Combat Docs Need to Be Ready For Next War

The plan to keep military combat docs ready for America's next war
Medill News Service
Ruojing Liu
July 16, 2016

According to the report, trauma deaths of about 1,000 service members in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts between 2001 and 2011 could have been prevented with more proficient trauma care. About 20 percent of civilian deaths from serious injuries at home in 2014 could have been prevented as well.

Soldiers from the 5-20 Infantry Division carry a comrade onto a stretcher after he was wounded in a mortar blast on the outskirts of Baghdad in 2007.

(Photo: David Furst/AFP/Getty Images)

About 1,000 mortally wounded troops a year could have been saved in a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan if more military doctors had been more skilled in trauma care, a top medical organization reports, A proposal under consideration on Capitol Hill is directed at ensuring that military doctors gain and maintain proficiency in those skills by working with civilian trauma centers.

The proposal calls for grants for civilian trauma centers to hire military doctors and staff.

The idea would be to use military medical professionals in the civilian trauma system so both sides could share information about treating patients in life-or-death situations.
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PTSD follows Army sniper home

Published: August 24, 2008 6:00 a.m.
Battle wounds
Post-traumatic stress follows ex-Army sniper home
Michael Schroeder
The Journal Gazette
Sitting at a table in Starbucks, Antonio Arciga, 29, breaks a big chocolate chip cookie for his 4-year-old daughter, Elizabeth.

She has been waiting for Dad to finish answering questions about his service in Afghanistan and Iraq – tugging his arm now and again. The two are going fishing soon, he says, recognizing her bottled enthusiasm and reminding her in soft ways that she has to wait a little longer.

A reminder from his wife, Elisa, is the only reason Arciga admits he remembered the interview in the first place. A traumatic brain injury suffered in combat – the product of multiple IED blasts – has hampered his short-term memory.

But another battle scar – post-traumatic stress disorder – has had a more profound effect on his life. Though he feels lucky that his injuries – physical and mental – are manageable, he’s still haunted by visions from combat. Two images in particular.

Arciga was an Army sniper and now receives disability compensation. He shared his story in hopes that other veterans would seek help if they need it. He goes to the VA Medical Center in Fort Wayne three times a week for a strained ligament in his right knee, a fractured collar bone, ringing in his ears – related to firing his rifle and close-range blasts – and PTSD. He sees a psychiatrist once a month and a therapist twice monthly.

He also takes medication for anxiety and depression and to control his anger. Admittedly, he’s still irritable. He has difficulty concentrating and has lost sleep to nightmares and jitteriness.

“Things are going all right. I’m getting more adjusted to it now,” he said during a subsequent interview at his home on Fort Wayne’s west side. “I’m back into the groove.”

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About 90% of incarcerated women suffer from traumatic stress

“We’re finding that probably 70 percent of clients in the mental health system have a history of trauma,” Randahl said. In addition, about 90 percent of incarcerated women suffer from traumatic stress.

Trauma goes beyond the battlefield
By CELESTE CORNISH
North Kitsap Herald Editor
Today, 12:00 AM · NEW


BREMERTON — When Jonothan Pritchett went looking for relief from a back injury, he found out his pain was more than muscle deep. His is the kind of pain that goes all the way to the heart.

The Alaska native found his way to the Central Kitsap area seeking medical advice and treatment. To his surprise, the attending physician wrote one word on the back of a sheet of paper: “depression.” From there, Pritchett was referred to Kitsap Mental Health Services, where he sought solace in the power of group therapy.

Through KMHS’s trauma recovery program, Pritchett was set up in a small group of three, in which he worked through the internal strife he wasn’t even aware existed.

“I didn’t know I was depressed,” he said.

Through the course of the weekly sessions, Pritchett realized he’d been suppressing the anger and pain of an abusive childhood.

“It’s just the fact that you aren’t alone, that some of the people here have the same battles as you,” he said, describing the comfort of group therapy.

go here for more

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/nkh/news/27033159.html

Greek tragedies offer modern lessons on war's pain

Greek tragedies offer modern lessons on war's pain
By CHELSEA J. CARTER – 2 hours ago

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The screams of agony from the soldier echoed through the ballroom-turned-theater, forcing a hushed whisper among those witnessing his sudden break with reality.

He was no longer with his wife, seated beside him on the stage; no longer with his comrades. In his mind, he was back on the battlefield, killing his enemy — the price of years of combat stress from witnessing war's horrors.

In this "Theater of War," the wounds date back millennia and the words spoken by actors are translated from Greek, but they speak to Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans and the doctors and therapists who treat them.

"I wanted to keep the pain to myself, son, but now it cuts straight through me. Do you understand? It cuts straight through me," the lead character in the play "Philoctetes" tells a comrade.

Those hidden wounds and their effect on family members and caregivers were the focus of the Greek readings at a three-day combat stress conference hosted by the Marine Corps that addresses post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression brought on by combat.

Just like the characters in the tragedies of Sophocles' "Ajax" and "Philoctetes," many of the Marines and sailors in the audience Wednesday night know the damage isn't always on display.

"I found that even 2,500 years ago Sophocles was using words like 'shell-shocked' and 'the thousand-yard stare.' Those are things that you hear today," said retired Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman, who fought in the fierce Iraq battle of Fallujah in November 2004.

"I know it's a bit odd to have Greek plays read to a conference of military people," said actor David Strathairn, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in "Good Night, Good Luck," who read the role of Philoctetes. "But you read these plays and you understand they are the first investigations into the condition of war in Western civilization."
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VA treated 255,000 female veterans in 2007

VA struggles to gear up to care for female veterans
By Les Blumenthal McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Two nightmares haunt Robin Milonas.

While serving in Afghanistan in 2004 as an Army Reserve civil affairs officer, the former lieutenant colonel got lost in a minefield while leading a small convoy delivering school supplies to civilians. Even more troubling is the memory of a man who arrived at the main gate of Bagram Air Base carrying a young boy whose leg had been blown off by a land mine.

"I was an outgoing, energetic, determined good soldier who wanted to make the Army a career," said Milonas, of Puyallup, Wash., who just turned 50. "Now I am broken."

Milonas is one of roughly 180,000 women who've been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. While they don't officially serve in combat, they have experienced life in a war zone where there are no front lines.

And as they return home, they're increasingly turning to an already overtaxed Department of Veterans Affairs for help. Last year, the VA treated more than 255,000 female veterans. The number is expected to double within five years.

VA officials say they're better prepared to handle female patients than they were several years ago. But they acknowledge "continual challenges" as they move to open the door to a man's world, where pap smears and mammograms could become as common as prostate exams.

And where "military sexual trauma" would be treated as a serious and growing mental health problem, rather than as a subject to be avoided.

"It's not your father's VA — it really isn't," said Patricia Hayes, the VA's national director of women's health care issues. "We have geared up and are gearing up. But there are places that may have gaps."
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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/37409.html

U.S. must battle against stigma of mental war wounds

Gazette Opinion: U.S. must battle against stigma of mental war wounds

If the Department of Defense were to label right-arm injuries suffered in combat as "pre-existing" medical conditions that don't qualify for government-paid treatment, Americans would be outraged. If Pentagon policy discouraged military members from disclosing to medical professionals that they had asthma, the public would be appalled and soldiers' health would be at risk.

Yet those absurd scenarios are similar to what thousands of U.S. military members and veterans have experienced in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Although this disorder is the result of combat duty, many have been diagnosed by the military system with "personality disorder," a condition that would predate their military service and not be eligible for Veterans Administration care. Military culture and bureaucracy have penalized members identified as having had a mental illness. "Don't tell, suffer alone" is the dangerous message that has been given.

Discrimination must end

This discrimination against military members with PTSD must end. A third of U.S. troops who served in Iraq or Afghanistan come home with traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental-health problems, according to a Rand Corp. study. That's hundreds of thousands of Americans who need timely treatment and deserve the respect of the nation they have served.

Montanans can be proud that our National Guard has become a leader in recognizing the vital importance of diagnosing PTSD and reaching out to all returning Guardsmen to offer more thorough education, screening and treatment. Montana standards were raised in response to the tragic death of a Helena Guardsman who served in combat, returned home with classic PTSD symptoms but didn't get needed treatment, and died by suicide.

As part of the ongoing outreach, starting Monday, the Montana National Guard will conduct community presentations of its "Picking up the Pieces" DVD along with a short presentation on PTSD in 20 communities that host a National Guard Armory.

"We're trying to raise awareness," said Capt. Jeremy Hedges, who is based in Helena and serves on the PTSD working group. "We're reaching out to the community."

Finally, the U.S. Department of Defense is starting to gain awareness. Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently has been urging troops to seek treatment instead of trying to ignore the problem.

"You're tough and you go into the hospital when you receive a physical wound," Gates said on a visit to a Texas Army post. "That doesn't mean you're weak in some way, and so why wouldn't you when you've received a psychological wound? It's the same difference. They're all wounded."

To make it easier for soldiers to seek treatment, Gates has announced a change on the application for a government security clearance that asks: In the last seven years, have you sought mental-health counseling? That question will no longer be asked. National Public Radio reported that studies show that the fear of losing a security clearance is one of the biggest reasons that combat veterans do not seek mental-health care.

Under the new policy, applicants who seek mental-health treatment could still obtain clearances if the treatment was for problems stemming from service in a combat zone.

Earlier this month, the American Forces Press Service reported that Gates is willing to consider awarding Purple Heart medals to combat veterans suffering with PTSD.

John E. Fortunato, who runs the Recovery and Resilience Center at Fort Bliss, Texas, told reporters that awarding the Purple Heart to PTSD sufferers would go a long way toward chipping away at prejudices surrounding the disease. Because PTSD affects structures in the brain, it's a physical disorder, "no different from shrapnel," Fortunato said. "This is an injury."

Wrongly classified

The Army classifies PTSD as an illness, not an injury, so troops with PTSD don't qualify for the Purple Heart, which is awarded to troops killed or wounded in combat.

A Purple Heart for a PTSD combat veteran would both lift up a worthy individual and tear down a dangerous stigma. PTSD is a real injury that can be more painful, more debilitating and longer lasting than a bleeding wound. The Pentagon and the American public ought to recognize this brain injury that has afflicted an estimated 300,000 Americans who have helped fight the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. They deserve the respect a Purple Heart would confer.

Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/05/18/opinion/gazette/20-gazetteopinion.txt

I hope they forgive me for posting the whole thing but it is too important to just cut out parts of it. PTSD is a wound. For the millionth time, trauma is Greek for wound! It is not an illness. They called it an illness because it happens inside the body where no one can see it. This is a wound. It is not caused from the inside but penetrates it's way in.

Group says PTSD doesn’t merit Purple Heart and they are wrong

Group says PTSD doesn’t merit Purple Heart
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, May 14, 2008



The veterans group for combat wounded troops whose mission is to preserve the integrity of the Purple Heart has come out against giving the award to troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I don’t think people should get the Purple Heart for almost getting wounded," said Joe Palagyi, of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

PTSD does not merit the Purple Heart, according to an Army regulation that lays out the criteria for the award.

Recently, a military psychologist at Fort Bliss, Texas, told reporters during a roundtable that making troops with PTSD eligible for the Purple Heart could help destigmatize the disorder.

"These guys have paid at least a high — as high a price, some of them — as anybody with a traumatic brain injury, as anybody with shrapnel wound, and what it does is it says this is the wound that isn’t worthy, and I say it is," said John E. Fortunato.

When asked about Fortunato’s suggestion later, Defense Secretary Robert Gates called it an "interesting idea," adding the matter is "clearly something that needs to be looked into."

But Palagyi, who was awarded the Purple Heart for service in Vietnam, said PTSD does not meet the standards for the award, the forerunner of which was established by Gen. George Washington.

"The Purple Heart was set up for combat wounds, for those who have shed blood, and I believe that although PTSD is a physical disease and is an injury ... [it] does not qualify for the merit of Purple Heart based on that," he said Tuesday.

Injuries that merit the Purple Heart must happen in a combat theater and must be a direct result of enemy action, said Jack Leonard, also of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
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http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54773

I got off the phone with one of the veterans I've been helping a little while ago. After a long time of helping him, he finally asked the question. "How do you know I'm even a vet?" I told him that he has nothing to gain coming to me for help if he wasn't. I have no power to have his claim approved, no position of authority to give him anything more than I am giving, my time, my knowledge, my prayers and my heart. That's all I have to give and that is all he's asked of me. What do they all want? They want to have their wounds treated and if they cannot work they want to make sure they can survive financially. It's what regular working people all over the country expect from their employers but veterans worked for the nation. Employees are not willing to die in order to do their jobs unless they are in the police, fire or emergency responders risking their lives everyday.

"I don’t think people should get the Purple Heart for almost getting wounded," said Joe Palagyi, of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Almost getting wounded? Did he really say that? Did those words come out of his mouth? How can anyone not call PTSD a wound. Trauma is Greek for wound an unless I totally blew my Greek upbringing I really doubt the Greeks just invented the word. It's as old as the language itself! That would indicated that since it is a wound, this person has not clue what an "almost" wound is. It's a direct hit! Worse than just a wound, it spreads like an insidious infection eating away more and more like gangrene set it.

insidious
of a disease : developing so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent

Think of it this way. Instead of a bullet penetrating flesh, it penetrates the mind, body and soul. Instead of blood coming out, this kills going in. Instead of leaving a scar from the bullet just in the area the bullet struck, it leaves a scar on every part of the veteran that keeps cutting deeper and deeper until it is treated.

Injuries that merit the Purple Heart must happen in a combat theater and must be a direct result of enemy action, said Jack Leonard, also of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Considering veterans do not have flashbacks of anything but combat, this one is a blown excuse as well. They have flashbacks and nightmares and suffer from all the other symptoms because of the events in combat. So what is the point of this statement? Unless there is an enemy trying to kill them there is no combat for them to have flashbacks and nightmares about. Is there?

I'm beginning to think that the people who put up such a fuss about PTSD being a wound of a lesser worth are the same ones who seem to support the continuance of the stigma attached to it. It is not a wound of a lesser degree because they cannot see the blood. They can see the wound just by looking into their eyes. A bullet wound in the arm will heal but PTSD provides a lifetime of being wounded over and over and over again.

Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos

mailto:Namguardianangel@aol.com

http://www.namguardianangel.org/

http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington

What Are the Wounds of War?

Matthew Leake

What Are the Wounds of War?
Military Debates
Purple Heart Awards
For Mental Stress
By YOCHI J. DREAZEN
May 13, 2008; Page A11

WASHINGTON -- Centuries before Iraq and Afghanistan, George Washington created the Purple Heart to honor troops wounded in combat.



But with an increasing number of troops being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, the modern military is debating an idea Gen. Washington never considered -- awarding one of the nation's top military citations to veterans with psychological wounds, not just physical ones.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates offered cautious support for such a change on a trip to a military base in Texas this month.

"It's an interesting idea," Mr. Gates said in response to a question. "I think it is clearly something that needs to be looked at."

The Pentagon says it isn't formally considering a change in policy at this point, but Mr. Gates's comments sparked a heated debate on military blogs, message boards and email lists. The dispute reflects a broader question roiling the military: Can psychological traumas, no matter how debilitating, be considered equivalent to dismembering physical wounds?

Supporters of awarding the Purple Heart to veterans with PTSD believe the move would reduce the stigma that surrounds the disorder and spur more soldiers and Marines to seek help without fear of limiting their careers.

The High Price Paid

"These guys have paid at least as high a price, some of them, as anybody with a traumatic brain injury, as anybody with a shrapnel wound," John Fortunato, who runs a military PTSD treatment facility in Texas, told reporters recently. Absent a policy change, Dr. Fortunato told reporters, troops will mistakenly believe that PTSD is a "wound that isn't worthy."

Opponents argue that the Purple Heart should be reserved for physical injuries, as has been the case since the medal was reinstituted by Congress in 1932. Military regulations say the award should go to troops with injuries "received in action with an enemy." Some opponents also note that PTSD can be faked, which can't easily be done with a physical wound.

"The Purple Heart was meant to be a badge of honor to show you were wounded in battle," says Bob Mackey, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who fought in the first and second Iraq wars. "I've been in combat three times. There's stuff I've had to deal with. But it's substantially different from being physically hurt."

The biggest difference, he says, is that some veterans may be diagnosed with PTSD even if they never saw combat or fought an enemy -- requirements, historically, for receiving a Purple Heart.
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trauma: from Greek trauma ("a wound"): "an emotional shock which has a lasting effect on the mind; any abnormal physical or mental condition produced by shock or injury; also, any bodily injury or wound"
http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/Wordpower/answers/greek/171819.htm

The term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has the fact it is a wound right in the words itself. The word "trauma" comes from the Greeks, who knew quiet a bit about the wounds of war. They had been at war in one way or another for centuries as invaders tried to claim the lands of Greece and as they dealt with the aftermath of it. They were, among other things, documenters of the human condition.

We know that people are wounded by traumatic events, natural or manmade. This has been used by some to deny PTSD for the Purple Heart. In doing so, they then subject all battle wounds to the same scrutiny. People can receive bullet wounds in daily life but they do not receive them in the line of duty, unless they are in law enforcement. If they are wounded by a bullet in the line of duty, they are taken care of accordingly. When they are wounded by a bullet in combat, they are awarded a Purple Heart for their wound. They are awarded the Purple Heart for any blood shed but when it comes to PTSD and TBI, it is still a wound nonetheless.

