{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.





Their Mission: Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. Learn More




** Home ** Bookshelf ** Donate ** Subscribe **




Honoring Afghanistan Fallen: 2001 - 2002 - 2003

PBS NewsHour Silent Honor Rolls




A silent tribute to U.S. soldiers killed while on duty in Afghanistan and Iraq


In Honor - In Memory



Afghanistan 2001


Master Sgt.Evander Earl Andrews 36 Solon, Maine, USA 366th Civil Engineer Squadron, 366th Mission Support Group, 366th Fighter Wing Andrews was killed in a heavy equipment accident near Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on October 10, 2001, the first death in Operation Enduring Freedom.


Spc.Jonn Joseph Edmunds 20 Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA Company B, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Killed when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed in Pakistan on October 19, 2001


Pfc.Kristofor Tif Stonesifer 28 Missoula, Montana, USA Company B, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Killed in the accidental crash of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in Pakistan on October 19, 2001


Fireman Apprentice Bryant Leroy Davis 20 Chicago, Illinois, USA USS Kitty Hawk Davis fell overboard on November 7, 2001, and was declared deceased after more than two days of search and rescue efforts were unsuccessful. November 7 2001


Petty Officer 3rd ClassBenjamin Alan Johnson 21 Buffalo, New York, USA USS Peterson Johnson was part of an eight-man security team that boarded an Iraqi freighter suspected of smuggling oil. He and another sailor drowned when the freighter sank on November 18, 2001, in the northern Persian Gulf.


Petty Officer 1st ClassVincent E Parker 38 Preston, Mississippi, USA USS Peterson Parker was part of an eight-man security team that boarded an Iraqi freighter, Motor Vessel Samra, suspected of smuggling oil. He and another sailor drowned when the freighter sank on November 18, 2001, in the northern Persian Gulf.


Pvt. Enlisted Grade 2 Giovanny Maria 19 Camden, New Jersey, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division Died of a non-hostile gunshot wound in Uzbekistan on November 29, 2001


Fireman Apprentice Michael Jamel Jakes Jr. 20 Brooklyn, New York, USA USS Kitty Hawk Died of fatal head injuries he sustained when he fell off a bunk on the USS Kitty Hawk in the Arabian Sea on December 4, 2001


Master Sgt.Jefferson Donald Davis 39 Watauga, Tennessee, USA Team sergeant, Operational Detachment Alpha 574, Company A, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group One of three soldiers killed when a 2,000-pound satellite-guided bomb was targeted incorrectly and hit near his position at Shah Wali Kot north of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on December 5, 2001. Davis was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest military decoration for valor, for "gallantry in the face of overwhelming odds and direct hostile aggression as the Team Sergeant of Operational Detachment Alpha 574 (ODA-574), 3d Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group."


Staff Sgt.Brian Cody Prosser 28 Panorama City, California, USA Military Intelligence Detachment, 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group One of three soldiers killed when a 2,000-pound satellite-guided bomb was targeted incorrectly and hit near his position north of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on December 5, 2001


Sgt. 1st ClassDaniel Henry Petithory 32 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA Senior communications sergeant, Operational Detachment Alpha 574, Company A, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group Petithory was one of three soldiers killed when a 2,000-pound satellite-guided bomb was targeted incorrectly and hit near their position at Shah Wali Kot north of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on December 5, 2001. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest honor for valor, for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action in the face of overwhelming odds and direct hostile aggression."



Afghanistan 2002


Sgt. 1st ClassNathan Ross Chapman 31 San Antonio, Texas, USA Company C, 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group Shot and killed during an ambush in the vicinity of Khost, Afghanistan, on January 4, 2002


Lance Cpl.Bryan Pahl Bertrand 23 Coos Bay, Oregon, USA Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing One of seven Marines killed when a KC-130/R Hercules refueling aircraft crashed into a mountain as it approached a military airfield near Shamsi in southwestern Pakistan on January 9, 2002


Sgt.Jeannette Lee Winters 25 Chicago, Illinois, USA Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing One of seven Marines killed when a KC-130/R Hercules refueling aircraft crashed into a mountain as it approached a military airfield near Shamsi in southwestern Pakistan on January 9, 2002


