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:
WASHINGTON -- May 24, 2013 -- This weekend, Americans in large numbers will visit our national cemeteries and other final resting places to honor their loved ones, their friends, neighbors, colleagues, even some unknown to them—men and women who gave their lives in defense of our Nation.Memorial Day is a time to reflect on their service and their sacrifice, even as our Armed Forces are performing difficult and dangerous missions in distant lands. They continue to safeguard our American way of life.
Memorial Day is set aside to honor the more than one million of our fellow citizens who have fallen in battle since the founding of our Republic. Their service helped to shape us as a Nation and secured, for us and our friends and allies, our security in a troubled world. Except for their service, we all would be facing different circumstances today. read more>>>
WASHINGTON, May 24, 2013 – President Barack Obama today proclaimed Memorial Day, May 27, 2013, “as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time to unite in prayer. I also ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.”The president’s proclamation reads as follows: read more>>>
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va., May 24, 2013 – The Congressional Caucus on Women’s Issues and senior women enlisted military members gathered at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial here May 22 for the 16th annual recognition ceremony.
An acknowledgement and wreath laying ceremony is held every year near Memorial Day to honor fallen servicewomen.
The wreath, provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, was placed in front of the pool at the memorial. After the wreath was placed, members of the caucus and the honorees placed a long-stemmed rose in honor of the fallen around the memorial’s pool. read more>>>
There had been 4,804 coalition deaths 4,488 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 January 2, 2012, according to a CNN and iCasulties count.
Graphical breakdown of casualties. At least 32,230 U.S. troops had been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon.
POW/MIA: Afghanistan & Iraq
One U.S. soldier is currently listed as captured or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown as of March 3 2012. The information below reflects the name as Prisoner of War or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown by the Pentagon.
Sgt 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.
Memorial at the New JPED facility at Dover Air Force Base, Del..OEF: Afghanistan - Pakistan!!
There have been 3,317 coalition deaths -- 2,229 Americans, 39 Australians, 444 Britons, 1 Belgian, 158 Canadians, 5 Czech, 43 Denmark, 25 Netherlands, 9 Estonians, 2 Finn, 86 French, 54 Germans, 7 Hungarian, 47 Italians, 2 Jordan, 3 Latvian, 1 Lithuanian, 10 Norwegians, 36 Poles, 2 Portuguese, 19 Romanians, 1 South Korean, 34 Spaniards, 5 Swedes, 14 Turks, 11 New Zealand, 20 Georgian and 14 NATO/ISAF -- in the war on terror as of June 2, 2013, according to a CNN and iCasulties count. Below are the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. 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 18,584 {18,462 up to May 1, 2013} U.S. personnel have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. In addition to the military deaths, 11 U.S. intelligence operatives have died in Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. Joe A. Nunezrodriguez 29 Pasadena, Texas, 68th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo., in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, from injuries sustained when his vehicle struck an Improvised Explosive Device. May 30 2013
Spc.Christopher Reshawn Drake 20 Tickfaw, Louisiana, 30308 1084th Transportation Company, 165th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, 139th Regional Support Group, Louisiana Army National Guard Died of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade in Bagram, Afghanistan, on May 26, 2013
Spc.Dwayne Westfall Flores 22 Sinajana, Guam, USA Company E, 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Guam Army National Guard One of two soldiers killed along with four U.S. and six Afghan civilians when a suicide bomber targeted a coalition convoy with a car bomb in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 16, 2013
Sgt.Eugene Michael Aguon 23 Mangilao, Guam, USA Company E, 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Guam Army National Guard One of two soldiers killed along with four U.S. and six Afghan civilians when a suicide bomber targeted a coalition convoy with a car bomb in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 16, 2013
Sgt. 1st ClassTrenton Lockhard Rhea 33 Oakley, Kansas, USA 603rd Military Police Company, 530th Military Police Battalion, 300th Military Police Brigade, Army Reserve Rhea drowned while attempting to cross a canal during combat operations in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on May 15, 2013
Spc.William Joseph Gilbert 24 Hacienda Heights, California, USA Company A, 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division One of four soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Senjaray, Afghanistan, on May 14, 2013
Spc.Kirk Mitchell Daehling 24 Dalton, Massachusetts, USA Company A, 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division One of four soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Senjaray, Afghanistan, on May 14, 2013
Spc.Cody James Towse 21 Elk Ridge, Utah, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division One of four soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Senjaray, Afghanistan, on May 14, 2013
