30 years ago today, 24 December 1979, the Soviet Union began the invasion of Afghanistan. They were totally withdrawn by 15 February 1989.
We have been in Afghanistan now for 3000 days. Will we stay as long as they did?
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30 years ago today, 24 December 1979, the Soviet Union began the invasion of Afghanistan. They were totally withdrawn by 15 February 1989.
We have been in Afghanistan now for 3000 days. Will we stay as long as they did?
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23 December 2009
Quote:
Lt. Andrew Richard Nuttall, 30, Victoria, Canada.
1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a joint Afghan-Canadian foot patrol near the village of Nakhonay in Panjwaii district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
UNITED KINGDOM
22 December 2009
Quote:
Lance Cpl. Tommy Brown.
1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
Died when a roadside bomb detonated while on a foot patrol about .62 miles (1 kilometer) south of Sangin in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
UNITED KINGDOM
21 December 2009
Quote:
Lance Corporal Christopher Roney, 23, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.
A Company, 3rd Battalion The Rifles
Died of his wounds following a firefight in Sangin, Northern Helmand, Afghanistan.
At the time, his platoon was working out of Patrol Base Almas, providing security, reassurance and freedom of movement for the local population in support of the Government of Afghanistan.
Christmas Day :(
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. David H. Gutierrez, 35, of San Francisco, Ca., died Dec. 25 at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his dismounted patrol with an improvised explosive device in Howz-e Madad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
26 December 2009
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Jason M. Johnston, 24, of Albion, N.Y., died Dec. 26 in Arghandab, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
From the Washington Post -
Quote:
US troop deaths soared in Afghanistan in 2009
By JIM HEINTZ
The Associated Press
Thursday, December 31, 2009; 10:19 AM
KABUL -- U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan doubled in 2009 compared with a year ago as 30,000 additional troops began pouring in for a stepped-up offensive and the Taliban fought back with powerful improvised bombs.
A tally by The Associated Press shows 304 American service members had died as of Dec. 30, up from 151 in 2008. The count does not include eight U.S. civilians killed by a suicide bomber on a base in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Also, the annual death toll of international troops, including U.S. forces, surpassed 500 for the first time in the war. The total this year was 502 compared with 286 in 2008, according to the AP count.
Among other forces, Britain took the worst blow in 2009 with 107 deaths and Canada lost 32, including four who died Wednesday when their vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb. Other countries in the international military operation lost a total of 59 service members.
Associated Press Writers Rahim Faiez and Deb Riechmann in Kabul and Rebecca Santana in Baghdad and researcher Monika Mathur in New York contributed to this report.
29 December 2009
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Spino, 45, of Waterbury, Conn., died Dec. 29 in Bala Morghab, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he was shot while unloading supplies. He was assigned to the 274th Forward Surgical Team, 44th Medical Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
1 January 2010
And another year begins . . . . .
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Brushaun X. Anderson, 20, of Columbus, Ga., died Jan. 1 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he was attacked by an unknown assailant. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
I don't know how I've missed this thread.
THere there NO COMBAT RELATED DEATHS in Iraq in the month of December.
Three did die from non-combat related deaths during the month.
3 January 2010
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Senior Airman Bradley R. Smith, 24, of Troy, Ill., died Jan. 3 near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations. He was assigned to the 10th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Riley, Kan.
3 January 2010
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Jan. 3 in Ashoque, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with multiple improvised explosives devices and small arms fire. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Killed were:
Sgt. Joshua A. Lengstorf, 24, of Yoncalla, Ore.
Spc. Brian R. Bowman, 24, of Crawfordsville, Ind.
Pvt. John P. Dion, 19, of Shattuck, Okla.
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30 December 2009
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OTTAWA – Four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian reporter embedded with Joint Task Force Afghanistan (JTF-Afg) were killed, while four other Canadian soldiers and one Canadian civilian official were injured in an IED incident in Kandahar province, on Wednesday December 30, 2009.
The incident occurred 4 km south of Kandahar City at approximately 4:00 p.m., Kandahar time, Wednesday afternoon as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on an armoured vehicle during a patrol.
Killed in action was Sergeant George Miok a member of 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Edmonton, Alberta and serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.
Killed in action was Sergeant Kirk Taylor a member of 84 Independent Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, based in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.
Killed in action was Corporal Zachery McCormack a member of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, 4th Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, Alberta and serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.
Killed in action was Private Garrett William Chidley a member of the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Manitoba and serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.