Gunnery Sgt.Stephen Lamon Bryson 36 Montgomery, Alabama, USA Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing One of seven Marines killed when a KC-130/R Hercules refueling aircraft crashed into a mountain as it approached a military airfield near Shamsi in southwestern Pakistan on January 9, 2002


Sgt.Nathan Paul Hays 21 Wilbur, Washington, USA Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing One of seven Marines killed when a KC-130/R Hercules refueling aircraft crashed into a mountain as it approached a military airfield near Shamsi in southwestern Pakistan on January 9, 2002


Capt.Matthew William Bancroft 29 Burney, California, USA Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing One of seven Marines killed when a KC-130/R Hercules refueling aircraft crashed into a mountain as it approached a military airfield near Shamsi in southwestern Pakistan on January 9, 2002


Staff Sgt.Scott Nelson Germosen 37 Coram, New York, USA Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing One of seven Marines killed when a KC-130/R Hercules refueling aircraft crashed into a mountain as it approached a military airfield near Shamsi in southwestern Pakistan on January 9, 2002


Capt.Daniel Gardner McCollum 29 Columbia, South Carolina, USA Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing One of seven Marines killed when a KC-130/R Hercules refueling aircraft crashed into a mountain as it approached a military airfield near Shamsi in southwestern Pakistan on January 9, 2002


Staff Sgt.Walter Francis Cohee III 26 Mardela Springs, Maryland, USA Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing One of two Marines killed when their CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crashed 23 miles southeast of Kabul, Afghanistan, while on a resupply mission on January 20, 2002


Sgt.Dwight Jason Morgan 24 Willits, California, USA Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing One of two Marines killed when their CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crashed during a resupply mission 23 miles southeast of Kabul, Afghanistan, on January 20, 2002


Spc.Jason A. Disney 21 Fallon, Nevada, USA 58th Maintenance Company, 7th Transportation Battalion, 507th Corps Support Group Died shortly after a piece of heavy equipment fell on him at Bagram Air Base north of Kabul, Afghanistan, on February 13, 2002


Sgt.Andrew Robert Russell 33 Perth, Australia Special Air Service Regiment, Australian Army Killed when the long-range patrol vehicle in which he was traveling struck a suspected anti-vehicle mine in Afghanistan on February 16, 2002


Capt.Bartt Derek Owens 31 Middletown, Ohio, USA Company E, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment One of eight soldiers killed along with two airmen when a MH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed at sea near Basilan Island in the southern Philippines on February 21, 2002


Sgt.Thomas Ferrell Allison 22 Tucson, Arizona, USA Company E, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment One of eight soldiers killed along with two airmen when a MH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed at sea near Basilan Island in the southern Philippines on February 21, 2002


Staff Sgt.Juan Miguel Ridout 36 Maple Tree, Washington, USA 320th Special Tactics Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Group One of two airmen killed along with eight soldiers when a MH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed at sea near Basilan Island in the southern Philippines on February 21, 2002


Chief Warrant OfficerJody Lynn Egnor 32 Middletown, Ohio, USA Company E, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment One of eight soldiers killed along with two airmen when a MH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed at sea near Basilan Island in the southern Philippines on February 21, 2002


Master Sgt.William Louis McDaniel II 29 Greenville, Ohio, USA 320th Special Tactics Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Group One of two airmen killed along with eight soldiers when a MH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed at sea near Basilan Island in the southern Philippines on February 21, 2002


Maj.Curtis Donald Feistner 34 White Bear Lake, Minnesota, USA Company E, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment One of eight soldiers killed along with two airmen when a MH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed at sea near Basilan Island in the southern Philippines on February 21, 2002


Staff Sgt.James Paul Dorrity 37 Aurora, Colorado, USA Company E, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment One of eight soldiers killed along with two airmen when a MH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed at sea near Basilan Island in the southern Philippines on February 21, 2002


Staff Sgt.Bruce Alan Rushforth Jr. 35 Bridgewater, Massachusetts, USA Company E, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment One of eight soldiers killed along with two airmen when a MH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed at sea near Basilan Island in the southern Philippines on February 21, 2002


Staff Sgt.Kerry Wayne Frith 37 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Company E, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment One of eight soldiers killed along with two airmen when a MH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed at sea near Basilan Island in the southern Philippines on February 21, 2002


