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Please, No “Happy Memorial Day” Wishes to Veterans

Memorial Day is on Monday but for the veterans in our town we’ve been fully into Memorial Day mode for some time now. The veterans of our local Veterans Council, VFW and American Legion of which I’m involved with, do all the planning and coordination for our town’s local Memorial Day parade and visit all of the local schools for their Memorial Day programs.

Our small town, a bucolic little burg in Central Massachusetts of just about 13,000 people have traditionally done right by their veterans and the military community and don’t just go thru the motions with a program for Memorial and Veterans Day, but seek to educate the young people of the town with not just the history of these days but why they are important and in the end they come away with a deeper understanding and respect for the entire process.

One innovation that one of the schools did last Veterans Day was instead of having a typical program that took up an hour of the day, the program was very short on the history behind it. And then the school had veterans attending, get assigned to a 5th or 6th Grade classroom and talk about their own experiences and then the students could ask questions about whatever they chose about anything pertaining to military life.

It was a huge success. Our local Veterans Council has members from World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, Panama, and Desert Storm as well as the current Global War on Terror. The principal relayed to me that the students came away with a much deeper respect of what constitutes Veterans Day and the sacrifices that a military life entails.

But we’re far from perfect. We’ve already visited three different schools this week and as this goes live, we’ll be finishing off another visit to our local high school. One of the things that are most uncomfortable for veterans on this weekend is when well-meaning, but unknowing citizens in town greet us at the school with a “Thank You for your service, and a have a Happy Memorial Day.”

To veterans that is an uncomfortable comment. While there has never been any malice or ill-will intended by these comments from our townspeople, it isn’t a true “happy” holiday. While some vets will look back upon those departed comrades, forever young from long ago and think of the happy times they spent together or as General George S. Patton Jr. wrote, “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”

Memorial Day isn’t a happy holiday, it is a time for solemn remembrance of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we all get to enjoy. And the longest wars in our history that are still unfolding are reminders that the price for freedom is very steep and continues to be paid in blood on a daily basis. I mean, no one says “Happy Pearl Harbor Day”, rather we say “Remember Pearl Harbor”.

But there are still those who are willing to put their lives and futures on the line and take their place in the long lines of veterans who have served our country. Several high schoolers are waiting only for graduation before they ship out for basic training.

But back to the day, it isn’t a celebration. We will march once again in our town’s parade and truth be told, I’ve always hated marching and drill and ceremonies. We were never very big on either of those in Special Forces. But as we’ve told people countless times in the past few weeks/years, this isn’t about us. Veterans Day is about those of us who are still around. This is about those who never got a chance to come home and have that family barbecue surrounded by relatives and loved ones.

And while it is perfectly acceptable to have a solemn remembrance, like a parade for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and then celebrate their existence, (haven’t we all raised a glass to a close friend or comrade who didn’t “beat the clock?”) with a barbecue.

While we’ll celebrate the lives of those who passed on and be thankful for their service and sacrifice it isn’t a true, “happy” holiday. We’ll march in memory of those who can no longer answer the call.

I personally love what the people do in Israel on their own version of Memorial Day. Yom Hazikaron begins at 8:00 p.m. the night before. All places of entertainment are closed and the television stations broadcast stories of those who passed in the line of duty. Then on the actual Memorial Day, A two-minute siren is sounded at 11:00 at which time everything stops including traffic and the country goes totally silent. However, that would never happen here in the United States.

So to answer the question others have asked, what is the proper etiquette for greeting veterans on Memorial Day? That is a great one, but the one I’d go with is “We’ll Remember on Memorial Day.” You can’t go wrong with that one.

And yes, after the parade and the ceremonies at all the cemeteries (five) are done on Monday, we’ll hoist the flag back up to full staff at noon and retire to the VFW with all of the citizens who care to join and we will celebrate. We’ll celebrate and toast the men and women who gave us the freedoms we enjoy. They paid the tab, and we get to enjoy the rest of the day.

Photo: Civil War section of the local cemetery, the Grand Army of the Republic section. Author photo

Putin, Russia Appears Pleased Where the Syrian Conflict Is

The Syrian Civil War is moving towards a stalemate with the government of President Assad regaining control of 60 percent of his territory. The U.S.-led coalition will continue to hold ground in the east and the Turks have made it clear they will not return Syrian territory around Idlib.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin is fine with all of that. He’s already managing similar conflicts like this in Georgia and Ukraine.

