In Memoriam

[Grace]

28 October 2009

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

Lance Cpl. Cody R. Stanley, 21, of Rosanky, Texas, died Oct. 28 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

[Grace]

27 October 2009

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of seven soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Oct. 27 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, 27, of South Ozone Park, N.Y.

Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, 24, of Alamo, Texas.

Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, 29, of Terre Haute, Ind.

Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, 27, of Plattsburg, Mo.

Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson, 24, of Broussard, La.

Spc. Jared D. Stanker, 22, of Evergreen Park, Ill.

Pfc. Christopher I. Walz, 25, of Vancouver, Wash.

[Grace]

I think I will keep my flag at half-mast until this ghastly mess is done. I may even turn it upside down

[Grace]

26 October 2009

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of seven soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Oct. 26 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter they were aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan.



Killed were five soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.:

Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.

Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, Wash.

Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas.

Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno, Nev.

Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wisc.



Also killed were two soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.:

Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego.

Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I think I will keep my flag at half-mast until this ghastly mess is done. I may even turn it upside down

Good idea.

[Grace]

27 October 2009

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

Spc. Robert K. Charlton, 22, of Malden, Mo., died Oct. 27 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident Oct. 23 in Wardak, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

The circumstances surrounding the non-combat related incident are under investigation.

[Grace]

28 October 2009

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Joseph L. Gallegos, 39, of Questa, N.M., died Oct. 28 in Tallil, Iraq, in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 720th Transportation Company, New Mexico Army National Guard, in Las Vegas, N.M.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.

[Grace]

27 October 2009

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

Pfc. Brian R. Bates, Jr., 20, of Gretna, La., died Oct. 27 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

[Grace]

28 October 2009

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

Frank R. Walker, 66, of Oklahoma City, Okla., died of non-combat related medical causes Oct 28 at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 72nd Civil Engineering Directorate, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.

[Edwina's Secretary]

66???????? What was he doing there???

I heard on the radio yesterday that to send 44,000 more troops would take until early 2011. Have to build housing for then, recruit and train.

Are we insane enough to still plan on being there in 2011???

[Grace]

66???????? What was he doing there???

I heard on the radio yesterday that to send 44,000 more troops would take until early 2011. Have to build housing for then, recruit and train.

Are we insane enough to still plan on being there in 2011???

I did a google search. He was a Civil Engineer with the Air Force; assigned to the 72nd Civil Engineering Directorate, Tinker Air Force Base.

[Grace]

30 October 2009

OTTAWA – One Canadian soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device that detonated near his dismounted patrol approximately 10 km south-west of Kandahar City at approximately 4:30 p.m. Kandahar Time on 30 Oct 2009.

Killed in action was Sapper Steven Marshall, 24, from the 1 Combat Engineer Regiment based in Edmonton, Alberta, serving as a member of the Task Force 3-09 Battle Group.

Sapper Marshall was conducting a foot patrol in the Panjwayi District when the incident happened. No other soldiers were injured in this incident.

[Grace]

UNITED KINGDOM

31 October 2009

Staff Sgt. Olaf S.G. Schmid, 30, of Truro, Cornwall, England. 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps.

SSgt Schmid died instantly following an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in the Sangin region of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

At the time he was commanding an Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD) team who were dealing with a confirmed IED.

Working in concert with an Advanced Search team he was conducting a manual route search to clear devices in the vicinity of the Forward Operating Base and was defusing the device when it initiated.

[Grace]

29 October 2009

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Adrian L. Avila, 19, of Opelika, Ala., died Oct. 29 at Khabari Crossing, Kuwait, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related accident. He was assigned to the 1343rd Chemical Company, 151st Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Battalion, 115th Fires Brigade of the Alabama Army National Guard, in Fort Payne, Ala.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.

[Grace]

30 October 2009

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pfc. Lukas C. Hopper, 20, of Merced, Calif., died Oct. 30, southeast of Karadah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

The circumstances surrounding the accident are under investigation.