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

Iraq, from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn Sept 1, 2010
There have been 4,745 coalition deaths -- 4,426 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 November 5 2010, according to a CNN count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. At least 31,967 {31,926 in August} U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan

As the draw down continues, both in theater as to opporation participation and troops leaving the theater and not being replaced, the numbers of killed and injured draws down drastically as well. But those who die later, from wounds received or from ailments they developed or from suicides, are still not counted and will continue for the years and decades to come!

Pfc.Dylan T. Reid 24 Springfield, Missouri, USA 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Died in a non-combat related incident in Amara, Iraq, on October 16, 2010

Pfc.David R. Jones Jr. 21 Saint Johnsville, New York, USA Howitzer Battery, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Died of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident at Baghdad, Iraq, on October 24, 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 2,190 coalition deaths -- 1,364 Americans, 21 Australians, 342 Britons, 1 Belgian, 152 Canadians, 3 Czech, 38 Denmark, 24 Netherlands, 5 NATO, 8 Estonians, 1 Finn, 50 French, 45 Germans, 4 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Jordan, 3 Latvian, 1 Lithuanian, 9 Norwegians, 22 Poles, 2 Portuguese, 17 Romanians, 1 South Korean, 30 Spaniards, 5 Swedes, 2 Turks, 1 New Zealand, 1 Jordanian and three NATO/ISAF -- in the war on terror as of November 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 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 9,134 {8,530 last month} 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.

Sgt. Maj.Marius Florin Sfecheş 25 Romania Batalionul 812 Infanterie (812th Infantry Battalion) One of two Romanian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Hmvee in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on October 1, 2010

Staff Sgt.Willie James Harley Jr. 48 Aiken, South Carolina, USA 1221st Engineer Clearance Company, South Carolina Army National Guard One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their military vehicle with a roadside bomb in the Orgun district of Paktika province, Afghanistan, on October 1, 2010

Sgt. 1st ClassLance Herman Vogeler 29 Frederick, Maryland, USA Battalion mortar platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Died at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with indirect fire during a heavy firefight in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 1, 2010

Sgt.Anthony Dennis Matteoni 22 Union City, Michigan, USA 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 1, 2010

Spc.Luther Willard Rabon Jr. 32 Lexington, South Carolina, USA 1221st Engineer Clearance Company, South Carolina Army National Guard One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their military vehicle with a roadside bomb in the Orgun district of Paktika province, Afghanistan, on October 1, 2010

Pvt.Cristian-Petru Filip 26 Romania Batalionul 812 Infanterie (812th Infantry Battalion) One of two Romanian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on October 1, 2010

RiflemanSuraj Gurung 22 Gorkha, Nepal Company C, 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles Killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device during a follow-up foot patrol after an attack on a patrol base in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 2, 2010

Sgt.Brian Joseph Pedro 27 Rosamond, California, USA Forward Supply Company, 2nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in Pol-e-Khumri, Afghanistan, on October 2, 2010

Spc.Joseph Thomas Prentler 20 Fenwick, Michigan, USA G Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his military vehicle using a roadside bomb in Mama Kariz in the Maywand district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 4, 2010

Pfc.Ryane Glenn Clark 22 New London, Minnesota, USA 57th Engineer Company, 27th Combat Engineer Battalion, 20th Combat Engineer Brigade Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in Shekhabad, Afghanistan, on October 4, 2010

Pfc.Cody Allen Board 19 McKinney, Texas, USA A Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb at Mirwais in the Chorah district of Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, on October 4, 2010

Senior Airman Daniel James Johnson 23 Schiller Park, Illinois, USA Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight, 30th Civil Engineer Squadron, 30th Mission Support Group, 30th Space Wing Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated while he was conducting explosive ordnance disposal operations in an area west of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on October 5, 2010

Sgt.Karl Andrew Campbell 34 Chiefland, Florida, USA A Troop, 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Babur, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 4, 2010

Lance Cpl.Scott Albert Lynch 22 Greenwood Lake, New York, USA 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 6, 2010

Cpl.Stephen Cody Sockalosky 21 Cordele, Georgia, USA 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 6, 2010

Staff Sgt.Florian Pauli 26 Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany Fallschirmjägerbataillon 313 (313th Parachute Infantry Battalion) Died when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device near a German military convoy near Pul-e Khumri in Baghlan province, Afghanistan, on October 7, 2010

Hospitalman Edwin Gonzalez 22 North Miami Beach, Florida, USA Navy corpsman assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Forces Atlantic Died from wounds sustained from a roadside bomb explosion while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 8, 2010