Sgt. 1st ClassJeffrey Christopher Baker 29 Hesperia, California, USA 766th Ordnance Company, 63rd Ordnance Battalion, 52nd Ordnance Group One of four soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Senjaray, Afghanistan, on May 14, 2013
Cpl.Alexandre Kvitsinadze 26 Georgia 42nd Light Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade One of three Georgian soldiers killed when a car bomb was detonated at the entrance of their base in the Musa Qaleh district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on May 13, 2013
Junior Sgt.Zviad Davitadze 33 Georgia 42nd Light Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade One of three Georgian soldiers killed when a car bomb was detonated at the entrance of their base in the Musa Qaleh district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on May 13, 2013
Cpl.Vladimer Shanava 24 Georgia 42nd Light Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade One of three Georgian soldiers killed when a car bomb was detonated at the entrance of their base in the Musa Qaleh district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on May 13, 2013
Cpl.David Michael Sonka 23 Parker, Colorado, USA 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion One of two Marines killed when an Afghan soldier opened fire on them after an argument in Farah province, Afghanistan, on May 4, 2013
Spc.Brandon Joseph Prescott 24 Bend, Oregon, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division One of five soldiers killed their vehicle was attacked with a roadside bomb in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on May 4, 2013
Spc.Thomas Paige Murach 22 Meridian, Idaho, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division One of five soldiers killed their vehicle was attacked with a roadside bomb in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on May 4, 2013
Sgt.Daniel W. {last name not listed at this time} 32 Germany Kommando Spezialkräfte (Special Forces Command) Killed when a joint Afghan-Germany operation was attacked at a river crossing in the village of Zaman Khel near Observation Post North north of the city of Pul-e Khumri in Baghlan province, Afghanistan, on May 4, 2013
Staff Sgt.Francis Gene Phillips IV 28 Meridian, New York, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division One of five soldiers killed their vehicle was attacked with a roadside bomb in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on May 4, 2013
Spc.Kevin Cardoza 19 Mercedes, Texas, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division One of five soldiers killed their vehicle was attacked with a roadside bomb in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on May 4, 2013
1st Lt.Brandon James Landrum 26 Lawton, Oklahoma, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division One of five soldiers killed their vehicle was attacked with a roadside bomb in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on May 4, 2013
Staff Sgt.Eric Damon Christian 39 Warwick, New York, USA 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion One of two Marines killed when an Afghan soldier opened fire on them after an argument in Farah province, Afghanistan, on May 4, 2013
Capt.Mark Tyler Voss 27 Boerne, Texas, USA 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, 92nd Operations Group, 92nd Air Refueling Wing One of three airmen killed when their KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft crashed in a mountainous area between Chorgolu and Cholok-Aryk, two villages in the Chuysky region of northern Kyrgyzstan, shortly after taking off from the Transit Center at Manas International Airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on May 3, 2013
Tech. Sgt.Herman Mackey III 30 Bakersfield, California, USA 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, 92nd Operations Group, 92nd Air Refueling Wing One of three airmen killed when their KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft crashed in a mountainous area between Chorgolu and Cholok-Aryk, two villages in the Chuysky region of northern Kyrgyzstan, shortly after taking off from the Transit Center at Manas International Airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on May 3, 2013
Capt.Victoria Ann Pinckney 27 Palmdale, California, USA 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, 92nd Operations Group, 92nd Air Refueling Wing One of three airmen killed when their KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft crashed in a mountainous area between Chorgolu and Cholok-Aryk, two villages in the Chuysky region of northern Kyrgyzstan, shortly after taking off from the Transit Center at Manas International Airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on May 3, 2013
Spc.Trinidad Santiago Jr. 25 San Diego, California, USA Battery A, 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division One of two soldiers that died of of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, on May 2, 2013
Spc.Charles Patrick McClure 21 Stratford, Ohio, USA Battery A, 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division One of two soldiers that died of of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, on May 2, 2013
Staff Sgt.Michael Harrison Simpson 30 San Antonio, Texas, USA Company C, 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group Died on May 1, 2013, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb near Forward Operating Base Arian in the Qara Bagh district of Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on April 27, 2013
May 25, 2013 - The soldier bent to his work, careful as a diamond cutter. He carried no weapon or rucksack, just a small plastic ruler, which he used to align a name plate, just so, atop the breast pocket of an Army dress blue jacket, size 39R.
