Posted on 08/10/2012 12:06:22 AM PDT by robowombat
A senior Army leader was killed and another badly wounded in a suicide bomb attack in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, a senior U.S. military official told NBC News.
Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin J. Griffin, the most senior enlisted soldier for the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, was killed and Brigade Commander Col. James J. Mingus was badly wounded. A U.S. military official said the U.S. troops were on their way to a key leader engagement when a suicide bomber detonated his vest, killing two soldiers, an airman, and wounding Mingus.
While their names may be not be well known, U.S. officials consider this a significant attack because the brigade leadership taken out by a suicide bomber.
Griffin, 45, of Riverton, Wyo., was a Bronze Star recipient who first enlisted in the Army in 1988.
Mingus, a highly decorated officer who served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is a former professor of military science at the University of Tennessee and Commander of the 4th Ranger Training Battalion. Maj. Thomas E. Kennedy, 35, of West Point, N.Y., was also killed. Air Force Maj. Walter D. Gray, 38, of Conyers, Ga. was also killed in the attack in Kunar province. His identity had previously been released by the Pentagon.
The soldiers were all assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.nbcnews.com ...
RIP.
Disgusting. Why are we there, continuing the farce that Afghans are allies?? How many incidents of teachery from uniformed Afghans must happen, before we quit forcing our men to treat them as full allies?
Now our Generals and their contractors want to give them Super Tucanos. One Afghan pilot has already turned on some Americans. What would he have done with an attack aircraft?
Our generals must stop their treason.There have been at least 15 incidents like this that i can think of. God only knows how many times a US serviceman has died at the hands of someone he was forced to treat as a comrade in arms. This blood is on the hands of every General who pretends the Afghans are allies. Petraeus, McChristol, Norton Schwartz, etc.
How many military Heros have been killed with Osamas rules of engagement? Bush had this war won! All the assaults on the Constitution and Laws of this land has Osama Bin Obama violated and the Repubs refuse to do anything. No birth certificate, no College records, violating the Constitution, record unemployment, Fast and Furious guns to Mexican cartels, and on and on.
I know, I know... :-(
Rest in Peace, Warriors. May God comfort your grieving family, friends and comrades at arms.
Remember in November.
Only 2 reasons that I can see: (1) inertia, and (2) this is Obama's "Good War."
Barak Obama needed to draw a distinction (which hardly exists) between the interventions in Iraq & Afghanistan. I think the judgement was that if he campaigned against BOTH wars, he would be condemned as "soft". So he did what Democrats do, split the difference.
“Bush had this war won!”
I beg to differ: The absurd rules of engagement and the egregious court-martialing of our troops were already well-established under GWBush.
Bush set it up for Obama. Obama simply ratcheted up the political correctness a few notches.
At any rate, it is indeed horrible for our troops over there. Unacceptably bad.
May the KIA rest in peace. May the wounded recover. May our enemies in that country be terminated.
FYI: There has been some inaccurate reporting from unauthorized sources about recent events in the Task Force Mountain Warrior AO. As many are aware, the Brigade Command Sergeant Major, Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin J. Griffin, 45, of Laramie, Wyo., ...Maj. Thomas Kennedy, the brigade Fire Support Coordinator, Maj. Walter D. Gray, USAF and Mr. Ragaei Abdelfattah, USAID were recently killed during a suicide attack in Kunar Province. Certain media outlets have reported that the Brigade Commander has been seriously wounded. We can confirm that Col. Mingus is unharmed, although he was present during the attack. There were, however, other leaders and soldiers harmed in the attack, which is a favored TTP of an enemy who cares little about who he harms in the pursuit of his goals. We are respecting the privacy of those wounded until they are prepared to release the specific information on the attack and their injuries. Please keep the soldiers, leaders, families and loved ones of the fallen and wounded in your thoughts and prayers as we remain focused on the mission of securing the provinces of Eastern Afghanistan and training and partnering with the Afghan National Security Forces. All of these brave men were committed to this task, and we will continue to honor their service and commitment by seeing the task accomplished. “Led By Love of Country.” — Maj. Thomas, BCT PAO.
See: http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=15507
carpediem365
Chaplain, LTC, USAF
Thanks carpediem365,we will keep all in our prayers,Fatima
Holy Cow!...and that area would be close to Presidential-like security too. I’m beginning to think there’s no sound defense against these bombers.
R.I.P. to the victims and thanks for your service to the Republic.
More of our best and bravest being wasted this way...will someone please explain why?
and from my home state of Wyo too :(
there is NO REASON i can see for us being there... these people are far too valuable to wasted this way!! they should been home YEARS ago!!
This must be in addition to the three who were shot to death this morning by a man in an Afghan army uniform (who escaped).
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