Michelle Lang, a Canwest journalist from Calgary, embedded with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan was killed in the same incident.
Four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian civilian official were also seriously wounded in the incident. All of the injured were evacuated by helicopter to the Multi-National Medical Facility at Kandahar Airfield. The injured soldiers and civilian are reported to be in stable condition.
UNITED KINGDOM
31 December 2009
Quote:
Sapper David Watson, 21, Whickham, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. 49 Field Squadron (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), 33 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
Died of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb detonated near Patrol Base Blenheim in the Sangin region of Helmand province, Afghanistan.
UNITED KINGDOM
3 January 2010
Quote:
It is with great regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Private Robert Hayes, 19, of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment who was killed in Afghanistan on Sunday 3 January 2010.
Private Robert Hayes was killed as a result of an improvised explosive device blast while conducting a security patrol south of Check Point Paraang in southern Nad e-Ali, Helmand province. He had deployed to Afghanistan with C (Essex) Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment (Vikings), attached to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards Battle Group.
5 January 2010
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. David A. Croft Jr., 22, of Plant City, Fla., died Jan. 5 in Baghdad, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
From the NY Times, an article about the murder of the CIA agents.
From CNN -
Quote:
London, England (CNN) -- A British journalist was killed and a second wounded in Afghanistan when the vehicle in which they were traveling struck an improvised explosive device, the Ministry of Defence said Sunday.
Rupert Hamer, defense correspondent for the Sunday Mirror newspaper, and photographer Philip Coburn were embedded with the U.S. Marine Corps and were accompanying a patrol near Nawa in southern Afghanistan when the explosion occurred Saturday, the ministry said in a statement.
"Despite the best efforts of medics at the scene, Mr. Hamer died of his wounds," the statement said. "Mr. Coburn remains in a serious but stable condition."
A U.S. Marine and a member of the Afghan National Army were also killed in the explosion, the ministry said. Four U.S. Marines were seriously injured.
"Both Rupert Hamer and Phil Coburn accompanied me on my most recent trip to Afghanistan," said British Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth in the statement. "I got to know them well and I was impressed by their hard work and professionalism. My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families, friends and colleagues of both men at this extremely distressing time."
In recent weeks, the ministry had worked with Hamer on a special Christmas edition of the Sunday Mirror, containing messages for deployed personnel from their families, Ainsworth said.
"The sacrifice of service personnel is well documented and rightly respected, but this news demonstrates the risks also faced by journalists who keep the public informed of events on the front line," he said.
Hamer is the second journalist to die in Afghanistan in recent weeks. On December 30, Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang, 34, died along with four Canadian soldiers when a roadside bomb struck their armored vehicle in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar.
According to a tally kept by Reporters without Borders, Hamer would be the 20th journalist to die in Afghanistan, and the 12th foreign journalist, since September 11, 2001.
This is so sad, I just cry when I hear about these men, and women dying over there in this stupid war. Some of them are so young. I will keep all our soldiers in my prayers.
Willie:(
ECUADOR
8 January 2010
Quote:
Pvt. Christian Javier Quishpe Aguirre, 24.
Grupo Logístico de Montaña número 1 (1st Mountain Logistical Group)
Died of wounds sustained when he was struck by a vehicle at a support base in Herat, Afghanistan, on January 8, 2010
DENMARK
8 January 2010
Quote:
Pvt. Simon S. Hoffmann, 23.
2. Lette Opklaringseskadron, Opklaringsbataljonen, Gardehusarregimentet (2nd Facilitate Solution Squadron, Solution Battalion, Guard Hussar Regiment)
Killed when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb near Forward Operating Base Armadillo in Nahri Sarraj district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on January 8, 2010
7 January 2010
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. 1st Class Jason O. B. Hickman, 35, of Kingsport, Tenn., died Jan. 7 at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered earlier that day at Combat Outpost Bowri Tana, when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. He was assigned to Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
9 January 2010
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The initial press release had an incorrect name due to a clerical error. However, the correct family was notified by Marine Corps officials.
Lance Cpl. Mark D. Juarez, 23, of San Antonio, Texas, died Jan. 9 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
10 January 2010
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Meinert, 20, of Fort Atkinson, Wis., died Jan. 10 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Iraq -
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There have been 4,693 coalition deaths -- 4,376 Americans, two Australians, one Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, five Georgians, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, three Latvians, 22 Poles, three Romanians, five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, one South Korean, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the Iraq war as of January 11, 2010, according to a CNN count.
At least 31,616 U.S. Troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon.