Sgt.Peter Anthony Rayner 34 Bradford, England Arnhem Company, 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment Killed when he was struck by a roadside bomb while leading his men on patrol in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 8, 2010

Lance Cpl.John Travis Sparks 23 Chicago, Illinois, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 8, 2010

1st Cpl. Maj.Sebastiano Ville 27 Lentini, Siracusa, Italy 7° Reggimento Alpini (7th Alpine Regiment) One of four Italian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Lynx armored vehicle in Gulistan district of Herat province, Afghanistan, on October 9, 2010

1st Cpl. Maj.Gianmarco Manca 32 Alghero, Sardinia, Italy 7° Reggimento Alpini (7th Alpine Regiment) One of four Italian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Lynx armored vehicle in Gulistan district of Herat province, Afghanistan, on October 9, 2010

Cpl. Maj.Marco Pedone 23 Gagliano del Capo , Lecce, Italy 7° Reggimento Alpini (7th Alpine Regiment) One of four Italian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Lynx armored vehicle in Gulistan district of Herat province, Afghanistan, on October 9, 2010

1st Cpl. Maj.Francesco Vannozzi 26 Pisa, Italy 7° Reggimento Alpini (7th Alpine Regiment) One of four Italian soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Lynx armored vehicle in Gulistan district of Herat province, Afghanistan, on October 9, 2010

Staff Sgt.David Jee Weigle 29 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of two soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in the Zhari district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 10, 2010

Spc.David Alan Hess 25 Ruskin, Florida, USA Company D, 526th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division One of two soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in the Zhari district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 10, 2010

Sgt.Frank Riddell Zaehringer III 23 Reno, Nevada, USA 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died after a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 11, 2010

Spc.Matthew Christopher Powell 20 Slidell, Louisiana, USA Company A, 526th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died on October 12, 2010, at Kandahar Airfield of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his military vehicle with a roadside bomb at Ghunday Ghar, Afghanistan

Lance Cpl.Joseph Earl Rodewald 21 Albany, Oregon, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force One of four Marines killed in a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 13, 2010

Cpl.Justin James Cain 22 Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force One of four Marines killed in a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 13, 2010

Pfc.Victor Anthony Dew 20 Granite Bay, California, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force One of four Marines killed in a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 13, 2010

Lance Cpl.Raymon Lee Allen Johnson 22 Midland, Georgia, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died after a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 13, 2010

Pfc.Jordan Matthew Byrd 19 Grantsville, Utah, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Killed when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire in Yahya Kheyl, Paktia province, Afghanistan, on October 13, 2010

Lance Cpl.Phillip David Vinnedge 19 Saint Charles, Missouri, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force One of four Marines killed in a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 13, 2010

Lance Cpl.Joseph Charles Lopez 26 Rosamond, California, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force One of two Marines killed in an insurgent attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 14, 2010

Pfc.Adam Szada–Borzyszkowski 28 Trzebiatkowa, Poland 1 Batalion Kawalerii Powietrznej, 25 Brygada Kawalerii Powietrzne (1st Air Cavalry Battalion, 25 Air Cavalry Brigade) Killed when his unit was attacked with mortar fire while attempting to defuse a mine on the Kabul-Kandahar highway in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on October 14, 2010

Chief Warrant OfficerThibault Miloche 39 Brive, France Medic assigned to the 126e Régiment d’Infanterie (126th Infantry Regiment) Died of wounds suffered when his reconnaissance patrol was hit by an insurgent rocket attack in the northern Uzbin Valley in Kabul province, Afghanistan, on October 14, 2010

Staff Sgt.Carlos Alonzo Benitez 24 Carrollton, Texas, USA C Troop, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division One of three soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a roadside bomb between Moqur and Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan, on October 14, 2010

Spc.Rafael Martinez Jr. 36 Spring Valley, California, USA C Troop, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division One of three soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a roadside bomb between Moqur and Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan, on October 14, 2010

Lance Cpl.Alec Ernst Catherwood 19 Byron, Illinois, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force One of two Marines killed in an insurgent attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 14, 2010

Pfc.Tramaine Jamal Billingsley 20 Portsmouth, Virginia, USA C Troop, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division One of three soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a roadside bomb between Moqur and Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan, on October 14, 2010

Sgt.Eric Colby Newman 30 Waynesboro, Mississippi, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade Died of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb detonated while on patrol near Din Mohammed Kalay in southeastern Afghanistan on October 14, 2010

Lance Cpl.Irvin Martin Ceniceros 21 Clarksville, Arkansas, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died after a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 14, 2010

Lance Cpl.James David Boelk 24 Oceanside, California, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 15, 2010

Sgt.Kenneth Wallin 22 Stockholm, Sweden Swedish Army Killed when his armored vehicle hit a roadside bomb while patrolling an area 25 miles (40 km) west of Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, on October 16, 2010

Sgt.Ian Matthew Tawney 25 Dallas, Oregon, USA 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 16, 2010

Lance Cpl.Francisco Rafael Jackson 24 Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 19, 2010

Acting Cpl.David Barnsdale 24 Tring, Hertfordshire, England 61 Field Squadron, 33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Killed when a roadside bomb detonated while his unit was working on the construction of a new checkpoint and patrol base east of Gereshk, Afghanistan, on October 19, 2010

Staff Sgt.Joshua James Cullins 28 Simi Valley, California, USA 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 19, 2010

Spc.Gerald Robert Jenkins 19 Circleville, Ohio, USA Company A, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a dismounted foot patrol in Maquan, Zhari district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 20, 2010

Staff Sgt.Kenneth Keith McAninch 28 Logansport, Indiana, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died of a gunshot wound while conducting a vehicle recovery from a previous roadside bomb blast in the Yahya Kheyl district of Paktika province, Afghanistan, on October 21, 2010

Staff Sgt.Aracely Gonzalez-O'Malley 31 Brawley, California, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 307th Integrated Theater Signal Battalion, 516th Signal Brigade, 311th Signal Command Died on October 22, 2010, in Homburg, Germany, of injuries sustained in a noncombat incident in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, on October 12

Spc.Ronnie Joseph Pallares 19 Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA 57th Sapper Company, 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a roadside bomb three miles (six km) southwest of Combat Outpost Mulanababa in the Andar district of Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on October 23, 2010

Pvt.Mikkel Jørgensen 21 Denmark Kompagniet C, I. Bataljon, Den Kongelige Livgarde (Company C, 1st Battalion, Royal Life Guards) Killed when his unit was engaged in a firefight during a patrol east of Patrol Base Bridzar, located four miles (six km) northeast of Gereshk in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 23, 2010

Sgt. 1st ClassCharles M. Sadell 34 Columbia, Missouri, USA 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died on October 24, 2010, at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a roadside bomb at Arif Kala in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 5

Spc.Steven Lloyd Dupont 20 Lafayette, Louisiana, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a roadside bomb at Rangrizan in the Maywand district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 24, 2010

Spc.Thomas Adam Moffitt 21 Wichita, Kansas, USA Company D, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died of a gunshot wound suffered when his unit was attacked by insurgents with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in the Sarobi district of Paktika province, Afghanistan, on October 24, 2010

Sgt. 1st ClassPhillip Cecil Tanner 43 Sheridan, Wyoming, USA 541st Transportation Company, 106th Transportation Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division Tanner was processing through Kuwait after leaving Afghanistan when he collapsed in a non-combat incident at Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, on October 26, 2010

Lance Cpl.Terry Edward Honeycutt Jr. 19 Waldorf, Maryland, USA 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died on October 27, 2010, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds received while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 21, 2010

Sgt.Michael Dana Kirspel Jr. 23 Hopatcong, New Jersey, USA Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a roadside bomb near the village of Khwaja Kinti, approximately 15.5 miles (25 km) south of Ghormach, in Baghdis province, Afghanistan, on October 27, 2010

Staff Sgt.Adam Lynn Dickmyer 26 Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died when a roadside bomb detonated during a dismounted foot patrol near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on October 28, 2010

Spc.Pedro Antonio Maldonado 20 Houston, Texas, USA Company B, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died when his unit came under attack from rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire while on a mounted patrol in Kandalay, Zhari district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 29, 2010

Spc.Diego A. Solorzano-Valdovinos 24 Huntington Park, California, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died on October 29, 2010, in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire in the Yahya Khel district of Paktika province, Afghanistan, on October 27

Spc.Brett Willie Land 24 Wasco, California, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died after his unit was attacked with a roadside bomb in the Zhari district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 30, 2010

Sapper William Bernard Blanchard 39 Gosport, Hampshire, England 221 Field Squadron, 101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment, Territorial Army, attached to the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force Died of a gunshot wound sustained when his team was in the process of destroying an explosive device when they were engaged by small-arms fire in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 30, 2010

Attn Veterans of OIF and OEF and Spouses of: Stop Loss Extension

01 Oct 2010 - The deadline for eligible servicemembers, veterans and their beneficiaries to apply for retroactive stop loss special pay has been extended to December 3rd, 2010.

