said in a statement.

Several troops were wounded and evacuated to a nearby medical facility, the military said. No other details were immediately available.

The deaths bring to 55 the total number of American troops killed in October in Afghanistan. The previous high occurred in August, when 51 U.S. soldiers died and the troubled nation held the first round of its presidential elections amid a wave of Taliban insurgent attacks.

The deadliest month of the Iraq conflict for U.S. forces was November 2004, when 137 Americans were killed during the assault to clear insurgents from the city of Fallujah.

“A loss like this is extremely difficult for the families as well as for those who served alongside these brave service members,” said Navy Capt. Jane Campbell, a military spokeswoman. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who mourn their loss.”

Read the whole article at FoxNews.com

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and, as always, are with our soldiers.

At my workplace, not one person mentioned this tragedy. Not one person even acknowledged what had happened. I called my son and told him how disappointed I was in people – where is the patriotism that our great country used to hold with pride? I don’t know where it went. I know that it is here in my heart, my family, and everyone that is connected to the Military in some way.

Source: FoxNews.com

KABUL — Helicopter crashes killed 14 Americans on Monday in the deadliest day for the U.S. mission in Afghanistan in more than four years. The deaths came as President Barack Obama prepared to meet his national security team for a sixth full-scale conference on the future of the troubled war.

In the deadliest crash, a helicopter went down in the west of the country after leaving the scene of a firefight, killing 10 Americans — seven service members and three Drug Enforcement Administration agents. Eleven American service members, one U.S. civilian and 14 Afghans were also injured.

It was the heaviest single-day loss of life since June 28, 2005, when 16 U.S. troops on a special forces helicopter died when their MH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down by insurgents.

Read more…

Here at Army Mom Strong, we grieve the loss of all US Service members and our thoughts and prayers go out to every family that was touched by this terrible tragedy.

Hostile fire has been ruled out in the crash, a military statement said. U.S. military spokesman Col. Wayne Shanks said he did not have other details yet about the cause of the collision.

Shanks said the injured had been evacuated to hospitals inside Afghanistan.
n an unrelated incident, another helicopter went down Monday during an operation by international forces against insurgents in western Afghanistan in which a dozen militants were killed.

The U.S. said military casualties were reported and a recovery operation is under way. Casualties could refer to either dead or injured.

This has been the deadliest year for international and U.S. forces since the 2001 invasion to oust the Taliban. Fighting spiked around the presidential vote in August, and 51 U.S. soldiers died that month – the deadliest for American forces in the eight-year war.

So far in October, more than 30 American troops have died.

Read more: NYDailynews.com

Our deepest sympathy to the families. Thoughts and prayers go out to the families of these brave soldiers.

At least eight American troops and two members of the Afghan National Security Force died — the largest number of Americans killed by hostile action in a single day in more than a year, according to CNN records.

At least 13 Afghan police officers were captured in the attack, according to Haji Abdul Halim, the deputy governor of Nuristan province, where the battle took place.

The fighting lasted about 12 hours, with the militants firing down on the joint U.S.-Afghan outpost from ridgelines above the base, a senior U.S. military official with direct knowledge of the first reports told CNN. The official said the report was preliminary and subject to change as more information came in.

Read the entire story at CNN >>

Pray for our troops and give a moment of silence for those who lost their lives todat.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, Oct. 3, 2009) — An Army Ranger died Oct.1 from wounds received during combat operations in Afghanistan while serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment based at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Sgt. Roberto Daniel Sanchez, 24, was killed in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan during a combat operation involving multiple enemy contacts that killed nine enemy combatants and destroyed a large weapons cache. During the operation Sanchez was mortally wounded by an enemy improvised explosive device.

“Sgt. Sanchez epitomized the spirit and ethos of the Ranger Regiment,” said Col. Michael E. Kurilla, commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment. “He is a hero to our Nation, our Army and his family.”

“Sgt. Sanchez was the quintessential Ranger, enthusiastic, smart, loyal to his mission, his country and his friends,” said Col. Brian Mennes, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Battalion commander. “He led with distinction and would want us to continue supporting the efforts for which he so humbly and selfishly dedicated his life.”

After graduating from Satellite Senior High School, Satellite Beach, Fla., Sanchez enlisted in the U.S. Army from his hometown of Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., July 2004. He began his Army Ranger career when he was assigned to Company B, 1st Bn., where he served as an automatic rifleman and team leader.

Sanchez was on his fifth deployment in support of the War on Terror with three previous deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan.

He is survived by his parents 1st Sgt. Will and Wendy Holland and brothers Jacob Goldberg and Logan Holland of Hendersonville, Tenn., and maternal grandparents James and Mary Wilson of Ocala, Fla.