The biggest worry for deployed military men and women is making sure their families are cared for back home. It comes down to one word: money. True, your checks still get deposited, but what if something comes up and you’re not there to deal with it? Stowing away a little something extra for when things go awry is a wise thing to do. An US Military loan is a great way to do it. And since there are more deployments likely to come, you might want to keep it on the top of your mind.
The US is getting more involved in the fight against Islamic militants in Mali in support of French troops. In addition to existing C-17 cargo missions into Mali, which have taken several hundred French troops and over 150 tons of equipment, Uncle Sam will be conducting aerial refueling missions beginning immediately, but leaders have also been developing plans for the US to airlift troops in from Chad and Togo. This will support the African international effort to prevent Al Qaeda from taking over the western region of Saharan Africa.
Since the new Malian government is unelected, i.e. the result of a military coup in its own right, the US can’t support it militarily, but we can do the end around with this airlift support. Our government is now more emboldened to do such things. Malian forces have recently retaken the city of Gao with help from French ground forces. Since Jihadists’ capabilities have been reduced, the government forces have made strong advances into territory that had been taken by the militants.
Other countries are emboldened to participate as well, which is where the US airlifts will come into play. Several thousand African troops Benin, Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Chad, and Togo are on the way.
This situation, although now coming under control, just goes to show the world that the fight is not over. That said, the US military are unlikely to go at ease anytime soon. Islamic extremist seek places like Mali to carve out areas of operation to train for bigger initiatives later, and when government changeovers like the coup in Mali and the Iraqi overthrow occur, they are right there to attempt to fill the vacuum. We, of course, can’t allow that to happen, so we remain on alert.
