HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military KIA, Iraq & Afghanistan/Pakistan – April 2010

(10PM EST – promoted by Nightprowlkitty)

Iraq, Rapidly becoming the Forgotten War!!

There have been 4,719 coalition deaths — 4,402 Americans, 2 Australians, 1 Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakh, 1 South Korean, 3 Latvian, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 2 Thai and 18 Ukrainians — in the war in Iraq as of May 5 2010, according to a CNN count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. The list also includes 14 U.S. Defense Department civilian employees. At least 31,790 {31,762 last month} U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan

Sgt. Keith A. Coe 30 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Auburndale, Florida Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an explosive device in Khalis, Iraq, on April 27, 2010

Sgt. Anthony O. Magee 29 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Hattiesburg, Mississippi Died April 27, 2010, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with indirect fire at Contingency Operating Base Kalsu in Iskandariya, Babil province, Iraq, on April 24, 2010

Staff Sgt. Christopher D. Worrell 35 702nd Combat Support Battalion, 4th Stryker Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Virginia Beach, Virginia Died of injuries sustained during a non-combat related incident in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 22, 2010

Pfc. Charlie C. Antonio 28 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Kahului, Hawaii Died of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident in Annassar, Iraq, on April 18, 2010

Staff Sgt. James R. Patton 23 Company B, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Fort Benning, Georgia Died of injuries sustained when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in which he was riding crashed during a joint Iraqi-U.S. raid in Tikrit, Iraq, that killed the two most senior leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq on April 18, 2010

Pfc. William A. Blount 21 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Petal, Mississippi One of two soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a roadside bomb in Mosul, Iraq, on April 7, 2010

1st Lt. Robert W. Collins 24 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Tyrone, Georgia One of two soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a roadside bomb in Mosul, Iraq, on April 7, 2010

Sgt. Kurt E. Kruize 35 367th Engineer Battalion, Army Reserve Hancock, Minnesota Died of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 4, 2010

POW/MIA

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

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

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

Afghanistan – Pakistan!!

There have been 1,734 coalition deaths — 1,045 Americans, 11 Australians, 284 Britons, 1 Belgian, 143 Canadians, 3 Czech, 29 Danes, 23 Dutch, 7 Estonians, 1 Finn, 41 French, 43 Germans, 2 Hungarian, 22 Italians, 4 Latvian, 1 Lithuanian,  5 Norwegians, 16 Poles, 2 Portuguese, 12 Romanians, 1 South Korean, 28 Spaniards, 4 Swedes, 2 Turks and three NATO/ISAF — in the war on terror as of May 5 2010, according to a CNN count. Below are the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors whose deaths have been reported by their country’s governments. The list also includes two U.S. Defense Department civilian employees. The troops died in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or were part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. At least 5,677 {5,393 last month} U.S. personnel have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. In addition to the military deaths, one Jordanian and 11 U.S. intelligence operatives have died in Afghanistan.

1st Lt. Salvatore S. Corma 24 Company A, 2nd Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Wenonah, New Jersey Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using roadside bombs at Forward Operating Base Bullard in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on April 29, 2010

Lance Cpl. Thomas E. Rivers Jr. 22 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Birmingham, Alabama Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 28, 2010

Sgt. Nathan P. Kennedy 24 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Claysville, Pennsylvania Died of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire near Quarando Village, Afghanistan, on April 27, 2010

Sgt. Grant A. Wichmann 27 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Golden, Colorado Died April 24, 2010, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire at Out Post Bari Alai, Afghanistan, on March 12, 2010

Sgt. Ronald Alan Kubik 22 Company D, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Brielle, New Jersey One of two soldiers that died of wounds sustained during a firefight with enemy forces in Logar province, Afghanistan, on April 23, 2010

Sgt. Jason Anthony Santora 25 Company D, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Massapequa Park, New York One of two soldiers that died of wounds sustained during a firefight with enemy forces in Logar province, Afghanistan, on April 23, 2010

Sgt. Robert J. Barrett 21 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment, Massachusetts Army National Guard Fall River, Massachusetts Died from injuries sustained when a suicide bomber attacked his unit during a dismounted patrol south of the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on April 19, 2010

Command Sgt. Maj. John K. Laborde 53 649th Regional Support Group, Army Reserve Waterloo, Iowa Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, on April 22, 2010

Sgt. Randolph A. Sigley 28 2123rd Transportation Company, Kentucky Army National Guard Richmond, Kentucky Sigley was found dead in his quarters at Bagram Air Base in Bagram, Afghanistan, on April 18, 2010. The circumstances of his death are under investigation.