Sgt.Jeremy Dale Foshee 25 Pisgah, Alabama, USA Company E, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment One of eight soldiers killed along with two airmen when a MH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed at sea near Basilan Island in the southern Philippines on February 21, 2002


Spc.Curtiss Anthony Carter 25 Lafayette, Louisiana, USA Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Calvary Division Died of a non-hostile gunshot wound in Kuwait on February 27, 2002


Chief Warrant OfficerStanley Lorn Harriman 34 Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA Company A, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group Harriman and two Afghan soldiers were killed by friendly fire from an Air Force AC-130 gunship during Operation Anaconda near Gardez, Afghanistan, on March 2, 2002


Petty Officer 1st ClassNeil Christopher Roberts 32 Woodland, California, USA Naval Special Warfare Development Group Roberts was aboard a MH-47 Chinook helicopter preparing to land on Takur Ghar mountain in eastern Afghanistan when the helicopter was hit by rocket-propelled grenades, causing Roberts to fall from the helicopter's ramp. Roberts survived the fall and immediately engaed al Qaeda fighters with his M-249 light machine gun, surviving at least 30 minutes before he was shot and killed at close range

.
Senior AirmanJason Decastro Cunningham 26 Camarillo, California, USA 38th Rescue Squadron Cunningham was shot and wounded on Takur Ghar mountain in eastern Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda on March 4, 2002. He died while waiting to be evacuated. He was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, the nation's second highest military honor for valor, for his efforts to treat the wounded awaiting evacuation off the mountain.


Tech. Sgt.John Allan Chapman 36 Waco, Texas, USA 24th Special Tactics Squadron Chapman, along with a group of Navy SEALs, were attempting to rescue another Navy SEAL during Operation Anaconda in southern Afghanistan on March 4, 2002. As the team came under fire, Chapman assaulted two enemy positions, allowing the other team members to move to cover, but was mortally wounded by small arms fire at close range. He was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, the nation's second highest military honor for valor.


Spc.Marc Anthony Anderson 30 Cantonment, Florida, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Anderson was shot and killed while exiting an MH-47 Chinook helicopter under fire on Takur Ghar mountain in eastern Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda on March 4, 2002.


Sgt.Philip James Svitak 31Neosho, Missouri, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment Svitak, a gunner on a MH-47 Chinook helicopter, was shot and killed as the helicopter landed on Takur Ghar mountain in eastern Afghanistan to rescue a Navy SEAL who was under fire from al Qaeda fighters, on March 4, 2002


Sgt.Bradley Stephen Crose 27 Orange Park, Florida, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Shot and killed when he and fellow Rangers were exiting a Chinook helicopter while under fire after landing on Takur Ghar mountain near Gardez, Paktia province, Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda on March 4, 2002


Cpl.Matthew Allen Commons 21 Boulder City, Nevada, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Shot and killed when he and fellow Rangers were exiting a Chinook helicopter while under fire after landing on Takur Ghar mountain in eastern Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda on March 4, 2002


Sgt.Thomas Kochert 29 Germany Kampfmittelbeseitigungskompanie 11 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company 11) One of five soldiers killed when two Russian SA-3 anti-aircraft missiles accidentally exploded while they were trying to defuse them in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 6, 2002


Lance Cpl.Kim Carlsen 35 Denmark Royal Danish Engineering battalion One of five soldiers killed when two Russian SA-3 anti-aircraft missiles accidentally exploded while they were trying to defuse them in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 6, 2002


Sgt. 1st ClassMike Rubel 27 Germany Kampfmittelbeseitigungskompanie 11 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company 11) One of five soldiers killed when two Russian SA-3 anti-aircraft missiles accidentally exploded while they were trying to defuse them in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 6, 2002


Lance Cpl.Brian Andersen 26 Denmark Royal Danish Engineering battalion One of five soldiers killed when two Russian SA-3 anti-aircraft missiles accidentally exploded while they were trying to defuse them in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 6, 2002


Staff Sgt.Thomas K. Butzkowsky 26 Denmark Royal Danish Engineering battalion One of five soldiers killed when two Russian SA-3 anti-aircraft missiles accidentally exploded while they were trying to defuse them in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 6, 2002


