-- As of Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009, at least 774 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department.
OF THOSE, 575 DEATHS WERE ATTRIBUTED TO ENEMY HOSTILITIES. The department last updated its figures Friday at 10 a.m. EDT.
Prior to August 30, 2009, the USA has averaged 66 Military deaths per year in Afghanistan.
Since August 30, 2009 ALONE, under General McChrystal and the new Rules of Engagement established by the obama administration, the USA has lost 53 of our Finest and Best.
That is ALMOST an ENTIRE year's average in ONE MONTH!
If this continues, by year's end, we will have lost an additional 153 Troops, which is the equivalent of nearly THREE years' losses in ONE QUARTER of ONE YEAR!!!!!!
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!
We need to make our voices heard. If this administration is allowed to continue its deliberate destruction of our Military unchecked with no pushback from our Military Officers in command, we must DEMAND that our TROOPS be unleashed to fight the WAR to WIN, or be brought home to defend us from the attack that will surely come to our shores once again and make 9/11 look like child's play.-- October 4, 2009, ADD 8 MORE! Total 53.
The names of 42 of the 43 American servicemen killed in Afghanistan since August 30 are listed below, as provided by the U.S. Defense Department. The most recent troop to die in combat--on Wednesday, according to press reports--had not been identified at press time. Another eight Americans were killed in Iraq over the past month. Their names are included.
Lance Cpl. Jordan L. Chrobot, 24, of Frederick, Md., died Sept. 26 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.)
Spc. Kevin J. Graham, 27, of Benton, Ky., died Sept. 26 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Sgt. Titus R. Reynolds, 23, of Columbus, Ohio; Sgt. Edward B. Smith, 30, of Homestead, Fla.; and Spc. Joseph V. White, 21, of Bellevue, Wash., died Sept. 24 in Omar Zai, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Lance Cpl. John J. Malone, 24, of Yonkers, N.Y., died Sept. 24 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Fore, based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay.
Pfc. William L. Meredith, 26, of Virginia Beach, Va., died Sept. 21 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 569th Engineer Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.
Tech Sgt. James R Hornbarger, 33, of Castle Rock, Wash., died Sept. 12 as a result of a non-hostile incident in the Mediterranean. He was assigned to the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, Calif.
Sgt. David A. Davis, 28, of Dalhart, Texas, died Sept. 19 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked Bagram Airfield using indirect fire. He was assigned to the 32nd Transportation Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Spc. Corey J. Kowall, 20, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Spc. Damon G. Winkleman, 23, of Lakeville, Ohio, died Sept. 20 in Zabul province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover. The soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Iraq: Spc. Michael S. Cote Jr., 20, of Denham Springs, La., died Sept. 19 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when the Blackhawk helicopter he was in crashed. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Senior Airman Matthew R. Courtois, 22, of Lucas, Texas, died Sep 20 as a result of a non-hostile incident on Abdullah Al Mubarak Airbase, Kuwait. He was assigned to the 366th Security Forces Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
Pfc. Jeremiah J. Monroe, 31, of Niskayuna, N.Y., died Sept. 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 7th Engineer Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
Sgt. 1st Class Bradley S. Bohle, 29, of Glen Burnie, Md.; Sgt. 1st Class Shawn P. McCloskey, 33, of Peachtree City, Ga.; and Staff Sgt. Joshua M. Mills, 24, of El Paso, Texas, died Sept. 16 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle Sept. 15 with an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Sgt. Robert D. Gordon II, 22, of River Falls, Ala., died Sept. 16 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, from a non-combat related illness, after becoming ill Sept. 11 in southern Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
1st Lt. David T. Wright II, 26, of Moore, Okla.; and Sgt. Andrew H. McConnell, 24, of Carlisle, Pa., died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device Sept. 14 in southern Afghanistan. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Spc. Demetrius L. Void, 20, of Orangeburg, S.C., died Sept. 15 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when a military vehicle struck him while conducting physical training. He was assigned to the 57th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 11th Signal Brigade, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas.
Staff Sgt. Bryan D. Berky, 25, of Melrose, Fla., died Sept. 12 near Bala Baluk, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from enemy fire while supporting combat operations. He was assigned to the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.