Other significant players in Syria, including Israel, the United States, Turkey, and the remaining Sunni Arab rebels, may likewise discover they’d be satisfied with this new reality. The clearest losers, by contrast, would be the Assad regime and Iran.
What are the indications Syria is moving in the direction of frozen conflict? Consider the recent visit by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Russia to meet with Putin. At the press conference following the meeting, Putin told reporters that, “Following the Syrian Army’s notable successes in fighting terrorism, and with the activation of the political process, the foreign forces based in Syria will start to withdraw from the country.” This seemed to hint that the Russian president wasn’t interested in assisting the Assad regime’s reconquest of the entirety of Syria. And absent the Russian air support that the Syrian military has relied on in major combat operations (including the siege of Aleppo and the destruction of rebel-controlled Eastern Ghouta), such reconquest would be impossible.
Some have speculated that Putin was referring only to the withdrawal of foreign forces opposed to the regime. In the past, Moscow has sought to differentiate between its own presence in Syria (at the invitation of the “legitimate” Syrian authorities) and the uninvited presence of other foreign elements. On this occasion, however, Russia’s Syria envoy, Alexander Lavrentiev, clarified that the president was referring to “all foreign military forces stationed in Syria, including American, Turkish, Hezbollah, and Iranian [forces].”
The Russian statement was followed by an angry response from Tehran. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told reporters in Tehran that, “No one can force Iran to do anything. … As long as terrorism exists and the Syrian government wants, Iran will have presence [in Syria].” The dueling statements are just one indication among many of differences between Moscow and some of its allies about the future of Syria.
Iran has been pushing for the regime to attempt an assault on remaining rebel enclaves in southwest Syria. The arrival of Iran-supported units to the border, however, brings with it the possibility of a large-scale Israeli response. Russia has no interest in such an outcome, which could plunge Syria into a new war and threaten the gains the Assad regime has already made.

Putin it seems is content with the consolidation of his main ally in the Assad regime and continuing to work with both Turkey and Israel as well as the continuing undermining of the West’s influence in the area.

To read the entire article from Foreign Policy, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 9, Day 6

Friday morning gym day and what better way to kick the weekend off than with Leg Day. Starting with Squats – front, dumbbell goblet, and barbell, then some lunges and after the weighted sled push. This will build up the strength and endurance to carry the rucksack. And we’ll finish the workout off with a five-mile run in 40 minutes or less.

UBRR Training:

Continue to prep for the UBRR.

3 x Front Squat 20-15-12 reps (lighter weight)

3 x Goblet Dumbbell Squats 20-15-12 reps (lighter weight)

3 x 10 Barbell Rear Squats

3 x 10 Deadlifts

3 x 10 Dumbbell Lunges

3 x 10 Romanian Lunges

3 x Weighted sled push (heavier weight) or Fireman’s Carry

5-mile run (40 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

May 24, 1939 USS Squalus Rescued By a New Diving Bell

Prior to this date in 1939, no submarine had ever been rescued in more than 20 feet of water. But all of that would change off the frigid, unpredictable waters of the New Hampshire coast. USS Squalus was the Navy’s newest submarine and she was going thru her sea trials when she went beneath the waves on May 23, 1939, and at that moment everything changed forever.

The Squalus had just been outfitted at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and she was about nine miles off the coast when she performed her first dive during her sea trials. Things quickly went awry and the sub immediately began flooding. Squalus went down in 240 feet of water. The crew of 58 men were all trapped on the ocean’s bottom.

But the Navy put into motion a rescue effort that was unprecedented and 39 hours later, 33 members of the crew would be rescued in a fantastic display of courage and can-do attitude by everyone involved. Before the ordeal was over the officers and men of the Squalus’ rescue and the Falcon salvage team would receive four Medals of Honor, 46 Navy Crosses, and one Distinguished Service Medal.

The sub had performed well in 18 test dives prior to May 23rd, and no concerns were expected on the day of the 19th dive. Squalus left Portsmouth at 7:30 a.m. on the morning of the 23rd and they headed down the Piscataqua River and out four miles past the Isles of Shoals. The commander of the Squalus, Lt. Oliver Naquin had four officers, 51 enlisted men and three civilians from the shipyard out for the sea trials.

