Gunfight at Syrian checkpoint leads to charges against sergeant first class Sgt. 1st Class Robert Nicoson pictured during a patrol in Syria. (Courtesy of the Nicoson family) A rare gunfight between U.S. paratroopers and pro-Syrian regime forces last summer has led to charges against a senior enlisted soldier assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The clash occurred near Tal al-Zahab, in Syria’s northeast, where a tenuous U.S. military presence has guarded lucrative oil fields and chased lingering Islamic State fighters. Altercations with local militias and Russian forces last year highlighted the unpredictable nature of the mission there, and at least one incident followed soldiers home.
Gunfight at Syrian checkpoint leads to charges against sergeant first class militarytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from militarytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
After 9/11, Daniel Prial chose his path: He wanted to go into the military.
“It was a tough day for him,” recalls his father, Greg Prial. Greg Prial was working that day as a lieutenant with the FDNY, and his family hadn’t heard from him. The experience marked Danny, and lit a fire.
“It kind of set him on a path,” his father said.
That path, filled with hard work, led to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and a career as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army.
“His dream was to fly,” Greg Prial said, “and he got that.”