Hard Promises

Image courtesy: Capt. Austin Luher

In one of the most dangerous areas of the world, a group of American soldiers kicked around a soccer ball with Afghan children caught in the iron grip of terrorism. The war in Afghanistan didn't pause on June 20 in Kandahar, but for a few special minutes, grown men and growing kids got a fleeting glimpse at what could be.

“It’s the little things, like this soccer game, that will go a long way in helping improve relations and ultimately the safety of U.S. soldiers and people of Afghanistan,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Hanna, escort platoon sergeant. “I just hope that we can do things like this again in the near future.”

Many U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq have children of their own. Some, like Capt. Joshua McClimans, promise their kids that despite so much time apart, they will soon be together again. These must be the hardest promises to make, as the small, but very real possibility of being killed in action undoubtedly has a permanent spot in the back of a deployed warrior's mind.

Since June 23, the Department of Defense has released the names of 17 American troops killed in combat.

Afghanistan:

Pfc. Joshua Jetton, 21, Sebring, Florida
Spc. Levi Nuncio, 24, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Cpl. Gurpreet Singh, 21, Antelope, California
Spc. Nicholas Hensley, 28, Prattville, Alabama
Sgt. Marlon Myrie, 25, Oakland Park, Florida
Gunnery Sgt. Ralph Pate Jr., 29, Mullins, South Carolina
Tech. Sgt. Daniel Douville, 33, Harvey, Louisiana
Spc. Kevin Hilaman, 28, Albany, California
1st Lt. Dimitri Del Castillo, 24, Tampa, Florida
Staff Sgt. Nigel Kelly, 26, Menifee, California
Cpl. Michael Nolen, 22, Spring Valley, Wisconsin
Lance Cpl. John Farias, 20, New Braunfels, Texas
Staff Sgt. Donald Stacy, 23, Avondale, Arizona
Lance Cpl. Mark Goyet, 22, Sinton, Texas
Spc. Nicholas Bernier, 21, East Kingston, New Hampshire

Iraq:

Staff Sgt. Russell Proctor, 25, Oroville, California
Pfc. Dylan Johnson, 20, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Several of these departed warriors had children, who are now forced to grow up without being able to have a catch or kick the soccer ball around with their dads. Tragically, the fallen service members without children never got the chance to become great dads. In communities around the nation, from Harrisonburg, Virginia, to Antelope, California, all of these brave men will be deeply and dearly missed.

Back in Kandahar, soldiers of Assassin Company wrapped up a fun soccer game with kids who aren't accustomed to feeling safe. While these soldiers can't promise that these kids will always be protected, as war zones are filled with danger and unpredictability, I don't think anyone is risking more than our troops to keep the children of Afghanistan and Iraq safe.

Tragically punctuated by the combat deaths of 17 more American heroes, Afghanistan and Iraq are still perilous places filled with violence, tragedy, and fear. Someday, thanks to our brave men and women in uniform, they could be filled with children playing soccer in the streets.

Image courtesy: Staff Sgt. Joe Armas


Note: This post was updated at 11:45 a.m. EDT on June 30 to reflect new casualty information released by the Department of Defense.

The Fourth Day

Image courtesy: Crystal Tumey

As he boarded a helicopter in a volatile war zone, Spc. Cody Tumey sent his mom a heartfelt text message:

"I'm on the bird, takin' off," the young soldier wrote. "I love you. Don't worry."

Not worrying is impossible for this mother, especially as her son battles terrorists in Afghanistan's Paktika province, which has been called one of the most dangerous places in the world for an American. Yet for Crystal Tumey, the instinct to stand behind her son and his fellow troops overrides her worst fears.

"Our whole family tries to be the kind of supporters that Cody needs us to be through this, his first deployment," she said in an e-mail to The Unknown Soldiers.

Spc. Tumey's maternal grandmother, Dee Dover, said the most difficult part of the deployment for her daughter is the frustrating reality of sporadic communication. While the soldier always tries to warn his family when he expects to be out of contact during a mission, the waiting, wondering and worrying would wear on even the strongest military mom.

"She gets very anxious on that third day or fourth day," Dover said. "I tell her it's going to be OK, because every time it's the fourth day, he gets back and he calls."

As Tom Petty once wrote in his ode to the Hoosier State, Cody "grew up tall and (he) grew up right with them Indiana boys on them Indiana nights." While always good-natured, the future soldier struggled at times in high school and, according to his grandma, "bummed around" for about a year after graduation as he pondered life's next step.

"His paternal grandpa pointed him in the direction of the military," Crystal said. "Cody also had a great deal of respect for his maternal great-grandpa. Both of them were veterans, and they clearly had a big impact on him and his decision to join the Army."

As soon as basic training started, everything changed.

"The truth is, the Army has truly brought out the best in Cody," the soldier's mom explained. "Cody has become a young man with purpose, bravery and commitment."

The soldier's forward operating base recently withstood a "direct hit" by enemy fighters, an incident that greatly concerned Spc. Tumey's loved ones. When the soldier's dad, Chuck, asked his son about the attack, Cody had a simple response.

"The attempt happens every day here, Dad," the soldier said, according to his grandma. "It's not something isolated."

As day-to-day combat operations heat up during another volatile summer at war in Afghanistan and Iraq, patriotic Americans are praying for our troops, especially in small rural communities outside Indianapolis.

"We pray during the day, we pray at night, we pray every time we think about him," Dover said. "Cody has prayers beside him, over him and under him."

While faith sustains the soldier's family, the unknown is still terrifying.

"We have absolutely zero control over his safety," Cody's grandma said. "He has a job to do, and he's dependent on other soldiers to do their jobs right, too."

Awarded a leadership medal before he could legally be served a beer, the young specialist was serving with the Army's 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, known as the "Iron Rangers," when he turned 21 years old on June 15.

"I wish we could be together to celebrate this milestone birthday," Crystal wrote on June 14. "But I know that he is where he wants to be right now."

As another dreaded fourth day without hearing from her son approached, the military mom was again comforted by her son's poignant words:

"This was my dream and my choice," Spc. Tumey's text message continued. "If something happens, don't ever forget that."

COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

It Ain't Over

Image courtesy: Staff Sgt. Andrew Guffey

"It ain't over 'til it's over," baseball legend Yogi Berra once said about America's pastime. A ballgame is never over until the final out is recorded.

Today, that famous quote endures as a nation reflects on almost ten years of constant war. When President Obama announces a reduction in current troop levels in Afghanistan on Wednesday night, it is absolutely crucial for Americans to think about what lies ahead for our brave troops and their families. Our nation's post-9/11 struggle against terrorism is not a game, but if it was one, we would not even be close to the ninth inning.

While retiring Osama bin Laden was undoubtedly a key out, our men and women in uniform are being ordered to stay on the field and make sure the opposition can never again round the bases. A recent combat mission conducted by citizen soldiers of the Iowa National Guard in eastern Afghanistan, called "Operation Ruby Ridge," shows us that our military remains fully dedicated to hunting terrorists and seizing weapons that can be used to kill innocent civilians and coalition troops.

After a tragic series of announcements over the past 48 hours, we now know that the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps have lost ten more teammates during this ongoing struggle.

Lance Cpl. Jared Verbeek, 22, Visalia, California
Sgt. James Harvey II, 23, Toms River, New Jersey
Pfc. Josue Ibarra, 21, Midland, Texas
Pfc. Brian Backus, 21, Saginaw Township, Michigan
Sgt. 1st Class Alvin Boatwright, 33, Lodge, South Carolina
Sgt. Edward Dixon III, 37, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri
Sgt. Alan Snyder, 28, Worcester, Massachusetts
Spc. Tyler Kreinz, 21, Beloit, Wisconsin
Spc. Scott Smith, 36, Indianapolis, Indiana
Pfc. Gustavo Rios-Ordonez, 25, Englewood, Ohio

In the run-up to the president's speech, I heard many media talking heads and political pundits opine on how his Afghanistan decision would affect the 2012 presidential election. The overriding focus is not on American service members and their loved ones, but of Washington's endless game of political posturing.

The war in Afghanistan is about the ten names listed above. The war in Afghanistan is about service members on combat patrols in dangerous, unfamiliar places. The war in Afghanistan is about American children on the home front missing their moms and dads, and Afghan children in trapped in the terror of war zones. The war in Afghanistan is about veterans who made it home alive, but lost a part of themselves to the horrors of war. As previously mentioned, war is not a game, and we cannot let politicians or merchants of opinion turn this conflict into one.

Regardless of whether one feels the number of troops set to come home from Afghanistan is too low or too high, we should celebrate the simple fact that military families are being reunited. The road ahead for our returning heroes won't be easy, but instead of figuring things out on a remote forward operating base, they'll be in the arms of their loved ones. For a combat veteran, the journey home does not end at our shores. We must commit ourselves to helping these heroes find their way.