USS Squalus before setting to sea on her trials at Portsmouth Navy Shipyard. (US Navy)

Naquin ordered the ship rigged to dive and the crew went to their stations. Everything went perfectly a first, the ship went into a steep dive and leveled off at 60 feet. Then over the battle phone, the engine room called out to the bridge, “Take her up!

The main air induction valve had failed to close, for reasons that were never discovered. Tons of seawater gushed into the engine room aft of the vessel. While the men tried to close the induction valve, they pumped oxygen into the ballast tanks in an attempt to lift the sub. And for a moment, Squalus slowly lifted her nose. Then seawater began pouring in and the sub sank to the bottom.

With water flooding into the battery compartment, the Chief Electrician’s Mate Lawrence Gainor shut down the batteries before they exploded or caught fire. The ship was plunged into darkness. The operating compartment was just sealed off seconds before they too were flooded from the aft battery compartment.

The Navy immediately notified the Experimental Diving Unit, in charge of rescuing downed subs at the Washington Navy Yard. LtCdr Charles Momsen in charge of the unit had developed a rescue diving bell that had yet to be tried. The Navy had lost 851 men in sub accidents and not one rescue up to this point had been successful. The Navy flew him and a team of divers up to New England to try to effect a rescue.

The minesweeper Falcon dispatched from New London, CT was to be the rescue ship. The Squalus had dispatched a buoy on a cable with a telephone attached to mark their position. The commander thought they could survive for 48 hours on the air they had.

At 12:55 p.m the Sculpin, the sister sub to the Squalus found her buoy and they established radio contact before the cable snapped. The Falcon didn’t arrive with the diving bell until early the next morning, May 24th. When she moored directly over the sub shortly before ten a.m., the sky cleared and the sun came out.

A rescue diver descended the 240 feet in the inky water to land right on top of the Squalus about 3-4 feet from where the diving bell needed to attach to the crew’s escape hatch. He stomped on the hatch to let the crew know he was there. They enthusiastically banged on the hatch as a response. It took 40 minutes to lower the cable the diving bell would come down and another 22 for the diver to attach it to the sub’s escape hatch. The pressure of the water at that depth made the simplest of tasks extremely hard to perform.

At 11:30 the diving bell was lowered from the Falcon and it took about 30 minutes for it to reach Squalus. They soon made a watertight seal on the escape hatch. The two sailors in the diving bell opened the hatch and handed down some hot soup for the sub’s crew. Sailors, never lacking for sardonic humor, asked, “Where the hell are the napkins?”

The first seven men were loaded into the bell, judged by Naquin to be the weakest. They broke the surface just after 2 p.m. On the next trip, the sailors, knowing the unpredictable New England weather thought they’d put more sailors in the bell to speed things along. Shortly after 4:00 p.m the bell arrived a second time with nine sailors. Another nine men came up shortly before 6:30 p.m.

The fourth and final trip loaded the final eight men including the commander Naquin into the bell. They began their ascent by around 8:15 p.m. at 160 feet, the bell stopped. The wire was fouled and they were forced to cut it and let the bell go to the bottom where they’d reattach a cable. Finally, the crew was able to lift the diving bell up from the bottom, the last trip taking four and a half hours. All 33 survivors made it to the Falcon and safety.

The bow of the Squalus breaks the surface as the Navy recovered her in September 1939. (US Navy)

In September of 1939, the Navy was able to raise Squalus off the ocean floor, they recovered 25 of the 26 sailors, one sailor had made it out but never made it to the surface. His body was never recovered.

In 1940, Squalus was renamed USS Sailfish and served in World War II sinking seven enemy ships. Her conning tower resides in Portsmouth Navy Shipyard as a memorial for sailors lost in combat.

Photos: US Navy

US Disinvites China from Pacific Military Exercise

The continuing escalation of tension between the United States and China has been ratcheted up even more with the U.S. disinviting the Chinese from participating in an upcoming international naval exercise to be held off Hawaii.

Among other things, the U.S. is upset of China’s militarization of small islands in the South China Sea. China’s foreign minister criticized the U.S. decision calling it “very unconstructive” and “unhelpful.”