Staff Sgt. Nekl B. Allen, 29, of Rochester N.Y., and Spc. Daniel L. Cox, 23, of Parsons, Kan., died Sept. 12 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised-explosive device and small arms fire. The soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
Pfc. Matthew M. Martinek, 20, of DeKalb, Ill., died Sept. 11 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Sept. 4 when enemy attacked his vehicle with an improvised-explosive device followed by a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Iraq: Sgt. 1st Class Duane A. Thornsbury, 30, of Bridgeport, W. Va., died Sept.12 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, Fort Carson, Colo.
Sgt. Tyler A. Juden, 23, of Winfield, Kan., died Sept. 12 in Turan, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fires. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
1st Lt. Tyler E. Parten, 24, of Arkansas, died Sept. 10 in Konar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Lance Cpl. Christopher S. Fowlkes, 20, of Gaffney, S.C., died Sept. 10 from wounds sustained Sept. 3 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Iraq: Staff Sgt. Shannon M. Smith, 31, of Marion, Ohio; Pfc. Thomas F. Lyons, 20, of Fernley, Nev.; and Pfc. Zachary T. Myers, 21, of Delaware, Ohio, died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an explosive device Sept. 8 in Baji, Iraq. They were assigned to the 545th Military Police Company, Arctic Military Police Battalion, U.S. Army, Alaska, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Sgt. Youvert Loney, 28, of Pohnpei, Micronesia, died Sept. 5 in Abad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle using small arms and recoilless rifle fires. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Gunnery Sgt. Edwin W. Johnson Jr., 31, of Columbus, Ga.; 1st Lt. Michael E. Johnson, 25, of Virginia Beach, Va.; and Staff Sgt. Aaron M. Kenefick, 30, of Roswell, Ga., died Sept. 8 while supporting combat operations in Kunar province, Afghanistan. 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.
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.
Capt. Joshua S. Meadows, 30, of Bastrop, Texas, died Sept. 5 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Iraq: 1st Lt. Joseph D. Helton, 24, of Monroe Ga., died Sept. 8 near Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive devise. He was assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
Staff Sgt. Michael C. Murphrey, 25, of Snyder, Texas, died Sept. 6 in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Sgt. Randy M. Haney, 27, of Orlando, Fla., died Sept. 6 in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires. He was assigned to the 4th Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
2nd Lt. Darryn D. Andrews, 34, of Dallas, Texas, died Sept. 4 in Paktika Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device and a rocket-propelled grenade. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Lance Cpl. Christopher S. Baltazar Jr., 19, of San Antonio, Texas, died Sept. 3 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Benjamin P. Castiglione, 21, of Howell, Mich., died Sept. 3 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Battalion.
Iraq: Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge, 25, of Burnsville, Minn.; and Spc. Jordan M. Shay, 22, of Salisbury, Mass., died Sept. 3 in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. The soldiers were assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Spc. Tyler R. Walshe, 21, of Shasta Calif., died Aug. 31 in southern Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Spc. Jonathan D. Welch, 19, of Yorba Linda, Calif., and Pfc. Jordan M. Brochu, 20, of Cumberland, Maine, died Aug. 31 in Shuyene Sufia, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Lance Cpl. David R. Hall, 31, of Elyria, Ohio, died Aug. 31 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
(Update: When this story was originally posted, 42 U.S. service personnel had been killed in Afghanistan since Gen. McChrystal sent his memo to President Obama. Shortly after the story was originally posted, the Defense Department added another Marine to its list of U.S. casualties in Afghanistan.
The latest identifications reported by the military: 10/03/2009
- Army Sgt. Ryan C. Adams, 26, Rhinelander, Wis., died Oct. 2 in Logar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle using rocket-propelled grenade fire. He was assigned to the 91st Engineer Company (Sapper), Wisconsin Army National Guard, Rhinelander, Wis.
- Army Spc. Russell S. Hercules Jr., 22, Murfreesboro, Tenn., died Thursday during combat in Wardak province, Afghanistan; was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Afghan soldier shoots dead two American troops
Sat Oct 3, 2009 10:34am EDT
KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan soldier on guard at a joint base with U.S. troops shot dead two American servicemen and wounded two others as they slept, a provincial official said on Saturday.
Shahedullah Shahed, spokesman for the governor of Wardak province west of Kabul, said the shooting took place after a combined team of Afghan and U.S. forces had returned from a joint operation late on Friday.
