River HaggA photo taken by River Hagg shows Hagg (hands in photo) and Porter Goodman working on a casualty in Syria. Since then, his mother has been emotionally invested in the Kurds and the defeat of Islamic State. He describes himself as a “news addict” who watched Islamic State capture entire cities until the Kurds challenged them. Like many, he was taken with the Kurdish militia and its modern ideas on gender equality and religious tolerance. Genaro Molina / Los Angeles TimesJayson Pihajlic grew up in Michigan and served with the Marines in Iraq before deciding to go fight Islamic State.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 11, 2019 10:52 UTC