The move is in response to China’s continued placement of military hardware on seven artificial islands in the Spratly Island chain that it claims as its territory.
“China’s continued militarization of disputed features in the South China Sea only serves to raise tensions and destabilize the region,” said Lt. Colonel Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman.
“As an initial response to China’s continued militarization of the South China Sea, we have disinvited the PLA Navy from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise,” he added. “China’s behavior is inconsistent with the principles and purposes of the RIMPAC exercise.”
Held every two years, this year’s version of the RIMPAC exercise was to begin in late June and end in early August. The exercise is largest international Navy exercise, with 27 nations slated to participate in this year’s version.
China’s navy participated in a limited role in the 2014 and 2016 versions of the exercise.
The move to rescind the invitation to participate in this year’s exercise is directly pegged to China’s buildup of large-scale air and sea facilities on the seven artificial islands it has built up in the Spratly Islands.
In 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping made assurances to President Barack Obama that China was not seeking to militarize the islands, but satellite photos indicate China has consistently placed military equipment on the islands, and built up runways and port facilities that could be used by China’s military.
“We believe these recent deployments and the continued militarization of these features is a violation of the promise that President Xi made to the United States and the World not to militarize the Spratly Islands,” said Logan.
“We have strong evidence that China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, and electronic jammers to contested features in the Spratly Islands region of the South China Sea,” said Logan. “China’s landing of bomber aircraft at Woody Island has also raised tensions.”
State Councilor Wang Yi labeled the rescinding of the invitation “very unconstructive” and “unhelpful to mutual understanding.”

Wang has stated that China is only building civilian and some necessary defense facilities on their own islands,” he said.

He added that the Chinese retain their right to self-defense and compared the construction to what the U.S. does on their bases in Guam and Hawaii.

To read the entire article from ABC News, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Amnesty International: Nigeria’s Military Raped, Killed Civilians

Amnesty International, the human rights organization says the Nigerian military has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the continuing war against Islamic insurgent groups.

The charges leveled against the Nigerian military include rape, torture, and the killing of civilians. The military is fighting not only Boko Haram but the Islamic State West Africa. The military denies all charges.

The crimes were perpetrated for years and have continued despite a presidential inquiry established last August whose findings have not been made public, said the watchdog.
In a statement, the Nigerian military described Amnesty’s findings as “a false report on fictitious rape incidents in IDP (internally displaced person) camps in the North East region of Nigeria.”
A presidency statement said Amnesty’s report lacks credibility.
The 89-page report is based on hundreds of interviews and is replete with accounts of sexual violence, torched villages and other abuses.
“The soldiers, they betrayed us, they said that we should come out of from our villages,” said a woman whose name was given as Yakura in the report. “They said it would be safer and that they would give us a secure place to stay. But when we came, they betrayed us. They detained our husbands and then they raped us women,” said Yakura, who fled Andara village, Borno state, in December 2016.
Nigeria has waged a nine-year war against Boko Haram and its now more powerful offshoot, Islamic State West Africa. The country has fought alongside Cameroon, Chad and Niger and been supported by the United States, Great Britain and France.
The conflict has killed more than 30,000 people and spawned one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
For years, rights groups, aid organizations and journalists have documented military abuses, with little resulting action from the armed forces.
According to Amnesty’s report, interviewees “said that when the military conducted operations in their villages, they burnt down homes and opened fire at remaining residents indiscriminately.”
Often the military would forcibly take people to camps for people displaced by the conflict, the report said. People the military detained without food and water would die, the watchdog said.
Many of the women were held for six months to two years without charge, some were tortured and beaten, and some, along with 32 children, died, the report said.

Amnesty International claims in their report that hunger, sickness and sexual violence remain an issue at all of the displacement camps and occurs on a large scale.

