In Memoriam

[Grace]

Suicide report -

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.

[phesina]

Oh, my God.

[gini]

May God grant peace to all of their souls.

[Grace]

16 January 2010

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — “A career soldier” and “family man” from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., has become the first Canadian killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010.

Sgt. John Wayne Faught, from the Edmonton-based 1 Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, stepped on a homemade landmine early Saturday afternoon while leading his section on a joint foot patrol with Afghan army troops, about 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City.

The 44-year-old infantryman died near the village of Nakhoney in Panjwaii District, which Canadian forces seized from Taliban-control without a fight late last year. The security patrol he led was to learn more about what villagers needed to build the local economy.

Faught was “affectionately known to his soldiers” as Toast “because, in his words, he was hard and crusty (and) was known for his straightforward approach to soldiering,” Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard, the Canadian Task Force commander said in announcing the death.

“He could always be counted on to tell it like it is when asked his opinion. A career soldier, his life revolved around the army.”

[Grace]

13 January 2010

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Jan. 13 at Combat Outpost McClain, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device. The soldiers were assigned to the 118th Military Police Company (Airborne), 503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne), 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Daniel D. Merriweather, 25, of Collierville Tenn.

Pfc. Geoffrey A. Whitsitt, 21, of Taylors, S.C.

[Grace]

UNITED KINGDOM

15 January 2010

Cpl. Lee Brownson, 30, Bishop Auckland, England
Rifleman Luke Farmer, 19, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England

Company A, 3rd Battalion, The Rifles

Two British soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated while on patrol near Sangin in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on January 15, 2010

[Grace]

31 December 2009

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

Staff Sgt. Anton R. Phillips, 31, of Inglewood, Calif., died Dec. 31, 2009, at Forward Operating Base Methar Lam, Afghanistan. He was assigned to G Forward Support Company, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Task Force Wildhorse, Forward Operating Base Methar Lam, Afghanistan.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.