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U.S. Army Soldier Arrested for Attempting to Assist ISIS to Conduct Deadly Ambush on U.S. Troops
Provided Tactical Guidance in Attempt to Help ISIS to Attack U.S. Forces in the Middle East
The Justice Department, along with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and U.S. Army Counterintelligence, announced today the arrest of a private first class in the U.S. Army, on federal terrorism charges based on Bridges’ alleged efforts to assist ISIS to attack and kill U.S. soldiers in the Middle East.
Cole James Bridges, aka Cole Gonzales, 20, of Stowe, Ohio, was charged by complaint with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempting to murder U.S. military service members. The FBI and U.S. Army Counterintelligence arrested Bridges today, and he will be presented later today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.
“Bridges is charged with giving military advice and guidance on how to kill fellow soldiers to individuals he thought were part of ISIS,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “This alleged personal and professional betrayal of comrades and country is terrible to contemplate, but fortunately, the FBI was able to identify the threat posed by Bridges, and today’s charges are the first step in holding him accountable for his crimes. ISIS ideology continues to infect those who would threaten the nation’s security from within and without, and we will continue to fight this threat.”
“As alleged, Cole Bridges betrayed the oath he swore to defend the United States by attempting to provide ISIS with tactical military advice to ambush and kill his fellow service members,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Audrey Strauss. “Our troops risk their lives for our country, but they should never face such peril at the hands of one of their own. Today, thanks to the efforts of the agents and detectives of the JTTF, and our partners in the Department of Defense, Bridges is in custody and facing federal terrorism charges for his alleged crimes.”
Remains of 3 National Guardsmen killed in NY helicopter crash recovered
MENDON, N.Y. — The U.S. Army will lead the investigation into a helicopter crash that killed three National Guard members on a training exercise, authorities said Thursday after the remains of the troops were recovered from the rural upstate New York crash site.
Army aviation safety investigators were expected on scene by Friday morning, Monroe County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Michael Fowler said at a news conference.
The UH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter crashed in a farmer’s field in rural Mendon, south of Rochester, around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. There were no survivors.
Witnesses who called 911 reported hearing the sounds of an engine sputtering and said the helicopter was flying very low.
Soldier Found Dead at Base in Kuwait, Army Says
The Army was investigating what caused the death of a soldier at a base in Kuwait this week.
The soldier, who has not yet been publicly identified, was found unresponsive Wednesday at Camp Arifjan, the Army said.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased,” U.S. Army Central said in an emailed statement Thursday.
The soldier’s name was being withheld until 24 hours after family had been notified, it said.
It’s the second soldier’s death in Kuwait this year, coming a little over a week after Staff Sgt. Anthony Bermudez, 28, was killed in a vehicle accident near Camp Buehring.
New retirement extensions allow the Army to retain critical talent
U.S. Army Colonel Paul Schmitt, a Foreign Area Officer (FAO) stationed in Kyiv, Ukraine, was planning to retire after 30 years of service. Schmitt serves as the Army Attaché with the Defense Attaché Office (DAO) at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. The DAO represents the Department of Defense to the host-nation government and military and assists and advises the U.S. ambassador on military matters.
With Schmitt’s impending retirement and no one qualified to replace him, the Army faced a critical capability shortage. A new authority granted by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2019 allows the Army to authorize select officers to serve up to 40 years. Under previous authorities, officers could only be retained no more than 5 years based on their time in grade and service. When offered to extend his MRD, Schmitt agreed to postpone his retirement plans and continue to serve.
Schmitt is one of ten officers selected for a 2020 pilot, which includes Army War College professors and FAOs. The MRD Extension differs from previous Selective Continuation (SELCON) and retiree recall authorities because it focuses solely on an individual’s unique talents and leverages their knowledge, skills, behaviors, and preferences to retain proven officers where and when they are needed.