Latest news with #militarydeployment
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Family, friends gather in Marysville to send off Ohio Army National Guard air defense unit
About 40 members of the Ohio Army National Guard's Marysville-based Battery C, 1st Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment were honored with a "call to duty" ceremony July 6 before their deployment to the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Family and friends of the soldiers attended the event at the Marysville High School Alumni Hall Performing Arts Center on Amrine Mill Road. The unit will use the Avenger Air Defense System to provide short-range air and missile defense against unmanned aerial systems, cruise missile strikes, helicopters, and fixed-wing, low-altitude threats to critical assets and personnel for the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility. The 174th was previously deployed in 2010-2011 and 2018-2019. On July 3, a call to duty ceremony was held for about 160 members of the Ohio Army National Guard's Piqua-based 1487th Transportation Company, who are deploying to provide transportation assets and support in connection with Operation Spartan Shield. Operation Spartan Shield is a CENTCOM contingency operation in the Middle East that "promotes security, enhances readiness and strengthens the ability to rapidly respond," according to the National Guard. Task Force Spartan, the U.S. Army component of OSS, maintains a military presence in Southwest Asia. The 1487th previously deployed in 2004-2005, 2012-2013, and 2020-2021. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Army National Guard air defense regiment deploying to Middle East
The National
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
UK government urged to seek MPs' approval before sending troops to Middle East
The UK government is facing calls to seek the approval of MPs if it intends to deploy British forces to conflicts in the Middle East. MPs should be given a choice over sending troops to the region before the UK follows another US president into war, the Liberal Democrats have said. The party's foreign affairs spokesman, Calum Miller, said such a decision should be subject to 'the strongest democratic scrutiny', by giving MPs a vote in the House of Commons. The Armed Forces (Deployment Outside the UK) Bill, tabled by Mr Miller, would mandate parliamentary approval before sending the UK's armed forces into overseas conflict zones. It says retrospective parliamentary approval could be granted in cases of emergency military deployments or responses. Parliamentarians have voted on whether to go to war before, and the decision essentially rests on whether the prime minister of the time feels a moral obligation to gain approval from the House of Commons. Parliament has no legally established role and the government is under no legal obligation with respect to its conduct, including keeping parliament informed. In practice, however, successive governments have consulted and informed the Commons about the decision to use force and the progress of military campaigns. MPs gave their approval to Tony Blair's government to take action in Iraq in 2003 when they voted in favour. In August 2013, MPs vetoed British intervention in the war in Syria, defeating the motion put forward by David Cameron's government. He became the first prime minister in more than 200 years to lose a vote on military action, which he accepted. The UK took no action in Syria at that point, although Theresa May ordered an operation in Syria five years later without a vote. Mr Starmer opposed the invasion of Iraq and military action against ISIS in Syria. Polling by Savanta, commissioned by the Lib Dems, revealed 57 per cent of people believe Parliament should vote on any UK military action in Iran. Mr Miller said: 'With the Middle East in the throes of an all-out regional war, we are reckoning once again with the prospect of the UK becoming embroiled in foreign conflict. 'No one knows the fragility of peace in that region, or the price paid for our safety, better than our British troops. It's critical that, if they are asked to put their lives on the line for the UK in active conflict zones, this decision is subject to the strongest democratic scrutiny our country can offer. 'If the government chooses to put our troops directly in the line of fire, Parliament must be granted a vote on that choice before they are deployed – especially now, as the Prime Minister weighs up following another American president into war in the Middle East.'