"The Americans were in the middle of sleep when an Afghan soldier on duty opened fire on them," Shahed said.
"We have no clue as to why he shot them."
A statement from NATO-led forces said two American soldiers died from injuries suffered in a "hostile attack" in eastern Afghanistan on Friday. A press officer for the Western troops said he could give no further details of the incident.
October 4, 2009 Afghanistan Update
Eight American, two Afghan troops killed in Afghanistan
(AFP) – 1 hour ago, October 4, 2009
KABUL — Eight American soldiers and two Afghan troops were killed in a firefight in eastern Afghanistan, NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said Sunday.
Tribal militia launched attacks on the American and Afghan fighters from a mosque and a village on Saturday morning, ISAF said in a statement.
The firefight happened in Nuristan province, it said without elaborating on the exact location. "The sources of the conflict in the area involve complex tribal, religious and economic dynamics," it added.
SNIP
North and west Afghanistan were calm until the start of this year, but have seen a sharp security deterioration in recent months.
4 (MORE!) American Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan Bombing
October 16, 2009
The U.S. military says four American service members have been killed in a bombing in southern Afghanistan.
A U.S. statement Friday said that two of the service members were killed instantly in the blast and two others suffered fatal injuries in the same explosion. Names of the victims and the precise location of the Thursday attack were not released.
The latest deaths bring to 25 the number of American troops killed in Afghanistan this month.
- October 20, 2009
The latest identifications reported by the military:
• Army Spc. Michael A. Dahl Jr., 23, Moreno Valley, Calif.; died Saturday in Arghandab, Afghanistan, after enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
-October 25, 2009
6 EIGHT FOURTEEN more American Troop deaths were reported over the weekend in Afghanistan. No identifications yet.
Will list identifications as soon as they become available.
-October 27, 2009
KABUL – Eight American troops were killed in two separate insurgent attacks Tuesday in southern Afghanistan, making October the deadliest month of the war for U.S. forces since the 2001 invasion to oust the Taliban.
The deaths bring to 55 the total number of American troops killed in October in Afghanistan. The previous high occurred in August, when 51 U.S. soldiers died and the troubled nation held the first round of its presidential elections amid a wave of Taliban insurgent attacks.
-Oct 27, 2009-Latest Identifications:
• Two Army soldiers died Friday in Afghanistan when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive. Both were assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.
Killed were Spc. Eric N. Lembke, 25, Tampa, Fla.; and Pfc. Kimble A. Han, 30, Lehi, Utah.
-Oct 27, 2009-3 bodies found in U.S. plane wreckage in Afghanistan
KABUL (AP) — NATO-led forces have recovered the remains of three American military contractors from the wreckage of a U.S. Army reconnaissance plane that crashed two weeks ago in the rugged mountains of northeastern Afghanistan, the military said Tuesday.
The Army C-12 Huron twin-engine turboprop had been missing since it crashed Oct. 13 while on a routine mission in Nuristan province, a Taliban insurgent stronghold. The plane went down less than two weeks after insurgents overran a coalition outpost the same province, killing eight American troops in one of the war's deadliest battles for the U.S.
THE OBAMA BODY COUNT CONTINUES
November 5, 2009
Thank you, ~Kim4VRWC's~.
Fort Hood shooting victims
The following is a list of the victims in Thursday’s Fort Hood shooting rampage that left 13 14 dead and 38 injured, of which 30 needed to be hospitalized. The list is compiled from various news reports around the country. Authorities have not released any names of the victims as of noon Friday.
Killed:
Michael Grant Cahill, 62, of Cameron — formerly of Spokane, Wash., — was a physician’s assistant who was working on the post as a contracted civilian
Staff Sgt. Justin M. DeCrow, 32, of Plymouth, Ind.
Reservist John Gaffaney, 56, of Serra Messa, Calif.
Spc. Jason Dean Hunt, 22, of Tipton, Okla.
Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29, of Kiel, Wis.
Pfc. Aaron Thomas Nemelka, 19, of West Jordan, Utah, was killed.
Pfc. Michael Pearson, 21, of Bolingbrook, Ill.
Russell Seager, 51, of Racine, Wis.
Pvt. Francheska Velez, 21, of Chicago and her unborn child.
Military physician assistant Juanita Warman, 55, of Pittsburgh
Spc. Kham Xiong, 23, of St. Paul, Minn.