To read the entire article from Voice of America, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 9, Day 5

Chest and Triceps workout at the gym today before a 5-mile run. Shoot for a time below the standard of 40 minutes. Remember to stretch well before and after and to stay hydrated. Mark your progress down in your workout log book.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 12 Bench Press

3 x 10 Dumbbell Flies

3 x 10 Dumbbell Incline press

3 x 20 Pushups (alternate sets with wide, narrow and shoulder width)

3 x 10 Kip Ups

3 x 20 Sit-ups

3 x 20 Cable Push Downs (rope)

3 x 20 Dips or until muscle failure

5-mile run (40-minute maximum)

Stretch well after completion

William Carney, the First African-American to be Awarded the Medal of Honor

With the Memorial Day holiday just days away, we remember the soldiers that fell in battle that paid the price of our freedom. That sacrifice was never so keenly felt as in Charleston, SC during the Civil War. The 54th Massachusetts was a regiment completely staffed with free African-American soldiers, who were fighting to free many of their brethren. They knew that if captured, they’d be executed.

The 54th Massachusetts was given the task of taking Battery Wagner by a frontal assault. Although they breached the wall briefly, they were hurled back with horrendous casualties. Their commander, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw was killed. One sergeant was later awarded for incredible bravery during the attack, Sgt. William Carney was awarded the Medal of Honor nearly 37 years later in 1900.

Carney was born into slavery in Virginia in February 1840, he eventually made his way to Massachusetts via the Underground Railroad where he met up with his father. The family settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts where William learned to read and write and hoped to enter the ministry. But the war ended all of that.

African-Americans were not allowed to join the army until 1863. When the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Colored Infantry was formed early in 1863, he joined as a sergeant in Company C. It was the first regiment fielded by the Union of African-American troops.

On July 18, 1863, the 54th led the charge on Battery Wagner. During the charge across the open beach in front of the fort, the unit’s color guard was shot. Carney, who was just a few feet away, saw the man go down, and he caught the falling flag.

Despite being wounded himself several times, Carney refused to let the flag touch the ground, holding it aloft for all of his troops to see. Upon reaching the base of the Confederate fort he sunk the flag into the ground and exhorted the troops onward. He soon realized that he was all alone on the wall of the fort. He tried to make his way back to the Union lines with dead and wounded troops all around him.

He reached a ditch that had been dry when they arrived but was now waist deep in water. He was crouched down low to keep away from the heavy fire all around him. Then he made a mistake, as he rose to get a better look at the situation. He later wrote: “The bullet I now carry in my body came whizzing like a mosquito, and I was shot. Not being prostrated by the shot, I continued my course, yet had not gone far before I was struck by a second shot.”

As they were being forced back under murderous fire, Carney refused to let the colors touch the ground, despite nearly bleeding to death.

Even as he was being helped to safety by troops from the 100th New York, he grasped the colors tighter to his body, refusing to let them go. He was then grazed on the arm and again taking a shot to the side of his head.

When he reached what was left of the 54th Massachusetts, the sight of Carney carrying the colors was a huge morale boost for the battered and bloodied troops. He was cheered loudly and told the troops, “Boys, the old flag never touched the ground!” When daylight broke, a Confederate officer described the scene, “In front of the fort the scene of carnage is indescribable. I have never seen so many dead in the same space.”

Out of the 600 men under Shaw’s command, 272 were either killed, wounded or missing. The Union troops lost 1515 men, the Confederates just 174. But word of their bravery, especially Carney’s spread. More African-Americans flocked to the military to take up arms against the Confederacy. President Lincoln noted the effect the 54th Massachusetts had on the overall war effort.

Carney would be forced out of the army because of his wounds less than a year later in June 1864. He returned to Massachusetts and married Susannah Williams in October 1865. They had a child Clara who later became a very accomplished music teacher in New Bedford.

Carney worked for a time as the director of streetlights in New Bedford and later became a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service where he worked for 32 years until he retired. He was a founding vice president of the New Bedford Branch 18 of the National Association of Letter Carriers in 1890.

Carney’s heroism at Battery Wagner was finally honored on May 23, 1900, when he was awarded the Medal of Honor. That was nearly 37 years after he took part in what was termed, “One Gallant Rush” with the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. He was the first black soldier to receive the award. When asked about his actions on that day, he simply said, “I only did my duty.”

Carney’s Medal of Honor citation reads:
“When the color sergeant was shot down, this soldier grasped the flag, led the way to the parapet, and planted the colors thereon. When the troops fell back he brought off the flag, under fierce fire in which he was twice severely wounded.”

