{This blog is not affiliated with the VA. Though a Veteran, four yrs. all shore in Navy last year In-Country Vietnam, I don't work for the VA}
**USN All Shore '67-'71 GMG3 Vietnam In Country '70-'71 - Independent**


In 2003 some 72% of Americans fully supported the Abandoning of the Missions and those Sent to Accomplish so extremely Quickly after 9/11!!
At least some 95%, if not more as less then 1% serve them, not only still support the, just below, total lack of Sacrifice, they ran from any and all Accountability and left everything still on the table to be continually used if the political/military want was still in play in future executive/legislative wants!!
DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!!
Especially for the Corporate and Wealthy Community, investors in Defense Industries, and for these, Afghanistan and Iraq, came Two Huge Tax Cuts, with more sweetheart deals to same from states and the fed!!


Thousands of people across America don’t just talk about honoring Veterans; they walk the walk. Dedicated Volunteers Serve Veterans for Decades

On this Executive Administration, it's Cabinet and those directly around same, "Best - Ever": "We haven't had this kind of visibility from the White House—ever." Joyce Raezer National Military Family Association - Dec. 30, 2011, and plenty more of similar since Joyce, others, spoke and continues!

Ask yourself: If the Veterans Administration is so corrupt and mismanaged, as the conservative ideology, under which the seeds of are planted when they control, wants everyone to buy into as they obstruct the budgets and do extremely little after they charge same, then why does the Private sector, many problems within rarely heard about, adopt so many practices and advanced technologies developed within the VA, for free?! The VA, DoD, and in partnership with Universities and Colleges, not just Health Care are constantly in R&D and that developed that works is quickly moved into the private, for profit, sector, even as the VA is long under funded, decades, and especially during and after our wars that the few are sent into!

* * * * *
President Obama 26 August 2014

Fact: "This is not just a job of government. It’s not just a job of the veterans’ organizations. Every American needs to join us in taking care of those who've taken care of us. Because only 1 percent of Americans may be fighting our wars, but 100 percent of Americans benefit from that 1 percent. A hundred percent need to be supporting our troops. A hundred percent need to be supporting our veterans. A hundred percent need to be supporting our military families."

Fact:
"We’ve been able to accomplish historic increases to veterans funding. We’ve protected veterans health care from Washington politics with advanced appropriations. We’ve been able to make VA benefits available to more than 2 million veterans who didn't have them before, including more Vietnam vets who were exposed to Agent Orange. We’ve dedicated major new resources for mental health care. We’ve helped more than 1 million veterans and their families pursue their education under the Post-9/11 GI Bill."

August 26, 2014 - Secretary Robert A. McDonald's Remarks for the American Legion's 96th Annual Convention, Charlotte, NC
Fact: "Unlike, P&G, VA may not be concerned about quarterly profit and loss statements or shareholder value, but it does have a bottom line—Veterans. "
{which is why No Government agency should be turned into a private corporate entity feeding for profit off the Countries duty and responsibility, especially the VA}
* * * * *

Fact: “We are dealing with veterans, not procedures—with their problems, not ours.” —General Omar Bradley, First Administrator of the Veterans Administration

Facts: Matthew Hoh {former Marine and foreign service officer in Afghanistan}: "We spend a trillion dollars a year on national security in this country."
"And when you add up to the Department of Defense, Department of State, CIA, Veterans Affairs, interest on debt, the number that strikes me the most about how much we're committed financially to these wars and to our current policies is we have spent $250 billion already just on interest payments on the debt we've incurred for the Iraq and Afghan wars."
26 September 2014

Fact: "If military action is worth our troops’ blood, it should be worth our treasure, too — not just in the abstract, but in the form of a specific ante by every American." -Andrew Rosenthal 10 Feb. 2013

Fact: "12 years also is a long time. We now have a lifetime responsibility to a generation of service members, veterans and their families." Dr. Jonathan Woodson 11 Sep. 2013: With 9/11 Came Lifetime Responsibility
{two tax cuts, especially for the wealthy, came with these two recent unpaid for wars, nor the results of, DeJa-Vu all over again from the previous decades and wars from! Ignore the many issues, by those served, no need to fund!}

Fact: Sen. Bernie Sanders told Republicans: “If you can’t afford to take care of your veterans, than don’t go war. These people are bearing the brunt of what war is about, We have a moral obligation to support them.” February, 26th, 2014

Fact: 25 June 2014 U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller: Veterans' Affairs issue an 'all too similar' scene

Fact: How We Could Do More For Our Vets: "We need to go into debt to pay our debt to U.S. veterans to make sure they get the care and services we owe them."

Fact: “Why in 2009 were we still using paper?” VA Assistant Secretary Tommy Sowers “When we came in, there was no plan to change that; we’ve been operating on a six month wait for over a decade.” 27 March 2013

WHY? GOOD QUESTION THOSE SERVED SHOULD ANSWER!


Bob Herbert Losing Our Way : "And then the staggering costs of these wars, which are borne by the taxpayers. I mean, one of the things that was insane was that, as we're at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush administration cut taxes. This has never been done in American history. The idea of cutting taxes while you're going to war is just crazy. I mean, it's madness." Bill 'Moyers and Company': Restoring an America That Has Lost its Way 10 Oct. 2014

Presidential Proclamation -- Veterans Day, 2013: "As we pay tribute to our veterans, we are mindful that no ceremony or parade can fully repay that debt." read more>>>


Under two previous Executive administrations and wars from, father and son. With son and conservative congresses leading the extremely quick abandoning of the missions and those sent to accomplish after 9/11:

ProPublica and The Seattle Times Nov. 9, 2012 - Lost to History: Missing War Records Complicate Benefit Claims by Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans
"DeLara's case is part of a much larger problem that has plagued the U.S. military since the 1990 Gulf War: a failure to create and maintain the types of field records that have documented American conflicts since the Revolutionary War."