Until President Obama or another commander-in-chief decides it's time for all of our troops in Afghanistan to come home, tens of thousands of American patriots will risk their lives every day in Afghanistan, apart from their families. As rock star Lenny Kravitz wrote in a 1991 song based on Yogi Berra's famous quote, pain is often part of love.

So many tears I've cried
So much pain inside
But baby it ain't over 'til it's over
So many years we've tried
To keep our love alive
But baby it ain't over 'til it's over

For the valiant men and women still in Afghanistan, and those who will deploy there, the years to come will be some of the toughest -- and most consequential -- of their lives. The pain of war is not over, but because of the love these heroes show every day for what our country stands for, it will someday end.

Note: This post was updated at 2:55 p.m. EDT to reflect new casualty information released by the Department of Defense.

The Dogs of War

Images courtesy: Sgt. Jason Cartwright

The temperature hit 110 degrees as Sgt. Jason Cartwright and his specialized search dog hunted for improvised explosive devices buried beneath some of the world's deadliest terrain. During a perilous nine-hour search in the southern Afghanistan heat, the soldier tried to cool down Isaac, a 4-year-old black Labrador he trained to save lives.

With Taliban spotters looking down from mountaintops and radioing back American positions to fellow terrorists, the Army dog handler knew his patrol was a prime target as he and Isaac searched for bombs in a dry waterway, with a platoon depending on them following closely behind. That's when all hell broke loose.

"The gunfire started, and it was just everywhere. You could hear the echoes of it," Cartwright told The Unknown Soldiers. "All you can hear is the sound of automatic machine guns — you can hear the bullets whizzing by your head."

Immediately upon hitting the ground, the 28-year-old soldier, who went through five months of intense training to become a dog handler after returning from Iraq, screamed for Isaac. The dog was searching for IEDs about 35 feet ahead when the chaos erupted.

"I saw bullets hit right in front of him, and he flinched a little bit and hesitated," Cartwright said. "But once the dog was back to me, I told him to stay, very loudly, of course, but he wasn't shaking. He laid down right beside me."

With Isaac safe, his handler frantically shot back before the firefight ended and the brave tandem finished a "hasty search" for IEDs. There were no American casualties in the battle.

Cartwright and Isaac are part of the Engineer Canine Company of the 5th Engineer Battalion, a unique company of valiant soldiers stationed at Missouri's Fort Leonard Wood. Along with their dogs, handlers deploy individually to combat theaters to support units across the military that are deemed to be at high risk of IED attacks.

"It's pretty much just you and your dog," the Alabama native said of deploying overseas. "You go by yourself and you don't know anybody."

While training Isaac was "fun," knowing the risks they would face together in battle heightened the stakes.

"I have no issues going to work every day because I love my job, but when you are deployed, it changes things up a little bit," the soldier explained.

"These are real IEDs — real explosives — and everything else is out of the picture."

Cartwright said he and Isaac found 28 improvised explosive devices during their year together in Afghanistan, saving countless Americans and Afghans from being killed or wounded. Today, one 40-pound homemade bomb, which was wired to a mortar round, sticks out in the sergeant's mind.

"The Taliban (plants) IEDs around schools and hospitals so villagers can't access them," Cartwright said. "There was a school, and we went to check it.

"Within 20 minutes, we get to a bridge, and Isaac lets me know that there is some kind of explosive that he detected," he continued. "I told everyone behind us to stop and get down."

Isaac was closest to the bomb, and the dog's odds of living were probably about 50-50.

"The dangerous part about calling your dog off is that I'm thinking he's going to step on a pressure plate," Cartwright said. "But I called him back to me, took care of him and secured him."

A heroic explosive ordnance disposal team was called to the area and subsequently disabled the device. Without this soldier and his dog, though, they never would have known where to look.

"You have guys coming up to you and patting you on the back and wanting to play with Isaac," Cartwright said. "They are saying, 'We appreciate it, we've lost so many guys from IEDs — you probably saved my life or someone else in my platoon.'

"It's a good feeling."

Seizing the chance to save even more fellow troops from the biggest post-9/11 threat to their safety, Sgt. Jason Cartwright will soon head back to Afghanistan. But he won't be alone.

"I couldn't imagine going back without my dog," he said. "We have a special rapport and special bond; I know I trust that dog, and that dog trusts me."

COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

Outside the Wire

Image courtesy: Senior Airman Tristin English

Many Americans think we are no longer at war. While journalists and politicians largely ignoring Iraq and often downplaying the daily sacrifices in Afghanistan have certainly contributed to this troubling trend, we can all help reverse it by paying closer attention to amazing things happening outside the wire on both war fronts.

