Tonight we remember six more Americans lost at war in Afghanistan; an Army scout killed in vehicle accident, a Marine killed in combat, and four Air Force rescue airmen killed in a helicopter crash:
Sgt. Erick J. Klusacek, 22, of Calcium, New York
Lance Cpl. Gavin R. Brummund, 22, of Arnold, California
Tech Sgt. Michael P. Flores, 31, of San Antonio, Texas
1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, 25, of Grass Lake, Michigan
Staff Sgt. David C. Smith, 26, of Eight Mile, Alabama
Senior Airman Benjamin D. White, 24, of Erwin, Tennessee
Since 2001, there have been 1111 American troops killed in Afghanistan,
and since 2003, 4404 American troops killed in Iraq.
Please take a moment below to remember them and these six service members.
The IGTNT (I Got The News Today) title is a reminder that nearly every day, somebody receives word that a friend, former school mate, or family member will not be coming home from war.
This has been a sad and difficult week for Americans at war, particularly for families with loved ones serving in Afghanistan, with 9 soldiers lost from Ft. Campbell alone. It was also the deadliest week for the Air Force in more than five years.
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The Department of Defense announced the death of a Fort Campbell, Kentucky soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom:
Sgt. Erick J. Klusacek, 22
died June 8 at Gerda Serai, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related vehicle accident. Klusacek was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), based in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Sgt. Erick Klusaceka, a paratrooper and cavalry scout assigned to Bravo Troop, had survived many dangerous combat missions. Last week his family was devastated to hear he unexpectedly died in a vehicle accident in Afghanistan.
According to The Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, Erick Klusacek joined the Army in May 2007 and arrived at Fort Campbell in October 2007. Klusacek lived with his wife and young daughter in Watertown, New York.
The news of Klusaceka's fatal accident came a day after five Fort Campbell soldiers were killed in an improvised explosive device attack in Afghanistan. These deaths came only days after another Fort Campbell-based soldier was killed last weekend. Second Lt. Michael McGahan, 23, died in a gun battle in southeastern Afghanistan.
Sgt. Erick Klusaceka received numerous awards and decorations, including the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and others.
Among those Sgt. Klusacek leaves behind are his wife and daughter, and his parents in Evans Mills, New York.
Sgt. Erick Klusaceka is missed. REST IN PEACE.
source and photo source
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The Department of Defense announced the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Gavin R. Brummund, 22,
of Arnold, California, died June 10 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Gavin Brummund grew up in the very small town of Arnold, California. I know Arnold is a small town because I lived there for a couple of years. The rural mountain community surrounded by National Forest and rivers is found on Hwy 4, in the Sierra mountains on the way to Bear Valley Ski Area, east of Sacramento.
Gavin Brummond was born in Van Nuys, California, but grew up in Calaveras County where he played football and excelled at wrestling at Bret Harte High School, according to a story in The Union Democrat. He graduated in 2006 and attended College of the Redwoods community college in Humboldt County for about a year before enlisting in the Marines.
Brummund was one of eight members of the Bret Harte High School Class of 2006 to enter the service together, reports the Modesto Bee.
Lance Cpl. Brummond had already spent a tour in Iraq and had one year left on his commitment to the Marines. He was scheduled to finish his Afghanistan tour later this summer.
A team leader, Lance Cpl. Brummund was on patrol in Marjah when he stepped on an improvised explosive. He later died from his injures at the hospital.
Two years ago Gavin Brummund got married. The young couple lived together near Camp Lejuene in North Carolina, with their pets: two dogs, eight puppies and a cat.
Among those Lance Cpl. Brummund leaves behind are his wife and many animal companions, and his mother, and father in Arnold.
Lance Cpl. Gavin R. Brummund is missed. REST IN PEACE.
photo source
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The Department of Defense announced the deaths of four pararescue Airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom:
Staff Sgt. Michael Flores, 1st Lt. Joel Gentz, Staff Sgt. David Smith, and Senior Airman Benjamin White
died June 9 near Forward Operating Base Jackson, Afghanistan, when their helicopter was hit by rocket propelled grenades.
The HH-60G Pave Hawk crashed as the rescue airmen were performing a medical-evacuation mission. Three airmen from the 66th Rescue Squadron were injured and are being treated in Germany, according to the Military Times.
The motto of the pararescue men is "... these things we do, that others may live."
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Tech Sgt. Michael P. Flores, 31
of San Antonio, Texas, was assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron, based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
Technical Sergeant Flores had earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, and he was posthumously promoted from Staff Sergeant.
Flores deployed eight times during his 12 years in the service. It was his second tour to Afghanistan in less than a year.
My San Antonio writes:
The crash ended a stellar career that began after Flores graduated from high school, where he was on the swim team.
At one time, pararescuers were known as "parajumpers." The name changed, but the "PJ" initials stuck.
When he started two years of rigorous PJ training at Lackland AFB, Flores' time as a competitive swimmer may have given him an edge.
On his first day, Flores had to swim 75 feet underwater, run 11/2 miles in less than 10 minutes and 30 seconds, and perform 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes and 50 pushups in 2 minutes.
Many wash out of PJ training during the water test.