Part Two: A Son Lost in Iraq, but Where Is the Casualty Report?

Army Says War Records Gap Is Real, Launches Recovery Effort

3/27/15 - U.S. Nerve Gas Hit Our Own Troops in Iraq
"During and immediately after the first Gulf War, more than 200,000 of 700,000 U.S. troops sent to Iraq and Kuwait in January 1991 were exposed to nerve gas and other chemical agents. Though aware of this, the Department of Defense and CIA launched a campaign of lies and concocted a cover-up that continues today."
"When Brown and others tried to obtain their medical records to prove their illnesses were service-related, they learned that the records had disappeared."


Add in the issues of finally recognizing in War Theater and more Veterans, by the Shinseki Veterans Administration and the Executive Administrations Cabinet, what the Country choose to ignore from our previous decades and wars of: The devastating effects on Test Vets and from PTS, Agent Orange, Homelessness, more recent the Desert Storm troops Gulf War Illnesses, Gulf War Exposures with the very recent affects from In-Theater Burn Pits and oh so so much more! Tens of Thousands of Veterans' that have been long ignored and maligned by previous VA's and the whole Country and through their representatives!

How does a Country HONOR It's Fallen, by Their Own 'Sacrifice' in Taking Care of the Brothers and Sisters They Served With!!


"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." - Abraham Lincoln

"To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan" - President Lincoln

She wrote that she's proud of her service but added this: "That doesn't change the fact that I contributed - however indirectly - to human beings vanishing from the earth in a moment of sheer agony."







For our sisters: National Women Veterans Hotline, call 1-855-VA-WOMEN1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-66361-855-829-6636) New Hotline now up and running







They are a coalition of leading Veterans, mostly of OEF and OIF, and national security organizations who recognize that climate change is a major threat, and support fast, bold action. It is time for Americans to rise to the challenge, and we’re taking on the fight.





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Monday, October 11, 2010

HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military KIA, Iraq & Afghanistan/Pakistan - June 2010

Iraq, Rapidly becoming the Forgotten War!!
There have been 4,729 coalition deaths -- 4,410 Americans, 2 Australians, 1 Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakh, 1 South Korean, 3 Latvian, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 2 Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of May 5 2010, according to a CNN count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. The list also includes 13 U.S. Defense Department civilian employees. At least 31,860 {31,839 last month} U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan


Pvt.Francisco J. Guardado-Ramirez 21 Sunland, New Mexico, USA 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 2, 2010


Sgt.Steve M. Theobald 53 Goose Creek, South Carolina, USA 287th Transportation Company, Army Reserve Died of injuries sustained in a military vehicle rollover near Kuwait City, Kuwait, on June 4, 2010


Sgt.Israel P. O'Brya 24 Newbern, Tennessee, USA 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a suicide car bomb in Jalula, Iraq, on June 11, 2010


Spc.William C. Yauch 23 Batesville, Arkansas, USA 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a suicide car bomb in Jalula, Iraq, on June 11, 2010


Spc.Christopher W. Opat 29 Spencer, Iowa, USA 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Baquba, Iraq, on June 15, 2010


Capt.Michael P. Cassidy 41 Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Mosul, Iraq, on June 17, 2010


Jacob P. Dohrenwend 20 Milford, USA 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident at Balad, Iraq, on June 21, 2010


Pfc.Bryant J. Haynes 21 Epps, Louisiana, USA 199th Support Battalion, Louisiana Army National Guard Died of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover in Diwaniya, Iraq, on June 26, 2010


POW/MIA: Afghanistan & Iraq


Two U.S. soldiers are currently listed as captured or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown as of December 1, 2009. The information below reflects the name, an unknown, officially listed as Prisoners of War or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown by the Pentagon.


Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie 41 Army reservist assigned Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad Ann Arbor, Michigan On October 23, 2006, Altaie was categorized as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown when he allegedly was kidnapped while on his way to visit family in Baghdad, Iraq. The Pentagon changed his status to missing-captured on December 11.


Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl 23 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Ketchum, Idaho Captured in Paktika province in Afghanistan, on June 30, 2009. The Pentagon declared him Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown on July 1 and his status was changed to Missing-Captured on July 3.


Afghanistan - Pakistan!!
There have been 1,895 coalition deaths -- 1,150 Americans, 16 Australians, 310 Britons, 1 Belgian, 150 Canadians, 3 Czech, 33 Denmark, 24 Netherlands, 3 NATO, 7 Estonians, 1 Finn, 44 French, 42 Germans, 2 Hungarian, 24 Italians, 1 Jordan, 3 Latvian, 1 Lithuanian, 9 Norwegians, 19 Poles, 2 Portuguese, 15 Romanians, 1 South Korean, 28 Spaniards, 4 Swedes, 2 Turks and three NATO/ISAF -- in the war on terror as of May 5 2010, according to a CNN count. Below are the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The list also includes two U.S. Defense Department civilian employees. The troops died in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or were part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. At least 6,355 {6,141 last month} U.S. personnel have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. In addition to the military deaths, one Jordanian and 11 U.S. intelligence operatives have died in Afghanistan.

Spc.Jonathan K. Peney 22 Marietta, Georgia, USA Company D, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Peney, a combat medic, was killed while moving under heavy enemy fire to provide aid to a wounded Ranger in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on June 1, 2010


Pvt.Sophia Bruun 22 Holbæk, Denmark C Kompagniet, Gardehusarregimentet (Company C, Guard Hussar Regiment) Killed when her Piranha personnel carrier was hit by a roadside bomb while on patrol near Patrol Base Bridzar, approximately three miles (six km) northeast of Gereshk in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 1, 2010


MarineAnthony Dean Hotine 21 Warminster, England Company A, 40 Commando, Royal Marines Killed when a roadside bomb detonated while his unit was on patrol with the Afghan National Army near Patrol Base Jamil in the Sangin district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 2, 2010


Cpl.Terry Webster 24 Chester, England 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment One of two British soldiers killed in a firefight with Taliban insurgents during a patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj region of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 4, 2010


1st Lt.Joseph J. Theiner 24 Sag Harbor, New York, USA New York Army National Guardsman assigned to 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using a rocket-propelled grenade and a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on June 4, 2010


Lance Cpl.Alan Cochran 23 St. Asaph, Wales Company B, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment One of two British soldiers killed during a firefight with Taliban insurgents in the Nahr-e Saraj area of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 4, 2010


2nd Lt.Michael E. McGahan 23 Orlando, Florida, USA Company A, Brigade Special Troop Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire in Khogyani district, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on June 6, 2010


Sgt.Brandon C. Bury 26 Kingwood, Texas, USA 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force One of three Marines killed in a non-hostile vehicle accident in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 6, 2010


Cpl.Donald M. Marler 22 St. Louis, Missouri, USA 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force One of three Marines killed in a non-hostile vehicle accident in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 6, 2010


Lance Cpl.Derek Hernandez 20 Edinburg, Texas, USA 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force One of three Marines killed in a non-hostile vehicle accident in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 6, 2010


Sgt.Martin Goudreault 35 Sudbury, Ontario, Canada 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, assigned to 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group Killed after a roadside bomb detonated during a foot patrol in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar province, about 9.3 miles (15 km) southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on June 6, 2010


Sgt.Konrad Rygiel 28 Poland 2e Régiment étranger de Parachutistes, Légion étrangère (2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, French Foreign Legion) Killed by a rocket during a firefight that began when Taliban insurgents attacked French soldiers providing medical aid to a village in Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on June 6, 2010


Sgt.Joshua A. Lukeala 23 Yigo, Guam Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of five soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a roadside bomb in Dangam district of Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2010


Sgt.John K. Rankel 23 Speedway, Indiana, USA 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died as a result of small-arms fire in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2010


Spc.Blaine E. Redding 22 Plattsmouth, Nebraska, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of five soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a roadside bomb in Dangam district of Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2010


Spc.Charles S. Jirtle 29 Lawton, Oklahoma, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of five soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a roadside bomb in Dangam district of Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2010


1st Sgt.Robert N. Barton II 35 Roxie, Mississippi, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of five soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a roadside bomb in Dangam district of Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2010


SapperDarren Smith 26 Adelaide, Australia 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, assigned to 1st Mentoring Task Force One of two Australian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a dismounted patrol in the Mirabad Valley region of Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2010

.

Spc.Matthew R. Catlett 23 Houston, Texas, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of five soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a roadside bomb in Dangam district of Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2010


Spc.Brandon Patrick Neenan 21 Enterprise, Alabama, USA Company C, 2nd Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using a roadside bomb at Jelawar, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2010


SapperJacob Moerland 21 Cairns, Queensland, Australia 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, assigned to 1st Mentoring Task Force One of two Australian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a dismounted patrol in the Mirabad Valley region of Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2010. An explosives detection dog also was killed.


Sgt.Derek L. Shanfield 22 Hastings, Pennsylvania, USA 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force One of two Marines killed when a roadside bomb detonated during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 8, 2010


Sgt.Erick Justin Klusacek 22 Calcium, New York, USA B Troop, 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident at Gerda Serai in Paktia province, Afghanistan, on June 8, 2010


Sgt.Zachary J. Walters 24 Palm Coast, Florida, USA 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force One of two Marines killed when a roadside bomb detonated during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 8, 2010


Lance BombardierMark Chandler 32 Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery Killed in a small arms fire engagement with insurgent forces in the Nad 'Ali district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 8, 2010


1st Lt.Joel C. Gentz 25 Grass Lake, Michigan, USA 58th Rescue Squadron, 563rd Rescue Group, 23rd Wing One of four airmen killed when their HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter was shot down near Forward Operating Base Jackson in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 9, 2010


Lance Cpl.Michael G. Plank 25 Cameron Mills, New York, USA 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 9, 2010


Staff Sgt.Michael P. Flores 31 San Antonio, Texas, USA 48th Rescue Squadron, 563rd Rescue Group, 23rd Wing One of four airmen killed when their HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter was shot down near Forward Operating Base Jackson in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 9, 2010


Pvt.Jonathan Monk 25 London, England 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, attached to Company C, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment Killed when a roadside bomb detonated in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 9, 2010


Staff Sgt.David C. Smith 26 Eight Mile, Alabama, USA 66th Rescue Squadron, 563rd Rescue Group, 23rd Wing One of four airmen killed when their HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter was shot down near Forward Operating Base Jackson in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 9, 2010