A fine article by Senior Master Sgt. Larry Schneck spotlights the hard work of the United States Air Force to secure an important runway in Iraq.

"Airmen at this remote, desert runway in the western Al Anbar province bake in 125 degrees under an unforgiving sun that would make a Texan sweat and an Arizonan seek shade," Senior Master Sgt. Schneck wrote.

Securing this critical section of the Al Asad Air Base has benefited the entire military, as Navy SEALs and Army soldiers have visited the airfield to learn about how to protect a desert runway.

“Our main goal is to secure the flight line,” Airman 1st Class Sean Bard said. "We provide internal base security. If we see suspicious activity, then we report it."

To the east in Wasit province, America got another sad reminder of the dangers our brave men and women in uniform still face in Iraq. On June 13, the Pentagon said two U.S. soldiers with the Army's 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division were killed by an improvised explosive device planted by terrorists.

Staff Sgt. Nicholas Bellard, 26, of El Paso, Texas
Sgt. Glenn Sewell, 23, Live Oak, Texas

According to KCEN-TV, the two Texans, who were based at Fort Hood, were highly decorated warriors who both served previous combat deployments. Staff Sgt. Bellard served in Iraq between January and November 2009, while Sgt. Sewell deployed to Afghanistan from June 2008 to June 2009.

In Afghanistan, the situation is gritty, tough, and dangerous. Since June 13, seven more casualties of the almost decade-long conflict have been announced by the Department of Defense.

Sgt. Mark Bradley, 25, Cuba, New York
Lance Cpl. Sean O'Connor, 22, Douglas, Wyoming
Lance Cpl. Jason Hill, 20, Poway, California
Staff Sgt. Jeremy Katzenberger, 26, Weatherby Lake, Missouri
Pfc. Eric Soufrine, 20, Woodbridge, Connecticut
Pvt. Ryan Larson, 19, Friendship, Wisconsin
Capt. Michael Newton, 30, Newport News, Virginia

This week, the world learned that Ayman al-Zawahiri, a cowardly terrorist who has spent the last decade in hiding, is taking over as leader of al Qaeda after his boss, Osama bin Laden, was brought to justice by U.S. Navy SEALs. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that while Zawahiri's evil intentions must be taken seriously, his fate is already assured.

"As we did both seek to capture and kill -- and succeed in killing -- bin Laden, we certainly will do the same thing with Zawahiri," Adm. Mullen said.

In Afghanistan and Iraq, outside the wire of their bases, U.S. troops are doing amazing things that deserve recognition. We must give it to them.

Image courtesy: Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Lindsey

Note: This post was updated at 10:45 a.m. EDT to reflect new casualty information released by the Department of Defense.

Wide Awake

Image courtesy: Cpl. Adam Leyendecker

As millions of Americans drink coffee and wake up for another week at work, or another week trying to find a job, thousands of U.S. troops are on patrol in the dangerous heat of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Tuesday's high in Kandahar is expected to reach 109 degrees, while Baghdad's forecasted high is 104. To many service members apart from their families in post-9/11 war zones, the day of the week simply doesn't matter; it's just another brutally hot day in a strange land.

Outside of base facilities and USO centers, troops in Afghanistan are not enjoying air conditioning and cold lemonade. They are wearing uniforms and carrying heavy gear, as enemy fighters look down from mountaintops, hide in caves, or use women and children as human shields.

Despite challenging conditions that are unimaginable to someone like myself, who hasn't served in the military, our forces are doing a spectacular job every day, night, and weekend. A successful Special Operations Forces mission to secure a village in Afghanistan's Badghis province is a perfect, albeit tough, example. Upon being attacked while arriving at the Panerak village, heroic American forces and their Afghan counterparts killed 23 terrorists, making the area much more secure for civilians caught in the hellish triangle of war.

These types of missions carry significant risk. The first of three U.S. Marines listed below to recently die in combat in Afghanistan was reportedly killed in the Panerak village firefight.

Cpl. William Woitowicz, 23, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Cpl. Matthew Richard, 21, Acadia, Louisiana
Lance Cpl. Nicholas O'Brien, 21, Stanley, North Carolina

As the tragic death of another soldier in Iraq shows us, on the heels of five U.S. troops being killed there last week, that country remains dangerous for thousands of Americans still serving there.

Pfc. Matthew England, 22, Gainesville, Missouri

As the hot, hard sun beats down on their backs, brave American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are wide awake. Good townsfolk in Massachusetts, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Missouri are also thinking about our men and women in uniform at this hour, as they mourn the loss of hometown heroes.