Associated Press
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
US carrier strike group will embark on scheduled deployment amid Middle East tensions
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The United States' most advanced aircraft carrier leaves Virginia for a regularly scheduled deployment Tuesday that could position it near Israel after the U.S. inserted itself in Israel's war to destroy Iran's nuclear program. The U.S. was already planning to deploy the USS Gerald R. Ford when American warplanes bombed three Iranian sites early Sunday to support Israel's goals. Iran retaliated with a limited missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar on Monday. But later on Monday, President Donald Trump said on social media that Israel and Iran have agreed to a 'complete and total ceasefire' to be phased in over 24 hours. Trump said on Truth Social that the ceasefire would bring an 'Official END' to the war. The Ford will sail for the European theater of command, which includes waters off Israel's Mediterranean coast. The presence of the aircraft carrier and its accompanying warships gives Trump the option of a third carrier group in the Middle East if needed. The U.S. has been shifting military aircraft and warships into and around the region to protect Israel from Iranian attacks. Nearly 4,500 sailors will depart Tuesday morning from the nation's largest Navy base in Norfolk, which sits near the southern edge of Chesapeake Bay. The carrier strike group includes guided-missile destroyers and several squadrons of fighter jets. The Ford is the first in the new Ford class of aircraft carriers, which use an electromagnetic system for launching planes instead of steam catapults to increase flying missions. The ships are also designed to carry a wider variety of planes and operate with several hundred fewer sailors. The Ford was previously sent to the Eastern Mediterranean to be within striking distance of Israel after Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in 2023. The carrier stayed in the Eastern Mediterranean while its accompanying warships sailed into the Red Sea, where they repeatedly intercepted ballistic missiles fired at Israel and attack drones fired at the ships from Houthi-controlled Yemen. From November 2023 until January 2025, the Iranian-backed Houthis waged persistent missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group's leadership described as an effort to end Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The U.S.-led campaign against the rebels included Navy fighter jets and turned into the most intense running sea battle the Navy has faced since World War II. U.S. Navy sailors saw incoming Houthi-launched missiles seconds before they were destroyed by their ship's defensive systems. Pentagon officials talked last year about how to care for the sailors when they returned home, including counseling and treatment for possible post-traumatic stress. The Houthi rebels recently said they would resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel's military campaign against Iran. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the U.S.
CBS News
21-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Vance says National Guard still "necessary" in L.A., calls Sen. Alex Padilla "José Padilla"
Washington — During a visit with federal law enforcement in Los Angeles on Friday, Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration still believes a military deployment to the city is necessary. Vance is the highest-ranking Trump administration official to visit the Los Angeles area since protests broke out in the nation's second-largest city over Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. He gave brief remarks after touring a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Center and a federal mobile command center, and meeting with leadership and Marines on the ground. President Trump federalized thousands of troops from the California National Guard in response to the Los Angeles-area protests and ordered about 700 Marines to be deployed to protect federal property. The president has directed federal immigration authorities to prioritize deporting individuals from Democratic-run cities, including Los Angeles, and a series of ICE operations in L.A. sparked the protests earlier this month. The deployments drew a lawsuit from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who argued the presence of military forces could inflame the situation. Late Thursday, a federal appeals court allowed the president to keep control of the National Guard troops he deployed to the Los Angeles region, halting a ruling from a lower court judge who said the president acted illegally when he activated the troops over objections from Newsom. The protests have waned, but the troops remain. In remarks to reporters on Friday, Vance said the situation has "gotten a lot better," but the Marines and National Guard forces are still "very much a necessary part of what's going on here," arguing the protests could "flare back up." The vice president also alleged that Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had "egged on" violence during the protests. The administration has accused state and local officials of failing to protect federal immigration agents from threats and interference from protesters. Local authorities have pushed back, arguing federal authorities are responsible for the chaos. "I would absolutely say that Gavin Newsom is endangering law enforcement," Vance said. Vance suggested the administration is willing to use the Guard in other places, but that it hopes not to. "If you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we're not going to send in the National Guard because it's unnecessary," the vice president said. In a news conference Friday night, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said Vance was "spewing lies and utter nonsense in an attempt to promote division and conflict in our city." Vance calls Sen. Alex Padilla "José Padilla" At one point, Vance referred to Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat, as "José Padilla." "I was hoping José Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately, I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't the theater," Vance said. The senator made news last week after he was forcibly removed from a press conference hosted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, an incident Vance called "pure political theater." "Mr. vice president, how dare you disrespect our senator," Bass said in her news conference. "You don't know his name? But yet you served with him before you were vice president, and you continue to serve with him today. Because last time I checked, the vice president of the United States is the president of the Senate. You serve with him today, but how dare you disrespect him and call him José. But I guess he just looked like anybody to you." Newsom said Friday in a post on X that mixing up Padilla's name was "not an accident," noting that Vance and Padilla served in the Senate together. "It was very generous of the Vice President to take time out of his closed-door fundraiser to stage a photo op in front of a fire truck — where he 'mistakenly' called a Latino U.S. Senator 'Jose,'" Newsom's office said in a statement. A spokesperson for the senator told CBS News the remark was an "unserious comment from an unserious administration." "As a former colleague of Senator Padilla, the Vice President knows better. He should be more focused on demilitarizing our city than taking cheap shots," the spokesperson added. "He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law," Vance spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk told CBS News. One of the more high-profile José Padillas was sentenced to prison on terrorism and conspiracy charges over a decade ago, on allegations that he worked with al-Qaeda. On Thursday, federal agents were seen outside the Los Angeles Dodgers ballpark, after the team said it blocked immigration authorities from entering. Fans protested, and the Department of Homeland Security said Customs and Border Patrol vehicles "were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement." Federal immigration officers have stepped up enforcement efforts, with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller saying ICE officers are aiming for at least 3,000 arrests a day. So far, the number of arrests has failed to reach that target, with a daily average of about 1,200 arrests in the month of June as of earlier this week. Back in Washington, Mr. Trump is handling international matters, particularly the Israel-Iran conflict. In a statement on Thursday, the president said he will decide whether the U.S. will join Israel in its strikes in the next two weeks. The president traveled to Bedminster, New Jersey, for a fundraising dinner Friday night after meetings with his national security team at the White House.