Senior Airman Benjamin D. White 24 Erwin, Tennessee, USA 48th Rescue Squadron, 563rd Rescue Group, 23rd Wing One of four airmen killed when their HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter was shot down near Forward Operating Base Jackson in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 9, 2010


Lance Cpl.Gavin Roderick Brummund 22 Arnold, California, USA 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died when a roadside bomb detonated during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 10, 2010


Staff Sgt.Bryan A. Hoover 29 West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, USA 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, Pennsylvania Army National Guard One of two soldiers killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device during a patrol near Forward Operating Base Bullard in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on June 11, 2010


Sgt. 1st Class Robert James Fike 38 Conneautville, Pennsylvania, USA 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, Pennsylvania Army National Guard One of two soldiers killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device during a patrol near Forward Operating Base Bullard in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on June 11, 2010


Spc.Christian M. Adams 26 Sierra Vista, Arizona, USA 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade Died of wounds sustained from a non-combat related incident in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on June 11, 2010


Sgt.Mario Rodriguez Jr. 24 Smithville, Texas, USA 264th Clearance Company, 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires in Powrak, Logar province, Afghanistan, on June 11, 2010


Lance Cpl.Andrew Breeze 31 Manchester, England Company B, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment Killed when a roadside bomb detonated during an operation to clear an area near Check Point Kingshill in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 12, 2010


Spc.Brian M. Anderson 24 Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle using a roadside bomb in Za Khel, Afghanistan, on June 12, 2010


Cpl.Milosz Aleksander Gorka 25 Warsaw, Poland 25 Brygada Kawalerii Powietrznej (25th Air Cavalry Brigade) Killed when his logistics convoy was attacked with a roadside bomb on Highway 1 seven miles (12 km) southwest of Forward Operating Base Warrior in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on June 12, 2010


Airman Martin Kristiansen 33 Lemvig, Denmark Danske Flyvevåbnet, som tildeles Ingeniørregimentet, Danske Kampgruppe (Danish Air Force, assigned to Engineering Regiment, Danish Battlegroup) Killed when his armored personnel carrier was hit by a roadside bomb near a Danish forward camp in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 13, 2010. Kristiansen's explosive ordnance dog, Loki, also was killed.


MarineSteven James Birdsall 20 Warrington, England Company B, 40 Commando, Royal Marines Died on June 14, 2010, at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, England, of a gunshot wound he sustained when his unit was providing security to Royal Engineers who were reinforcing defenses at a checkpoint in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 13


KingsmanPonipate Tagitaginimoce 29 Nausori, Fiji Reconnaissance Platoon, 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment Killed during an exchange of fire with insurgents in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 15, 2010


Spc.Benjamin D. Osborn 27 Queensbury, New York, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires in Shigalwashheltan district, Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 15, 2010


Pfc.Grzegorz Bukowski 29 Olsztyn, Poland Oddzial Specjalny Zandarmerii Wojskowej (Military Police Special Branch) Died of shrapnel wounds sustained during a missile attack on a Forward Operating Base Warrior in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on June 15, 2010


Cpl.Taniela Tolevu Rogoiruwai 32 Nausori, Fiji Company A, 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment Killed during a firefight with insurgent forces during a patrol in Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 15, 2010


Lance Cpl.Michael C. Bailey 29 Park Hills, Missouri, USA 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 16, 2010


Spc.Joseph D. Johnson 24 Flint, Michigan, USA 161st Engineer Support Company, 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a roadside bomb at North Kunduz, Afghanistan, on June 16, 2010


Spc.Nathan W. Cox 27 Fremont, California, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died on June 16, 2010, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire near Forward Operating Base Khogyani in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on June 14, 2010


Pfc.Gunnar R. Hotchkin 31 Naperville, Illinois, USA 161st Engineer Support Company, 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a roadside bomb at North Kunduz, Afghanistan, on June 16, 2010


Cpl.Jeffrey R. Standfest 23 St. Clair, Michigan, USA 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force Died of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb detonated during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 16, 2010


Seaman William Ortega 23 Miami, Florida, USA Navy corpsman assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died of wounds sustained from when a roadside bomb detonated during combat operations against enemy forces in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 18, 2010


Staff Sgt.James P. Hunter 25 South Amherst, Ohio, USA Army journalist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of two soldiers killed when their dismounted patrol encountered a roadside bomb in the Zhari district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on June 18, 2010


Pfc.Benjamin J. Park 25 Fairfax Station, Virginia, USA Company B, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of two soldiers killed when their dismounted patrol encountered an roadside bomb in the Zhari district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on June 18, 2010


Cpl.Steeve Cocol 29 Sainte Rose, Guadeloupe, France 2e Escadron, 1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes (2nd Squadron, 1st Paratrooper Hussar Regiment) Killed when indirect fire struck his position at Combat Outpost Hutnik in Tagab Valley in Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on June 18, 2010


Trooper Ashley Smith 21 York, England 4th Troop, D Squadron, The Royal Dragoon Guards Killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a clearance patrol near a checkpoint in Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 18, 2010


Marine Richard Hollington 23 Petersfield, Hampshire, England Company B, 40 Commando, Royal Marines Died on June 20, 2010, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb detonated during a patrol south of Patrol Base Ezeray in Sangin district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 12, 2010


