The IGTNT (I Got The News Today) title is a reminder that nearly every day, somebody gets the news that a friend, former classmate, or beloved family member will not be coming home from war.
Since 2001, there have been 1337 American troops killed serving in Afghanistan, and since 2003, 4429 American troops killed serving in Iraq.
Tonight we honor an Army officer and a veteran Air Force nurse
who died during their deployment to Afghanistan:
1st. Lt. Scott F. Milley, 23, of Sudbury, Massachusetts
Lt. Col. Gwendolyn A. Locht, 46, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Please take a moment below to remember them.
The Department of Defense confirmed the death of an Army Ranger killed in action:
1st. Lt. Scott F. Milley, 23,
of Sudbury, Massachusetts
1st. Lt. Milley died November 30 in Logar province, Afghanistan, of gunshot wounds from small arms fire.
Milley was an Infantry Officer assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, based in Fort Polk, Louisiana.
"He was the love of our lives. He brought joy and laughter to everyone."
"From the time he was 3 years old, that was his absolute dream, to be an Army man,"
his father said.
"His dream has now become the family nightmare. The family’s heart has been broken.
Our baby son has gone."
Boston.com
Scott Milley grew up in Sudbury, Massachusetts with his parents and an older sister and brother. He attended Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School and was captain of the varsity hockey team.
Scott graduated high school in 2005 and pursued his Army goals in ROTC while earning his college degree. In 2009, Scott Milley graduated cum laude from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology.
First Lieutenant Milley accomplished much since entering the Army full time in August 2009. He completed the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, and graduated the grueling Ranger School. While in Ranger School, he was featured with his fellow cadets in a Discovery Channel program.
His father, Steve Milley, said his son never wanted any praise
for his accomplishments. Scott had an, "incredible love of life - absolutely not a care in the world and absolutely filled with
laughter - until he put his uniform on. And then he became
my proudest moment in my life."
metro west daily news
Lt. Milley arrived at Fort Polk in August 2010, and arrived in Afghanistan in October. He was killed during a foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan only one month into his first deployment.
The Army awarded 1st. Lt. Scott F. Milley numerous awards and decorations, including the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medals, and Combat Infantryman Badge.
Among those that 1st. Lt. Milley leaves behind are his parents, brother and sister and dog, and his platoon.
1st. Lt. Scott Milley is missed. May He Rest in Peace.
sources wicked local sudbury, MetroWestDailyNews, nola.com
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The Department of Defense announced the death of a veteran airman who had been serving in Afghanistan.
Lt. Col. Gwendolyn A. Locht, 46,
of Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Lt. Col. Locht was medically evacuated from Kandahar, Afghanistan, on May 22 for treatment of a non-combat related illness. She died of Leukemia November 16 in Houston, Texas, with her family by her side.
Lt. Col. Locht was a nurse assigned to the 96th Inpatient Operations Squadron, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
Gwen (Andrews) was born at Eglin Air Force base and grew up in Walton Beach, on the Gulf Coast of Florida, east of Pensacola. She graduated from Choctawhatchee High School in 1982, where she is remembered fondly as a member of the competitive dance team.
Gwen received her Bachelor's of Nursing from the University of South Alabama and was a member of the Phi Mu Sorority. She met her future husband, David Locht, and they married in 1988.
Gwen Locht joined the US Air Force as a Second Lieutenant, and her first assignment was at the hospital at Eglin AFB. She was soon deployed to Operation Desert Storm.
Between assignments at medical centers at Maxwell AFB, Alabama and Elmendorf, Alaska, Gwen took a break from active duty service and became a USAF Reservist in Florida. There she and her husband had their son, David Jr.
After returning to Active Duty, airman Gwen Locht was assigned to Patrick AFB, Florida, and then to Alaska where she had a daughter, Danielle. After that, the family moved back to Florida to Hurlburt Field and to Eglin AFB. Soon she was deployed to Afghanistan.
According to her obituary printed at nwf daily news,
"Gwen spent the last few months battling Leukemia which was
diagnosed during her deployment in Afghanistan. Her husband
of 22 years would like to thank all of the family and friends
who helped us battle this disease by taking time to donate
blood and all of the loving prayers."
"Gwen always loved the beach. The smell of the salty water, the wind in her face and the gentle roar of the waves all combined to create a sense of peace and calm."
Lt. Col. Locht is survived by her husband, son and daughter, brother and his wife; niece; sister-in-law; niece; a brother-in-law and wife and daughters, and brother-in-law and wife, son and daughter.
Lt. Col. Gwen Locht is missed. May She 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)
Helping our troops: If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or sponsoring a deployed service member with a care package at TroopCarePackage.com.
Fisher House provides housing for families of injured troops and veterans who are recovering in hospitals, and Guardian angels for soldierspet assists the animal companions of our deployed military.
Helping our Veterans: When our veterans come back home, they can find support
at Welcome Back Veterans. Our recently returned veterans need jobs, and
Veterans Green Jobs is now hiring for positions and filling training sessions. VGJ corps retrains veterans as leaders in natural resource conservation, green construction, and energy efficient upgrades of homes in rural areas. Encourage a Veteran, and see if you can help out.
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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. 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, Ms Wings, maggiejean, racheltracks, ccasas, JaxDem, 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.