I want to take the fight to them. That is my goal." A U.S. Army Iraq war vet plans to take a team of veterans back to the Middle East to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Sean Rowe, of Jacksonville, Florida, served on active duty in the Army for 8 years, which included two tours in Iraq. He said he can no longer sit by and do nothing.
“This is something I feel compelled to do,” Rowe said. “Women and children are being slaughtered over there. They need our help. I know we can make a difference.”
Rowe started Veterans Against ISIS to take the fight to the terrorists on their own turf.
So far, Rowe has commitments from 23 fellow vets to join him; and he is only accepting those who have four or more years of military service.
Rowe has given his team some reasons their mission will be more dangerous than when they served in the military. Medics will be part of the group, but injured fighters will not have ready access to medical care beyond what’s provided or any helicopters available to evacuate them, if any are seriously wounded. Further, since they will not be fighting as members of the military, they will not be covered under the Geneva Convention regarding the treatment of enemy combatants.
“It is going to be very dangerous, but that’s a risk that anyone who’s signing up for this is voluntarily taking,” Rowe emphasized.
“I am not scared of these guys,” he asserted. “They can come for me if they want. I want to take the fight to them. That is my goal. I want to take the fight to them.”
The Florida Times Union notes: “The men will face a rough time before ever reaching the fighting. They will be leaving with limited funds, depending upon shadowy resistance fighters with uncertain allegiances to take them to a country where crucifixions and beheadings are once again commonplace. Rowe, at least, appears to be OK with that.” He trusts the contacts he has on the ground among the resistance fighters.
Rowe plans to head over with a team of nine soldiers in the very near future, with others to join in the next 3 to 6 months. Veterans Against ISIS’ greatest funding requirement is for travel expenses for the trip to Iraq.
Rowe said he barely has enough funding to get his team over to the Middle East, and he would like to get more funds for training and medical supplies–as well as to cover day-to-day expenses of the group. None of the soldiers is taking pay.
Once they are on the ground, they plan to fold in with resistance fighters, who Rowe said will supply the weapons, food, and shelter they need.
“I strongly believe in God and believe He is going to take care of me no matter what,” he said. “I believe He has something for me to do or I wouldn’t be here today.”
Rowe is not the first veteran who decided to pick up his weapon again to go fight ISIS. Christian Post reports:
A number of other U.S. military veterans have already traveled to the region and joined Christian militias. U.S. Marine Corps veteran Louis Park told Radio Free Europe on Feb. 19 that he believes ISIS will eventually attack the U.S. if nothing is done to stop them in Iraq or Syria.
“I know that if [ISIS] is allowed to stay here, we will see violence in the United States as well. So I’m protecting my homeland too,” Park said. “I’m not being paid at all. I’m being fed and I’m being clothed and everything, but any gear that I need, I’m paying out of pocket. This is all money that I saved for this effort myself, because I believe in the cause a lot, so I’m willing to finance everything.”
U.S. Army veteran Brett Royales, a former machine gunner and marksman, told Radio Free Europe that he joined a Christian militia’s fight against ISIS because he felt guilty sitting at home while ISIS was brutally killing innocent people.
“I’ve been given a skill set. I’ve honored it over the years. I can’t sit home and watch what’s going on here — the atrocities, crucifixions, rapes, sex slaves, people being driven out from their towns,” Royales explained. “It’s unacceptable to me, so I’m here to do what I can to get people back in their homes and protect their way of life.”
Veterans Against ISIS has set up a funding site and a Facebook page to give updates.
Poster Comment:
God speed, vets! Prayers up for your safety.