Spc.Scott A. Andrews 21 Fall River, Massachusetts, USA 618th Engineer Support Company, 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade Died at Forward Operating Base Lagman of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2010


Pvt.Timothy James Aplin 38 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2nd Commando Regiment One of three Australian soldiers killed along with a U.S. soldier when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2010


Lance Cpl.Timothy Giles Serwinowski 21 North Tonawanda, New York, USA 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a small-arms attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2010


Sgt.James Patrick MacNeil 29 Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada 2 Combat Engineer Regiment, attached to the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group Killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a foot patrol in the Panjwayi district, about 12.4 miles (20 km) southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on 21 June 2010


Pfc.David Taylor Miller 19 Wilton, New York, USA Company C, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of two soldiers killed when a suicide bomber attacked their unit died at Lar Sholtan Village, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2010


Pvt.Scott Travis Palmer 27 Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia 2nd Commando Regiment One of three Australian soldiers killed along with a U.S. soldier when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2010


Pvt.Benjamin Adam Chuck 27 Atherton, Queensland, Australia 2nd Commando Regiment One of three Australian soldiers killed along with a U.S. soldier when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2010


Marine Paul Warren 23 Leyland, Lancashire, England 9 Troop, Company C, 40 Commando, Royal Marines Killed by an explosion during an insurgent attack on Patrol Base Airport Lounge in the Sangin district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2010


Staff Sgt.Brandon M. Silk 25 Orono, Maine, USA Company C, 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade Killed along with three Australian soldiers when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter made a hard landing near Gaza Ridge in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2010


Spc.Andrew Richard Looney 22 Owasso, Oklahoma, USA Company C, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of two soldiers killed when a suicide bomber attacked their unit died at Lar Sholtan Village, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2010


1st Sgt.Eddie Turner 41 Fort Belvoir, Virginia, USA 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident at Camp Clark near Khost, Afghanistan, on June 22, 2010


Lance Cpl.Michael Taylor 30 Rhyl, England Company C, 40 Commando, Royal Marines Killed when his patrol base was engaged by accurate small arms in the Sangin district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 22, 2010


Cpl.Joshua Robert Dumaw 23 Spokane Valley, Washington, USA Military Police Company, Marine Wing Support Group 27, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a small-arms attack in Nimroz province, Afghanistan, on June 22, 2010


Cpl.Kevin Alexander Cueto 23 San Jose, California, USA 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died of wounds sustained in a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 22, 2010


Cpl.Claudio Patino IV 22 Yorba Linda, California, USA 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died of wounds sustained in a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 22, 2010


Pvt.Alex Isaac 20 Wirral, England Company B, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment One of four British soldiers killed when their vehicle overturned into the Nahr-e-Bughra Canal while responding to an attack on a police checkpoint near Gereshk in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 23, 2010


Lance Cpl.David Ramsden 26 Leeds, England 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, attached to the 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment One of four British soldiers killed when their vehicle overturned into the Nahr-e-Bughra Canal while responding to an attack on a police checkpoint near Gereshk in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 23, 2010


Pfc.Russell Edward Madden 29 Dayton, Kentucky, USA D Troop, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with rocket fire in the Charkh district of Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 23, 2010


Cpl.Paul Caracudu 36 Romania Batalionul 33 Manevru (33rd Maneuver Battalion) One of two Romanian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee during a combat mission on Highway A1 about 18.6 miles (30 km) outside Qalat in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on June 23, 2010


Sgt. Maj.Dan Ciobotaru 28 Romania Batalionul 33 Manevru (33rd Maneuver Battalion) One of two Romanian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee during a combat mission on Highway A1 about 18.6 miles (30 km) outside Qalat in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on June 23, 2010


Pvt.Douglas Halliday 20 Wallasey, Merseyside, England Company B, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment One of four British soldiers killed when their vehicle overturned into the Nahr-e-Bughra Canal while responding to an attack on a police checkpoint near Gereshk in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 23, 2010


Pfc.Anthony T. Justesen 22 Wilsonville, Oregon, USA B Troop, 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Died of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb at Ganjkin village, Pusht Rod district, Farah province, Afghanistan, on June 23, 2010


Colour Sgt.Martyn Horton 34 Runcorn, England Company B, 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment One of four British soldiers killed when their vehicle overturned into the Nahr-e-Bughra Canal while responding to an attack on a police checkpoint near Gereshk in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 23, 2010


Sgt.Steven William Darbyshire 35 Wigan, England Company A, 40 Commando, Royal Marines Killed by small arms fire during a firefight with insurgent forces while conducting a security patrol in the Sangin district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 23, 2010


Pfc.Robert Kelsey Repkie 20 Knoxville, Tennessee, USA Company D, 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident at Forward Operating Base Farah in Farah province, Afghanistan, on June 24, 2010


Staff Sgt.Edwardo Loredo 34 Houston, Texas, USA 2nd Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Died when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb at Jelewar in the Argandab River valley of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on June 24, 2010


Cpl.Daane Adam Deboer 24 Ludington, Michigan, USA 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb attack in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 25, 2010


Spc.Jared Clifton Plunk 27 Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire in Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 25, 2010


Spc.Blair Daniel Thompson 19 Rome, New York, USA Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire in Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 25, 2010


Pvt.Andrew Miller 21 Sudbury, Ontario, Canada 2 Field Ambulance, assigned to Task Force Kandahar Health Services Unit One of two Canadian soldiers killed when their armored vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in the Panjwaii district, about 12.4 miles (20 km) southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on June 26, 2010


