(EMAIL SENT TO ALL US BNSE PERSONNEL on 9/11/2014) Hello everyone, Thirteen years ago I was driving to work and heard on the radio an airplane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Didn’t think much of it as New York City has a long history of airplanes crashing into buildings including a B-25 that crashed into the Empire State Building at the end of WWII. Shortly later I saw the second attack live on television. Declared or undeclared, the United States of America has been at war ever since. Our service here in this remote theater is little recognized and overlooked amongst the history sweeping around us today: Ukraine, ISIS, Syria, Yemen, Ebola and Princess Kate is pregnant again. People are fickle consumers of news. That is to be expected; peacekeepers and nation-builders are unheralded and soon forgotten. Yet what we do here is vitally important to victory in the greater war on terror. This region has been at the heart of world conflict for 3,000 years. Only 100 years ago the Balkans ignited WWI that created Russian Communism, led to the rise of Adolf Hitler, was causal to our Korean and Vietnam Wars, and created Yugoslavia which exploded into pieces in the 1990s resulting in our being here today to help keep Kosovo Albanians, Kosovo Serbs and Serbian nationals from each other’s throats. You probably read 40 alleged Islamist terrorists were arrested in Kosovo last month, that perhaps 200 Kosovars are fighting in Syria today and a Kosovar in ISIS was videoed butchering another human being. It is not peaceful here. What you are doing is important. If we can help this part of the world remain calm and aloof from the passions of Islamist extremism it means your children will have a better chance to remain free from terrorist acts back in the USA, or Germany, or England. I honor you today for your service to our nation during this time of conflict. If you have any question or lack understanding of how your work directly saves lives here and at home please come see me. You are a link in the chain of peace. Most cordially yours on 9/11, LTC ROGER T. AESCHLIMAN United States National Support Element - Balkans Commanding
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 07:31:33 +0000
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