It's time for the rest of America to wake up too. Now would be an appropriate time.

All the Young Dudes

Images courtesy: Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell

Since arriving in Afghanistan in October, Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell has witnessed a lifetime's worth of tragedy and triumph. As a military journalist attached to the U.S. Army's 210th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, his job is to carry the news.

"It's a long war, but there's progress," Burrell told The Unknown Soldiers from Jalalabad, Afghanistan. "Just the littlest things like going out, and maybe you got shot at for a month in this one village, and then, a month or two months later, they're giving you (food) and shaking hands with you."

Getting shot at is a part of life for this 30-year-old soldier from Highland Park, Ill., who was at Forward Operating Base Fenty when we talked over Skype. Burrell, who appeared upbeat and focused, had just returned from several days in the field, two of which he spent holed up while the unit he was on patrol with took enemy fire.

"Eastern Afghanistan, in Nangarhar, Kunar and Nuristan, where I operate, is one of the — if not the most — volatile areas in Afghanistan," Burrell said. "And (the Taliban) is still here, but these guys have really good morale, and we're doing some really good stuff in terms of kicking butt."

Burrell, who spent two years in Iraq, calls recent events in eastern Afghanistan "the most ferocious fighting I've seen in all my tours." He has experienced some terrible things.

"In combat, I've seen such different reactions," the soldier said. "When bullets start flying around, people act different."

After recently meeting and bonding with Staff Sgt. Bryan Burgess, 29, and Spc. Dustin Feldhaus, 20, Burrell learned that both of his buddies had been killed, along with four other 101st Airborne Division paratroopers, during a chaotic Mar. 29 battle. Instead of meeting again and sharing some laughs with his friends, Burrell packed up his gear and traveled through the mountains to photograph their memorial service.

"I was in an eight-hour firefight with those dudes, you know?" Burrell said. "I got pretty close to them. I heard about their passing, and I really wanted to go and cover (the memorial service) for them and for their families."

Less than two weeks later, Gen. David Petraeus arrived at a remote forward operating base to award Silver Stars to Capt. Edward Bankston and Sgt. Joshua Bostic, two of the many surviving heroes who helped the 101st win the crucial battle. After the emotional ceremony, Burrell became overwhelmed when several grieving soldiers thanked him for caring enough to interview them and take their photos.

"To me, that's a better feeling than any sort of award or any sort of recognition that someone else could give me," Burrell explained. "It's the dudes that I'm actually with telling me thanks."

Like many fellow troops in Afghanistan, Burrell is frustrated that stories of sacrifice from the 10-year conflict aren't filling up television, computer and smartphone screens at home.

"That's the stuff that the media — the mass media — doesn't care about," Burrell said. "They have a 24-hour news channel that doesn't cover things as important, I think, as the soldiers and their loved ones."

Regardless of where his stories end up, Burrell will be in Afghanistan until at least the late summer, giving his countrymen a window into a war that's mostly out of the spotlight. When asked how he copes with his job emotionally, Burrell, who usually asks the questions, paused.

"It's sort of cathartic to write about it — it's cathartic to take all those photos and keep them all," he responded. "It's crazy; I've seen guys pick up their battle buddies and run through a hail of gunfire to get their guys to a medevac.

"Sometimes, I feel happy with a camera in my hand — I almost hide behind it," the humble warrior admitted. "I feel like I'm looking at (war) through a movie screen or a video."

Along with his camera and heavy backpack, Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell hauls scores of haunting images around the treacherous mountains of eastern Afghanistan. The news he risks his life to send home — always unpredictable, sometimes unforgiving — carries tremendous weight.

COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

People Who Died

Images courtesy: U.S. Army/KAKE-TV

Those are people who died, died.
Those are people who died, died.
Those are people who died, died.
They were all my friends, and they died.

While brainstorming how to write about five American troops being killed in Iraq on Monday, the iconic chorus and brutal realism of The Jim Carroll Band's "People Who Died" entered my mind. The frenetic punk rock anthem is about losing people close to you, and how the memories of fallen friends never fade.

Jim Carroll, who co-wrote the hit 1980 song, was a bright young man, promising writer, and talented high school basketball player who slipped into a life of drug addiction and crime in New York City. As his own existence descended into chaos, many of Carroll's best friends were being murdered by drug dealers, dying of drug overdoses, committing suicide, succumbing to disease, or losing their lives in Vietnam.