Marine Marc Harders 23 1e Bataljon, Nederland Korps Mariniers (1st Battalion, Netherlands Marine Corps) Netherlands One of two Dutch Marines killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Viking tracked vehicle during an operation in Deh Reshan, northwest of Tarin Kowt, in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, on April 17, 2010

Cpl. Jeroen Houweling 29 1e Bataljon, Nederland Korps Mariniers (1st Battalion, Netherlands Marine Corps) Netherlands One of two Dutch Marines killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Viking tracked vehicle during an operation in Deh Reshan, northwest of Tarin Kowt, in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, on April 17, 2010

Sgt. Michael K. Ingram Jr. 23 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Monroe, Michigan Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his dismounted patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on April 17, 2010

Maj. Thomas Broer 33 Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Ulm (Ulm Military Hospital) Wiesbaden, Germany Killed when a German convoy was attacked in Baghlan province, Afghanistan, on April 15, 2010

Sgt. 1st Class Marius Dubnicki 32 Gebirgspionierbataillon 8 (Mountain Engineer Battalion 8) Gorny Slask, Germany One of three German soldiers killed when a joint German-Belgian patrol was attacked in Baghlan province, Afghanistan, on April 15, 2010

Sgt. Josef Kronawitter 24 Gebirgspionierbataillon 8 (Mountain Engineer Battalion 8) Hutthurm, Germany One of three German soldiers killed when a joint German-Belgian patrol was attacked in Baghlan province, Afghanistan, on April 15, 2010

Maj. Jörn Radloff 38 Unteroffizierschule des Heeres (NCO School of the Army) Stendal, Germany One of three German soldiers killed when a joint German-Belgian patrol was attacked in Baghlan province, Afghanistan, on April 15, 2010

Spc. Joseph T. Caron 21 Company B, 2nd Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Tacoma, Washington Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using a roadside bomb in Char Bagh, Afghanistan, on April 11, 2010

Pvt. Tyler William Todd 26 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a dismounted security patrol near Belanday in the Dand district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on April 11, 2010

Sgt. Sean M. Durkin 24 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Divsion Aurora, Colorado Died April 9, 2010, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with a roadside bomb near Forward Operating Base Wilson in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on March 27, 2010

Cpl. Michael D. Jankiewicz 23 Company A, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Ramsey, New Jersey Killed along with two U.S. airmen and a U.S. government contractor when their CV-22 Osprey crashed seven miles (11 km) west of Qalat during a combat operation targeting a terrorist network in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on April 9, 2010

Senior Master Sgt. James B. Lackey 45 8th Special Operations Squadron, 1st Special Operations Wing, 1st Special Operations Group Green Clove Springs, Florida One of two airmen killed along with a U.S. soldier and a U.S. government contractor when their CV-22 Osprey crashed seven miles (11 km) west of Qalat during a combat operation targeting a terrorist network in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on April 9, 2010

Maj. Randell D. Voas 43 8th Special Operations Squadron, 1st Special Operations Wing, 1st Special Operations Group Lakeville, Minnesota One of two airmen killed along with a U.S. soldier and a U.S. government contractor when their CV-22 Osprey crashed seven miles (11 km) west of Qalat during a combat operation targeting a terrorist network in Zabul province, Afghanistan, on April 9, 2010

Sgt. Roberto E. Diaz Borio 47 1st Battalion, 65th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Puerto Rico Army National Guard San Juan, Puerto Rico Died in Mombassa, Kenya, on April 8, 2010.  The circumstances of his death are under investigation.