Legislation Extends Special Stop-Loss Pay Deadline

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2010 – President Barack Obama signed legislation yesterday extending the Retroactive Stop-Loss Special Pay deadline through December 3, DOD officials said today.

Officials estimate about 80,000 eligible service members, veterans and beneficiaries have yet to apply for the special stop-loss pay. {read rest}

Rep Sutton managed to get at least this short extension, she was trying for a full year, so there's work to do when Congress comes back after the elections to help these soldiers and survivors of.

PTSD - TBI - Military and Veterans Suicides

VA PTSD Program Locator

The Pentagon Channel: "Restoring Hope": an in-depth look at servicemember suicide and the families left behind. Plus, military leaders discuss what they are doing to stop the upward trend. {you can find this series "Restoring Hope" in the list on the left side of the page at the Pentagon Channel along with the rest of the programing.}

24 September 2010 Part 1 and Part 2

Department of Defense "Restoring Hope": You Can Help Save A Life

Study: military children have higher levels of stress, behavioral problems

August 03, 2010 Fighting a war a world away is hard on parents, but can be tougher on their children.

The Rand Study on Military Children: Children on the Homefront: The Experiences of Children from Military Families

The following is a 10MB, 370page pdf download, you can visit the Army site by clicking on the graphic or the link.

Army Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention Report

July 29, 2010 With suicides at an all-time high, the U.S. Army released a report today blaming "a permissive unit environment" for high risk behavior.

"For some, the rigors of service, repeated deployment, injuries and separations from family resulted in a sense of isolation, hopelessness and life fatigue," Army Vice Chief of Staff Peter Chiarelli says in a letter accompanying the report.

In fiscal year 2009, 160 soldiers took their own lives. In addition, there were 1,713 suicide attempts and nearly 17,000 drug and alcohol offenses.

Army Releases September Suicide Data

October 22, 2010 - The Army released suicide data today for the month of September. Among active-duty soldiers, there were 18 potential suicides: none have been confirmed as suicides, and all 18 remain under investigation. For August, the Army reported 13 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, seven have been confirmed as suicides, and six remain under investigation. {read rest}

Special Series

Traumatic brain injury is considered the "signature injury" of soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. An NPR and ProPublica investigation has uncovered the military's failure to diagnose, treat and document brain injuries. Evidence suggests tens of thousands of soldiers are falling through the cracks.
Brain Wars: How The Military Is Failing Its Wounded July 1, 2010

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} .

Total Costs of Wars since 2001, the rolling tabulation, over $1,090,363,823,561+++++ and continually counting!

“The True Cost of the War”

September 30, 2010 10:00AM Full House Veterans Affairs Committee

The True Cost of the War

Archived Webcast September 30 at 10 a.m. Full Committee Hearing “The True Cost of the War” {If you listen or watch No Other Congressional Hearing, This One You Should, read the opening statements and watch the back and forth talk not in the opening statements but in the Congressional Records.}
Visit Site Page for Backlinks to Participants Opening Statements

CNN-Iraq and Afghanistan War Casulties

In Remembrance - Moving Tributes

Civilian Casulties - Iraq

John Hopkins School of Public Health { October 11, 2006 report } Updated Iraq Survey Affirms Earlier Mortality Estimates. Mortality Trends Comparable to Estimates by Those Using Other Counting Methods

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]........Continued

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!

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

"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!"

In fairness, we’ve been putting ground zeros next to mosques in Iraq since 2003 - Unknown Comment Author

"How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me -- unless you don't count American soldiers as Americans."
How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq
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"!

Still Coming Home, Our Brothers of WWII, Korea and Vietnam - Rest in Peace, You're Finally Home

Airmen Missing in Action from WWII Identified

October 27, 2010 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Army Air Forces Staff Sgts. Claude A. Ray, 24, Coffeyville, Kan., and Claude G. Tyler, 24, Landover, Md., will both be buried today -- Ray in Fallbrook, Calif., and Tyler in Arlington National Cemetery. These two airmen, along with 10 other crew members, were ordered to carry out a reconnaissance mission in their B-24D Liberator, taking off from an airfield near Port Moresby, New Guinea, on Oct. 27, 1943. Allied plans were being formulated to mount an attack on the Japanese redoubt at Rabaul, New Britain. American strategists considered it critical to take Rabaul in order to support the eventual invasion of the Philippines. The crew’s assigned area of reconnaissance was the nearby shipping lanes in the Bismarck Sea. But during their mission, they were radioed to land at a friendly air strip nearby due to poor weather conditions. The last radio transmission from the crew did not indicate their location, and searchers that day and the following weeks were unable to locate the aircraft in spite of multiple searches over land and sea areas. {read rest

