On Monday, June 23, Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, spoke at a Navy Yard ceremony held to honor the nine men and three women who died on September 16, 2013, as well as to honor the courage and sacrifice of numerous others, after a contractor entered the base and opened fire.
Valkyrians Mike Lombardo and Chuck Irwin were among those who were awarded Civilian Service awards and medals for their actions during the course of the tragic day.
Congratulations and thank you, Mike and Chuck; your Valkyrie family is beyond proud of you.
RIMPAC, the world's largest maritime exercise, begins today. More than 25,000 service members from 22 nations helped kick off the 24th Rim of the Pacific exercise.
We're a little late in finding this gem, but better late than never. And thankfully, videos are available for viewing via the show's website and there's a lot of information on their Facebook page, too.
The Air Force has offered an unprecedented look behind the scenes of the elite Combat Rescue members of the U.S. Air Force, Pararescuemen, or PJs. Their mission: to rescue American or Allied forces in extreme danger.
Nat Geo takes viewers inside the harrowing world of brave pararescue airmen on the front lines of Afghanistan. They put their lives on the line so, as their motto states, "that others may live."
Sometimes it's easy to take what we have for granted. Watching these two clips, we hope you'll find a reignited appreciation for those who serve and we're sure you're already a patriot, but we hope you also sense a slightly deeper appreciation for our great nation.
Show Trailer
Inside Combat Rescue Deleted Scene: For Fallen Soldiers
