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ABC News. The countries had been quarreling over a series of events that led to one of the most serious escalations of military intent in over five years.
SEOUL, Tuesday - After days of escalating military tensions between North and South Korea, the contentious countries have agreed to end a standoff, according toThe leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, ordered a "quasi-state of war" and South Korea had raised its military readiness to the its highest level. The two Koreas fired artillery shells across their heavily-fortified border, known as the Korean Demilitarized Zone, and South Korea broadcast anti-North Korean messages over a loudspeaker. The exchange of fire did not result in any damages or injuries, but the two countries argued over who had fired first.
Had the military standoff escalated, the implications could have potentially sparked a global conflict, one that the United States Military might have intervened in. North Korea said it would lift its semi-state of war and said it "regret" causing injuries to South Korean soldiers from a landmine blast on Aug. 4. South Korea, starting on Tuesday, will stop its broadcasts over the border.
Read more: Military standoff between North, South Korea quells after talks
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Ranger School, one of the most grueling tests the army has to offer. The two month course is so notoriously difficult that only 3 percent of soldiers ever finish it. Last Spring, for the first time, women were allowed to enroll. Recently, according to Yahoo News, Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver were the first women ever to complete the training.
FORT BENNING, Ga. - Since 1972, only male soldiers were allowed to attendGriest, 26, of Orange, Connecticut, and Haver, 25, of Copperas Cove, Texas, will become the first women to wear the Army's coveted Ranger tab when they graduate alongside 94 male soldiers Friday at Fort Benning.
Currently, women are still unable to join infantry, armor and special forces units, but that could change next year after the Pentagon makes its recommendations. Haver and Griest — both graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point — not only finished the course they started in April. They both had to start from scratch, having failed two previous attempts. Haver is an Apache helicopter pilot stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, and Griest is a military police officer and Afghanistan veteran stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Read more: Two women soldiers are the first to pass Ranger School
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Tampa Humidor, a cigar shop in Tampa, noticed something interesting about sales at his store. In addition to the regular customers around the area, he was getting a lot of troops - former servicemen and women, and veterans of recent wars and military service persons. In fact, so many service members were coming into the store and buying cigars online that he decided to memorialize them. "They're a part of our customer base," he said, "We have a lot of current and ex-military folks and customers. We get a lot of pictures from guys that are on active duty - flags and stuff too - so we put those up on the wall. We call it the wall of honor." The interactions with these men and women spurred Howe to do something more than just put up pictures.
TAMPA, recently – Mike Howe, the co-owner ofRead more: Tampa Humidor raises money for Support Our Troops
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Recently, Afghanistan - Master Sergeant James -- works with the deployed 72nd Medical Detachment (VSS). They are a small unit that handles all the veterinary treatment and food inspection for working soldiers. Support Our Troops sent care packages to the soldiers, and James provided us with photos of his fellow troops enjoying some rare treats from home. The packages, he said, brought smiles and cheer to his fellow soldiers.
Here is Master Sergeant James --’s letter: SOT Group, I would like to thank you for bringing a little piece of home to our unit during our deployment. We are a small dispersed unit that conducts all the veterinary treatment and food inspection in theater.
We received your package last week and have disbursed throughout the theater to our other sites and I have asked for more pics. If they come in I will surely pass them along to your organization and thank you again for the support and smiles you bring.
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Unfortunately, it isn't always good news. Early Wednesday morning, according to an NBC news report, a helicopter crash landed near Okinawa on Wednesday, injuring seven people. It was a UH-60 Black Hawk aircraft, performing a "hard-deck landing" on the USNS Red Cloud. Footage showed the chopper with part of its tail broken off.
Read more: U.S. Military helicopter crashes near Okinawa, soldiers injured
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CENTRAL AMERICA, Recently, –
From time to time, we get requests for care packages from soldiers stationed all over the world. Nothing gives us more joy than being able to provide small comforts for our deployed brothers and sisters, however, we can't do it without your help and donations.
Captain Dan -- is a logistics officer for a Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force, currently stationed in Central America. The unit, originally from North Carolina, consists of "more than 250 Marines spread across 4 countries," and trains local soldiers in counter drug and trafficking operations.
Captain Dan writes that he has the capacity to send care packages to all of the Marines in the area. Morale is important to him, he said, and nothing builds morale like care packages from strangers back home.
He writes:
"Some of our folks are in pretty austere locations and accessible only by helicopter. I would like to inquire what I need to do to get Care packages for these Marines. As we all know mail means morale; and care packages from strangers back home have always been the most morale building of all."
Please donate to the hard working men and women stationed overseas.