Greetings,

I’m Joshua, the newest member of the Spirit of America field team, focused on the Middle East and Central Asian States.

While I’ve only recently joined the organization, I’ve already seen firsthand how our assistance saves lives. I’m proud to say one of my recent projects has already helped US troops save the lives of five children in Raqqa, Syria.

Basic emergency services that we take for granted in the US are desperately needed in Raqqa.

Raqqa, once the capital of the failed ISIS caliphate, is slowly but steadily rebuilding itself. Although US forces and their coalition partners have driven the extremist group out of the city, infrastructure for civil services, like firefighters and EMS, was destroyed during the ISIS occupation. Essential emergency services have had to be rebuilt from scratch.

Spirit of America is working alongside a US Army team in Syria to fill this gap by providing emergency medical supplies and equipment for the Raqqa Fire Department. The supplies are used as part of medical training provided by US Special Operations medics, ensuring Raqqa’s first responders can provide lifesaving care when called upon.

Trained by US Special Forces using SoA medical supplies, Raqqa’s newest first responders successfully completed their training course.

Only days after the initial round of new first responders completed their training, five children were injured when discarded munitions, carelessly left by retreating ISIS fighters, exploded near their home in Raqqa.

The newly-trained emergency rescue team responded, treated, and stabilized the children before delivering them to a US surgical team for advanced care. Thankfully, all five kids survived the incident thanks to the quick work of these first responders.

If you’d like to support this project and help train and equip Raqqa’s first responders, please click here.

I’m proud to be a part of this team and work in support of our troops and diplomats abroad. I look forward to many more crucial efforts like this in the months to come!

Thank you,

Joshua Brandon
Project Manager – Middle East