Carney then worked as a messenger in the Massachusetts State House. He was injured in an elevator accident which eventually claimed his life on December 9, 1908. His body lay in state for a day as thousands of Massachusetts residents by then had memorized the details of that battle from so long before and the flag “that never touched the ground.” The flag at the Statehouse of Massachusetts flew at half-staff in his honor. At that time, that honor was reserved normally for deceased governor, senator, congressman or US President.

Carney is buried in the family plot in Oak Grove Cemetery in New Bedford. Etched on his stone monument is an engraving of the Medal of Honor.

The charge of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry was captured in the feature film Glory.

Pictures: US Army

Startup That Made Safer NFL Helmets Now Turning to the Military

Vicis, a Seattle startup company that sought to make a safer football helmet now has their version in the hands of over 100 NFL players and thousands of high school and college players.

The company is now turning their attention to the military community and making a helmet to better protect our troops.

Last year, the startup signed a contract with the U.S. Army to redesign part of its helmets, co-founder and CEO Dave Marver revealed. The company has been working in stealth to incorporate some of its football helmet technology into the standard issue helmets worn by Army and Marine Corps troops.

U.S. military helmets are optimized for ballistic protection, meaning defense against bullets and shrapnel. Yet roughly 80 percent of head injuries in the military occur in nondeployed settings where those things generally aren’t an issue. Instead, these injuries tend to be of the blunt force variety, incurred from incidents like jumping out of aircraft or striking one’s head during drills or combat training.

In 2016, medical staff from Joint Base Lewis-McChord outside Seattle approached Vicis about trying to improve the blunt impact performance of both the Army and Marine combat helmets, which are similar to one another.

That team operated behind the scenes throughout the past two years. Initially, Vicis funded the work itself, but last year the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center offered the startup a development contract. The company is also starting to raise an approximately $15 million Series B round, which will bring its total funding near $80 million.

For now, Vicis’s work focuses on the pads on the interior of the helmet. The Zero1 football helmet has a layer that consists of hundreds of columns that bend on impact. “The technology inside the pads leverages those same engineering principles,” Marver says.

The improvements have been measurable. Vicis tested its pads in a lab setting using Department of Defense test protocols earlier this year, and the startup says its version performed between 30 and 55 percent better than each model the U.S. military currently uses

While the results are very encouraging, the design is probably still a year or two away. The Army is doing its own testing and Vicis designed the pads so that they could fit into the ballistic helmets without need a total redesign. Existing helmets can be retrofitted with the pads if adopted.

To read the entire article from Inc., click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Israeli Strikes Hamas Tunnel, Outpost and Boats in Gaza

After Hamas orchestrated the “peaceful protest” that the world bought into, the Israeli military wasn’t waiting around for the next one. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), struck at a tunnel as well as two boats that the Palestinians were using to block the blockade.

Palestinian media reported that a training compound belonging to Hamas’ military wing and two boats in the Gaza seaport were targeted in the strike. According to Palestinian reports, the targeted boats were due to depart from the port in an attempt to break the naval blockade on the Strip.
Local residents reported hearing three explosions at the port. A fire broke out at the scene, which rescue forces were working to extinguish.
There were no casualties in the incident, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The strikes were in response to Tuesday’s events when a group of about ten Palestinian approached the border fence near Rafah, according to the Israeli army. Despite the army’s high alert, the group managed to cut through the fence and reach an outpost set up for Israeli snipers due to recent border protests.
The outpost was empty at the time and the Palestinian managed to set it on fire. Afterward they returned to Gaza. The army claims they were aware of the event as it was happening, however, it is unclear why the army would permit them to cross and damage the outpost.
An Israeli army tank fired Tuesday on a Hamas outpost in response to the incident.
This is not the first time Palestinians manage to infiltrate into Israel. In one incident at the end of March, three Palestinians armed with grenades and knives entered Israel and were arrested more than 12 miles inside Israeli territory, near the Tze’elim army base in the south. Days earlier, four Palestinians had illegally crossed the border trying to set fire to military vehicles.

On Tuesday night Israeli security forces arrested four Palestinians suspected of terrorist activities and violent rioting against citizens and security personnel in the West Bank town of Rantis.

They also confiscated funds used to support terrorist operations and seized several weapons.

To read the entire article from Haaretz, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia