Good evening, dear ones. Will you please join me and the IGTNT team as we honor two young men who lost their lives on foreign soil:
Spc. Christopher J. Moon, 20, of Tucson, Arizona, died July 13 at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device on July 6 in Arghandab, Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. Shaun M. Mittler, 32, of Austin, Texas, died July 10 in Konar, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit using rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fires.
Will you dear Kossacks kindly take a moment to send a warm thought or prayer to the hundreds of thousands of forgotten or unnoticed souls who have suffered, and continue to suffer, from the insanity of war? This is not their diary but still, we all feel and grieve the pain of a broken human spirit.
Blessings and Light to all who share our world.
As you read this diary, please remember that friends and loved ones of the soldiers honored here may read your comments. Please, whatever our personal feelings about the war may be, may our comments only reflect compassion for their grief and loss. Thank you.
Spc. Christopher J. Moon
20-year-old Chris Moon was the 2006 Southern Arizona (Baseball) Player of the Year when he left following his first semester at University of Arizona, on a full scholarship, to enlist in the Army on February 5, 2008. He did his Basic Training at Airborne School in Fort Benning, Georgia. After completing his training, Chris was assigned to Fort Bragg, Kentucky on August 12, 2008, and where he joined the 2nd Battalion, 508th PIR. The unit deployed to Afghanistan in September 2009.
Spc. Moon stepped on a roadside bomb on July 6. Both of Spc. Moon's legs were amputated, and he died of his wounds on July 13 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
1st Sgt. Derek Gondek, Spc. Moon's company first sergeant, said of his soldier: "Spc. Moon was the type of person we have all heard of but have very seldom ever met. He was one of those men who no matter what he put his mind to he became a star at it, whether it was on the baseball field or on the battlefield. He will truly be missed by his fellow war fighters."
Spc. Moon's many awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Basic Parachutist Badge.
Christopher Moon is survived by his parents, Brian and Marsha Moon, and by his Army brethren.
Our hearts are with all who knew and loved Christopher J. Moon. Please know that we stand beside you at this terrible time of loss.
Staff Sgt. Shaun M. Mittler
The Department of Defense reports Shaun Mittler as a resident of Austin, Texas, but NBCActionNews.com in Missouri says that Shaun was born in Kansas City, raised in Gladstone, and was a resident of Clarksville, Tennessee.
His family shared that SSgt. Mittler was "an energetic and motivated young man" who was "very proud to be a soldier." After spending time in the Kansas National Guard, SSgt. Mittler enlisted in the Army in 1998. He re-enlisted after September 11. SSgt. Mittler was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. SSgt. Mittler had served two previous tours of duty in Iraq.
SSgt. Mittler's many awards and decorations include an Army Commendation Medal, an Army Achievement Medal, an Army Good Conduct Medal, a Meritorious Unit Citation, a National Defense Service Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, an Iraq Campaign Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary medal, a Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, an Army Service Ribbon, an Overseas Service Ribbon, a NATO Medal, a Combat Infantry Badge, an Expert Infantry Badge, an Air Assault Badge, and a Driver/Mechanic Badge. SSgt. Mittler was awarded an M4 (Expert level) in the Weapons Qualification.
SSgt. Mittler was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal and on July 15, Sgt. Mittler was promoted to staff sergeant.
SSgt. Mittler is survived by his wife Maricel, daughter Cristine Mae Mittler and stepson John Barcel; parents Joyce and Lance Turner, and Terry and Lisa Mittler; sister Misty, her husband Gary Barclay and their children Madison, Anthony and Brenden; brother Alexander Mittler; and his Army brethren.
Our hearts are with all who knew and loved Shaun M. Mittler. Please know that we stand beside you at this terrible time of loss.
I can't think of a better way to honor the fallen than to contribute to the well-being of their fellow soldiers still on active duty.
The following fine organizations could sure use your support and your donations: AnySoldier.com, Books for Soldiers, Fisher House, the Military Pets Foster Project, Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pets, Operation Baghdad Pups, Operation Enduring Christmas, an organization that sends holiday presents to the children of our fallen troops, and Helping Udders, an organization that sends cooling vests to the Military Working Dogs stationed with their handlers in Iraq.
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Click here to see other IGTNT diaries, a series which was begun by i dunno and which is currently maintained by Sandy on Signal, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, noweasels, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, and Wide Awake in Kentucky.
These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but, we believe, an important service to those Americans who have died, and to our community's respect for and remembrance of them. Fallen soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and National Guard whose names have been released by the Department of Defense will usually be diaried two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each fallen service member more fully, but still in a timely manner.
PEACE AND BLESSINGS.