Monday, October 06, 2008
Report on the American War Dead in Afghanistan and Iraq
The news is still interesting rather than good. A total of 52 American servicemen died in Iraq and Afghanistan last month, split equally between those two countries, according to Department of Defense news releases. 26 died in Afghanistan and 26 died in Iraq, the same as in July and September. It seems I skipped this monthly blog post in August. Here are the further breakdowns.
In Iraq, only four servicemen died from IEDs. That's very low. Either we have made a breakthrough in IED detection or we really have won in Iraq, in that the enemy has abandoned its former primary weapon. Kind of good news at least for me. Five were killed by small arms and none in combat operations. That doesn't indicate much toe to toe combat. Eight died from non combat or non hostile causes--one from an illness. Nine died in accidents, seven in a single helicopter crash about which cause I have learned nothing.
In Afghanistan, 14 were killed by IEDs (way up) and five were killed in combat operations. Six were killed by small arms, and one died from non combat causes No one with a feminine first name was killed. It was a rough month for officers, however; they were about a third of the total.
The officers lost were: Capt. Jesse Melton III, 29, Randallstown, MD (Combat operations in Afghanistan); 1st Lt. Nicholas Madrazo, 25, Bothell, WA. (Combat operations in Afghanistan); Lt. Col. Ralph Marino, 46, Houston, PA (Non-combat cause in Iraq); Capt. Darrick Wright, 37, Nashville, TN (Non-combat cause in Iraq); Lt. Col. James Wiley, 46 North Bend, OR (Non-combat cause in Afghanistan); 1st Lt. Robert Vallejo II, 28, Richland Hills, TX (Accident in Iraq); Maj. Rodolfo Rodriguez, 34, El Paso, TX (IED in Afghanistan): 1st Lt. Nohsin A. Naqui, 26, Newburgh, NY (IED in Afghanistan); Capt. Bruce Hays, 42, Cheyenne, WY (Small Arms in Iraq); Capt. Bruno Desolenni, 32, Crescent City, CA (IED in Afghanistan); Col. Sidney Marceaux, Jr. 69, Beaumont, TX (Non-combat cause, Iraq); 1st Lt. Thomas Brown, 26, Burke, VA (Small Arms in Iraq); Capt. Mchael Medders, 25, Ohio (IED-suicide vest--in Iraq); and, Capt. Richard Cliff, Jr. 29, Mt. Pleasant, SC (IED in Afghanistan).
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all our brave warriors and their families.
In Iraq, only four servicemen died from IEDs. That's very low. Either we have made a breakthrough in IED detection or we really have won in Iraq, in that the enemy has abandoned its former primary weapon. Kind of good news at least for me. Five were killed by small arms and none in combat operations. That doesn't indicate much toe to toe combat. Eight died from non combat or non hostile causes--one from an illness. Nine died in accidents, seven in a single helicopter crash about which cause I have learned nothing.
In Afghanistan, 14 were killed by IEDs (way up) and five were killed in combat operations. Six were killed by small arms, and one died from non combat causes No one with a feminine first name was killed. It was a rough month for officers, however; they were about a third of the total.
The officers lost were: Capt. Jesse Melton III, 29, Randallstown, MD (Combat operations in Afghanistan); 1st Lt. Nicholas Madrazo, 25, Bothell, WA. (Combat operations in Afghanistan); Lt. Col. Ralph Marino, 46, Houston, PA (Non-combat cause in Iraq); Capt. Darrick Wright, 37, Nashville, TN (Non-combat cause in Iraq); Lt. Col. James Wiley, 46 North Bend, OR (Non-combat cause in Afghanistan); 1st Lt. Robert Vallejo II, 28, Richland Hills, TX (Accident in Iraq); Maj. Rodolfo Rodriguez, 34, El Paso, TX (IED in Afghanistan): 1st Lt. Nohsin A. Naqui, 26, Newburgh, NY (IED in Afghanistan); Capt. Bruce Hays, 42, Cheyenne, WY (Small Arms in Iraq); Capt. Bruno Desolenni, 32, Crescent City, CA (IED in Afghanistan); Col. Sidney Marceaux, Jr. 69, Beaumont, TX (Non-combat cause, Iraq); 1st Lt. Thomas Brown, 26, Burke, VA (Small Arms in Iraq); Capt. Mchael Medders, 25, Ohio (IED-suicide vest--in Iraq); and, Capt. Richard Cliff, Jr. 29, Mt. Pleasant, SC (IED in Afghanistan).
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all our brave warriors and their families.
Labels: American War Dead in Iraq and Afghanistan
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 11:54 AM 