The standards only became tougher. In 1999, pararescue graduates had to run 6 miles in 45 minutes, swim 21/2 miles in 80 minutes and swim 75-foot laps underwater — six times.
A 1997 Marshall High School graduate, Michael Flores was married and had two children. His wife is also serving in the US Air Force.
Tech Sgt. Flores died the same day he and his wife marked their fifth wedding anniversary.
"I'm sad that it happened to him, but if it wasn't his helicopter, it would have been someone else's helicopter and someone else's family and that is something you wouldn't wish upon someone," said his sister in My San Antonio.
Among those that Tech Sergeant Flores leaves behind are his wife, two young children, and his sister.
Tech Sgt. Michael P. Flores is missed. REST IN PEACE.
source
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1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, 25
of Grass Lake, Michigan, was assigned to the 58th Rescue Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
Joel Gentz was the eldest of three children, and had a younger brother and sister. The Gentz family has lived in in Chelsea, Michigan since 1991, where Joel attended Chelsea High School. He participated in numerous activities, including cross country, swimming, tennis, percussion, and National Honor Society, according to a story by mlive.
After graduating in 2002, Gentz attended Purdue University. During college he enrolled in ROTC because he wanted to be a pilot and perform combat rescue. Joel was a Air Force Cadet who was Awarded the Warrior Spirit award all four years as voted by his fellow Air Force ROTC. He graduated college with honors in Aerospace Engineering in 2007.
When offered a slot to be a pilot, Joel Gentz took the job as a combat rescue officer, wanting to follow his care-giver parents who are both nurses.
"My husband and I are very proud of our son and all the pararescue officers and the PJs (pararescue jumpers) they work with," Gentz's mother said Thursday from Dover, Delaware, where she and her husband were waiting for their son's body to be flown from Afghanistan.
"Joel, in the spirit of his line of duty, would have rescued the people who shot them down if they needed it. That was his job," she said in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Gentz met his wife while attending Purdue and they married in summer of 2008. They were stationed at Holman AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a year prior to moving to Nellis Airforce Base in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Among those 1st Lt. Gentz leaves behind are his wife, mother and father, and brother and sister.
1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz is missed. REST IN PEACE.
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Staff Sgt. David C. Smith, 26
of Eight Mile, Alabama, was assigned to the 66th Rescue Squadron, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
Staff Sgt. David Smith was a flight engineer who had been with the Air Force for nine years. He had previously served a tour in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He was scheduled to return home in just 10 days.
The deeply saddened mother of a high school friend said,
"It hit home very hard because this is a young man. To know the sacrifices he made for us, and how very proud I am of him and all of our servicemen. As a mother, my heart and prayers go out to that family and my condolences and they will be in my prayers for a long time."
The Military Times printed a statement by Col. Gary Henderson, the 23rd Wing commander:
"Our hearts go out to the families of these brave Americans, and we express our deepest condolences to them. All seven airmen involved in this incident embody the rescue motto, ‘These things we do, that others may live,’ and were on a life-saving mission.
"These airmen and their other rescue teammates are highly trained to perform life-saving missions in various situations. Protecting our nation’s sons and daughters is a sacred trust and we take that responsibility seriously."
Staff Sgt. Smith leaves behind his mother and father, family and friends.
Staff Sgt. David C. Smith is missed. REST IN PEACE.
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Senior Airman Benjamin D. White, 24
of Erwin, Tennessee, was assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
Senior Airman White was on his first deployment. He arrived in Afghanistan less than 2 months ago.
Benjamin White grew up in Johnson City, Tennessee, and graduated from Science Hill High School in 2004. He attended East Tennessee State University for a few semesters before entering the Air Force in July 2006.
Dallas News source
"He was an awful good boy," White said. "He always wanted to go to the Air Force. That's what he set out to do, and that's what he did."
White had been trained in several roles, most recently as a medic. "He would parachute into danger zones and bring out the injured and wounded," said his sister-in-law.
"He loved it," she said. "He said he finally felt a sense of purpose — that he was doing what he was supposed to do. I am oh so proud."
Johnson City Press source
Among those Senior Airman Benjamin White leaves behind are his mother, his father and stepmother, and his brother and sister-in-law.
Senior Airman Benjamin D. White is missed. REST IN PEACE.
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Photos Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Thanks to Timroff for our faithfully lighted candle IGTNT logo;
and Thanks to llbear for our beautiful forget-me-nots IGTNT logo.
(Other Photos by CalNM)
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Helping our troops: If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or Fisher House. Sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com can provide letters or care packages that make a real difference in a military person's life. To assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available at guardian angels for soldierspet.
When our veterans come back home, they need jobs. Look at the programs of Veterans Green Jobs and Welcome Back Veterans. Encourage a Vet, and see if you can help out.
About the IGTNT series: I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect, and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died at war.
Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories. Sometimes information on the dead is with held by family, and not available for publication. The US Department of Defense news releases are found at defense gov/releases. Icasualties lists the names of those killed, and shows the number of wounded. Published AP photos of the returning war fatalities are found on the Dover AFB page.
Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries in the series which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, Sandy on Signal, Wide Awake in Kentucky, and me, CalNM. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for our fallen brothers and sisters.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and
family of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.