The Unborn Child of Pvt. Francheska Valez. We do not know whether the child was a girl or a boy, so we will just call him/her Innocent.
INJURED
Names of Injured:
Thank you, 444Flyer.
At least 25 hurt in U.S. troop search in Afghanistan
Fri Nov 6, 2009 2:43pm EST
HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - More than 25 NATO and Afghan troops were wounded during a search Friday for two missing U.S. paratroopers in western Afghanistan, the NATO-led force said.
The Taliban said the two missing soldiers were dead and it had recovered their bodies.
A statement by the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said more than 25 troops were wounded during a search and rescue mission.
Lieutenant Darin Russell, a spokesman for NATO forces, said the troops were wounded "by insurgent activity." He declined to give further details of the incident, which he said was under investigation.
He was unable to say how many of the wounded were NATO troops and how many were Afghans, or whether any of them had been killed.
The chief of police in Badghis province in western Afghanistan, Abdul Jabar, said NATO aircraft had struck their own troops during the search and that several Americans had died in the "friendly fire" air strike.
NATO announced earlier Friday that two U.S. paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division had gone missing Wednesday while delivering supplies.
Reports of missing troops in Afghanistan are extremely rare and would automatically trigger a large-scale military response.
A Taliban spokesman, Qare Yousuf, told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location that the two missing soldiers had drowned and the Islamist militants had recovered their bodies.
Jabar also said the two missing U.S. soldiers had drowned.
U.S. Navy Captain Jane Campbell, a spokeswoman for the NATO-led force, said: "We continue exhaustive search and rescue operations to locate our missing service members. We are doing everything we can to find them."
"The families of these service members have been notified about their loved ones' status, and we will continue to keep them informed as information becomes available."
Troops from more than 40 nations are members of the nearly 110,000-strong force, two-thirds of them American.
Badghis is one of several provinces in the previously quiet west and north of Afghanistan, where insurgent activity has increased dramatically in recent months.
A U.S. soldier has been missing in the southeast since late June. Insurgents say they are holding him, and U.S. forces in the area launched a massive manhunt.
Nov 11
Missing US soldier's body found in Afghan river
KABUL – Military divers have found the body of a U.S. paratrooper who disappeared last week along with another soldier as the two tried to retrieve airdropped supplies from a river in western Afghanistan, NATO said Wednesday.
Relatives said they believe Spc. Benjamin Sherman of Plymouth, Mass., died after jumping into the river to try to save his comrade, who was also swept away by the current.
Afghan and international forces are still searching for the second missing paratrooper in the remote, Taliban-infested province of Badghis, which borders Turkmenistan. He has not been identified.
Sherman's wife, Patricia, said military officials told her that the circumstances of his death remain under investigation, but his family believes Spc. Sherman died trying to rescue his friend.
"I know that day he jumped into the river to try to save his comrade was not because he didn't just see another soldier in the water, he saw his brother," said his sister, Meredith Sherman. "He didn't jump in because he was trained to, but because that's what his heart told him to do."
The two paratroopers, both from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, disappeared Nov. 4 in the Bala Barghab area of Badghis during a routine resupply mission. Local police had said the two were swept away by the river as they tried to recover airdropped supplies that had accidentally fallen into the water.
During the first days of the search, intense fighting broke out with militants in the area. Eight Afghans — four soldiers, three policemen and an interpreter — were killed, while 17 Afghan troops and five American soldiers were wounded.
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 836
As of Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, at least 836 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.
That is up from 774 on October 3, 2009.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
3 Americans killed in Afghanistan
KABUL: Homemade bombs have killed three Americans including two members of the NATO-led force in Afghanistan, the military said on Saturday. The other casualty was a civilian worker, it said without giving any further details. International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement that one of the soldiers died in an improvised explosive device blast in southern Afghanistan
Update, November 16, 2009
Spec. Brandon K. Steffey, 23, of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.; 178th Military Detachment, 89th Military Police Brigade, 3rd Corps, based at Fort Hood, Tex. Killed Oct. 25 in Laghman province.
Pfc. Brian R. Bates Jr., 20, of Gretna, La.; 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Lewis, Wash. Killed Oct. 27 in Kandahar.