“Blanchard,” the plate read.
Capt. Aaron R. Blanchard, a 32-year-old Army pilot, had been in Afghanistan for only a few days when an enemy rocket killed him and another soldier last month as they dashed toward their helicopter. Now he was heading home.
But before he left the mortuary here, he would need to be properly dressed. And so Staff Sgt. Miguel Deynes labored meticulously, almost lovingly, over every crease and fold, every ribbon and badge, of the dress uniform that would clothe Captain Blanchard in his final resting place.
“It’s more than an honor,” Sergeant Deynes said. “It’s a blessing to dress that soldier for the last time.” read more, and listen from lefthand bar>>>
May 26, 2013 - The military gives the spouses of fallen soldiers the option of going to Dover Air Force Base to greet those flag-draped coffins.
Crystal Blasjo, despite the responsibility of her infant son, Talon, never considered not going to Dover, Del.
So it was that she spent Memorial Day two years ago working out the travel arrangements, making sure she would be there when the body of the love of her life, Sgt. Aaron Blasjo, arrived home from Afghanistan.
The plane landed, the doors opened and Crystal handed her baby to her sister. Her knees buckled, and her father caught her just in time.
"I kept thinking, he's right there,'' she said. "I waited all this time for him to come home, but I can't touch him, I can't hear his voice.''
And for her, like so many others, the true meaning of Memorial Day is forever imprinted on her heart. read more>>>
May 28, 2013 - The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman has introduced a two-part bill aimed at creating pilot programs to help veterans find jobs.
The Veterans Equipped for Success Act of 2013, sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, includes one pilot apprenticeship program in which veterans would receive at least minimum wage while receiving job training from employers, which could include nonprofits and small businesses.
A second pilot program would provide a salary subsidy of up to $14,000 a year to employers who hire a veteran as part of a skill-learning program or work experience.
Today’s military: A well-educated force
Joining Forces Both programs would be available to veterans who are either 18 to 34 years old or 55 to 64 years old and are not enrolled in a state or federal job training program, are considered by the Labor Department to be either unemployed or underemployed, and were discharged from the military under other than dishonorable conditions. read more>>>
And with the military training not only, in the positions needed but also in the high tech gear used, and much much more, from the headquarters to the battle field, they far outpace a very costly piece of paper. Including accomplishing goals as a unit and the leadership needed to do so while protecting each other and each contributing in all the tasks assigned. With that the focus on enhancing everyone's inner critical thinking gifts, which education is supposed to do, and common sense staying well after their military careers for most.
04.30.2013 - "Joining Forces" sets 2014 goal of having all 50 states pass laws making it easier for veterans and military family members to find civilian jobs.
May 23, 2013 - Here's a frightening statistic: Every day, some 22 American heroes take their own lives because of the stresses they experienced on the battlefield. Many more don't seek treatment and find their lives spiraling out of control.
"60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft will host "Combat Stress: Finding the Way Home," a special radio hour exploring the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder on our nation's veterans to be broadcast during Memorial Day weekend.
The hour, a partnership between CBS News and CBS Cares - the award-winning public service campaign of the CBS Corporation - will be produced by CBS Radio News.
Finding the Way Home
LISTEN
"PTSD can be devastating. It's a critical issue that needs to be discussed often, so the thousands of vets affected by this illnesses can learn how to cope with it," said Kroft, a combat correspondent and photographer for Pacific Stars and Stripes in the Vietnam War. read more>>>
HUD-VASH vouchers to build on 17 percent decline in veteran homelessness since 2009
WASHINGTON – 29 May 2013 - Approximately 9,000 homeless veterans living on the streets and in the nation’s shelter system will soon find a permanent place to call home. U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced today that HUD will provide $60 million to local public housing agencies across the country to provide permanent supportive housing to homeless veterans, many of whom are living with chronic disabling conditions.
The supportive housing assistance announced today is provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program which combines rental assistance from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by VA. Since 2008, a total of 48,385 vouchers have been awarded and 42,557 formerly homeless veterans are currently in homes because of HUD-VASH. read more>>>
To learn more about airborne hazards and what VA is doing to respond to Veterans' concerns, visit VA Publichealth Air Pollutants Exposures.
May 4, 2013 - Hundreds of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been flying home to a fresh fox hole: A debt crater that’s sucking in entire military families and could be helping to fuel the veteran suicide crisis.
