Lulu Basic Training

SFC Aaron A. Grider from Illinois, served with A Company 1st Ranger Battalion -

Sgt. 1st Class Ronald A. "Aaron" Grider died Saturday on his 30th birthday after being hit by machine gun fire during combat in the Kunduz province of Afghanistan, officials with the U.S. Department of Defense said.

His is a story of unbelievable courage, bravery, and dedication. It was his ninth military deployment overseas. He went seven times to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan.

Sgt. 1st Class Ronald "Aaron" Grider, 30, was assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, N.C.

"He was just loved by everybody," said his stepmother, Virginia Grider. "We miss him."

Grider was just married in March to Brittany Reed. They lived in North Carolina. Grider had a 4-year-old daughter from his first marriage.

Grider's uncle, Ned Thompson of Bunker Hill, said Grider was "a beautiful kid who loved his country.

"He knew what the risks were and was willing to die to help us out," said Thompson, 61. "It's just amazing. It doesn't even strike home until it gets this close."

Grider's wife was in North Carolina on Monday night to see his casket es**rted from the plane.

Grider was born in Alton. He graduated from Civic Memorial High School, where he had been involved in cross country and track, and wrestled a few years, Thompson said.

"He was a real physical fitness nut as far as biking and staying in shape," Thompson said. "He was even voted the "best-built" boy of the school."

NATO vs OIC Military Power Comparison 2026.

A river island. A dead pig. One border shot. These six crises came dangerously close to becoming full wars.

A US Navy veteran just broke down why America cannot win this war. The math does not lie.

Iran has between 80,000 and 100,000 Shahed drones. Each one costs $20,000 to $35,000 to build. It costs the United States $500,000 to $4,000,000 to shoot down a single one. Standard military practice is to fire two interceptors per drone to guarantee the kill.

In just 12 days of fighting last June, the US fired 150 THAAD interceptors defending Israel alone. Each one costs $12 to $15 million. Each one takes years to replace. We are now on day four.

This is not random. This is Iran's financial strategy. Flood the sky with cheap drones alongside ballistic missiles. Force US defenses to track threats at different speeds and altitudes simultaneously. Drain the stockpiles. Run out the clock. They watched Russia do it to Ukraine. Then they took notes.

And then there is the Strait of Hormuz. 21 miles wide. 20% of the world's entire oil supply passes through it every single day. Iran controls both sides. They closed it on March 2nd. Oil jumped 13% overnight. Analysts are warning $150 a barrel. That is $6, $7, $8 gas at your pump. And everything that moves on a truck costs more.

They built this trap for 40 years. Mountains that swallow armies. Tunnels that survive airstrikes. Drones that bankrupt defense systems. And we walked in anyway.

President Donald Trump on Saturday joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base at the dignified transfer for the six U.S. soldiers killed in the war in the Middle East.

R.I.P. Solider

It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of Jake Larson, one of the last D-Day veteran who became beloved social media star known as "Papa Jake,". He passed away at the age of 102. With his death, another sacred thread connecting us to D-Day has quietly slipped into history.

On June 6, 1944, Jake was among the young men who stormed Omaha Beach, stepping into gunfire, chaos, and terror so the world might step closer to freedom. He survived a day when survival itself felt impossible, when courage was measured not in words, but in footsteps taken forward under fire.

In his later years, a new generation came to know him as "Papa Jake," a gentle voice on TikTok, where millions followed along as his granddaughter shared his memories, humor, and hard-earned wisdom. He never sought praise. He never called himself a hero. He only said he was lucky, lucky to have lived when so many of his brothers did not. But history knows better. Jake Larson carried the weight of that beach for decades, honoring the fallen simply by remembering them. With his passing, the echoes of D-Day grow quieter, and the responsibility to remember now rests with us.

Our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.

May he rest in peace, reunited at last with those who never made it home.