Frank R. Walker, 66, of Oklahoma City; 72nd Civil Engineering Directorate, based at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. Died Oct. 28 at Bagram Air Field of noncombat medical causes.
Sgt. Cesar R. Ruiz, 26, San Antonio; Marine Forces Reserve, based in New Orleans. Killed Oct. 31 in Helmand province.
Spec. Aaron S. Aamot, 22, of Custer, Wash.
Spec. Gary L. Gooch Jr., 22, of Ocala, Fla.
The two soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Lewis, Wash. Both were killed Nov. 5 in Jelewar.
Spec. Julian L. Berisford, 25, of Benwood, W.Va.; 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, based at Fort Richardson, Alaska. Killed Nov. 4 in Paktika province.
November 23, 2009
4 US service members die in Afghan attacks
KABUL – Four U.S. service members were killed in the past 24 hours in Afghanistan, NATO forces said Monday.
Three of the Americans died in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, the statement said. Two of them were killed by a bomb attack and the third in a separate firefight.
The military said the fourth U.S. service member died in the east Monday in a bomb explosion.
The deaths bring the number of Americans killed in Afghanistan in November to 15.
October was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in the eight-year war, with 58 dead.
December 11, 2009
Rules Of Engagement Are A Dilemma For U.S. Troops
Partial Transcript:
MONTAGNE: So, in being very, very careful about shooting at what they absolutely believed to be insurgents, they ended up, in effect, losing these guys. How did that make them feel?
BOWMAN: Well, they weren't happy at all. And some of them stormed out of this command center. And we talked with one of them afterwards. This is Lieutenant James Wendy(ph).
Lieutenant JAMES WENDY (U.S. Marines): There's no way that anyone other than the enemy would've been injured.
BOWMAN: So, why weren't you allowed to shoot?
Lt. WENDY: Honestly, I don't know. I'd like to say I wish we could play by the big boy rules, you know, but, you know, it's just the way it is. And if I had known how frustrating it'd be and was able to better prepare myself for that mentally, I think that maybe I would've been better off.
MONTAGNE: What about the military leaders? Is it reaching the top? Are they hearing these complaints about these rules of engagement that are so restrictive?
BOWMAN: You know, they are hearing these complaints. And I had a few minutes this week with their overall commander, General McChrystal, and I told him the same story, Renee, I told you. And I asked him about the rules of engagement. Here's what he had to say:
General STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL (U.S. Commander, Afghanistan): I've been at this a long time now, since 9/11, and there were a tremendous number of times when I've seen activities done, which, on the surface of what was seen, looks exactly one way, looks completely convincing. And then in the aftermath, what you saw was incomplete. In fact, what we find is civilian casualties who are unarmed civilians.
I think when we err on the side of maturity and caution, there is a cost. And I know that we're asking an extraordinary amount from them to operate with such restraint and self-discipline, but I think it's how we win the war.
BOWMAN: So, that being said, there's still a widespread frustration among the troops, of feeling that their hands are tied in going after insurgents.
8 Americans, 5 Canadians dead in Afghan attacks
Dec 30, 2009
"An Afghan demonstrator weeps, as he chants anti American slogans while the..."
AP: CIA Officers Among Eight Americans Killed in Afghan Suicide Bombing
KABUL (AP) - A suicide bomber at a base in Afghanistan's volatile east killed eight American civilians, U.S. officials said, the worst loss of life for Americans in the country since October. Four Canadian soldiers and a journalist were killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan's south, NATO said. U.S. officials in Washington said the suicide attacker detonated explosives Wednesday at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost province near the Afghan border with Pakistan, killing eight American civilians. A congressional official said CIA employees were believed to be among the dead.
An attacker wearing a suicide vest caused the explosion, according to a senior U.S. official in Washington. Another senior U.S. official in Washington said there were conflicting reports on the number of casualties, but that others were injured in the attack.
We KNOW the attacker waltzed right in unmolested. When does this madness stop???
A senior State Department official said all of the victims were civilians. A former senior CIA officer who was stationed at the base said a combination of agency officers and contractors operated out of the remote outpost with the military and other agencies. He said contractors also might be among those who died.
January 4, 2010
Four U.S. Troops Killed In Afghanistan
Kabul, Afghanistan (AHN) - American forces in Afghanistan suffered their first deaths of the year after four troops died in a bomb attack.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the U.S. soldiers were killed on Sunday when they were struck by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan.