A bad job market, a long backlog for federal disability benefits, and occasionally unwise spending habits have been conspiring to strain the financial and mental health of many veterans, experts say.
"We keep hearing of suicides rising. How much pressure do you think one person can take?" asks Christopher Fitzpatrick, deputy director of VeteransPlus, a nonprofit that has fielded more than 170,000 calls from ex-service members with imminent financial concerns.
"No one wants to talk about the fact that there are other reasons, besides PTSD, for suicide at 2 in the morning. You know how we know? We have an online form people use to contact us, and we get those emails — they’re sent at 1, 2, 3, 4 in the morning. People are reaching out, literally: 'Can you please help me? I’m losing everything.'"
It's a problem that could get even worse in coming years, with more than one million service members expected to make the transition to civilian life. read more>>>
March 29, 2013 - The past is never dead, as William Faulkner might have written if he were analyzing the federal budget, it’s not even paid for. Did you realize that World War II still costs U.S. taxpayers $5 billion a year? Or that we haven’t closed the financial books on the Civil War yet?
snip In the 1960s, it often seemed that the Vietnam war would never end — and for government accountants, it hasn’t. They issue checks for $22 billion each year (nearly triple the annual cost of the Transportation Safety Administration) and have already paid $270 billion to vets and their families. And the Middle Eastern wars of the past two decades may prove to be the most costly of all.
Compensation to those veterans and their family members already costs $12 billion a year. Not only are they filing disability claims at what the AP calls “historic rates” — nearly half of the soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are asking for compensation — but the Veterans Administration has steadily expanded its definition of war-related ailments. Vietnam vets with diabetes and heart disease, for instance, can collect extra payments.
snip And, of course, the real bottom line is the dollars are only a marker for the incalculable physical and emotional costs of war: The boys (and, these days, girls) who don’t come home. The kids who grow up missing a parent, the parents who outlive their children. The scarred limbs and broken hearts. How do you write a check for those? Both our major parties seemed increasingly inclined to play cop in the endless, byzantine Mideast power struggles. They ought to take a look at the books first. read more>>>
"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."
Previous recent related posts on these issues can be found Here * * * Here * * * Here * * * and * * * Here.
Recording Casualties: Victims of Armed Conflict Worldwide
This programme draws on the principles of human security to develop and enhance the technical and institutional capacity, identify and consolidate the legal requirements, and build the political will to record details of every single victim of armed conflict worldwide. The programme incorporates research into emerging good practice and existing legal frameworks, the development and promotion of clearer legal and more effective regulatory instruments, and the creation and support of advocacy networks. visit site for updated reports
Every Casualty.org: New Org Website Launched On Casualty Recording The one-stop source for information on conflict's casualties worldwide and the organisations that record them
Exact Count of Civilian Casualties 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 country, the U.S., were ever invaded, who suffer the most, during and long after!
The Rand Corporation Terrorism Report the press release here, you can get the full document here or a summary of the research brief here
05.13.2013 - A video news magazine designed to inform veterans, their families and their communities about the services and benefits they have earned through their service to America.
Marine Missing from Vietnam War to be Buried with Crew
May 14, 2013 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, was recently accounted for and will be buried along with the 12 other servicemen who were lost in the same crash.
Marine Corps Pfc. Daniel A. Benedett of Seattle, Wash., will be buried May 15, at Arlington National Cemetery, along with Air Force 2nd Lt. Richard Vandegeer of Cleveland, Ohio; Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Bernard Gause Jr., of Birmingham, Ala.; Hospitalman Ronald J. Manning of Steubenville, Ohio; Marine Corps servicemen Lance Cpl. Gregory S. Copenhaver of Lewistown, Pa.; Lance Cpl. Andres Garcia of Carlsbad, N.M.; Pfc. Lynn Blessing of Lancaster, Pa.; Pfc. Walter Boyd of Portsmouth, Va.; Pfc. James J. Jacques of La Junta, Colo.; Pfc. James R. Maxwell of Memphis, Tenn.; Pfc. Richard W. Rivernburgh of Schenectady, N.Y.; Pfc. Antonio R. Sandoval of San Antonio, Texas; and Pfc. Kelton R. Turner of St. Louis, Mo. read more>>>
HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military and Coalition Forces Killed in Action, Iraq & Afghanistan/Pakistan from 2001 to January 2013 - My Honor Rolls, and more, to Share
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
Arlington National Cemetery
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