Pfc. Jonathon D. Hall 23 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Chattanooga, Tennessee Died April 8, 2010, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered a day earlier when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with a roadside bomb at Contingency Outpost Khayr-Kot-Castle, Afghanistan

Pvt. Robert Hutnik 23 2e Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes, Légion Étrangère (2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, Foreign Legion) Slovakia Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked a French unit in Tagab Valley, Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on April 8, 2010

Fusilier Jonathan Antony Burgess 20 Company A, 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh Townhill, Wales Died of gunshot wounds following a small arms engagement in the Nad-e Ali area of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 7, 2010

Rifleman Mark Turner 21 Company C, 3rd Battalion, The Rifles Gateshead, England Killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a foot patrol against insurgents near Forward Operating Base Zeebrugge in the Kajaki area of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 4, 2010

Cpl. Martin Augustyniak 28 3. Kompanie, Fallschirmjägerbataillon 373 (3rd Company, 373rd Parachute Battalion) Bielefeld, Germany One of three German soldiers killed in a firefight after insurgents attacked a patrol southwest of Kunduz, Afghanistan, on April 2, 2010

Master Sgt. Nils Bruns 35 3. Kompanie, Fallschirmjägerbataillon 373 (3rd Company, 373rd Parachute Battalion) Oldendorf, Germany One of three German soldiers killed in a firefight after insurgents attacked a patrol southwest of Kunduz, Afghanistan, on April 2, 2010

Cpl. Robert Hartert 25 3. Kompanie, Fallschirmjägerbataillon 373 (3rd Company, 373rd Parachute Battalion) Freital, Germany One of three German soldiers killed in a firefight after insurgents attacked a patrol southwest of Kunduz, Afghanistan, on April 2, 2010

Lance Cpl. Curtis M. Swenson 20 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force Rochester, Minnesota Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 2, 2010

Lance Cpl. Tyler O. Griffin 19 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Voluntown, Connecticut One of two Marines killed while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 1, 2010

Guardsman Michael Sweeney 19 No. 1 Company, 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards Blyth, Northumberland, England Killed when he stepped on a roadside bomb during a patrol to resupply fellow soldiers at a checkpoint in the Babaji district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 1, 2010

Sgt. Frank J. World 25 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Buffalo, New York One of two Marines killed while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 1, 2010

PTSD – TBI and more

GE, U.S. Army Join Forces to Assist Returning Soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan

4/13/2010 GE scientists conducting a research study at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia to assess soldiers diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Project to use GE Home Health technologies to help identify symptoms, improve understanding and medical treatments

As part of GE’s continuing efforts to support U.S. troops, GE Global Research, the technology development arm of the General Electric Company, is engaged in a two-year research study with the U.S. Army to evaluate soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan for traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). The study, which will take place at Fort Gordon, Georgia, was established through a $2.7 million Congressional initiative awarded and managed by the Department of Defenses’ Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) to support wounded soldiers. Researchers from the Dwight D Eisenhower Army Medical Center, led by Dr. Joseph Wood, Chief of Clinical Research, and the Center For Telehealth at the Medical College of Georgia, led by Dr Max Stachura, also are part of the project team. –>–>–>

VA Mulls Lowering PTSD Threshold To Expedite Claims

Seeking to expedite disability claims processing for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, the Department of Veterans Affairs has proposed lowering the burden of proof for the condition.  However, some experts have said that doing so could increase the likelihood of fraud within the system. Meanwhile, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Bob Filner (D-Calif.) has requested that the next funding bill for the war in Afghanistan dedicate 15% of its total cost to mental health care for veterans.

PTSD: New War on An Old Foe Big changes underway at the VA could mean better treatment for thousands of vets. A bureaucracy in transition.

Remarks by the President at Signing of Caregives and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act

5 May 2010 1:29 P.M. EDT

President Obama greets Chairman Akaka following the signing ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House, as Secretary Shinseki and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden look on from the left.