The deaths are the first for 2010, according to the tally of icasualties.org. Fatalities among American troops in 2009, the deadliest year for U.S. forces in the war, totaled 319.
The deaths come a day after NATO and U.S. commander Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal and Afghan President Hamid Karzai visited the province to meet with local leaders about security issues. The southern river valley was where the Obama administration launched its first offensive in the war
Tuesday, January 12, 2010; 3:20 AM
Five Western troops, including three Americans, killed in Afghanistan
DELARAM, AFGHANISTAN -- U.S. Marines came under attack by Taliban fighters Monday at the start of an operation intended to push insurgents from a volatile town in southern Afghanistan, while across the country five Western service members, including at least three Americans, were killed in battle.
January 13, 2010
2 US troops, 4 Afghan troops killed in AfghanistanKABUL – Two U.S. service members died and four Afghan soldiers were killed in separate explosions Wednesday in eastern Afghanistan, an area of the nation rife with violence, officials said.
NATO said the two American troops died in a bomb blast, but disclosed no other information. Their deaths bring to 12 14 the number of American troops killed in Afghanistan so far this month; 16 other soldiers from the international coalition have died this month.
January 17, 2010
KABUL (AFP) – An American soldier has died in Afghanistan after being wounded while fighting Taliban-led insurgents, NATO said Sunday.
NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said the soldier died on Saturday in eastern Afghanistan, an increasingly volatile theatre of the war against the anti-government militants.
"An ISAF service member from the United States died of wounds yesterday as a result of an engagement with insurgents in eastern Afghanistan," it said.
January23,2010
2 US troops killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan
KABUL – A roadside bomb killed two U.S. service members in southern Afghanistan on Saturday as the country's top NATO commander acknowledged an increased risk to foreign troops will accompany an influx of reinforcements aimed at routing the Taliban.
The deaths brought to at least 22 the number of American service members killed so far this month — compared with only 14 for the whole of January last year. A mild winter has brought no respite to the fighting, which traditionally drops off during the cold months.
"The end state of the mission is to protect the population and isolate the insurgency in a way where it doesn't constitute a threat to the Afghan government," Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, said Friday during a visit to the western command. "This will not happen in a short period or in an easy way. It's realistic to expect an increase of risk to coalition forces."
January 29, 2010
NATO: 3 Americans killed in eastern Afghanistan
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — NATO says two U.S. servicemembers and one U.S. employee have been killed in eastern Afghanistan.
A statement said the deaths occurred Friday but gave no more details. It says the incident is under investigation and no further information is available at this time.
At least 29 American deaths have been reported in Afghanistan so far this month. That's double the 14 in all of January last year.
One begins to wonder why so many of these announcements are followed by "No further information is available at this time," and then never seems to become available.
February 3, 2010
Pakistan blast kills US soldiers
Three US soldiers were among 10 people killed when a bomb blast hit a convoy near a school in north-west Pakistan.
Three school girls were among the dead while 70 people, including another 63 school girls and two US soldiers, were injured in the explosion in Lower Dir.
The statement also said the Americans had been due to attend the inauguration of a girls' school recently renovated with US humanitarian assistance.
Related:
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for a bombing at a newly renovated school in northwest Pakistan in which three American soldiers were killed.
“We claim responsibility for the blast,” Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Azam Tariq said.
“We will continue such attacks on Americans.”
Al Jazeera.
A Third of All U.S. Casualties in Eight-Year Afghan War Have Occurred Since Obama Ordered Escalation
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
(CNSNews.com) -- More than 300 U.S. soldiers have died in the war in Afghanistan since May 15, 2009, the day when the first major wave of new troops ordered by President Barack Obama arrived in the country.
The 308 U.S. casualties in Afghanistan since then account for about a third of the total of 920 U.S. casualties in the eight-year war.
Of the 308 soldiers who have died since mid-May 2009, 287 were killed by enemy action, according to a CNSNews.com database of all casualties in the Afghanistan theatre of war.
The southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar located along the Afghan border with Pakistan have been the deadliest regions for U.S. soldiers since President Obama's escalation in U.S. forces in the region began.
Approximately 81 U.S. soldiers have died in combat in Helmand and 58 in Kandahar, for a total of 139 in those two provinces. That is about 45 percent of the U.S. casualties in Afghanistan since May 15 of last year.
