Afghanistan

An American hero made the ultimate sacrifice this week in Afghanistan, where U.S. troops have been fighting for almost 17 years.

According to the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Reymund Rarogal Transfiguracion, 36, died Sunday, August 12 “of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near him while he was conducting combat patrol operations” in Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand Province. The valiant Green Beret’s death is under investigation.

Hawaii News Now spoke with one Staff Sgt. Transfiguracion’s six brothers, who said his “mentor” was doing what he loved in Afghanistan.

“He always had this Special Forces Green Beret poster in his room growing up. That was his dream,” Reynell Transfiguracion told the station. “He did what he had to do and achieved his dream. I’m beyond words of how proud and how much I appreciate his efforts and success.”

According to the article, Reymund joined the National Guard after graduating from high school on Hawaii’s Big Island in 2001. He served in Iraq nearly 13 years before his final deployment to Afghanistan as an elite U.S. Army Green Beret. Clearly, the Bronze Star and multiple Purple Heart recipient dedicated every fiber of his being to protecting others.

“Reymund was a great man,” his wife, Edelyn, said in a statement. “We are very proud of him.”

Please pray for the family, friends and fellow soldiers of Staff Sgt. Reymund Rarogal Transfiguracion as they mourn an incomprehensible loss.

Iraq and Syria

Thousands of U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Syria are keeping up the pressure against ISIS. This Pentagon article details the ongoing fight against terrorists in the region, including the removal of approximately 1,000 pounds of explosives in the last few weeks.

As mainstream media reports (like this Washington Post story) focus on speculation about how many ISIS fighters remain in Syria and Iraq, the military says it has one focus: the mission.

“Make no mistake: The coalition is not talking victory or taking our foot off the gas in working with our partners,” U.S. Army Col. Sean Ryan said this week.

Please pray for the brave men and women in uniform risking their lives in Iraq and Syria, as well as their families here at home.

World War II

My grandfather, Canio Sileo, will be laid to rest with military honors this Friday in Rockaway, New Jersey.

A World War II veteran who served in France before ultimately meeting and marrying my grandmother in postwar Germany, my grandfather’s love of family and country inspired me to start writing about our nation’s heroes.

U.S. Army Pfc. Canio Sileo serves in Allied-occupied Germany in 1946.

While my grandfather would never want the focus on him instead of fallen warriors like Staff Sgt. Reymund Rarogal Transfiguracion, I wanted to thank him for not only serving our nation, but for teaching me why America and the heroes who defend it are the world’s best.

I’ll miss you, Pop.

Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is co-author of three books about military heroes: 8 Seconds of Courage, Brothers Forever and Fire in My Eyes. Follow Tom on Twitter @TSileo.