CBS News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Vance says National Guard still "necessary" in Los Angeles, accuses Newsom of "endangering law enforcement"
Washington — During a visit with federal law enforcement in Los Angeles on Friday, Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration still believes a military deployment to the city is necessary. Vance is the highest-ranking Trump administration official to visit the Los Angeles area since protests broke out in the nation's second-largest city over Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. He gave brief remarks after touring a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Center and a federal mobile command center, and meeting with leadership and Marines on the ground. President Trump federalized thousands of troops from the California National Guard in response to the Los Angeles-area protests and ordered about 700 Marines to be deployed to protect federal property. The president has directed federal immigration authorities to prioritize deporting individuals from Democratic-run cities, including Los Angeles, and a series of ICE operations in L.A. sparked the protests earlier this month. The deployments drew a lawsuit from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who argued the presence of military forces could inflame the situation. Late Thursday, a federal appeals court allowed the president to keep control of the National Guard troops he deployed to the Los Angeles region, halting a ruling from a lower court judge who said the president acted illegally when he activated the troops over objections from Newsom. The protests have waned, but the troops remain. In remarks to reporters on Friday, Vance said the situation has "gotten a lot better," but the Marines and National Guard forces are still "very much a necessary part of what's going on here," arguing the protests could "flare back up." The vice president also alleged that Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had "egged on" violence during the protests. The administration has accused state and local officials of failing to protect federal immigration agents from threats and interference from protesters. Local authorities have pushed back, arguing federal authorities are responsible for the chaos. "I would absolutely say that Gavin Newsom is endangering law enforcement," Vance said. Vance suggested the administration is willing to use the Guard in other places, but that it hopes not to. "If you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we're not going to send in the National Guard because it's unnecessary," the vice president said. In a statement to CBS News, Newsom's office criticized Vance's visit — including one moment in which the vice president referred to Sen. Alex Padilla of California as "Jose Padilla." The Democratic senator made news last week after he was forcibly removed from a press conference hosted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "It was very generous of the Vice President to take time out of his closed-door fundraiser to stage a photo op in front of a fire truck — where he "mistakenly" called a Latino U.S. Senator 'Jose.' We'll let Californians judge his visit for themselves," Newsom's office said. On Thursday, federal agents were seen outside the Los Angeles Dodgers ballpark, after the team said it blocked immigration authorities from entering. Fans protested, and the Department of Homeland Security said Customs and Border Patrol vehicles "were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement." Federal immigration officers have stepped up enforcement efforts, with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller saying ICE officers are aiming for at least 3,000 arrests a day. So far, the number of arrests has failed to reach that target, with a daily average of about 1,200 arrests in the month of June as of earlier this week. Back in Washington, Mr. Trump is handling international matters, particularly the Israel-Iran conflict. In a statement on Thursday, the president said he will decide whether the U.S. will join Israel in its strikes in the next two weeks. The president traveled to Bedminster, New Jersey, for a fundraising dinner Friday night after meetings with his national security team at the White House.