On Feb. 17, 2009, President Obama ordered the deployment of 17,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. The main body of those troops arrived in Kandahar on May 15, 2009.
In December 2009, Obama stepped up his surge with 30,000 more troops, bringing the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan to more than 100,000.
Last year was the deadliest for American soldiers since the U.S.-led military effort in Afghanistan began in October 2001.
CNSNews.com’s database of Afghanistan war casualties is derived primarily from official U.S. Defense Department casualty reports, but also includes information gleaned from reports in the news media.
10 NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN -- Ten NATO (SEVEN AMERICAN) troops were killed Monday in bombings and shootings in eastern and southern Afghanistan, military officials said, in the deadliest day for the U.S.-led international force this year.
Seven of the slain troops were American, the Associated Press reported.
Also on Monday, two people, including an American civilian contractor, were killed when three suicide bombers launched a coordinated attack at a police training center in Kandahar city, officials said.
More US troops die in Afghanistan">KABUL, Afghanistan – Two more American troops were killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday, the military said, extending a spike of bloodshed into a second day and pushing the NATO losses in the country to 23 in just over a week.
Five NATO (FOUR AMERICAN) soldiers killed in Afghanistan
June 9, 2010 Four U.S. soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash and a British soldier died in an explosion, NATO forces in Afghanistan said Wednesday.
The four U.S. soldiers died when their helicopter was shot down by hostile fire in Helmand Province Wednesday, said Lt. Col. Joseph Breasseale, a U.S. military spokesman.
The British soldier also was killed in Helmand province, the BBC reported.
2 US service members killed in Afghanistan
Wednesday, June 16, 2010KABUL, Afghanistan -- A roadside bombing killed two U.S. service members in northern Afghanistan on Wednesday, officials said, pushing the death toll among American troops so far this month to 30.
The attack occurred in the Baghi Shirkat area, about 19 miles (30 kilometers) west of Kunduz city, said Kunduz provincial government spokesman, Muhbobullah Sayedi. The troops were in a vehicle that hit a roadside bomb, he said.
SIX American Soldiers Die in Afghanistan Today
June 21, 2010
A total of 10 NATO soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in militant attacks and a helicopter crash, the force said, equalling the worst day of the year so far for the alliance.
In the deadliest incident, three Australian commandos and a US soldier were killed on Monday when their chopper crashed in southern Kandahar province, the single worst loss of life for the Australian military in the nearly nine-year Afghan war.
Another two NATO troops, including an American, were killed in separate bomb explosions elsewhere in the south, the spiritual home of the Taliban militia that is fighting an increasingly deadly insurgency against Western troops.
Three more American soldiers were killed in other incidents, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force told AFP.
One US soldier died following a small-arms attack by militants in the south and two others died after a roadside bomb attack in eastern Afghanistan.
Six More American Troops KIA In Afghanistan
Jul 10, 2010
Six American service members and at least a dozen civilians died in attacks Saturday in Afghanistan's volatile east and south, adding to a summer of escalating violence as Taliban militants push back against stepped-up operations by international and Afghan forces.
NATO said four U.S. service members died in the east: One as a result of small-arms fire, another by a roadside bomb, a third during an insurgent attack and the last in an accidental explosion. Two other U.S. troops died in separate roadside bombings in southern Afghanistan. Their deaths raised to 23 the number of American troops killed so far this month in the war.
June was the deadliest month of the war for the multinational force, with 103 international troops killed, 60 of them Americans.
Afghanistan war deaths
As of Wednesday, June 16, 2010
1,106
And still, we have this:
Afghanistan Strategy Focuses on Civilian Effort
June 8, 2010
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The prospect of a robust military push in Kandahar Province, which had been widely expected to begin this month, has evolved into a strategy that puts civilian reconstruction efforts first and relegates military action to a supportive role.
The strategy, Afghan, American and NATO civilian and military officials said in interviews, was adopted because of opposition to military action from an unsympathetic local population and Afghan officials here and in Kabul.
AND THIS!!!
Still a long way to go for U.S. operation in Marja, Afghanistan
June 10, 2010
Residents of this onetime Taliban sanctuary see signs that the insurgents have regained momentum in recent weeks, despite early claims of success by U.S. Marines. The longer-than-expected effort to secure Marja is prompting alarm among top American commanders that they will not be able to change the course of the war in the time President Obama has given them.
