In Memoriam

[Daisy and Delilah]

When will this all end?

[Grace]

8 September 2009

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Petty Officer 3rd Class James R. Layton, 22, of Riverbank, Calif., died Sept. 8 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations. He was assigned to an embedded training team with Combined Security Tranisiton Command in Afghanistan.

[Grace]

The United Kingdom soldier, mentioned in post #139, has been identified.

It is with deep sadness that the Ministry of Defence confirms that Corporal John Harrison from The Parachute Regiment was killed in Afghanistan in the early hours of Wednesday 9 September 2009.

Corporal Harrison, aged 29, was part of an operation to free hostages from Taliban captivity. Stephen Farrell, a journalist of dual British/Irish nationality, was freed in the operation, which was supported by the Afghan authorities and our NATO allies. Sadly, it was not possible to rescue Mr Farrell's Afghan interpreter, Sultan Munadi.

[Grace]

It's not just IEDs that are killing our troops. For some, it is by their own hand.

Army Releases August Suicide Data

The Army released suicide data for the month of August today. Among active duty soldiers, there were 11 potential suicides, all of which are pending determination of the manner of death. In July, the Army reported no confirmed suicides and eight potential suicides among active duty soldiers. However, since the release of the July report, an additional four potential suicides have been reported, each of which is pending determination of the manner of death. As a result, for the month of July, there were 12 potential suicides. Two of those have been confirmed as suicides and ten remain under investigation.

There were 110 reported active duty Army suicides from January 2009 through August 2009. Of those, 71 have been confirmed, and 39 are pending determination of manner of death. For the same period in 2008, there were 89 suicides among active duty soldiers.

During August 2009, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were six potential suicides. Among that same group, from January 2009 through August 2009, there were 20 confirmed suicides. Thirty-four potential suicides are currently under investigation to determine the manner of death. For the same period in 2008, there were 36 suicides among reserve soldiers who were not on active duty.

[Killearn Kitties]

Grace, I'm sorry to say that this is the first time I have opened this thread. Because it was started at the same time as a bunch of celebrity deaths, I kind of thought that that was what was going to be in it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I really appreciate you paying tribute to our soldiers and others as well as your own.

I am so pleased, if amazed, to see mention of Henry Allingham and Harry Patch in this thread. I am pretty surprised that their deaths would be reported at all in the States.

Thank you.

[Grace]

Grace, I'm sorry to say that this is the first time I have opened this thread. Because it was started at the same time as a bunch of celebrity deaths, I kind of thought that that was what was going to be in it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I really appreciate you paying tribute to our soldiers and others as well as your own.

I am so pleased, if amazed, to see mention of Henry Allingham and Harry Patch in this thread. I am pretty surprised that their deaths would be reported at all in the States.

Thank you.

Thank you for the kind words. Your soldiers were not mentioned specifically in this country - that I'm aware of. I check the Departments of Defense/Defence websites for the U.S.A., Canada and United Kingdom at least once a day. That's where I get all my information.

I feel it's only fair to mention your troops, as they've been with ours - from the beginning.

[Grace]

As pointed out earlier by ES, Tuesday was one horrific day.

8 September 2009

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of three Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The following Marines died Sept. 8 while supporting combat operations in Kunar province, Afghanistan:

Gunnery Sgt. Edwin W. Johnson Jr., 31, of Columbus, Ga.

1st Lt. Michael E. Johnson, 25, of Virginia Beach, Va.

Staff Sgt. Aaron M. Kenefick, 30, of Roswell, Ga.

Gunnery Sgt. Johnson and Staff Sgt. Kenefick were assigned to 3rd Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.

1st Lt. Johnson was assigned to 7th Communications Battalion, 3rd Marine Headquarters Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.