Bodies of Special Ops Servicemembers Recovered in Afghanistan (Tears)

American Forces Press Service ^ | July 5, 2005 | unattributed

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, July 5, 2005 – Coalition forces have located the bodies of two U.S. servicemembers who had been missing in Afghanistan's Kunar region since June 28, military officials in Kabul announced today. The servicemembers, part of a special operations team, had been conducting counterterrorism operations in the region.

The military said the two servicemembers were taken to the U.S. military hospital at Bagram Air Base, where they were pronounced dead.

Another member of the team was located July 4 and airlifted to the Bagram hospital with injuries that officials said are not life-threatening. The whereabouts of one other team member remain unknown, the military said.

On June 28, an MH-47 helicopter sent to support troops in the region crashed, killing all 16 servicemembers on board. The military is investigating reports the helicopter was shot down by Afghan rebels. Coalition forces have been actively engaged in Operation Red Wing, a counterterrorism operation to defeat terrorists and deny them sanctuary in the Kunar province.

The military also reported today that six people were detained for questioning after U.S. forces discovered a weapons cache northwest of Asadabad in Kunar province July 4. The cache consisted of five grenades, one rocket-propelled grenade, wires and timing devices, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and Taliban propaganda materials.

(Compiled from Combined Forces Command Afghanistan news releases.)

[StarCMC]

Darn. I was praying that they would all be found alive, just well hidden. Darn darn darn.

[ASOC]

(sigh)
Prayer for the families.... And a prayer of thanks for the one they have back to talk with about the whole episode.