Chief Petty OfficerMatthew Joseph Bourgeois 35 Tallahassee, Florida, USA Naval Special Warfare Development Group Killed when he stepped on a land mine during a training mission near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on March 28, 2002


Lance Cpl.Darren John George 22 Essex, England 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment Accidentally shot in the head while on patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan, on April 9, 2002


Staff Sgt.Justin Joseph Galewski 28 Fort Myers, Florida, USA 710th Explosive Ordnance Detachment One of four soldiers killed when the ordnance cache that they were trying to destroy detonated due to a booby-trap in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on April 15, 2002


Sgt.Jamie Odell Maugans 27 Derby, Kansas, USA 710th Explosive Ordnance Detachment One of four soldiers killed when the ordnance cache that they were trying to destroy detonated due to a booby-trap in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on April 15, 2002


Sgt. 1st ClassDaniel Aaron Romero 30 Lafayette, Colorado, USA Headquarters Detachment, 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, Colorado Army National Guard One of four soldiers killed when the ordnance cache that they were trying to destroy detonated due to a booby-trap in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on April 15, 2002


Staff Sgt.Brian Thomas Craig 27 Houston, Texas, USA 710th Explosive Ordnance Detachment One of four soldiers killed when the ordnance cache they were trying to destroy detonated due to a booby-trap in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on April 15, 2002


Sgt.Marc D. Leger 29 Lancaster, Ontario, Canada 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group Killed when a U.S. fighter jet mistakenly dropped a 500-pound bomb on his unit during a training mission near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on April 18, 2002


Pvt.Nathan Smith 27 Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, Canada 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group Killed when a U.S. fighter jet mistakenly dropped a 500-pound bomb on his unit during a training mission near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on April 18, 2002


Cpl.Ainsworth Dyer 24 Montreal, Quebec, Canada 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group Killed when a U.S. fighter jet mistakenly dropped a 500-pound bomb on his unit during a training mission near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on April 18, 2002


Seaman Katrina Renee Grady 29 Greenville, Mississippi, USA USS Port Royal Died on April 18, 2002, at Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, after contracting an illness aboard the USS Port Royal off the coast of Bahrain


Pvt.Richard Green 22 Mill Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Killed when a U.S. fighter jet mistakenly dropped a 500-pound bomb on his unit during a training mission near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on April 18, 2002


Staff Sgt.Gene Arden Vance Jr. 38 Morgantown, West Virginia, USA Support Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, West Virginia Army National Guard Killed when his unit came under heavy fire during a patrol in Shkin, Afghanistan, on May 19, 2002


Tech. Sgt. Sean Mitchell Corlew 37 Thousand Oaks, California, USA 15th Special Operations Squadron, 16th Special Operations Wing Killed along with another airman and a soldier when an Air Force MC-130H Combat Talon II transport plane crashed on takeoff 35 miles east of Gardez in eastern Afghanistan on June 12, 2002


Sgt. 1st Class Peter Paul Tycz II 32 Tonawanda, New York, USA Company C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group Killed along with two airmen when an Air Force MC-130H Combat Talon II transport plane crashed on takeoff 35 miles east of Gardez in eastern Afghanistan on June 12, 2002


Staff Sgt.Anissa Ann Shero 31 Grafton, West Virginia, USA 15th Special Operations Squadron, 16th Special Operations Wing Killed when an Air Force MC-130H Combat Talon II transport plane crashed on takeoff 35 miles east of Gardez in eastern Afghanistan on June 12, 2002


Sgt. 1st ClassChristopher James Speer 28 Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Headquarters, U.S. Army Special Operations Command Speer, a special operations forces medic, was wounded during a four-hour firefight in the Afghan village of Ab Khail, near the Pakistan border, on July 27, 2002. He was evacuated to Germany, where he died of his wounds on August 7, 2002.


Cpl.John Gregory 30 Catterick, North Yorkshire, England Royal Logistics Corps Shot himself after shooting a fellow soldier at the British base at Kabul International Airport on August 17, 2002


Sgt.Robert Busuttil 30 Swansea, Wales Royal Logistics Corps - Army Killed by a fellow soldier at the British base at Kabul International Airport on August 17, 2002


Staff Sgt.Ryan Dane Foraker 31 Logan, Ohio, USA 342nd Military Police Company, U.S. Army Reserve Foraker went missing near Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and his clothes and personal effects were found near the water's edge. He was declared dead on November 1, 2002.