Master Cpl.Kristal Giesebrecht 34 Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada 1 Canadian Field Hospital, assigned to Task Force Kandahar Health Services Unit One of two Canadian soldiers killed when their armored vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in the Panjwaii district, about 12.4 miles (20 km) southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on June 26, 2010


Sgt.Joseph D. Caskey 24 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb attack in Garmsir, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 26, 2010


Sgt.David Alexander Holmes 34 Tennille, Georgia, USA 810th Engineering Company, Georgia Army National Guard Killed when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb during a route clearance patrol in Sayed Abad, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on June 26, 2010


Cpl.Pawel Stypula 26 Kazuniu, Poland 2 Mazowieckiej Brygadzie Saperów (2nd Mazowiecka Sapper Brigade) Killed when the roadside bomb he was attempting to defuse detonated in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on June 26, 2010


Bombardier Stephen Gilbert 36 Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, England 88 (Arracan) Battery, 4th Regiment, Royal Artillery Died on June 26, 2010, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, England, of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb detonated in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 10, 2010


Lance Cpl.William T. Richards 20 Trenton, Georgia, USA 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 26, 2010


Cpl.Jamie Kirkpatrick 32 Llanelli, Wales 1 Troop, 21 Field Squadron, 101 Engineer Regiment, attached to the Joint Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group, Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force Shot and killed when his team came under small-arms fire while extracting from a compound to move back to Check Point Kingshill in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 27, 2010


Spc.David W. Thomas 40 St. Petersburg, Florida, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Spc. David W. Thomas, 40, of St. Petersburg, Fla. One of two soldiers killed when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 27, 2010


2nd Lt.Christian Lian 31 Kristiansand, Norway Kystjegerkommandoen (Coastal Ranger Command) One of four Norwegian naval commandos killed when their Iveco armored vehicle struck a roadside bomb while traveling to meeting with the civilian leaders of al-Mar, an Afghan village 18.6 miles (30 km) west of Meymaneh, in Faryab province, Afghanistan, on June 27, 2010


Sgt.John M. Rogers 26 Riverside, Missouri, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident at Forward Operating Base Blessing in Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 27, 2010


1st Lt.Simen Tokle 24 Ballangen, Norway Kystjegerkommandoen (Coastal Ranger Command) One of four Norwegian naval commandos killed when their Iveco armored vehicle struck a roadside bomb while traveling to meeting with the civilian leaders of al-Mar, an Afghan village 18.6 miles (30 km) west of Meymaneh, in Faryab province, Afghanistan, on June 27, 2010


Lt. Cmdr.Trond Bolle 42 Vestby, Norway Marinejegerkommandoen (Naval Ranger Command) One of four Norwegian naval commandos killed when their Iveco armored vehicle struck a roadside bomb while traveling to meeting with the civilian leaders of al-Mar, an Afghan village 18.6 miles (30 km) west of Meymaneh, in Faryab province, Afghanistan, on June 27, 2010


Staff Sgt.Eric B. Shaw 31 Exeter, Maine, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of two soldiers killed when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 27, 2010


Sgt.Andreas Eldjarn 21 Tromsø, Norway Kystjegerkommandoen (Coastal Ranger Command) One of four Norwegian naval commandos killed when their Iveco armored vehicle struck a roadside bomb while traveling to meeting with the civilian leaders of al-Mar, an Afghan village 18.6 miles (30 km) west of Meymaneh, in Faryab province, Afghanistan, on June 27, 2010


Spc.Matthew R. Hennigan 20 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA 173rd Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Died at Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered earlier when enemy forces attacked his unit with machine gun fire in Tangi Valley in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on June 30, 2010


Brothers Come Home: "Welcome Home!"


The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office

Seven Missing WWII Airmen Identified


Press Release 2 July 2010:The Defense POW/Missing Personal Office announced today that the remains of seven servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.


Army Capt. Joseph M. Olbinski, Chicago; 1st Lt. Joseph J. Auld, Floral Park, N.Y.; 1st Lt. Robert M. Anderson, Millen, Ga.; Tech. Sgt. Clarence E. Frantz, Tyrone, Penn.; Pfc. Richard M. Dawson, Haynesville, Va.; Pvt. Robert L. Crane, Sacramento, Calif.; and Pvt. Fred G. Fagan, Piedmont, Ala., were identified and all are to be interred July 15 in Arlington National Cemetery.


On May 23, 1944, the men were aboard a C-47A Skytrain that departed Dinjan, India, on an airdrop mission to resupply Allied forces near Myitkyina, Burma. When the crew failed to return, air and ground searches found no evidence of the aircraft along the intended flight path.


In late 2002, a missionary provided U.S. officials a data plate from a C-47 crash site approximately 31 miles northwest of Myitkyina. In 2003, a Burmese citizen turned over human remains and identification tags for three of the crew members.


A Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command team excavated the crash site in 2003 and 2004, recovering additional remains and crew-related equipment—including an identification tag for Dawson.


Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of some of the crewmembers’ families – as well as dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.


Sailor Missing From Korean War Identified


Press Release 29 June 2010: The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.


U.S. Navy Ensign Robert W. Langwell, of Columbus, Ind., will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on July 12. On Oct. 1, 1950, Langwell was serving on the minesweeper USS Magpie when it sank after striking an enemy mine off the coast of Chuksan-ri, South Korea. Twelve crewmen were rescued, but Langwell was one of 20 men lost at sea.