General McChrystal, have we shown enough "sensitivity" to the "citizens" of Afghanistan yet???
General Gavid H Petraeus
It is July 2010 and General David Petraeus has taken over as the Commander in Afghanistan. We wait to see what, if anything, changes for our Troops.
We wait. And we pray for our Military wherever they might be.
PETRAEUS WATCH BEGINS
Afghan attacks kill 8 US troops in 24 hours
July 14, 2010
American forces suffered a deadly 24 hours in Afghanistan, with eight troops killed in attacks including an audacious Taliban raid on a police compound in the key southern city of Kandahar, officials said Wednesday.
The U.S. and its coalition allies have warned that violence and troop casualties are likely to mount this summer as thousands of new forces fan out across southern insurgent strongholds in a bid to turn around the nearly 9-year-long war.
However, a top U.S. commander in the south said Wednesday that the new operation should start reducing violence in coming months.
So far in July, 45 coalition troops have died in Afghanistan, 33 of them Americans, continuing the upward trend of the previous month, which was war's deadliest for the NATO-led force, with 103 international soldiers killed.
Taliban claims to have captured 2 U.S. troops in Afghanistan
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Two American service members went missing after driving off their base in Kabul on Friday afternoon, and the Taliban later claimed to have captured them in eastern Afghanistan, NATO officials said Saturday, the same day five U.S. troops were killed in the south.
A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, called Afghan reporters in Logar on Saturday and told them the militant movement had captured the two Americans and killed one of them, according to an Afghan reporter and the governor's spokesman.
Bombs kill five U.S. troops in Afghanistan
July 24, 2010
Bombings killed five U.S. troops in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.
The military did not say precisely where the incidents occurred, but the statement said the troops died in "improvised explosive device attacks.
" Four service members died in one attack and one was killed in the other.
The incidents come during a bloody stretch in the country this summer.
This month, more than 70 international troops have died. That total includes more than 50 U.S. service members.
Body of 2nd missing US Navy sailor recovered in eastern Afghanistan; US, Afghan officials say
July 29, 2010
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A second U.S. Navy sailor who went missing in a dangerous part of eastern Afghanistan was found dead and his body recovered, a senior U.S. military official and Afghan officials said Thursday.
The family of Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, a 25-year-old from the Seattle area, had been notified of his death, the U.S. military official said on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to disclose the information.
Newlove and Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley went missing last Friday in Logar province. NATO recovered the body of McNeley — a 30-year-old father of two from Wheatridge, Colorado — in the area Sunday.
July Deadliest Month of Afghan War for US
July 30, 2010
Three U.S. servicemembers were killed in blasts in Afghanistan, bringing the toll for July to at least 63 and making it the deadliest month for American forces in the nearly 9-year-war.
A NATO statement Friday said the three died in two separate blasts in southern Afghanistan the day before. The statement gave no nationalities, but U.S. officials say all three were Americans. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity pending notification of kin.
The tally of 63 American servicemember deaths in July is based on military reports compiled by The Associated Press. June had been the deadliest month for both the U.S. and the overall NATO-led force. A total of 104 international servicemembers died last month, including 60 Americans
Key Witness in Passport Fraud Case Fatally Shot
Key Blagojevich Figure is Dead
Mon, Nov 16, 2009
Corpse Believed to Be School Chief Michael Scott
A body discovered floating in the Chicago River near Merchandise Mart this morning is believed to be that of Chicago Public Schools Board President Michael Scott, police said.
Police have not positively identified the man, but Scott’s Cadillac was found nearby and Scott’s family had reported him missing earlier in the day.
Scott apparently shot himself in the head, according to the Tribune.
Police used his cell phone to locate his body and his car behind the Chicago Apparel Center along the north branch of the river, according to the Tribune.
Police are investigating the death, but no further details have been released this morning. The body's ID will not be confirmed until after the family confirms the identity, police said.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson was on the scene early, saying that people have been calling him in tears all morning.
Recently, Scott made news when he was subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury looking into the admissions practices of Chicago's elite schools.
Scott was also under scrutiny in the past few months over Olympics-related real estate dealings.
REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 2001
BURNIN' DOWN THE TENT!!!
