DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 156-10 February 26, 2010
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. William C. Spencer, 40, of Tacoma, Wash., died Feb. 25th at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained Feb. 20th while supporting combat operations at Combat Outpost Marez, Iraq. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, Olympia, Wash.
For more information, media may contact the Washington National Guard public affairs office at 253-512-8481.


No. 155-10 February 26, 2010
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Daniel T. O'Leary, 23, of Youngsville, N.C., died Feb. 23rd in Fallujah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 307th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
For more information, media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at 910-432-0661, or 910-432-0662.

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U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

Photo for the Day - February 25, 2010

* Photo for the Day * U.S. Marines, bottom, with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment talk with a British soldier near Marjah, Afghanistan, Feb. 21, 2010. U.S. and British military forces are working together to clear Marjah of Taliban forces.
DoD photo by Cpl. Albert F. Hunt, U.S. Marine Corps

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 150-10 February 25, 2010
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Marcos Gorra, 22, of North Bergen, N.J., died Feb. 21st at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
For more information the media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at 910- 432-0661, or 910-432-0662.

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U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

On Ground Updates: Afghanistan/Pakistan - February 24, 2010

On Ground Updates

Afghanistan/Pakistan
Petraeus: New Afghan campaign will be tough
Originally posted Feb. 22, 2010
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Army 2nd Lt. Jesse Underwood engages enemy forces during Operation Moshtarak in Badula Qulp, Afghanistan
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With U.S. forces entering the second week of a 12- to 18-month campaign in Afghanistan, the general in charge of U.S. forces in the region acknowledged yesterday that the way ahead will be tough.
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“I have repeatedly said that these types of efforts are hard, and they’re hard all the time,” Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
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Likening operations in Afghanistan to the surge in Iraq, the general pointed out that when U.S. forces go on the offensive to take away Taliban safe havens, they will see definite resistance.
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Petraeus said the past year has been spent putting things in place for a “comprehensive civil military campaign,” putting in the best leaders, helping to develop concepts, giving counterinsurgency guidance and starting to filter an additional 30,000 forces into the country.
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“So the inputs we think now are about right, and now we’re starting to see the first of the output, and the Marja operation is the initial salvo, the initial operation in that overall campaign,” he said.
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Early results have included taking down high-value targets, such as Taliban shadow governors, Petraeus said.
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“We are there for a very, very important reason and we can’t forget that,” Petraeus emphasized. “We are in Afghanistan to ensure that it cannot once again be a sanctuary for the kind of attacks that were carried out on 9/11, which were planned initially in Kandahar, first training done in eastern Afghanistan before the attackers moved to Hamburg and then on to U.S. flight schools.”
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When asked if al-Qaida still poses a threat to the United States, Petraeus pointed out that the terrorist organization is a “flexible, adaptable” enemy whose threat, although diminished within the 20 countries making up the Central Command area, is one that requires constant vigilance.
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“It is a network, and it takes a network to keep the pressure on a network, and that is, indeed, what we are endeavoring to do,” Petraeus said.
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Although he wouldn’t get into the details on the intelligence operations surrounding the recent capture of Afghanistan’s No. 2 Taliban commander, Abdul Baradar, Petraeus said Pakistan leaders have done “very impressive” work over the past several months leading up to this event.
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“They saw this as the most pressing existential threat to their country, and they supported the Pakistan army and frontier corps as it went into Swat in the Malikan division of the northwest frontier province, and then expanded this operation in to the federally administered tribal areas,” Petraeus said. “They know they can’t just clear and leave. They have to clear, hold, build and, over time, transition to the local security forces. That’s indeed, what they are endeavoring to do. They are carrying out this fight.”
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On the topic of potentially revising the law that prohibits homosexuals from serving openly in the military, Petraeus said he’s sure there’s a very sound and good process at work on that issue.
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During Feb. 2 testimony before the Senate, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced the creation of a review to be headed by Army Gen. Carter F. Ham and the Defense Department’s general counsel, Jeh C. Johnson.
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“It will provide a rigorous analysis of the views of the force on the possible change,” Petraeus said. “It will suggest the policies that could be used to implement a change, if it does come to that, so that it could be as uneventful as it was, say, in the U.K. or the Israeli militaries or, indeed, in our own CIA and FBI.”
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The general said that he’ll be ready to provide his input on the topic when he testifies before Congress with other combatant commanders in a few weeks.
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“I think that it’s very important that these issues be handled and discussed and addressed by this review that will be so important in forming decisions as we move forward,” Petraeus said. “I think it is hugely important that we have the answers from the questions that they’ll be asking in a very methodical way – something we’ve not done before because of the emotion and the sensitivity of this issue.”

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Taken from news article on CENTCOM website - Written by Carmen L. Gleason, American Forces Press Service
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AubreyJ............

Photo for the Day - February 24, 2009

* Photo for the Day * Afghan Firefight
Pvt. John Stafinski fires his M249 SAW at insurgents in Kunar province. Stafinski, a native of Seville, Ohio, and his unit engaged in a three-hour gun battle with insurgent fighters in Kunar's Waterpur Valley, on November 3rd of last year. Stafinski is an infantryman with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, based out of Fort Carson, Colo.
Photo from CENTCOM

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 146-10 February 23, 2010
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Feb. 21st in Qayyarah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when their OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter had a hard landing. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 230th Cavalry Regiment, Louisville, Tenn.

Killed were:
Capt. Marcus R. Alford, 28, of Knoxville, Tenn
Chief Warrant Officer Billie J. Grinder, 25, of Gallatin, Tenn

For more information, the media may contact the Tennessee National Guard public affairs office at 615-313-0662.


No. 145-10 February 23, 2010
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pfc. JR Salvacion, 27, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, died Feb. 21st at Senjaray, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
For more information media may contact the Fort Carson public affairs office at 719- 526-7525; after hours 719-526-5500.

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U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

DoD Identifies Marine Casualties

No. 142-10 February 23, 2010
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Eric L. Ward, 19, of Redmond, Wash., died Feb. 21st while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office a to 910-451-7200. For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at 910-451-7200.


No. 141-10 February 23, 2010 February 23, 2010
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Matthias N. Hanson, 20, of Buffalo, Ky., died Feb. 21st while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at 910-451-7200.

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U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

Taking a Moment to Honor our Fallen Heroes

Today... I would like to

Take a Moment to Honor our Fallen HeroesSince that tragic day on 9-11-2001… many of our bravest have given their all while fighting for this great country of ours. Please take a moment to thank them, in your own way, for all they have done and were willing to do for you -- me and this great country of ours. May God bless each and every one of these fallen Heroes, all of those who have been wounded, all of their families, friends, loved ones and their comrades in arms who were at their side.
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Never forget those that protect us -- Each and every day...

Here at home and overseas.
AubreyJ.........

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Note: Many have gave their all in Afghanistn these last few days... Please take time to read their names above/below this post...