XDA

This is a little late, again. Sorry. I'll combine September and October in one posting.

According to Department of Defense releases for the month of September: Despite an upturn in the number of terrorist bombings of Iraqi civilians and police, the serious fighting, and other military things we are involved in, continue to wind down in Iraq, three months after our withdrawal from Iraqi cities. We had just 10 deaths in Iraq, only 4 of which were from any sort of combat, specifically the IED. In Afghanistan, it looks like we're fighting a real war, although, as in Iraq years ago, the queen of the insurgent battlefield remains the IED.

Here is further breakdown. In Iraq, four were killed by IEDs, two died in an automobile accident; and four died from non combat causes.

In Afghanistan, 20 died from IEDs (less than in August), one from non-combat causes, four died from small arms, eleven in combat operations, and four were killed in accidents. One died from indirect fire. The total in Afghanistan was 41, about a dozen less than the number from last month, and all but five were combat related. The total during August for the wars being waged against us is 51, less than two a day.

No soldiers with womanly names were killed. It was yet another deadly month for officers, particularly Lieutenants. These dead were: Captain Joshua Meadows, 30, of Bastrop, TX, killed in combat operations in Afghanistan; 2nd Lt. Darryn Andrews, 34, of Dallas, TX, killed by an IED in Afghanistan; 1st Lt. Joseph Helton, 24, o Monroe, GA, killed by an IED in Afghanistan; 1st Lt. Michael Johnson, 25, of Virginia Beach, VA, killed by small arms in Afghanistan; and, 1st Lt. David Wright, 26, of Moore, OK, killed by and IED in Afghanistan.

According to Department of Defense releases for the month of October: In Iraq three were killed in accidents and four died from non combat causes. The total, seven, is remarkable for the lack of any combat, or even IED caused, deaths. For over 100,000 soldiers, etc. in a foreign land, that's very low and indicative of near zero rates of combat involvement.

It's a different and sadder story in Afghanistan, where last month 56 soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen died. Here is the breakdown: Twenty three died from IEDs, just a few more than in September. Unlucky thirteen died from small arms attacks and another eight died during combat operations, generally in Helmand province. Only two died from non combat causes and seven from accidents (that figure seems a mistake as there were to separate helicopter crashes supported and these seven were from just one). One died from indirect fire and two were killed by a suicide bomber.

The total for both fronts in the global war against Muslim extremists for October was 63, just a bit over two a day.

One woman was killed Sgt. Eduviges Wolf, 24, of Hawthorne, CA, killed by small arms fire in Afghanistan. The officers included: Capt. Benjamin Sklaver, 32, Medford, MA, killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan; Capt. Eric Jones, 29, of Westchester, NY, killed in combat operations in Afghanistan; Maj. Tad Hervas, 48, of Coon Rapids, Minn., killed from a non combat cause in Iraq; Capt. David Mitchell, 30, of Loveland, CO, killed in combat operations in Afghanistan; Capt. Kyle Van De Glesen, 29, of N. Attleboro, MA, killed in combat operations in Afghanistan; Maj. David Audo, 35, of St. Joseph, IL, killed from a non combat cause in Iraq; Chief Warrant Officer Michael Montgomery, 30, of Savannah, GA, killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan; and, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, WA, killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

Our thoughts and prayers go to the families and loved ones of these fallen warriors, and all our hopes for their continued success goes to our men and women, mainly men, fighting overseas.

Labels: American War Dead in Iraq and Afghanistan