Sgt. 1st ClassMark Wayne Jackson 40 Glennie, Michigan, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group Killed in an explosion at an open-air market outside the gate of Camp Enrile Malagutay, in Zamboanga, Philippines, on October 2, 2002


Cpl.Antonio James Sledd 20 Tampa, Florida, USA Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit Killed when two armed attackers fired on 150 Marines conducting urban assault training on Faylaka Island near Kuwait on October 8, 2002


Pvt. Enlisted Grade 2James Henry Ebbers 19 Tinley Park, Illinois, USA 551st Military Police Company Died of a non-hostile gunshot wound in Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, on October 14, 2002


Ensign Jerry Orelle Pope II 35 Tallahassee, Florida, USA Navy SEAL assigned to the U.S. Embassy, Yemen Pope was killed in a non-hostile traffic accident between Sanaa and Hodeidah, Yemen, on October 17, 2002. A physician assistant, Pope was in Yemen training Yemeni Special Forces.


Lt. Cmdr.Thomas Lewis Robinson 38 Kingston, Massachusetts, USA Executive officer, guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton Robinson was found dead in his stateroom of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound while the destroyer was making a port call in Bahrain on October 23, 2002


Spc.Pedro Lazaro Pena-Suarez 35 Miami, Florida, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division Died in a non-hostile incident in Kuwait on November 7, 2002


Sgt.Steven Checo 22 Bronx, New York, USA Company D, 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division Shot and killed in a gunfight while on a nighttime operation in Paktika province, near the border of Pakistan, on December 20, 2002


Capt.Friedrich Deininger 53 Laupheim, Germany Heeresfliegerregiment 25 (25th Army Aviation Regiment) One of seven German soldiers killed when a German CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter accidentally crashed near Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 21, 2002


Sgt. 1st ClassThomas Schiebel Age Unavailable Laupheim, Germany Heeresfliegerregiment 25 (25th Army Aviation Regiment) One of seven German soldiers killed when a German CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter accidentally crashed near Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 21, 2002


Sgt.Frank Ehrlich 23 Germany Technische Schule der Luftwaffe 3 (Technical School of the Air Force 3) One of seven German soldiers killed when a German CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter accidentally crashed near Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 21, 2002


1st Lt.Uwe Vierling 31 Thuringia, Germany Heeresfliegerregiment 15 (15th Army Aviation Regiment) One of seven German soldiers killed when a German CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter accidentally crashed near Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 21, 2002


Pfc.Enrico Schmidt 24 Laupheim, Germany Heeresfliegerregiment 25 (25th Army Aviation Regiment) One of seven German soldiers killed when a German CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter accidentally crashed near Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 21, 2002


Sgt.Heinz-Ullrich Hewubt 41 Kreis Steinfurt, Germany Heeresfliegerregiment 15 (15th Army Aviation Regiment) One of seven German soldiers killed when a German CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter accidentally crashed near Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 21, 2002


Kreis Steinfurt, Germany Heeresfliegerregiment 15 (15th Army Aviation Regiment) One of seven German soldiers killed when a German CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter accidentally crashed near Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 21, 2002


Afghanistan 2003


Staff Sgt.Daniel Leon Kisling Jr.31 Neosho, Missouri, USA Company D, 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment One of four soldiers killed when their MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter accidentally crashed near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on January 30, 2003


Staff Sgt.Gregory Michael Frampton 37 Santa Ana, California, USA Company D, 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment One of four soldiers killed when their MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter accidentally crashed near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on January 30, 2003


Chief Warrant OfficerThomas Joseph Gibbons 31 Edgewater, Maryland, USA Company D, 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment One of four soldiers killed when their MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter accidentally crashed near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on January 30, 2003


Chief Warrant OfficerMark Steven O'Steen 43 Ozark, Alabama, USA Company D, 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment One of four soldiers killed when their MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter accidentally crashed near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on January 30, 2003


Sgt.Michael Christopher Barry 29 Overland Park, Kansas, USA 205th Medical Battalion, Missouri Army National Guard Barry was fatally injured while riding in a vehicle that was struck by another vehicle in Doha, Qatar, on February 1, 2003.


