![]() Social media accounts affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) circulated a call on July 11 for supporters to storm the US Embassy in Baghdad. The Shia Coordination Framework – a loosely aligned coalition of pro-Iranian political parties – blamed US sanctions on Iranian accounts in Iraq for failures in energy supply to Iraq from Iran, likely to place additional political pressure on the Iraqi government to remove the US from Iraq. Iranian-backed militias and Syrian regime forces are continuing to reinforce their positions in Deir ez Zor Province in response to rumors of an imminent International Coalition attack to liberate cities Russia may be threatening the Black Sea grain deal to message the deal's original broker, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that his recent statement of support for Ukraine’s NATO membership and the return of the five Ukrainian Azovstal commanders on July 7 has not gone unnoticed and is not appreciated by the Kremlin. Russia’s drone strikes on port infrastructure also coincide with the first day of the NATO summit in Vilnius and are likely intended to discourage NATO members from providing more military aid to Ukraine. Ukrainian Southern Operational Command Spokesperson Captain First Rank Nataliya Humenyuk stated that Russian forces targeted port infrastructure to disrupt the Black Sea Grain deal. The Ukrainian Southern Operational Command reported that Russian forces tried to strike the grain terminal in Odesa Oblast, and that two drones struck an administrative building at a port facility. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces shot down 26 of the 28 Russian Shahed 131 and 136 drones launched from the Primorsk-Akhtarsk (Krasnodar Krai) direction. Many of the staff members are former or current combat soldiers with their own vivid stories and sometimes strong personal opinions on war and politics that may be infused into their presentations.Russian forces conducted a series of Shahed 131 and 136 drone strikes across Ukraine on July 11, likely in a demonstrative response to the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius and to threaten the Black Sea grain deal. If a group outing is what you are looking for, you can prearrange free guided tours narrated by the extremely knowledgeable and colorful volunteer staff. Each time we go, I see something new that I never noticed before in the displays that are abundant with artifacts, weapons, ammunition, uniforms, flags, banners, equipment and everyday effects of the soldier in his or her respective time period. Admission is free and you and your family can wander through Arizona's past at your own pace. It displays a chronological recanting of Arizona's rich (and surprising) long military history from the Spanish Conquistadors through the modern wars. This museum really is something worth seeing for everyone from the military history buff through the preteen kid. The Museum, itself, encourages an unusual kind of intimacy and each time, I left with a renewed and reverent understanding that freedom is not free. From the uniforms to the informational panels to the helicopter and weaponry, the Arizona Military Museum is a fantastic FREE place to open up discussions about some of the hard facts of life. It is with much gratitude that my family and I have had the opportunity to time travel through military history, together. In addition, the Arizona Military Museum has given three generations of my family a place to share inter-generational discussions about Arizona's rich military history. Without a doubt, each of these visits has given me a gift of historical and personal significance. Joe and one of the others in attendance was Gene Crego, the VVA's State chair. ![]() ![]() Following up from our discussions about arts and culture programs in Arizona, I had the rare and wonderful opportunity to experience a tour given by Col. Joe Abodeely during legislative session while lobbying on behalf of the Arts in Arizona. The third time that I visited the Arizona Military Museum was after meeting Col. This was my son's choice for a rare Saturday afternoon with Grandpa. The second time I visited the Arizona Military Museum was as a mother-with my son, Jason, and his grandfather-my father. It was Dad's choice to share this special place with me. Being from a family with six siblings, to have an afternoon with my father-just he and I-was very rare. The first time I visited the Arizona Military Museum was as a young adult with my father. ![]()
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