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Danny Akaka, aloha.  (Laughter.)  Since the 9/11 attacks more than eight years ago, the United States has been a nation at war.  In this time, millions of Americans have worn the uniform.  More than a million have served in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Many have risked their lives.  Many have given their lives.  All are the very embodiment of service and patriotism.  And as a grateful nation, humbled by their service, we can never honor these American heroes or their families enough.

Along with their loved ones, we give thanks every time our men and women in uniform return home.  But we’re forever mindful that our obligations to our troops don’t end on the battlefield.  Just as we have a responsibility to train and equip them when we send them into harm’s way, we have a responsibility to take care of them when they come home.

As Michelle and Dr. Biden have reminded us in all their visits to military bases and communities, our obligations must include a national commitment to inspiring military families — the spouses and children who sacrifice as well. Continued Here

Landmark Bill Bolsters Care for Female Veterans

President Barack Obama signs the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act in the State Dining Room of the White House

Olivier Douliery / Getty Images

America’s daughters have been serving in the U.S. military for centuries, and they’re being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in unprecedented numbers. But back home, they’re still not guaranteed that the bathrooms at veterans’ health care centers will be stocked with tampons. The Government Accountability Office published an audit this spring that found some of 19 health care facilities it surveyed did not always have private bathing areas, even in mixed-gender units. Such lapses in women’s health care are growing more painfully apparent as the number of females using the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system is projected to double in the next five years. But in a landmark step toward addressing their needs, President Obama Wednesday afternoon signed a bill bolstering care for female veterans, which was part of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010. Article Continues

VA Updates Online Application for Health Benefits

May 5, 2010 Veterans will find it easier and faster to apply for their health care benefits now that the Department of Veterans Affairs has updated its online Form 10-10EZ, “Application for Health Benefits.”  

“VA is committed to tapping into the best that technology has to offer to ensure Veterans receive the benefits they have earned,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We continue to look for new ways to improve access to care and benefits.”

This revised online application provides enhanced navigation features that make it easier and faster for Veterans to apply for their health care benefits.  This new version also allows Veterans to save a copy of the completed form for their personal records.

The most significant enhancement allows Veterans to save their application to their local desktop and return to the application at any time without having to start over.  Previously, Veterans had to complete the form in a single session.

This updated online form, along with the revised VA Form 10-10EZ, reduces the collection of information from Veterans by eliminating some questions.

In addition, there are minor changes to simplify the wording of questions and provide clarity in the instructions.  Further enhancements to the online application are expected to be delivered in increments throughout 2010.  

Veterans may complete or download the 10-10EZ form at the VA health eligibility website.  Veterans may also contact VA at 1 (877) 222-8387 (VETS) or visit the VA health eligibility website.

Civilian Casulties – Iraq

Just Foreign Policy Issues

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

*Estimate, click for explaination

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To

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

Civilian Casulties – Afghanistan

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

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

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

UNHCR – Refugees and more, Afghanistan and Iraq

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

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

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

March 2010***February 2010***January 2010***December 2009***November 2009***October 2009***September 2009***August 2009***July 2009***June 2009***May 2009***April 2009***March 2009***February 2009***January 2009***December 2008***November 2008***October 2008***September 2008***August 2008***July 2008***June 2008***May 2008***April 2008***March 2008***Febuary 2008***January 2008***December 2007***November 2007***October 2007***September 2007***August 2007***July 2007***June 2007***May 2007***April 2007***March 2007***Feb. 2007***Jan. 2007***2006***2005***2004***2003

The War in Iraq Costs, the rolling tabulation, over $721,254,972,632++++ and continually counting!

CNN-Iraq and Afghanistan War Casulties

In Remembrance – Moving Tributes

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

“Mission Accomplished!”

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

“Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is,”  – George W. Bush, Texas Gov., 1999

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

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

“How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me — unless you don’t count American soldiers as Americans.”

Matthew Alexander who is writing under a pseudonym for security reasons

“Torture is the tool of the lazy, the stupid, and the pseudo-tough. It’s also perhaps the greatest recruiting tool that the terrorists have.”

Major General Paul Eaton

Done “In Our Names”!

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