Spc.Brian Michael Clemens 19 Kokomo, Indiana, USA Company C, 1st Battalion, 293rd Infantry Regiment, Indiana Army National Guard Died as a result of injuries received when his Humvee overturned in Kuwait on February 6, 2003


Chief Warrant OfficerJohn Daren Smith 32 Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Company A, 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, 12th Aviation Brigade Killed when his UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime training mission near Camp New Jersey, about 31 miles northwest of Kuwait City, on February 25, 2003


Chief Warrant Officer 2Timothy Wayne Moehling 35 Panama City, Florida, USA Company A, 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, 12th Aviation Brigade Killed when his UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime training mission near Camp New Jersey, about 31 miles northwest of Kuwait City, on February 25, 2003


Sgt.Rodrigo Gonzalez-Garza 26 San Antonio, Texas, USA Company A, 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, 12th Aviation Brigade Killed when his UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime training mission near Camp New Jersey, about 31 miles northwest of Kuwait City, on February 25, 2003


Sgt.William John Tracy 27 Webster, New Hampshire, USA Company B, 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, 12th Aviation Brigade Killed when his UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime training mission near Camp New Jersey, about 31 miles northwest of Kuwait City, on February 25, 2003


Pfc.Spence Alexander McNeil 19 Bennettsville, South Carolina, USA Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment Died on March 9, 2003, from injuries sustained when the vehicle he was traveling in rolled over near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 3, 2003


Pfc.James Robert Dillon Jr. 19 Grove City, Pennsylvania, USA 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Died of a non-combat related injury in Kuwait on March 13, 2003


Petty Officer 3rd ClassJason Allen Profitt 23 Charlestown, Indiana, USA USS Deyo Died of a non-combat related injury while in the Red Sea on March 17, 2003


Capt.Holger Nippus Age Unavailable Germany Stab, I Deutsch/Niederländisches Korps (Staff, 1 German/Netherlands Corps) Died in a non-combat related incident in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 20, 2003


Capt.Tamara Lee Archuleta 23 Los Lunas, New Mexico, USA 41st Rescue Squadron, 347th Rescue Wing Killed along with five other Air Force rescue team members when their HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed while on the way to help two injured Afghan children on March 23, 2003


Staff Sgt.Jason Carlyle Hicks 25 Jefferson, South Carolina, USA 41st Rescue Squadron, 347th Rescue Wing Killed along with five other Air Force rescue team members when their HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed while on the way to help two injured Afghan children on March 23, 2003


Lt. Col.John Henry Stein 39 Bardolph, Illinois, USA 41st Rescue Squadron, 347th Rescue Wing Killed along with five other Air Force rescue team members when their HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed near Ghazni, Afghanistan, while on the way to help two injured Afghan children on March 23, 2003


Staff Sgt.John Michael Teal 29 Dallas, Texas, USA 41st Rescue Squadron, 347th Rescue Wing Killed along with five other Air Force rescue team members when their HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed near Ghazni, Afghanistan, while on the way to help two injured Afghan children on March 23, 2003


Senior AirmanJason Thomas Plite 21 Lansing, Michigan, USA 38th Rescue Squadron, 347th Rescue Wing Killed along with five other Air Force rescue team members when their HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed near Ghazni, Afghanistan, while on the way to help two injured Afghan children on March 23, 2003


Master Sgt.Michael Harry Maltz 42 St. Petersburg, Florida, USA 38th Rescue Squadron, 347th Rescue Wing Killed along with five other Air Force rescue team members when their HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed while on the way to help two injured Afghan children on March 23, 2003


Staff Sgt.Jacob Lee Frazier 24 St. Charles, Illinois, USA 169th Air Support Operations Squadron, 182nd Airlift Wing, Illinois Air National Guard Killed when the four-vehicle convoy he was in was ambushed on a reconnaissance patrol in Geresk, Afghanistan, on March 29, 2003


Staff Sgt.Orlando Morales 33 Manati, Puerto Rico, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group Killed when the four-vehicle convoy he was in was ambushed on a reconnaissance patrol in Geresk, Afghanistan, on March 29, 2003


Airman 1st ClassRaymond Losano 24 Del Rio, Texas, USA 14th Air Support Operation Squadron Died of wounds suffered in a firefight in Afghanistan on April 25, 2003


Pfc.Jerod Rhoton Dennis 19 Soper, Oklahoma, USA Company B, 3rd Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division Dennis was killed in a firefight with suspected Taliban fighters while trying to evacuate wounded soldiers in Shkin, Afghanistan, on April 25, 2003. When the truck they were using was hit by enemy fire, Dennis provided suppressing fire to allow his fellow soldiers to escape until he was mortally wounded. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest military decoration for valor.


