Jordan Matson
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Jordan Matson | |
|---|---|
| Occupations | U.S. Army infantryman,[1] foreign volunteer in the People's Protection Units (YPG) |
| Known for | Fighting ISIS in Rojava, northern Syria |
Jordan Matson is a former U.S. Army infantryman[1] and one of the first foreign volunteers to fight within the People's Protection Units, also known as the YPG (Kurdish: Yekîneyên Parastina Gel) in Rojava, north Syria. Originally from Sturtevant, Wisconsin, Jordan left for Rojava to fight ISIS in October 2014.[2] His reasons for doing so included dissatisfaction in his marriage[3] but mainly frustration at the inaction by the U.S. government and the wider world. Matson told Fox6Now that he had grown up wanting to join the military and that "I was just done with it. Just done with watching these people die. And nothing being done about it". After being enlisted briefly in the U.S. military, he was sidelined, supposedly because of mental health issues, after seeing no action outside of the United States. He claimed that he still wanted to contribute militarily to serving his country.[3]
Matson fought in Shingal, Iraq[4] and Tell Tamer, northeastern Syria.[5]
He currently lives in Sweden, with his wife and son.[6]