I’m sitting here sipping my coffee, reading about the latest developments in the Middle East, and I just can’t help but think that this is a mess. The Department of Defense has identified two US soldiers who were killed in Iranian strikes in Jordan – 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19. Both were killed in the attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, with Gonzales dying on Friday and Feehan passing away on Saturday. It’s just heartbreaking to think about these young people losing their lives in service to our country.
The Pentagon has confirmed that the two soldiers were killed “during an enemy attack,” and that other American service members were injured, with four being medically evacuated to a hospital in Jordan. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which is no surprise. I mean, who else would be behind this kind of thing? The Pentagon is still investigating the attack, but it’s clear that this is a serious escalation of the conflict.
I’m looking at the pictures of Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, and it’s just devastating. She was only 19 years old, from Carrollton, Texas. It’s hard to believe that someone so young could be taken from us like this. And 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, from Ewa Beach, Hawaii – he was a young man with his whole life ahead of him. It’s just tragic.
The deaths of these two soldiers bring the total number of US service members killed in the nearly five-month war to 17. It’s a sobering reminder of the risks that our military personnel take every day. And it’s not just the deaths – there have been many more injuries and close calls. It’s a miracle that more people haven’t been hurt.
I’m reading about the other incidents that have happened in the past few months, and it’s just astonishing. Six US Army Reserve soldiers were killed in a direct Iranian strike on a makeshift operations center at Kuwait’s Shuaiba port back in March. And then there was the Army sergeant who died after sustaining injuries in an attack in Saudi Arabia. It’s just one thing after another.
The US has been targeting Iranian railways, roads, and tunnels, while Iran has been launching attacks against an expanding list of countries in the region. It’s like a game of cat and mouse, except that people are dying. Despite all this, officials are still holding out hope for a diplomatic solution. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US “remains open” to talks, and an official representing Iran said they were similarly open to discussions. I guess that’s something, at least.
President Donald Trump said that the deaths of the American service members were “a very sad thing.” Well, that’s an understatement. He told NewsNation that “we hate to see it happen,” and that “it’s in service to our country.” I suppose that’s all he can say at this point.
As I finish my coffee and wrap up this article, I’m just left shaking my head. This is a terrible situation, and it seems like things are only getting worse. I just hope that somehow, someway, we can find a way out of this mess without any more lives being lost. And that’s a pretty sad way to start the day, folks. 😔
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