Carroll eventually overcame his addiction, becoming a prolific writer, poet, speaker, and musician. Despite making an improbable u-turn during a self-inflicted path of destruction, Carroll never escaped the ghosts of his dead friends, which is hauntingly and brilliantly articulated in his tribute to them.

On June 6, Spc. Emilio Campo Jr., 20, Spc. Michael Cook Jr., 27, Spc. Christopher Fishbeck, 24, Spc. Robert Hartwick, 20, and Pfc. Michael Olivieri, 26, died in Iraq. According to the Pentagon, all five soldiers were killed when terrorists attacked their unit with indirect fire in Baghdad. An article released by 1st Infantry Headquarters has more details about each of their lives.

"I miss you more than all the others, and I salute you, my brother," Carroll sings to one of his departed friends in the song.

Many 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division soldiers stationed in Iraq, and at Fort Riley in Kansas, didn't lose one brother in arms on Monday. They lost five.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of these young heroes and our thoughts and prayers go out to their families," said battalion commander Lt. Col. Andrew Gainey. "They were all outstanding soldiers, outstanding people, and most importantly, our good friends."

"When the spirit grows too large for the body, both are called home," Carroll once wrote. On June 6, 2011, the 67th anniversary of D-Day, five U.S. soldiers died during a war that some Americans believe is over. But like the valiant men who stormed the beaches of Normandy, their fighting spirits compelled them to risk everything for a cause larger than themselves.

Jim Carroll, who died on September 11, 2009, was no hero. Yet his brilliance with the written and spoken word helps us understand the visible and invisible wounds of war.

They were all our friends, and they died.

Letter to God

File image courtesy: Sgt. Derec Pierson

Dear God,

Over the last four days, the names of eight more fallen heroes from the war in Afghanistan have been released to the American public. While I am nobody special and cannot even begin to understand how You work, my heart tells me that what has happened to these eight families is unfair, especially after learning more about the loved ones that were taken from them.

Chief Warrant Officer Kenneth White, 35, lived in Fort Collins, Colorado, with his wife and three children. According to The Coloradoan, the helicopter pilot served honorably since 1994, including two deployments to Iraq. He died in a helicopter crash in Khost province on June 5.

Killed alongside Chief Warrant Officer White was Chief Warrant Officer Bradley Gaudet, 31, of Gladewater, Texas. Like the soldier with whom he shared his final moments, Chief Warrant Officer Gaudet was a family man, and according to The News-Journal, had just returned to his third combat tour after witnessing the birth of his second daughter.

"Brad believed in God and Country," the soldier's mother, Rhonda Owens, told the paper. "Brad totally believed in what he was doing there. He was a dedicated soldier, who believed that he was fighting for the freedoms of all people."

Sgt. Joseph M. Garrison, 27, hailed from Pennsylvania, living in the hard-working borough of New Bethlehem, which is about an hour from Pittsburgh. KDKA-TV obtained a quote from a lifelong friend about the Marine, who died on June 6 in Helmand province. Her words say a lot about his legacy.

“He was just adored by so many people,” Stacy Kelp told the station. “You would never think that one person could touch so many lives.”

Sgt. Jeffrey Sherer, 29, of Four Oaks, N.C. died June 2, in Zabul province. While I have not been able to find detailed information about this soldier's life, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that seven American troops were wounded in the improvised explosive device attack that took Sgt. Sherer from his family and friends. Please, God, guide these wounded warriors as they mourn their fellow soldier and recover from their injuries.

Sgt. Christopher Bell, 21, joined the Army in 2008, according to The Clarion-Ledger. The paper reports that the Golden, Mississippi soldier, who leaves behind a wife and young daughter after his June 4 death in Laghman province, worked at a nursing home in high school before graduating and joining the military.

"His mother has been very worried something would happen to him, and they had a very close relationship," Mandy Lawler, a former nursing home co-worker, said.

Sgt. Joshua Powell, 28, may have been from Quitman, Texas, but there was no quit inside this seasoned warrior. Incredibly, Sgt. Powell was on his fifth combat tour when he made the ultimate sacrifice on June 4. According to KLTV-TV, he didn't have to go back to Afghanistan this time, but volunteered to serve alongside his friends.

Pfc. Robert Voakes Jr., 21, was known as a "quiet and polite" high school student in L'Anse, Michigan, before joining the Army. He played basketball and acted in school plays, according to The Mining Journal. Despite his soft-spoken personality, Pfc. Voakes had an uncanny ability to make people around him laugh.