Soldier Missing in Action from WWII Identified

October 21, 2010 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Staff Sgt. John R. Simonetti, 26, of Jackson Heights, N.Y., will be buried on Oct. 25 in Arlington National Cemetery. Following the Normandy invasion, allied troops began the deadly task of engaging regrouped German forces in the pastures, hedgerows and villages of France. On June 16, 1944, Simonetti was among the advancing infantrymen of the 9th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division. The soldiers were met with heavy automatic weapons and mortar fire and were forced to stop and take cover before they reached the French town of St. Germain-d’Elle. During the battle, the Americans sustained heavy losses, including Simonetti. Two members of his unit later gave conflicting information on the location and disposition of his remains. In the first account, the witness stated his body could not be recovered due to enemy activity, and the second said his body was evacuated to the battalion aid station. Two post-war investigations failed to recover his remains and he was declared non-recoverable by a military review board in 1950. {read rest}

Missing Vietnam War Soldiers Identified

October 18, 2010 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of three servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Army Staff Sgt. Robert S. Griffith, of Hapeville, Ga., will be buried on Oct. 23 in Fairburn, Ga. The group remains of the other two soldiers which could not be individually identified -- Army Staff Sgt. Melvin C. Dye, of Carleton, Mich., and Sgt. 1st Class Douglas J. Glover, of Cortland, N.Y., will be buried at a later date. The men were aboard a UH-1H Iroquois helicopter on Feb. 19, 1968, when it was shot down by enemy fire in Laos. They were involved in an attempt to extract a long-range reconnaissance patrol in the mountains of Attapu Province. Three other American service members survived the crash and were rescued, but three Vietnamese Montagnards did not survive. {read rest}

Missing WWII Airman Identified

October 14, 2010 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Arthur F. Parkhurst, of Evansville, Ind., will be buried on Oct. 16 in Dayton, Ohio. On March 12, 1945, Parkhurst and five other crew members aboard a C-47A Skytrain departed Tanauan Airfield on Leyte, Philippines, on a resupply mission to guerilla troops. Once cleared for takeoff there was no further communication between the aircrew and airfield operators. When the aircraft failed to return, a thorough search of an area ten miles on either side of the intended route was initiated. No evidence of the aircraft was found and the six men were presumed killed in action, their remains determined non-recoverable. {read rest}

Attention brothers and sisters of Desert Shield Desert Storm:

Information For Veterans Who Served In Desert Shield/Storm and Their Families

July 2010 Secretary Shinseki Marked the 20th Anniversary of Gulf War with a Renewed Pledge to Improve Care and Services to Gulf War Veterans Continued in a Twelve Page PDF Download

Press Release: HBO Documentary "Wartorn: 1861-2010," Exploring Combat and Post-Traumatic Stress, Debuts on Veterans Day, Nov. 11

Trailer for "Wartorn"

AFN to air HBO "Wartorn" documentary on PTSD, also on Veterans Day.

Attention my brothers and sisters of Vietnam Service:

Federal Register: Diseases Associated With Exposure to Certain Herbicide Agents (Hairy Cell Leukemia and Other Chronic B-Cell Leukemias, Parkinson's Disease and Ischemic Heart Disease)

Another quick move by the Shinseki admin under the Administration!!

VA Encourages Affected Vietnam Veterans to File Claims

WASHINGTON – November 1, 2010 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has begun distributing disability benefits to Vietnam Veterans who qualify for compensation under recently liberalized rules for Agent Orange exposure. {read rest

Call to Young Artists

Hospital, museum want works by young artists

Nov 1, 2010 - Young artists could soon have their works hanging in the halls of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is collecting children’s original artwork through Nov. 30 to hang in the medical center’s Wounded Warrior wing, according to a museum news release. {read rest

110th and 111th Congress put policy before politics, from the House Veterans Affairs Committee leadership

Attached are comprehensive materials to discuss accomplishments for America’s veterans. The two page document is limited to accomplishments from the 111th Congress, while the 4 and 8 page documents cover updates from 2007-2010.

2 page Document {251K}

Four page Document {258K}

8 page Document {95K}

HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military and Coalition Forces Killed in Action, Iraq & Afghanistan/Pakistan from 2003 to October 2010 - 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