Good evening, dear ones. Will you please join me and the IGTNT team tonight as we honor two Americans who died on foreign soil?
Senior Airman Michael J. Hinkle II of Corona, California, who died on March 16th due to a non-combat related incident in Southwest Asia. The cause of his death has not been determined, and is under investigation.
Staff Sgt. Travis M. Tompkins of Lawton, Oklahoma, who died on March 16 in the Logar province in Afghanistan of injuries sustained on March 15th when enemy forces attacked his unit with a rocket propelled grenade. Sgt. Tompkins was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant on March 18th.
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.
Senior Airman Michael J. Hinkle II
I am sorry that I found so little to share with you about 24-year-old Michael Hinkle. The RAPID CITY JOURNAL wrote that Sr. Airman Hinkle was a cyber transport systems journeyman who enlisted in the Air Force in December 2005 and arrived at Ellsworth in November 2008. Sr. Airman Hinkle was assigned to the 86th Air Expeditionary Wing, 28th Communications Squadron out of Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. The Air Force Times reports that this particular Wing "is widely known to operate out of Ali al Salem Air Base in Kuwait."
An Air Force carry team gently moves a transfer case containing the remains of Senior Airman Michael J. Hinkle II on March 17 at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. Photo Credits: Steve Ruark / The Associated Press
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of our fellow airman," Base commander Col. Jeffrey Taliaferro told The Journal. "Mike will be missed by all of us, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time."
The magnificent Patriot Guard Riders have Sr. Airman Hinkle on their Watch List, where members are leaving messages of love and support for the Hinkle family.
Our hearts are with all who knew and love Michael J. Hinkle. Please know that we stand beside you at this terrible time of loss.
Staff Sgt. Travis M. Tompkins
The official Fort Sill website reports that 31-year-old Staff Sgt. Travis M. Tompkins was a military policeman with the Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Polk, Louisiana. SSgt. Tompkins joined the U.S. Army in January 2000. He arrived at Fort Polk in June 2009, and deployed with his unit to Afghanistan in October 2010. His previous duty stations include Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Fort Carson, CO; Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum in the Netherlands, and currently, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. SSgt. Tompkins was previously deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2001.
SSgt. Tompkins father, Mr. Leland Tompkins, wrote on his Facebook page, "I am numb, as hours ago we got word our wonderful son, Travis, was killed in action on his first mission upon returning from leave here with his wife and family. I am glad to hear that no others of his platoon died with him. Thank you for all thoughts, and those that knew Trav, remember the good times."
Mr. Tompkins served 21 years in the military.
Transfer cases containing the remains of Senior Airman Michael J. Hinkle II, left, and Army Sgt. Travis M. Martin, sit on a loader during a prayer ceremony on Thursday, March 17, 2011 at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. Photo Credit: Steve Ruark/The Associated Press
The magnificent Patriot Guard Riders have SSgt. Tompkins as a Confirmed Mission. SSgt. Tompkins will be flown from Dover AFB to Henry Post air field at Ft. Sill on either the 21st or 22nd of next week. Details on his services are still pending. The Riders have posted beautiful messages of love and support for the Tompkins family to their forum.
Travis Tompkins is survived by his wife, their two children, and his parents, Leland and Vickie Tompkins, of Lawton, OK.
Our hearts are with all who knew and loved Travis Tompkins. Please know that we stand beside you at this terrible time of loss.
Our lovely forget-me-nots were a gift to the IGTNT team from dear llbear.
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 and Afghanistan.
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, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, JaxDem, and racheltracks.
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