Spc. Devin Snyder, 20, had a smile that lit up skies in Cohocton, New York, where she lived, Fort Richardson, Alaska, where she was stationed, and Laghman province, Afghanistan, where she died. She was killed alongside Sgt. Bell, Sgt. Powell, and Pfc. Voakes when an improvised explosive device planted by terrorists detonated.

Since June 4, more than 1,300 people have 'liked' a Facebook page honoring this friendly, radiant young woman. The "RIP Specialist Devin "Twiggy" Snyder" page's wall is filled with beautiful tributes and emotionally devastating posts, including one from an American service member named Drew.

"As a MEDEVAC Pilot, I had both the immense honor and terrible misfortune of retrieving you and your Brothers in Arms from the battlefield. I've wished every day since that there was something we could have done, however I take some solace in the simple fact that we started you on your journey home to your family with the utmost of care, honor, and respect. You will always be a Hero to me and I will always remember your sacrifice and that of your family. I pray that God grants them strength now and forever."

God, I humbly ask You to hear Drew's prayer, which was posted online from half a world away, but now echoes through the nation he fights for. While America is filled with people of many different faiths, as well as some who do not worship a higher power, I think all of us want the families of our fallen heroes to find some measure of comfort. We also want the wounded to be guided down a path of physical recovery and internal peace as they confront terrible injuries and lifelong shadows of war.

God, please help all of us recognize, respect, and remember the good men and women who shield our country from evil. While we don't understand why they're now with You instead of their families, thank You for giving us the gift of their lives. Because of them, our children are safer.

Amen.

File image courtesy: Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith

Watching You

Image courtesy: Spc. Adam Hefner

Nobody has to remind Staff Sgt. Jesse Urena or Spc. Timothy Shabbot that U.S. troops still face danger in Iraq. These soldiers are living proof that despite less media coverage, different sounding speeches by politicians, and a new name for the operation, America is still at war in Iraq.

During a recent patrol, soldiers with Battery K, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment were attacked as their convoy rolled through southern Iraq. As soon as their vehicle was under fire, an article by 1st Lt. Andrius Mazeika said Army training began to kick in, as soldiers began to scream "roll over!" Just like the drills they'd practiced time and time again, the driver, Spc. Zachary Roth, heroically pulled Spc. Shabbot out of the gunners turret.

The four soldiers injured in the attack, Spc. Shabbot, Spc. Roth, Staff Sgt. Jesse Urena, and Spc. Kevin Gallagher, are being awarded Purple Hearts. Standing in front of Brig. Gen. William Smith at Contingency Operating Site Kalsu on Memorial Day, Staff Sgt. Urena, pictured above, said that without the skill and bravery of his fellow soldiers, he may have returned home to Imperial Beach, California, in a flag-draped casket.

“I was really glad to be standing there on my own two feet and receive this award from Gen. Smith,” Urena said. “It’s not very often that recipients of this award are able to receive it under these conditions.”

Tragically, Americans woke up Monday morning to another stark reminder of the risks thousands of our selfless troops continue to face down every day in Iraq. According to numerous media reports, including this one by Fox News, which rightfully made this the top story on its website, five American troops were killed Monday in a central Iraq rocket attack. The Unknown Soldiers is closely following this story and will have information on these fallen heroes after their families have been notified.

Spc. Shabbot, pictured below, already had a close call during his Iraq deployment. Hopefully, this warrior and his fellow troops will make it home safely. As they do their duty and mourn the fallen, they should know that amid the unforgettable fire of Iraq, patriotic Americans at home are grateful for their continued dedication. No matter who is watching, our men and women perform with brilliance.

A Family of Value

Image courtesy: McEvoy family

The scariest moment of Deb McEvoy's life came on Oct. 24, when her phone rang just after 9:30 a.m. On the other end of the line was a U.S. Army official, who said that her son had been wounded in Afghanistan.

"Which one?" the startled mother replied.

Deb's oldest son, Capt. Riley McEvoy, was serving in Kandahar with the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Her youngest son, 1st Lt. Connor McEvoy, was somewhere in Kunar province. They left for Afghanistan from Kentucky's Fort Campbell just two days apart in June 2010.

"That was an overwhelming weekend," Deb told The Unknown Soldiers about seeing both her sons leave for war.

Deb's mind wandered in a thousand different directions as she learned it was Connor who had been hit. Her son's Army vehicle had been struck by a rocket-propelled grenade on a mountain road, leaving him with "non-life-threatening" injuries but still serious enough to airlift the soldier out of a dangerous war zone.

