Four dead in Fla. Navy base shooting

Four dead in Fla. Navy base shooting; gunman was Saudi air force officer, officials say

STARS AND STRIPES
By CAITLIN M. KENNEY
Published: December 6, 2019

“You just don’t expect this to happen at home…But it did and it has,” Sheriff David Morgan said.

Navy Capt. Tim Kinsella briefs members of the media following a shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla., Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. A U.S official told The Associated Press that the suspect was a Saudi aviation student, and that authorities are investigating whether the shooting was terrorism-related.
TONY GIBERSON/PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL/AP

WASHINGTON — A member of the Saudi Arabian air force opened fire Friday morning in a classroom building at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., killing three and injuring several others, according to local and law enforcement officials.

The aviation student, who was fatally shot by an Escambia County sheriff's deputy, was a second lieutenant in the Saudi air force, two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press. The officials said authorities were investigating whether the attack was terrorism-related.

Seven other people were injured in the shooting, including two sheriff deputies, Chief Deputy Chip Simmons of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said. One deputy was shot in the arm and the other in the knee, and both are expected to survive, he said.

The shooter used a handgun and all of the shooting took place in one classroom, authorities said. Capt. Timothy Kinsella, the commanding officer of NAS Pensacola, noted weapons are not allowed on the base.
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Marine Pilot Safe After Harrier Catches Fire

Marine Harrier Catches Fire During Takeoff From Ship
Military.com
by Hope Hodge Seck
Mar 14, 2016

A Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier aboard a ship in the North Arabian Gulf sustained extensive damage when it caught fire during takeoff, Navy officials confirmed to Military.com.

The mishap took place March 8 aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge, which is deployed in the U.S. Fifth Fleet with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, said Cmdr. Kevin Stephens, a spokesman for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.

Around 1 p.m. that day, the Harrier, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (Reinforced), had been preparing for takeoff ahead of a mission in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, Stephens said. While Stephens did not specify the nature of the mission, aircraft from MEUs deployed to the Middle East have frequently been tasked with airstrikes on Islamic State targets and with surveillance and reconnaissance missions in support of the coalition fight against the extremists.

While applying takeoff power, the Harrier caught fire while still aboard the deck of the Kearsarge, according to an incident report from the Naval Safety Center. The Harrier's pilot was uninjured.

"The pilot safely exited the aircraft on deck with the assistance of Kearsarge and 26 MEU flight deck firefighters," Stephens told Military.com.
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300 Florida National Guards Soldiers Welcomed Home

Families celebrate return of Florida Army National Guard troops
Tampa Tribune
By Dave Nicholson
Tribune Staff
January 6, 2014

PLANT CITY — Tracy Sikorski probably summed up the feelings of everyone on hand Sunday to welcome home 300 Florida Army National Guard soldiers from nearly a year’s deployment.

“I’m excited and happy that he’s home and that he’s safe,” Sikorski said of her nephew, Sgt. Sean Nickelson. “We’re very proud of him and we’re glad he’s back with us.”

Nickelson’s 4-year-old daughter Jaycee, mother Angie Maness, grandmother Reba Boaz and cousin Jeremy Sikorski also helped celebrate the safe return of the Port St. Lucie soldier and his comrades.

About 300 members of the Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 116th Field Artillery Regiment were honored at a homecoming celebration at the Florida Strawberry Festival grounds. The Plant City-based troops provided security at various military installations in Qatar, a country bordering Saudi Arabia.

The Middle East deployment was the battalion’s second since 2005-06, when it was in Iraq and Kuwait, also with no casualties.

Except for a four-day Christmas pass, the Guardsmen hadn’t been home since February.

Several Plant City residents who didn’t have family members in the Guard came out to show their support, such as Sue Moos. Her son, Robert, is in the Army and spent 13 months in Iraq so she can identify with those with family members who spend time in harm’s way.
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Eight-year-old wife puts Saudi laws in spotlight

Eight-year-old wife puts Saudi laws in spotlight

Published Date: 25 August 2008
By MICHAEL THEODOULOU
A COURT in Saudi Arabia preparing to hear a plea for divorce from an eight-year-old girl should have little difficulty in determining grounds for incompatibility: the husband is half a century older.

The child was married off by her father without her knowledge, the Saudi newspaper al-Watan said yesterday. The girl's mother is understood to be pushing for the marriage to be annulled, although her father opposes the move.

The case is among a recent spate of marriages involving very young girls reported by the Saudi media where there is strong criticism of the practice.

"In my opinion, old men who want to marry girls at the age of their granddaughters are mentally sick and need psychological treatment," Nourah al-Khereiji, a columnist in the English language daily, Arab News, wrote at the weekend.
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