I Got The News Today (IGTNT) is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos. It is a way for our community to pay respect to those of our military who have died while in the service of the United States.
In June, a group of three US ships left port from Norfolk, Virginia. Together, they were the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (WSP ARG). The USS Wasp was deployed with dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island and amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio to carry the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit on their scheduled deployment to the central Mediterranean Sea. The deployment took more than 4,000 sailors and Marines for a six-month assignment. They headed out to protect the waters from the Arabian Gulf to the Red Sea, and the shores of Europe and Africa. Their assignments could include counter-terrorism, counter-piracy or humanitarian missions.
According to The Virginia-Pilot, Captain F. Byron Ogden, commander of Amphibious Squadron Six, remarked about the day that the group headed out of the harbor.
This day marked the Wasp’s first deployment in a decade. Capt. Byron Ogden, commodore of the amphibious ready group, said the ship and crew performed myriad tasks during those 10 years.
In 2012, the Wasp was one of the vessels that provided relief in New York and New Jersey after superstorm Sandy. In addition, an upgrade of the ship’s combat systems was completed during the past couple of years. The ship also served as the test platform for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Ogden said the three ships would “be out there to provide assistance as needed” during its journey. Their capabilities include maritime security, theater security cooperation, counterterrorism and counterpiracy, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
US Navy Airman Devon M. Faulkner
Devon M. Faulkner was from the Raleigh area of North Carolina. He had enlisted in the Navy on December of 2015. He attended boot camp at the Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois and trained at the Naval Aviation Technical Training Center in Pensacola, Florida, In March, he reported for his first ship assignment.
Airman Faulkner was assigned to the amphibious assault ship, the USS Wasp, which was the lead ship in the WSP ARG group. The Airman joined a crew that had spent the past year and a half preparing for this particular tour of duty. He was an aviation boatswain’s mate. Aviation boatswain’s mates are responsible for launch, fueling and recovery of aircraft on the flight deck. It is a hazardous job.
The Wasp was involved in Operation Odyssey Lightning, the U.S.-led coalition operation against the Islamic State in Libya, which began in late July. The operation involved airstrikes carried out against IS-held positions in the Libyan coastal city of Sirte. The Pentagon had estimated that there were about 1,000 IS militants in Libya prior to the start of the airstrikes.
Faulkner was injured aboard ship while it was underway near the coast of Libya. No details about how he was injured have been released by the military. The situation is under investigation. He was 24 years old at the time of the incident that led to his death. This is the first U.S. casualty associated with the current U.S. air campaign against ISIL in Libya.
May he rest in peace.
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About the IGTNT series:
”I Got the News Today” is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died. US service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner. Click the IGTNT tag below to see previous diaries in the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is maintained by i dunno, Sandy on Signal, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, Jax Dem, The Fat Lady Sings, Ekaterin, & Joy of Fishes. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but show our community’s respect for those who have died.
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.