In June 2008, personnel from the Republic of South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification (MAKRI) canvassed towns in South Korea in an effort to gather information regarding South Korean soldiers unaccounted-for from the Korean War. An elderly fisherman, interviewed in the village of Chuksan-ri, reported that he and other villagers had buried an American serviceman in 1950 when his body was caught in the man’s fishing net.


The MAKRI located the burial site on April 28, 2009, where they excavated human remains and military artifacts. The burial site was approximately three miles west of where the USS Magpie sank in 1950. The team turned the remains and artifacts over to U.S. Forces Korea, which sent them to Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command for analysis.


Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, JPAC scientists used dental comparisons in the identification of Langwell’s remains.


With Langwell’s accounting, 8,025 service members still remain missing from the Korean War.


Marine Missing in Action From World War I Identified


Press Release 22 June 2010: The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War I, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.


U.S. Marine First Sergeant George H. Humphrey of Utica, N.Y., will be buried on Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery. On Sept. 15, 1918, Humphrey participated in the first U.S.-led offensive of the war under the command of Gen. John J. Pershing. The battle with the Germans became known as the St. Mihiel Offensive. There were 7,000 Allied losses during this offensive and it was the first use of the American use of the term “D-Day” and the first use of tanks by American units.


Humphrey, a member of the U.S. 6th Marine Regiment, attached to the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, was killed in action during the battle and his remains were buried by fellow Marines the next day. In October 1919, a Marine who witnessed the death wrote a letter to Humphrey’s brother recounting the attack near the village of Rembercourt. He included a map of his recollection of the burial site.


Attempts to locate Humphrey’s remains by U.S. Army Graves Registration personnel following the war were unsuccessful. In September 2009, French nationals hunting for war relics found artifacts near Rembercourt-sur-Mad they believed to be those of a World War I American soldier. A month later, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command excavated the area, recovering human remains and military-related items including a marksman’s badge with Humphrey’s name engraved on the back.


Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC laboratory also used dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.


Air Force MIAS from Vietnam War are Identified


Press Release 14 June 2010: The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of four U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.


They are Capt. Peter H. Chapman, II, Centerburg, Ohio; Tech. Sgt. Allen J. Avery, Auburn, Mass.; Tech. Sgt. Roy D. Prater, Tiffin, Ohio; and Sgt. James H. Alley, Plantation, Fla., all U.S. Air Force.


Prater is to be buried in Columbia City, Ind., on June 19. Other burials are being scheduled individually by the families of the airmen.


On April 6, 1972, six airmen were flying a combat search and rescue mission in their HH-53C Super Jolly Green Giant helicopter over Quang Tri Province in South Vietnam when they were hit by enemy ground fire and crashed. Joint U.S. – Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) field investigations from 1989 to 1992, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), yielded evidence leading to an excavation at the crash site in 1994 as well as two reported burial sites. Team members recovered human remains and personal effects as well as aircraft debris. As a result of these recoveries, all six men on the aircraft were accounted-for in 1997 and buried as a group at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. Three were individually identified at that time. Recent technical advances enabled JPAC to identify additional remains to be those of Prater.


Previously, in 1988, the S.R.V. turned over remains they attributed to an American serviceman, however, the name did not match anyone lost or missing from the Vietnam War. The remains were held by JPAC pending improved technology which might have facilitated an identification later.


In the mid-2000s, JPAC’s laboratory gained increased scientific capability to associate the 1988 remains to the correct loss. The Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) tested these remains against all those servicemembers who were MIA from the Vietnam War with negative results. In 2009, AFDIL expanded its search to make comparisons with previously- resolved individuals. As a result of AFDIL’s mitochondrial DNA testing, JPAC scientists determined that these remains were associated with four of the six airmen from the 1972 crash.


PTSD - TBI and more


VA PTSD Program Locator


Vietnam Combat Lessons Apply Today, Mullen Says


1 June 2010 WASHINGTON, June 1, 2010 – The military’s top officer yesterday called on Vietnam veterans to stay connected with today’s servicemembers, saying their lessons learned, especially with post-traumatic stress disorder, can help veterans of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.


Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the comments as he led a Memorial Day observance at the Vietnam War Memorial here just before six names of fallen Vietnam veterans were added to the iconic, black marble wall.


“The Vietnam conflict was a life-defining experience for every American who lived during that era, and it continues to impact us all: the pain, the conflict, the healing,” Mullen said, noting that Vietnam was his first war experience. “The lessons we learned in Vietnam were bought at a very great price. Acting on them is the best tribute we can pay to honor those who died.”


Mullen noted that he and his wife, Deborah, came to The Wall after touring Arlington National Cemetery’s Section 60 where many Vietnam veterans are buried near those fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan. “As we come to this very hallowed ground, in ways it is like coming home,” he said. “I, too, have friends on The Wall. I have classmates on The Wall.” Continued


New law helps veterans through post-combat transition


June 03, 2010 Since former President George W. Bush launched a war against terrorism in the Middle East, more than a million Americans have donned the nation's military uniform and served in Afghanistan and Iraq.


President Barack Obama signed the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act into law. It is Congress’ attempt to pave the way for the transition of those service members back into civilian life.


“We’re forever mindful that our obligations to our troops don’t end on the battlefield,” Obama said. “Just as we have a responsibility to train and equip them when we send them into harm’s way, we have a responsibility to take care of them when they come home.”


