Every Friday, we wear RED to Remember Everyone Deployed. Today, that mission feels more urgent and deeply personal than ever.
As of June 2026, more than 50,000 American service members are stationed across the Middle East, standing on the front lines of freedom during a time of intense regional conflict. To the brave men and women operating under high-stress, active combat conditions: we see you, we honor you, and we thank you for your unwavering service.
To the families waiting anxiously at home—holding down the fort, counting the days, and sending endless prayers across the globe—our hearts are with you. We understand the profound sacrifice of the empty chair at the dinner table, and this community stands ready to support you every step of the way.
Where Our Heroes Are Serving
Today, our forces are stretched across at least 19 distinct sites in the region, facing immense challenges with courage and professionalism.
- Kuwait: Home to our largest contingent of 13,500 personnel at Ali Al-Salem Air Base and Camps Arifjan and Buehring. Our troops here have recently used advanced air defense systems to successfully intercept incoming missile threats.
- Qatar & Bahrain: Nearly 20,000 personnel split between Al Udeid Air Base (the logistical heart of CENTCOM aerial operations) and Bahrain, the permanent headquarters for the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
- Saudi Arabia: Approximately 2,300 personnel at Prince Sultan Air Base, keeping watch and operating critical Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems.
- Jordan, Iraq, and Syria: Dedicated teams maintaining vital operational footprints from Muwaffaq Salti Air Base to Iraqi Kurdistan and outposts in Syria.
An Unprecedented Sacrifice
Our military has sustained an incredible operational tempo to keep the world safe. The Navy maintains a massive presence, with the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush supporting Operation Epic Fury, while the USS Gerald R. Ford just wrapped up a grueling, record-breaking 295-day deployment.
They are joined by thousands of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, 4,600 Marines from the 11th and 31st Marine Expeditionary Units at the Strait of Hormuz, and just last month, over 500 soldiers from the Vermont Army National Guard who stepped up for Operation Spartan Shield.
Honoring the Fallen & the Brave
Freedom is never free. Since the escalation of these hostilities, 13 American service members have made the ultimate sacrifice, and over 400 have been injured.
We hold the families of these fallen heroes in our deepest prayers. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten, and we owe them a debt of gratitude we can never truly repay.A Message of Support
To our troops dodging drones, intercepting missiles, and facing modern threats like digital espionage: you are the best of us. Your resilience under fire inspires us every single day.
Until they all come home, we will continue to wear our RED, share your stories, and support the families who serve right alongside you from home.
Stay safe, stay strong, and know that America is backing you entirely.
I am not a veteran. I am a member of the Civil Air Patrol, the United States Air Force Auxiliary. But in 1991, personal loss brought me to a place I never left.
Over two decades later, that loss led me to the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown, Connecticut, where I took on the coordination of Wreaths Across America — which grew into the largest and fastest growing veterans program in the state. I didn’t do it for recognition. I did it for them.
In 2016 I founded the Connecticut Veterans Bulletin. Not because I served, but because I believe those who did deserve to be honored, connected, and kept alive.
Twenty-two veterans die by suicide every day. I knew about that number before it became a hashtag. I knew it personally, long before anyone was talking about it.
This publication exists because that number is unacceptable. Because every veteran in Connecticut deserves to know someone gives a damn.
That someone is me.