After more than 24 hours, which seemed like "an eternity," Deb finally spoke to her son when he arrived in Germany. The platoon leader had sustained leg injuries that would require months of recovery and rehabilitation, but he would survive.

"Our family is so fortunate," she said. "Even though Connor was injured, we came out of it OK."

While having two sons deployed at the same time was "much different" than her initial experiences as a military family member, Deb, 50, had grown to understand the sacrifices of service. Her husband, 1st Sgt. Joe McEvoy, spent 21 years on active duty. While living on Kentucky's Fort Knox, Joe was given the chance to move to Texas' Fort Hood to train for his first combat deployment. Instead of going to Iraq, Joe, now 51, retired for the sake of his children.

"We wanted to give Riley the opportunity to stay stabilized and graduate without moving again," Deb explained.

As a good big brother, Riley, 26, was trying to figure out how to lift the spirits of Connor, 23, as he continued his recovery at Georgia's Fort Gordon. The Army captain helped arrange a special ceremony in the hospital, where Connor was promoted to his current rank of first lieutenant.

"I think they're doing fine," Deb said of her two sons. "They've changed — nobody can go over there and not come back a different person — but I think they're better men and better soldiers."

The youngest McEvoy is changing right before Deb and Joe's eyes as well. On May 13, the family descended on Blacksburg, Va., for the graduation of 2nd Lt. Erin McEvoy, 22, from Virginia Tech. The day before, she graduated from the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and was sworn into the Army by Connor, who had been read the oath by Riley two years earlier.

Now the proud father of three American soldiers, Joe gave his little girl her first salute. Erin, a military intelligence officer with the 1st Cavalry Division, will soon head to Fort Hood, where her father would have been stationed before a deployment to Iraq.

Through trial and tribulation, the scariest moment of Deb's life gave way to the proudest.

"It was probably the happiest day of my life," she said. "I say that because both my boys were home safe and my daughter finished her college career. We're all happy, we're all healthy."

Not a day goes by that Deb isn't thankful for her family's blessings.

"It breaks my heart to hear about families that aren't able to welcome their soldier home the way they had hoped to," the military spouse and mother said poignantly. "Our family is lucky, and I am very grateful."

America is lucky, as we should all feel grateful to live in the same country as even one family like the McEvoys, let alone 1 percent of our population, which volunteers to defend us. Their commitment to service is strong, substantial and quintessentially American. As members of this family of heroes salute one another, they salute the flag with astounding vigor.

COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

Day Two

Image courtesy: Lance Cpl. Ammon Carter

On Tuesday, in a post headlined "Day One," this blog noted that even with 364 days until the next Memorial Day, we have the ability to spend every single day honoring the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. On Wednesday, with 363 days until Memorial Day 2012, the names of another six U.S. casualties of the war in Afghanistan have been released by the Pentagon, meaning that 17 fallen heroes have been tragically identified since Friday.

Capt. Joseph Schultz, 36, Port Angeles, Washington
Staff Sgt. Martin Apolinar, 28, Glendale, Arizona
Sgt. Aaron Blasjo, 25, Riverside, California
Pfc. Anthony Nunn, 19, Burnet, Texas
Lance Cpl. Peter Clore, 23, New Philadelphia, Ohio
Spc. Richard Emmons III, 22, North Granby, Connecticut

The above photo shows Marines at Twentynine Palms, California, training themselves to spot improvised explosive devices planted by terrorists. Since most of these recent tragedies around Afghanistan involve IED's, there have undoubtedly been American troops wounded in these attacks. Many others will come home with a different set of invisible wounds, as they remember their fallen buddies or reflect on how close they came to being injured or killed. Focusing on the needs of men and women ordered to fight for our country must be a top national priority.

Seventeen families, from Washington's Puget Sound to the shores of Puerto Rico, have received knocks on the doors from military messengers in recent days. Instead of homecoming ceremonies filled with hugs and laughs, there will be processions through their hometowns and emotional funeral sermons delivered by ministers. National media executives sitting in their New York, Washington, and Los Angeles offices probably won't be sending reporters to these smaller cities and towns, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't have these places in our hearts.

In a few hours, I will pass Arlington National Cemetery, which I visit frequently, during a Metro subway ride to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Memorial Day ceremonies, which included an address by President Obama that paid tribute to Lt. Brendan Looney and 1st Lt. Travis Manion, were held there throughout the weekend. At the same time, more American families learned that their loved ones had fallen.

Every day is still Memorial Day.

Image courtesy: Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Quarterman


Note: This post was updated at 3:20 p.m. EDT to reflect new casualty information released by the Department of Defense.