He’s right, and S. 1963, the federal legislation that passed Congress unanimously and was signed into law by the president on May 4, is definitely a step in the right direction. Continued


Homeless veterans to get housing aid


June 3, 2010 Nearly 8,000 homeless veterans will receive permanent housing vouchers, according to an announcement today by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan.


Snip


HUD is making $58.6 million available to various state and city agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Guam, that work with Veterans Administration Medical Centers to be used exclusively to subsidize housing for eligible veterans.


"The homeless vet needs to be plugged into the VA system in order to receive the voucher," said Donna White, a spokesperson for HUD. "The VA's only requirement is that the veteran participate in a VA case management program." Continued


Civilian Casulties - Iraq


Just Foreign Policy Issues
Over a million {*1,366,350 plus} Iraqis are estimated to have been killed as a result of the U.S.-led invasion and occupation. Learn More and Take Action»
*Estimate, click for explaination

.
To


John Hopkins School of Public Health { October 11, 2006 report } puts the count at 650,000, with a range from 400,000 to 900,000.


Civilian Casulties - Afghanistan

Civilian casualties of the War in Afghanistan (2001-present)

The War in Afghanistan (2001-present) has caused the deaths of thousands of Afghan civilians directly from insurgent and foreign military action, as well as the deaths of possibly tens of thousands of Afghan civilians indirectly as a consequence of displacement, starvation, disease, exposure, lack of medical treatment, crime and lawlessness resulting from the war. The war, launched by the United States as "Operation Enduring Freedom" in 2001, began with an initial air campaign that almost immediately prompted concerns over the number of Afghan civilians being killed[1] as well as international protests. With civilian deaths from airstrikes rising again in recent years[2], the number of Afghan civilians being killed by foreign military operations has led to mounting tension between the foreign countries and the government of Afghanistan. In May 2007, President Hamid Karzai summoned military commanders to warn them of the consequences of further deaths.[3]........>>>>>


Exact Count of Civilian Casulties may never be known, as is the case in every conflict, especially an Invasion by another Country. For it is the Innocent Civilians and those Defending their Countries {of which All would be counted if this land were ever invaded} who suffer the most, during and long after!


UNHCR - Refugees and more, Afghanistan and Iraq

Iraq Refugees UNHCR - Iraq: UNHCR Global Appeal 2008-2009 - Iraq Situation


Afghanistan Refugees UNHCR - Afghanistan UNHCR Global Appeal 2008-2009 - Afghanistan Situation


All the Deaths, Maimings and Destruction are the Blood on All Our Hands, No One can Escape that Guilt!


Honoring The Fallen of Iraq and Afghanistan/Pakistan



National World War II Memorial



National Korean War Memorial



National Vietnam Veterans Memorial - The Wall



The Vietnam Women’s Memorial


Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries


Army Releases May Suicide Data


Press Release 15 June 2010: The Army released suicide data today for the month of May. Among active-duty soldiers, there were nine potential suicides, and all remain under investigation. For April, the Army reported 10 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, four have been confirmed as suicides, and six remain under investigation.


During May 2010, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 12 potential suicides: two have been confirmed and 10 remain under investigation. For April, among that same group, there were seven total suicides. Of those, two were confirmed as suicides and five are pending determination of the manner of death.


“The summer season traditionally represents the Army’s peak transition timeframe as soldiers, families and Department of the Army civilians relocate between commands and installations,” said Col. Chris Philbrick, director, Army Suicide Prevention Task Force. “This turbulent period often compounds the amount of stress faced by our Army and members of the Army family. Everyone needs to know that despite an increase of anxiety or pressure, help is readily available, especially during these transition periods.”


“We are making every effort to maintain contact with soldiers, families and civilians and sustain the Army’s efforts to provide comprehensive behavioral health resources and support,” Philbrick said. “We simply cannot afford to have any member of the Army family fall through the cracks when dealing with the additional stress transition.”


The Army has identified additional crisis intervention resources available to the Army community. Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance are strongly encouraged to contact Military OneSource or the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Outreach Center (DCoE). Trained consultants are available from both organizations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.


The Military OneSource toll-free number for those residing in the continental United States is 1-800-342-9647. Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource Web site for dialing instructions for their specific location


The Defense Center for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020.


The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).


The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Council.


Information about the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program.


The Army’s most current suicide prevention information.


The Army's comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Programs.


Suicide prevention training resources for Army families {requires Army Knowledge Online access to download materials} .


The War in Iraq Costs, the rolling tabulation, over $731,666,321,063+++++ and continually counting!


CNN-Iraq and Afghanistan War Casulties


In Remembrance - Moving Tributes



97 percent {now more} of U.S. deaths in Iraq have occurred after George W. Bush declared an end to "major combat."
"Mission Accomplished!"


GOP Congressmen Say That ‘Everyone’ In Congress ‘Would Agree That Iraq Was A Mistake’


"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is," - George W. Bush, Texas Gov., 1999


The Rand Corporation Terrorism Report the press release here, you can get the full document here or a summary of the research brief here


"What is the difference between an al Qaida terrorist and a misguided American terrorist?" "The planes they fly!"

"How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me -- unless you don't count American soldiers as Americans."
Matthew Alexander who is writing under a pseudonym for security reasons


"Torture is the tool of the lazy, the stupid, and the pseudo-tough. It's also perhaps the greatest recruiting tool that the terrorists have."
Major General Paul Eaton


Done "In Our Names"!


The Failed Policies will Haunt Us and the World for Decades, This Time!!

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