Afghanistan
Quote:
There have been 1,569 coalition deaths -- 947 Americans, 11 Australians, one Belgian, 246 Britons, 138 Canadians, three Czech, 29 Danes, 21 Dutch, seven Estonians, one Finn, 37 French, 31 Germans, two Hungarians, 22 Italians, three Latvian, one Lithuanian, four Norwegians, 16 Poles, two Portuguese, 11 Romanians, one South Korean, 27 Spaniards, two Swedes and two Turks -- in the war on terror as of January 11, 2010, according to a CNN count.
At least 4,748 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.
6 January 2010
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Michael R. Jarrett, 20, of North Platte, Neb., died Jan. 6 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Illesheim, Germany.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
From 1967 - and the Vietnam conflict -
Quote:
Air Force Pilot Missing In Action From Vietnam War Is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial.
Air Force Maj. Russell C. Goodman of Salt Lake City, Utah, will be honored this week at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., home of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbird demonstration team. At the time of his loss, Goodman was assigned to the Thunderbirds and was flying with the U.S. Navy on an exchange program. He will be buried in Alaska at a date determined by his family.
On Feb. 20, 1967, Goodman and Navy Lt. Gary L. Thornton took off in their F-4B Phantom from the USS Enterprise for a bombing mission against a railroad yard in Thanh Hoa Province, North Vietnam. They were struck by enemy antiaircraft fire and their plane exploded. Thornton was able to eject at just 250 feet altitude, but Goodman did not escape. Thornton survived and was held captive until his release in 1973.
Search and rescue attempts were curtailed because of heavy anti-aircraft and automatic weapons fire in the area of the crash.
Between October 1993 and March 2008, joint U.S.-Vietnamese teams led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) investigated the crash site twice and conducted two excavations, recovering human remains and pilot equipment. The aircraft debris recovered correlates with the type of aircraft the men were flying.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched two of his maternal relatives -- in the identification of Goodman’s remains.
FRANCE
11 January 2010
Quote:
Staff Sgt. Mathieu Toinette, 27, of Reunion, France.
402e Régiment d'Artillerie (402nd Artillery Regiment), assigned to a French Operational Mentoring Liaison Team
Killed when a joint French-Afghan National Army patrol was attacked during a foot patrol in the village of Alasay, Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on January 11, 2010. Another soldier wounded in the attack died the next day.
FRANCE
12 January 2010
Quote:
Capt. Fabrice Roullier, 39, Caen, France
1e Brigade Mécanisée (1st Mechanized Brigade), assigned to a French Operational Mentoring Liaison Team
Died on January 12, 2010, of wounds suffered when a joint French-Afghan National Army patrol was attacked during a foot patrol in the village of Alasay, Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on January 11, 2010. Another French soldier was killed in the attack.
11 January 2010
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of three Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
The following Marines died Jan. 11 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan:
Staff Sgt. Matthew N. Ingham, 25, of Altoona, Pa.
Cpl. Jamie R. Lowe, 21, of Johnsonville, Ill.
Cpl. Nicholas K. Uzenski, 21, of Tomball, Texas.
Ingham, Lowe and Uzenski were assigned to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.
UNITED KINGDOM
11 January 2010
Quote:
Capt. Daniel Read, 31, Rainham, Kent, England
821 Squadron, 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps
Killed when a roadside bomb detonated in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on January 11, 2010
13 January 2010
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Kyle J. Wright, 22, of Romeoville, Ill., died Jan. 13 at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered earlier that day when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Kandahar province. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
14 January 2010
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek, 25, of Westwood, N.J., died Jan. 14 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
13 January 2010
Quote:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Lucas T. Beachnaw, 23, of Lowell, Mich., died Jan. 13 in Darya Ya, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Camp Ederle, Italy.
Suicide report -
Quote:
Army Releases December Suicide Data
The Army released suicide data today for the month of December. Among active-duty soldiers, there were ten potential suicides: one has been confirmed as suicide, and nine remain under investigation. For November, the Army reported 11 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, three have been confirmed as suicides, and eight remain under investigation.
There were 160 reported active-duty Army suicides during 2009. Of these, 114 have been confirmed, and 46 are pending determination of manner of death. During 2008, there were 140 suicides among active-duty soldiers.
During December 2009, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were six potential suicides. For the year 2009, among that same group, there were 78 total suicides. Of those, 49 were confirmed as suicides and 29 are pending determination of the manner of death. For 2008, there were 57 suicides among reserve soldiers who were not on active duty.
Oh, my God.