The Defense Department on Friday identified the service member killed Oct. 20 in northern Iraq as Navy Chief Petty Officer Jason C. Finan. Finan, 34, of Anaheim, Calif., was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Three, according to a DOD statement. Finan was killed in an improvised explosive device blast, though the Pentagon did not provide any more details into the incident or a more specific location.
The U.S. military is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East to step up its war with Iran, adding to what is already the largest buildup of airpower in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For now, the operation shows little sign of coming to a quick…