Since 2001, 1413 U.S. troops have lost their lives while serving in Afghanistan, and since 2003, 4439 U.S. troops have died while serving in Iraq.
The IGTNT (I Got The News Today) series is a reminder that nearly every day, somebody gets the heartbreaking news that a friend, former classmate, or beloved family member will not be coming home from war.
Tonight we remember two U.S. Airmen who died far from home while serving in wartime:
Senior Airman Nicholas J. Alden, 25, of Williamston, South Carolina
Airman 1st Class Zachary R. Cuddeback, 21, of Stanardsville, Virginia
Please take a moment below to remember them,
and all those who have lost their lives in these wars.
A March 2 shooting on a U.S. Air Force bus in Frankfurt, Germany, killed two U.S. Airmen and wounded two others. The bus was carrying 15 airmen from the Lakenheath airfield in eastern England, and had just arrived in Frankfurt when an extremist opened fire on them. They were going from Frankfurt to Ramstein Air Base, where they were to deploy to Afghanistan.
The U.S. has 50,000 troops stationed in Germany, according to The Air Force Times. Major U.S. facilities in the Frankfurt region include the Ramstein Air Base, which is often used as a logistical hub for operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
One victim's injuries were not life-threatening, but the other airman remained in critical condition after the shooting. Airman Kristoffer Schneider is critical but stable after surgery, and his family is grateful he survived the targeted attack. His wife was coming to the hospital in Germany from their home in England. The couple has two children. Airman Schneider is in our prayers for recovery from his severe injuries.
The U.S. Air Force identified the two slain airmen as Senior Airman Nicholas Alden and Airman 1st Class Zachary Cuddeback. Alden was part of the Air Force security officer team bound for Afghanistan, while Cuddeback, who was driving the bus, was stationed at Ramstein in Germany.
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Senior Airman Nicholas J. Alden, 25, of Williamston, South Carolina
Senior Airman Alden died as a result of the March 2 shooting at Frankfurt Airport, Germany. He was an Air Force Security Officer assigned to the 48th Security Forces Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom.
Nicholas Alden was born in Germany to military parents and lived with his parents in Indiana. They moved to South Carolina about 10 years ago, where his mother is an English teacher at Starr-Iva Middle School, and Nicholas graduated from Palmetto High School.
Today Nicholas is being remembered as a loving father and devoted husband.
Nicholas Alden joined the U. S. Air Force four years ago. His family said he always wanted to be a police officer, so thought he would try being an "Air Force cop."
Senior Airman Alden served a six-month tour in Iraq, and last month learned he would be deployed to Afghanistan.
Senior Airman Alden and his wife Trish were just starting their family, and had a 3-year old daughter and 1-year old son. They family had been living in England, where Alden was stationed at RAF Lakenheath.
Nicholas Alden's mother, Cathy Garner, told The State:
"He said 'Mom, I'm going to be in a fairly safe place like I was in Iraq. I'm going to have all sorts of protective gear on when I go out so I'm going to be just as safe as I was in Iraq,'" she said. "He never even got there."
The principal at the South Carolina middle school where Garner teaches English said the community was grieving for the family.
"The flag is at half staff," Starr-Iva Middle School principal Mike Ruthsatz said. "We do that normally for any soldier from South Carolina that dies but this is something that is even more close to home. It's a devastating blow to any family. It makes this what we don't call a war - or some people don't call a war - it makes it real to us now."
Among those Senior Airman Alden leaves behind are his his wife and two young children, his mother and his fellow Airmen.
Senior Airman Nicholas Alden is missed. May He Rest In Peace.
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Airman 1st Class Zachary R. Cuddeback, 21 of Stanardsville, Virginia
Airman 1st Class "Zac" Cuddeback also died as a result of the March 2 attack in Frankfurt. Cuddeback was a bus driver assigned to the 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Zac Cuddeback also grew up on military bases. He loved cars, and he loved to play hockey in high school and college. In 2008, Zachary graduated from William Monroe High School in Stanardsville, Virginia. Then he attended Old Dominion University for a year.
Zac Cuddeback joined the Air Force in 2009 and became a vehicle operator at Ramstein.
The family of Airman First Class Zachary Cuddeback released the following statement, which reads, in part:
"Airman First Class and Hockey Player Extraordinaire Zachary Ryan Cuddeback's life was ended abruptly on March 2, 2011 while serving his nation in the Republic of Germany.
"Zac was an Army brat that called many places his home, but had a special place in his heart for St. Louis, Missouri.
"Zac was a regular at the Charlottesville Ice Park. His love of the Air Force, Cars, and Hockey were paramount in his life.
"Zac always had a smile on his face for everyone, but had no closer friend than his brother Tim.
"His mother, De Loyet, father, Bob Cuddeback, and brother and best friend, Tim Cuddeback, will miss him sorely."
Among those Airman 1st Class Cuddeback leaves behind are his mother, father, and brother, and the Airmen at Ramstein Air Base.
Airman 1st Class Zac Cuddeback is missed. May He Rest In Peace.
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Photos Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Thanks to Timroff for our faithfully lighted candle IGTNT logo;
Other Photos by CalNM and linked Sources
Helping our troops: If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or sponsoring a deployed service member 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.
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 forest and 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.