Maj.Alexander Hofert Age Unavailable Germany Jagdbombergeschwader 33 (33rd Fighter Wing) Died in a non-combat related incident in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 17, 2003


Sgt. 1st ClassJohn Edward Taylor 31 Wichita Falls, Texas, USA Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group Died when he suffered a heart attack after completing physical training in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 17, 2003


Pfc.Stephen Kamins 24 Germany Amt für Geoinformationswesen der Bundeswehr (Office of Geoinformation, German Federal Defense Force) Killed when his Wolf all-terrain vehicle struck a mine while on patrol 7.4 miles (12 km) south of Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 29, 2003


Sgt.Helmi Jimenez-Paradis 29 Wunstorf, Germany Fernmeldeaufklärungsregiment 320 (320th Signals Regiment) One of four German soldiers killed when a suicide car bomb detonated next to the bus they were traveling near the Afghan National Army training facility in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2003


Junior Sgt.Joerg Baasch 23 Densborn, Germany Fernmeldeaufklärungsregiment 940 (940th Signals Intelligence Regiment) One of four German soldiers killed when a suicide car bomb detonated next to the bus they were traveling near the Afghan National Army training facility in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2003


Chief Warrant OfficerAndreas Beljo Age Unavailable Eldorf, Germany Fernmeldeaufklärungsregiment 940 (940th Signals Intelligence Regiment) One of four German soldiers killed when a suicide car bomb detonated next to the bus they were traveling near the Afghan National Army training facility in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2003


Master Sgt.Carsten Kuehlmorgen 32 Chemnitz, Germany Fernmeldeaufklärungsregiment 320 (320th Signals Intelligence Regiment) Killed when a suicide car bomb detonated next to the bus he was traveling near the Afghan National Army training facility in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 7, 2003


Capt.Seth Robert Michaud 27 Hudson, Massachusetts, USA Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461, Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Michaud was killed when an Air Force B-52 bomber inadvertently dropped ordnance south of the target onto the Godoria Range observation post 60 miles north of Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, on June 22, 2003. Michaud and other Marines were at the range in case a medical evacuation was needed.


Petty Officer 1st ClassThomas Eugene Retzer 30 San Diego, California, USA Naval Special Warfare Development Group Retzer was wounded on June 25, 2003, after his convoy was attacked outside of Gardez, Afghanistan. He was transported to Bagram Air Base hospital in Afghanistan, where he died of his wounds on June 26.


Sgt.Kelvin Edgar Feliciano Gutierrez 21 Anasco, Puerto Rico, USA Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division Gutierrez was a .50 caliber gunner on a vehicle that was returning from patrol when it veered off the road and turned over. Gutierrez suffered fatal injuries while trapped under the vehicle and died at Bagram Air Base north of Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 28, 2003


Sgt.Christopher Patrick Geiger 38 Northampton, Pennsylvania, USA Headquarters Company, 213th Area Support Group, Pennsylvania Army National Guard Died of a non-combat related cause in Bagram, Afghanistan, on July 9, 2003


Lance Cpl.Jeffery Lane Clark 24 Bay City, Florida, USA 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division Died of a non-hostile medical illness at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on July 22, 2003
Petty Officer 1st ClassDavid Martin Tapper August 20, 2003 32 Atco, New Jersey, USA Naval Special Warfare Development Group Tapper, a Navy Seal, was wounded when his convoy made contact with enemy forces near Orgun in Paktika province, Afghanistan on August 20, 2003. He was transported to Bagram Air Base hospital in Afghanistan where he died of his wounds.


Sgt. 1st ClassMitchell Arthur Lane 34 Lompoc, California, USA Company C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group Died of injuries received during an accidental fall while on a night combat assault near Deh Chopan in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on August 29, 2003


Pfc.Adam Lee Thomas 21 Palos Hills, Illinois, USA Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division Died of wounds received during a firefight with Taliban fighters northwest of Shkin in Paktika province in Afghanistan on August 31, 2003


Spc.Chad Edward Fuller 24 Potsdam, New York, USA Company B, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division Died of wounds received during a firefight with Taliban fighters northwest of Shkin, in Paktika province in Afghanistan on August 31, 2003


Pfc.Kristian Eirik Parker 23 Slidell, Louisiana, USA Company C, 205th Engineer Battalion, Louisiana Army National Guard Died from non-combat related injuries at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, on September 29, 2003


Pfc.Evan William O'Neill 19 Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division Killed during a firefight with Taliban forces while on patrol in Shkin, Afghanistan, on September 29, 2003


Cpl.Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger 29 Ottawa, Canada 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Killed when the lead vehicle of his patrol struck an explosive device while on patrol near Camp Julien, the main Canadian camp in southwest Kabul, Afghanistan, on October 2, 2003


Sgt.Robert Alan Short 42 Fredericton, Canada 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Killed when the lead vehicle of his patrol struck an explosive device while on patrol near Camp Julien, the main Canadian camp in southwest Kabul, Afghanistan, on October 2, 2003


Lt. Col.Paul Wayne Kimbrough 44 Washington, District of Columbia, USA 416th Engineer Command, Team 28, U.S. Army Reserve Kimbrough was medically evacuated from Bagram, Afghanistan, and flown to the 39th Medical Squadron in Incirlik, Turkey, where he remained hospitalized until his death from a non-combat related cause on October 3, 2003.


Petty Officer 2nd ClassDarrell Ray Jones Jr. 22 Wellston, Ohio, USA USS Higgins Died of non-combat related injuries in Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates on October 8, 2003


Staff Sgt.Paul Anthony Sweeney 32 Lakeville, Pennsylvania, USA Company A, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group Killed when his unit was ambushed while on patrol north of Musa Qalax in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, on October 30, 2003


2nd Lt.Iosif Silviu Fogorasi 33 Alesd, Romania 280th Infantry Battalion, 282nd Mechanized Brigade Killed when his armored convoy came under fire from unidentified attackers near Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, along the Pakistan border on November 11, 2003


2nd Lt.Mihail Anton Samoila 35 Beius, Romania 151st Infantry Battalion, Romanian Army Died on November 14, 2003, of wounds sustained when his armored convoy came under fire from unidentified attackers near Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, along the Pakistan border on November 11


Sgt.Jay Anthony Blessing 23 Tacoma, Washington, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Killed when the Humvee he was riding was hit by a roadside bomb in Asadabad, Afghanistan, on November 16, 2003


Maj.Steven Plumhoff 33 Neshanic Station, New Jersey, USA 58th Operations Squadron, 58th Special Operations Wing Killed in the accidental crash of a MH-53M Pave Low helicopter in Afghanistan on November 23, 2003


Sgt. Maj.Phillip Robert Albert 41 Terryville, Connecticut, USA Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division Killed along with four U.S. airmen in the accidental crash of a MH-53 Pave Low helicopter in Afghanistan on November 23, 2003


Master Sgt.William Jo Kerwood 37 Houston, Missouri, USA 20th Special Operations Squadron, 16th Special Operations Wing Killed in the accidental crash of a MH-53M Pave Low helicopter shortly after taking off from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on November 23, 2003


Staff Sgt.Thomas Alva Walkup Jr.25 Millville, New Jersey, USA 20th Special Operations Squadron, 16th Special Operations Wing Killed in the accidental crash of a MH-53M Pave Low helicopter in Afghanistan on November 23, 2003


Tech. Sgt.Howard Arlen Walters 33 Port Huron, Michigan, USA 20th Special Operations Squadron, 16th Special Operations Wing Killed in the accidental crash of a MH-53M Pave Low helicopter in Afghanistan on November 23, 2003


Sgt.Theodore Louis Perreault 33 Webster, Massachusetts, USA Company B, 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts Army National Guard Died of non-combat related injuries in Camp Bulkeley, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on December 23, 2003