Courage is reckoned the greatest of all virtues;
because, unless a man has that virtue,
he has no security for preserving any other.
~Samuel Johnson
Staff Sergeant Jerome Firtamag, 29
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Jerome Firtamag, 29, of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, was medically evacuated from Kandahar, Afghanistan, to the United States on Dec. 1, 2010, for treatment of a non-combat related illness. He died Feb. 24 in Pembroke, Ky. Firtamag was assigned to the 96th Combat Support Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
An immigrant from Micronesia lost his life last week, to liver cancer, after serving the United States since 2003, in the US Army. Staff Sergeant Jerome Firtamag was serving as an avionics radar reparer, with Bravo Company, 96th Combat Support Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade,in Kandahar, Afghanistan, until he was evacuated for medical treatment on Decemeber 1, 2010. He died in hospice care.
During his career, Staff Sergeant Firtamag earned the Army Commendation Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
Staff Sergeant Firtamg is survived by his wife, Kimberley, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and his parents, John Firtamag and Ruth Giyeg of San Antonio, Texas , and many grieving friends and family.
About the IGTNT series:
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, noweasels, monkeybiz, blue jersey mom, Jax Dem, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Ms Wings, maggiejean, racheltracks, and me, Chacounne. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner.
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POW/MIA: Afghanistan & Iraq
Two U.S. soldiers are currently listed as captured or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown as of December 1, 2009.
Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie 41
and
Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl 23
Never forgotten - please keep good thoughts and prayers for these two men.
Helping Our Troops
There would be no finer way to honor the fallen than to contribute to programs that assist our active duty military. Here are a few suggestions:
Evan Ashcraft Foundation - This foundation was established to assist soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan to adjust to civilian life. In particular this foundation's emphasis is on PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.
Fisher House - Provides a "home away from home" for military families to be close to a loved one during hospitilization for an illness, disease or injury.
Homes For Our Troops - Build special adapted homes for severely injured veterans at no cost to the veterans they serve.
Netroots For The Troops - raises money for the assembly, mailing and delivery of care packages to American military in war zones, and to provide assistance to military families in the United States.
Veterans Green Jobs - Our recently returned veterans need jobs and VGJ 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.
Welcome Back Veterans - created to inspire Americans to give back to our returning veterans and their families and assist in particular with PTSD.
Wounded Warrior Project - To raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service service members, to help injured service members aid and assist each other and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members.
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics