On May 1st, An Infuriating Anniversary, the day of the Mission Accomplished' Speech and Banner as to Iraq eight years prior, the War of Choice, that turned the Afghan Operation into same, nothing to do with 9/11 al Qaeda nor bin Laden, the Afghan 'Mission is Finally Accomplished', bin Laden dead, after creating possibly thousands of bin Ladens seeking blowback! Tens of thousands dead, millions turned into refugee's, lives and countries destroyed, and still no 'Sacrifice', all you folks wavin the flag and yellin U.S.A., U.S.A., this isn't a sporting event}, as to the results for the Veterans of nor Accountability for the lies of those who ordered the destructive decade plus, Still Ongoing!! Bring the Troops Home and take care of All of them and their families when they return!!
The poem can be found at Tell me lies, from Vietnam to the present.
Honor our living brothers and sisters all the time! Fully Fund the Veterans Administration, no questions asked, as we fund the Department of Defense, no questions asked. Ceremonies, flag waving, false meme's on 'patriotism' while condemning others as being not 'patriotic', lapel flag pins, any symbols of are not enough and are extremely disingenuous and hypocritical! A nation that cheers on the destruction of others and sends only the very few who are supposed to serve the Country and Constitution must do more as to their own 'Sacrifice', presently now over a decade of Not, as well as the decades prior to! Sacrifice comes from the rest, especially the wealthy, who haven't demanded to for the past decade nor the decades preceeding, who send those of us who serve into Wars and Occupations of others. They and their families are not the only ones who should be Sacrificing their all!
April: Month of the Military Child
DOD Celebrates Month of the Military Child
Booklet prepares military children for visits to Walter Reed
4/28/2011 - Imagine what it's like to be a young child of a newly wounded soldier.
Walter Reed Army Medical Center has come up with something new to help such children -- a booklet called "A Trip to the Hospital," meant to be read to or by kids between the ages of about 2 and 10. { continued}
Memorial at the New JPED facility at Dover Air Force Base, Del..
Iraq, from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn Sept 1, 2010
There have been 4,770 coalition deaths -- 4,452 Americans, 2 Australians, 1 Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakh, 1 South Korean, 3 Latvian, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 2 Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of May 2 2011, according to a CNN and iCasulties count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. At least 32,074 {32,046 up to last month} U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan
As the draw down continues, both in theater as to opporations participation and troops leaving the theater and not being replaced, the numbers of killed and injured draws down drastically as well, last month they rose again. But those who die later, from wounds received or from ailments they developed or from suicides, are still not counted and that will continue for the years and decades to come!
Staff Sgt.Quadi Shareem Hudgins 26 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Maintenance Troop, Regimental Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment One of two soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their position with indirect fire in Babil province, Iraq, on April 2, 2011
Staff Sgt.Christian Anthony Saracho Garcia 30 Goodyear, Arizona, USA Maintenance Troop, Regimental Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment One of two soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their position with indirect fire in Babil province, Iraq, on April 2, 2011
Sgt.Jorge Antonio Scatliffe 32 St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, None Company E, 27th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Died in a non-combat related incident at Mosul, Iraq, on April 3, 2011
Maj.Wesley James Hinkley 36 Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA 24th Financial Management Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division Died as a result of a non-combat related incident in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 4, 2011
Spc.Gary Lee Nelson III 20 Woodstock, Georgia, USA C Troop, 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Mosul, Iraq, on April 5, 2011
Sgt.Vorasack Thomas Xaysana 30 Westminster, Colorado, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Died on April 10, 2011, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident in Kirkuk, Iraq, on April 10, 2011
Petty Officer 3rd ClassMicah Aaron Hill 27 Ralston, Nebraska, USA Assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise Hill was found deceased aboard the USS Enterprise while the aircraft carrier was conducting operations in the Arabian Gulf on April 19, 2011
1st Lt.Omar Justine Vazquez 25 Hamilton, New Jersey, USA F Troop, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Kut, Iraq, on April 22, 2011
Pfc.Antonio G. Stiggins 25 Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA F Troop, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Kut, Iraq, on April 22, 2011
Spc.Andrew E. Lara 25 Albany, Oregon, USA Company F, 145th Brigade Support Battalion, attached to the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, Oregon Army National Guard Died of a noncombat related incident, in Babil province, Iraq, on April 27, 2011
Pfc. Robert M. Friese 21 Chesterfield, Mich., 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas Died in Al Qadisiyah province, Iraq, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with a rocket propelled grenade. April 29, 2011
POW/MIA: Afghanistan & Iraq
Two U.S. soldiers are currently listed as captured or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown as of December 1, 2009. The information below reflects the name, an unknown, officially listed as Prisoners of War or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown by the Pentagon.
Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie 41 Army reservist assigned Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad Ann Arbor, Michigan On October 23, 2006, Altaie was categorized as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown when he allegedly was kidnapped while on his way to visit family in Baghdad, Iraq. The Pentagon changed his status to missing-captured on December 11.
Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl 23 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Ketchum, Idaho Captured in Paktika province in Afghanistan, on June 30, 2009. The Pentagon declared him Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown on July 1 and his status was changed to Missing-Captured on July 3.
Afghanistan - Pakistan!!
There have been 2,441 coalition deaths -- 1,566 Americans, 23 Australians, 364 Britons, 1 Belgian, 155 Canadians, 3 Czech, 40 Denmark, 25 Netherlands, 5 NATO, 8 Estonians, 2 Finn, 55 French, 49 Germans, 4 Hungarian, 36 Italians, 1 Jordan, 3 Latvian, 1 Lithuanian, 10 Norwegians, 26 Poles, 2 Portuguese, 17 Romanians, 1 South Korean, 30 Spaniards, 5 Swedes, 2 Turks, 2 New Zealand, 1 Jordanian, 7 Georgian and three NATO/ISAF -- in the war on terror as of May 2 2011, according to a CNN and iCasulties count. Below are the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The troops died in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or were part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. At least 11,110 {10,749 up to last month} U.S. personnel have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. In addition to the military deaths, 11 U.S. intelligence operatives have died in Afghanistan.
Lt. Col.Siri Skare 52 Oslo, Norway Norwegian Air Force officer working as a military adviser to the United Nations. Skare, the first female military pilot in the Norwegian Air Force, was killed during an attack on a United Nations office in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, on April 1, 2011. The attack followed a demonstration against the reported burning of a Quran by a Florida pastor in March 2011.
1st Lt.Robert Forrest Welch III 26 Denton, Texas, USA Company B, 201st Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked Forward Operating Base Salerno with indirect fire in Khost province, Afghanistan, on April 3, 2011
Chief Warrant OfficerBartosz Spychala 39 Lubliniec, Poland 1 Pulku Specjalnym Komandosow (1st Special Commando Regiment) Died in a non-combat related incident in Ghanzi, Afghanistan, on April 3, 2011
Lance Cpl.Harry Lew 21 Santa Clara, California, USA 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 3, 2011
Staff Sgt.Michael Scott Lammerts 26 Tonawanda, New York, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery Regiment, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team One of two soldiers killed when an individual in an Afghan Border Police uniform opened fire on them in an Afghan Border Police compound in Meymaneh, Faryab province, Afghanistan, on April 4, 2011
Staff Sgt.Scott Hamilton Burgess 32 Franklin, Texas, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery Regiment, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team One of two soldiers killed when an individual in an Afghan Border Police uniform opened fire on them in an Afghan Border Police compound in Meymaneh, Faryab province, Afghanistan, on April 4, 2011
Staff Sgt.Jeremy Daniel Smith 26 Arlington, Texas, USA 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve Killed along with a Navy corpsman in a friendly fire incident, possibly by a missile fired from a U.S. military drone, during a dismounted patrol northeast of Patrol Base Alcatraz in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 6, 2011
SeamanBenjamin David Rast 23 Niles, Michigan, USA Navy corpsman assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve Killed along with a Marine in a friendly fire incident, possibly by a missile fired from a U.S. military drone, during a dismounted patrol northeast of Patrol Base Alcatraz in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 6, 2011
Sgt.Keith Thomas Buzinski 26 Daytona Beach, Florida, USA Company B, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire near Forward Operating Base Shank, located close to Pul-i-Alam in Logar province, Afghanistan, on April 7, 2011
Staff Sgt.Jason Aaron Rogers 28 Brandon, Mississippi, USA 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 7, 2011
Staff Sgt.Jose Manuel Caraballo Pietri 32 Yauco, Puerto Rico, None Battery C, 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery Regiment, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire in the Ghormach district of Badghis province, Afghanistan, on April 10, 2011
Pfc.Brandon Thomas Pickering 21 Fort Thomas, Kentucky, USA Company C, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died on April 10, 2011, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire and a rocket-propelled grenade in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on April 8 2011
Sgt.Brent Matthew Maher 31 Council Bluffs, Iowa, USA Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa Army National Guard Killed when the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle in which he was the gunner was struck by a roadside bomb during a mounted patrol in Paktia province, Afghanistan, on April 11, 2011
Spc.Donald Lee Nichols 21 Shell Rock, Iowa, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa Army National Guard Died of wounds suffered when his Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected All-Terrain Vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the Mehtar Lam district of Laghman province, Afghanistan, on April 13, 2011
Spc.Joseph Alan Kennedy 25 St. Paul, Minnesota, USA Company D, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire in Sini, Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on April 15, 2011
Spc.Joseph Brian Cemper 21 Warrensburg, Missouri, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division One of five soldiers killed in a suicide attack by an Afghan National Army soldier at Forward Operating Base Gamberi in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on April 16, 2011
Sgt. 1st ClassCharles Lewis Adkins 36 Sandusky, Ohio, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division One of five soldiers killed in a suicide attack by an Afghan National Army soldier at Forward Operating Base Gamberi in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on April 16, 2011
Cpl.Charles Jeffrey Wren 25 Beeville, Texas, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of three soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Ahmad Khan, Nimroz province, Afghanistan, on April 16, 2011
Spc.Joel Alvarez Ramirez 22 Waxahachie, Texas, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of three soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Ahmad Khan, Nimroz province, Afghanistan, on April 16, 2011
Capt.Charles Edward Ridgley Jr. 40 Baltimore, Maryland, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade One of five soldiers killed in a suicide attack by an Afghan National Army soldier at Forward Operating Base Gamberi in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on April 16, 2011
Sgt.Linda Lamour Pierre 28 Immokalee, Florida, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division One of five soldiers killed in a suicide attack by an Afghan National Army soldier at Forward Operating Base Gamberi in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on April 16, 2011
Sgt.Paul Jed Atim 27 Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of three soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Ahmad Khan, Nimroz province, Afghanistan, on April 16, 2011
Staff Sgt.Cynthia Renea Taylor 39 Columbus, Georgia, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division One of five soldiers killed in a suicide attack by an Afghan National Army soldier at Forward Operating Base Gamberi in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on April 16, 2011
Sgt.Sonny Jade Moses 22 Koror, Palau Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division Moses died on April 18, 2011, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered in a suicide attack by an Afghan National Army soldier at Forward Operating Base Gamberi in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on April 16, 2011. Five other soldiers were killed in the attack.
Pfc.John Francis Kihm 19 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Company B, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died as a result of a non-battle related injury in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on April 19, 2011
Capt.Lisa Jade Head 29 Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England 321 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Squadron, 11 EOD Regiment Died on April 19, 2011, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, of wounds received when a roadside bomd detonated as she was attempting to defuse it in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on March 27, 2011
Cpl.Alexandre Riviere 23 Sainte-Marie, France 2e Regiment d’Infanterie de Marine (2nd Marine Infantry Regiment) Killed when his armored vehicle struck a roadside bomb near the village of Payendakhel in Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on April 20, 2011
Sgt.John Paul Castro 25 Andrews, Texas, USA Company D, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Died of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by insurgents with small-arms fire in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on April 22, 2011
Capt.Joshua M. McClimans 30 Akron, Ohio, USA 848th Forward Surgical Team, Army Reserve Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with indirect fire at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost province, Afghanistan, on April 22, 2011
Sgt.Sean T. Callahan 23 Warrenton, Virginia, USA 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force One of two Marines killed while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 23, 2011
Staff Sgt.James Alan Justice 32 Grimes, Iowa, USA A Troop, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa Army National Guard Killed when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire during rescue operations of a U.S. Army OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter crew who were injured when their aircraft made a hard landing in the Alah Say district of Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on April 23, 2011
Sgt. 1st ClassBenjamin Franklin Bitner 37 Greencastle, Pennsylvania, USA Company C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a roadside bomb while on patrol in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on April 23, 2011
Chief Warrant OfficerTerry L. Varnadore II 29 Hendersonville, North Carolina, USA 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division Died of wounds suffered when his helicopter went down due to an undetermined cause in the Alah Say district of Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on April 23, 2011
Lance Cpl.Dominic J. Ciaramitaro 19 South Lyon, Michigan, USA 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force One of two Marines killed while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 23, 2011
Sgt.David P. Day 26 Gaylord, Michigan, USA 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment Died of wounds received in a roadside bomb attack during combat operations in Badghis province, Afghanistan, on April 24, 2011
Sgt. 1st ClassBradley S. Hughes 41 Newark, Ohio, USA 528th Sustainment Brigade Died of a non-combat incident in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on April 24, 2011
Lance Cpl.Joe M. Jackson 22 White Swan, Washington, USA 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 24, 2011
Maj.David L. Brodeur 34 Auburn, Massachusetts, USA 11th Air Force, deployed as an advisor to the Afghan Command and Control Center under NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan One of eight airmen killed when a disgruntled Afghan Air Force officer opened fire at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan on April 27, 2011
Maj.Philip D. Ambard 44 Edmonds, Washington, USA U.S. Air Force Academy professor deployed with the 460th Space Communications Squadron One of eight airmen killed when a disgruntled Afghan Air Force officer opened fire at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan on April 27, 2011
Maj.Jeffrey O. Ausborn 41 Gadsden, Alabama, USA 99th Flying Training Squadron, 12th Operations Group, 12th Flying Training Wing, deployed to the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing One of eight airmen killed when a disgruntled Afghan Air Force officer opened fire at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan on April 27, 2011
Master Sgt.Tara R. Brown 33 Deltona, Florida, USA Air Force Office of Special Investigations One of eight airmen killed when a disgruntled Afghan Air Force officer opened fire at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan on April 27, 2011
Maj.Raymond G. Estelle II 40 New Haven, Connecticut, USA Headquarters, Air Combat Command One of eight airmen killed when a disgruntled Afghan Air Force officer opened fire at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan on April 27, 2011
Pfc.Jonathan M. Villanueva 19 Jacksonville, Florida, USA 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms-fire in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on April 27, 2011
Capt.Nathan J. Nylander 35 Hockley, Texas, USA 25th Operational Weather Squadron, 612th Air Operations Group One of eight airmen killed when a disgruntled Afghan Air Force officer opened fire at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan on April 27, 2011
Lt. Col.Frank D. Bryant Jr. 37 Knoxville, Tennessee, USA 56th Operations Group, 56th Fighter Wing One of eight airmen killed when a disgruntled Afghan Air Force officer opened fire at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan on April 27, 2011
Capt.Charles A. Ransom 31 Midlothian, Virginia, USA 83rd Network Operations Squadron, 26th Network Operations Group, 67th Network Warfare Wing One of eight airmen killed when a disgruntled Afghan Air Force officer opened fire at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan on April 27, 2011
Spc.Preston J. Dennis 23 Redding, California, USA 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on April 28, 2011
Sgt.Matthew D. Hermanson 22 Appleton, Wisconsin, USA 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms-fire in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on April 28, 2011
Lance Cpl.Ronald D. Freeman 25 Plant City, Florida, USA 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on April 28, 2011
VA’s Partnership with U.S. Paralympics Expands with New Rule
WASHINGTON – April 1, 2011 - Some Veterans in training for the Paralympics will be able to qualify for a monthly subsistence allowance from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), under a new program to help disabled Veterans more easily take part in competitive sports. { continued}
PTSD - TBI - Military and Veterans Suicides
VA PTSD Program Locator
Department of Defense "Restoring Hope": You Can Help Save A Life
The Rand Study on Military Children: Children on the Homefront: The Experiences of Children from Military Families
Army Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, Suicide Prevention Report 2010
April 15, 2011 - Army Released March Suicide Data
The Military OneSource toll-free number for those residing in the continental United States is 1-800-342-9647. Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource Web site for dialing instructions for their specific location
The Defense Center for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Council.
The Army's comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Programs.
Suicide prevention training resources for Army families {requires Army Knowledge Online access to download materials} .
National Center for PTSD: Understanding PTSD Treatment
REACH Program Improves Quality of Life for Caregivers and Veterans
Total Costs of Wars since 2001, the rolling tabulation, over $1,188,581,823,561+++++ and continually counting!
CNN-Iraq and Afghanistan War Casulties
In Remembrance - Moving Tributes
Civilian Casulties
Recording Casualties: Victims of Armed Conflict Worldwide
This programme draws on the principles of human security to develop and enhance the technical and institutional capacity, identify and consolidate the legal requirements, and build the political will to record details of every single victim of armed conflict worldwide. The programme incorporates research into emerging good practice and existing legal frameworks, the development and promotion of clearer legal and more effective regulatory instruments, and the creation and support of advocacy networks.
Fresh effort to trace missing persons
27 April 2011 (IRIN) - The government has set up a committee to trace thousands of Iraqis missing since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, says an official.
“Our definition of missing people are those who disappeared in military operations, terrorist attacks or those who are reported kidnapped but have not appeared yet,” Maj. Farouk Al-Araji, office manager of the Chief Commander of Iraq’s Military Command, told a news conference in Baghdad on 25 April. { continued}
Exact Count of Civilian Casulties may never be known, as is the case in every conflict, especially an Invasion by another Country. For it is the Innocent Civilians and those Defending their Countries,of which All would be counted if this country, the U.S., were ever invaded, who suffer the most, during and long after!
Every Casualty.org: New Org Website Launched On Casualty Recording
UNHCR - Refugees and more, Afghanistan and Iraq
Iraq Refugees UNHCR - Iraq: UNHCR Global Appeal 2008-2009 - Iraq Situation
Afghanistan Refugees UNHCR - Afghanistan UNHCR Global Appeal 2008-2009 - Afghanistan Situation
Refugee's: 27.5 million From Violence 2010
CIVIC: Working for Civilian Victims, Annual Report 2010
All the Deaths, Maimings and Destruction are the Blood on All Our Hands, No One can Escape that Guilt!
97 percent {now more} of U.S. deaths in Iraq have occurred after George W. Bush declared an end to "major combat."
"Mission Accomplished!"
"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is," - George W. Bush, Texas Gov., 1999
The Rand Corporation Terrorism Report the press release here, you can get the full document here or a summary of the research brief here
"What is the difference between an al Qaida terrorist and a misguided American terrorist?" "The planes they fly!"
In fairness, we’ve been putting ground zeros next to mosques in Iraq since 2003 - Unknown Author Comment
"How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me -- unless you don't count American soldiers as Americans."
How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq
Matthew Alexander who is writing under a pseudonym for security reasons
"Torture is the tool of the lazy, the stupid, and the pseudo-tough. It's also perhaps the greatest recruiting tool that the terrorists have."
Major General Paul Eaton
Done "In Our Names"!
Still Coming Home, Our Brothers of WWII, Korea and Vietnam - Rest in Peace, You're Finally Home
Soldier Missing from Korean War Identified
April 12, 2011 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Cpl. John W. Lutz, 21, of Kearny, N.J., will be buried tomorrow at Arlington National Cemetery. From May 16-20, 1951, Task Force Zebra, a multinational force made up of Dutch, French, and U.S. forces, was attacked and isolated into smaller units. Lutz, of the 1st Ranger Infantry Company, part of Task Force Zebra, went missing while his unit was attempting to infiltrate enemy lines near Chaun-ni, South Korea, along the Hongcheon River Valley. { continued}
Missing WWII Airman Identified
April 20, 2011 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
U.S. Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. James G. Maynard, of Ellenwood, Ga., will be buried on April 22 at Arlington National Cemetery. On March 12, 1945, Maynard and five crew members aboard a C-47A Skytrain departed Tanauan Airfield on Leyte, Philippines, on a resupply mission to guerilla troops. Once cleared for takeoff, there was no further communication between the aircrew and airfield operators. When the aircraft failed to return, a thorough search of an area ten miles on either side of the intended route was initiated. No evidence of the aircraft was found and the six men were presumed killed in action. Their remains were determined to be non-recoverable in 1949. { continued}
Missing WWII Airman Identified
April 22, 2011 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
U.S. Army Air Forces Pfc. Mervyn E. Sims, 23, of Petaluma, Calif., will be buried Friday in his hometown. On April 24, 1943, Sims and four crew members aboard a C-87 Liberator Express departed from Yangkai, China, in support of “the Hump” resupply mission between India and China. Prior to takeoff, a ground crew determined the aircraft had sufficient fuel for the six-hour flight to the air base on other side of the Himalayas in Chabua, India. Once cleared for takeoff, there was no further communication between the aircrew and airfield operators. Army officials launched a search effort when the plane did not arrive at the destination. No evidence of the aircraft was found and the five men were presumed killed in action. { continued}
110th and 111th Congress put policy before politics, from the House Veterans Affairs Committee leadership
Attached are comprehensive materials to discuss accomplishments for America’s veterans. The two page document is limited to accomplishments from the 111th Congress, while the 4 and 8 page documents cover updates from 2007-2010.
2 page Document {251K}
Four page Document {258K}
8 page Document {95K}
HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military and Coalition Forces Killed in Action, Iraq & Afghanistan/Pakistan from 2003 to April 2011 - My Honor Rolls, and more, to Share
National World War II Memorial
National Korean War Memorial
National Vietnam Veterans Memorial - The Wall
The Vietnam Women’s Memorial
Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries
Arlington National Cemetery