The scar of PTSD cuts so deeply the entire family is wounded. They helplessly watch their veteran die a slow agonizing death of torment until the family falls apart, the veteran takes their own life or provided the knowledge of what the wound is, they support the veteran in seeking help. There is, in this article, a statement that PTSD can be faked. While this is true, it is highly unusual for this to take place. The vast majority of veterans with PTSD are the last ones to admit they have it and reluctant to seek help for it. There are tests to prove the existence of PTSD and there is a long list of tested events that must accompany the diagnosis. No one can simply say "I was there" and then be provided with a disability claim.

If we say "we believe in God" yet we cannot see Him, believers will point to evidence of His existence. Just because PTSD cannot be seen with the human eyes to most, there is evidence of the existence of it. To the trained eye, there are clear, physical clues. Involuntary body movements known as twitches. Eyes that the pain reflects in. There are even more which cannot be "faked" easily to the trained eye.

The other notion of financial gain is also a false argument. When a veteran is awarded 100% disability because they cannot work, they lose income. Far too many would be financially hurt when they find they can no longer do their jobs which provided a higher income than the disability payment from the VA. Some worked in fields where they made overtime pay. There is no overtime pay in the VA checks. Some received bonuses while working yet when they find they can no longer do those jobs, the VA does not provide bonus funds. There are no promotions to strive for when you have a VA disability. The veteran simply receives whatever any one else does in their percentage range.

The assumption of veterans lining up to make false claims also comes with penalties under the law. They face not only having to repay the funds obtained fraudulently, but they also face prison time. They then face a lifetime of being seen as someone who has insulted all veterans wounded in combat.



Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos
International Fellowship of Chaplains
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington

Study: September 11 Caused PTSD, Extreme Anxiety

Study: September 11 Caused PTSD, Extreme Anxiety
Study: September 11 Caused PTSD, Extreme Anxiety

Associated Content - Denver,CO,USA
By Article Writers Inc., published Jan 11, 2008

It has been almost seven years since the tragedy of 9/11 and yet it continues to haunt us and affect our lives. I shall never forget that day as I was in New York when the horrendous terrorist attacks took place. I stood in horrified silence as the World Trade Center towers crumbled into the earth unleashing enormous plumes of dust and debris. All I could feel was my heart sinking into deep despair; a sense of helplessness, fear, and frustration. I was not alone. Many people who witnessed the attacks either in person or on the TV felt that incredible shock and anxiety after seeing the country's institutions and symbols of power attacked and destroyed; our notion of American invulnerability shattered.

From that day on, the catastrophic attacks have taken a toll on the health of many individuals. According to several research studies, the psychological trauma of 9/11 and the continued stress and anxiety over false terrorist alarms has led to an increased risk of heart ailments including heart disease, high blood pressure, and strokes.

Dr. E. Alison Holman of the University of California and her team conducted a study, released on Jan. 7, on the mental and physical health of 2,592 individuals (who had either witnessed the terrorist attacks in person, or saw it live on TV, or had not seen any live coverage) three years after 9/11 happened. Her team found that within a few days after the attacks, 10.7% of the individuals suffered from some form of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) including symptoms of edginess, depression, extreme anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and even fear of loud noises. Around 53% of individuals who suffered from extreme anxiety were found to be more susceptible to cardiovascular ailments including heart disease and high blood pressure.

click above for the rest

After 9-11 the reporters took a look at survivors. They looked at the children and they looked at emergency responders.

Paging Dr. Gupta blog

Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Flashing back to 9/11

Today, on this sixth anniversary of 9/11, the country will mourn together. For most of the country, it will be a reminder, an anniversary, but for thousands of others it could be psychologically devastating. It could cause something known as PTSD or post traumatic stress disorder. The symptoms can be awful and the research shows us the reminders don't help.

We know on average 4 percent of the general American public suffers from PTSD, but one in eight 9/11 rescue and recovery workers had PTSD, even years after the attack, according to the World Trade Center Health Registry. We know firefighters developed PTSD at 2 times the rate of police officers, but both groups continue to suffer today. We also know that PTSD is an anxiety disorder that is marked by sudden and intense fear, along with feelings of desperation, hopelessness and outright horror. We know it can be difficult to treat.

During the last six years, there has been a growing body of research on PTSD, looking at the survivors of 9/11 and veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. For example, researchers are looking at propranolol, a blood pressure medication, as a possible treatment for PTSD. The idea is that this medication will block the adrenaline surge associated with a traumatic event. If you can block that release of adrenaline, the terrible memories may not be seared into the brain, and that might reduce the risk of future PTSD. There are some emergency rooms that now give the medication immediately after a traumatic event. There also is video game technology used for returning veterans. I tried it out myself and understood the premise that by exposing someone to previously traumatic events in a controlled setting with psychologists standing by, you could learn what is specifically traumatic, and deal with it. (Watch Video)

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/blogs/paging.dr.
gupta/2007/09/flashing-back-to-911.html

New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center

'Virtual 9/11' Brings Ground Zero Survivors Real Healing

By E.J. Mundell
HealthDay Reporter
Monday, November 20, 2006; 12:00 AM



MONDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Psychologists estimate that hundreds, even thousands, of people directly affected by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, are still crippled by post-traumatic stress disorder.

Could a virtual-reality "revisiting" of that horrific day actually help them?

New York City psychiatrist Judith Cukor believes that it can.

"We are getting tons of calls for 9/11-related post-traumatic stress disorder -- it's five years out, and we are still seeing people who have never had treatment," said Cukor, an instructor in the department of psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "A lot of people have had traditional treatment, too, but it's not helping."

Cukor is supervising a unique clinical trial that uses high-tech virtual reality to help fight the more stubborn cases of 9/11-linked post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. "We're seeing very positive results here, in terms of people finally getting better," she said.

For people who suffer from the emotional numbness, terrifying flashbacks, nightmares and avoidance behaviors of PTSD, "exposure therapy" remains the gold-standard treatment. The therapy involves patients being asked to imagine in detail the past event that caused them such pain.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
content/article/2006/11/20/AR2006112000316_pf.html

Hispanic Community

Release Date:May 15, 2006, 12:01 AM US Eastern time

PTSD Affected Hispanic Patients in New York for Months After 9/11

By Joel R. Cooper, Contributing Writer
Health Behavior News Service


Low-income, immigrant, primary-care patients in New York City continued to suffer the psychiatric effects of 9/11 long after the original terrorist attack, says a new study.

“Many of these patients, for cultural or economic reasons, shun traditional mental health services, and rely heavily on their primary care doctors for the provision of mental health intervention and treatment,” said lead author Yuval Neria, Ph.D., a professor at Columbia University and co-director of the Center for the Study of Trauma and Resilience, New York State Psychiatric Institute.

In another finding, the study negated the notion that post-traumatic stress disorder may develop among those experiencing terrorist events second-hand, such as while watching media coverage of the attacks on television. PTSD did not show up in individuals only indirectly exposed to the 9/11 attacks — unless they were at increased risk for the disorder to begin with.

For the study, published in the latest issue of General Hospital Psychiatry, researchers screened adult primary care patients for PTSD in the months following the 9/11 attacks. The patients — 930 men and women ages 18 to 70 — were seen at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center. The majority were low-income immigrants — primarily Hispanic.

“Many in the population under study would be reluctant to seek psychiatric help for fear of being stigmatized within their communities, even though they are, in fact, at increased risk for PTSD and its associated illnesses,” Ng said.

http://hbns.org/getDocument.cfm?documentID=1269

If you look back you will find the news reports for the earlier studies done. Most of the time the emergency responders have a higher level of PTSD because of how often they come into traumatic situations. Police have a higher level. Combat forces even a great level than that. As with all wounds there are degrees of how much damage is done.

With all traumatic survivors there is a time difference between when the event happens and the trauma hits. Some will have mild PTSD, be able to more or less cope with it. Some will spiral into full blown PTSD symptoms right away. Others will experience a slow progression of it. Others will not experience the problems until many years later when a "secondary stressor" hits.

We need to look at all causes of trauma to understand what the combat forces are going through because for them it is not just one incident but many of them, more horrific and compounded for the term of deployment.

How do you fight bombs in Iraq?

There has been something bothering me about the numbers coming out of Iraq and to a lesser extent Afghanistan, for a long time now. I understand the rates of PTSD but considering how few troops are there now and how long they have been involved in the occupation of Iraq, the numbers have not seemed right. We have about 170,000 there now, most having been deployed there several times.

These were the numbers in Vietnam

Year American
1959 760
1960 900
1961 3205
1962 11300
1963 16300
1964 23300
1965 184300
1966 385300
1967 485600
1968 536100
1969 475200
1970 334600
1971 156800
1972 24200
1973 50

Vietnam

Bomb Explosion 52

Artillery, Rocket or Mortar 4,914

Other Explosive Devices 7,450

Multiple Fragmentary Wounds 8,456

http://www.archives.gov/research/vietnam-war/casualty-statistics.html#cause

Yet this is Iraq.

Two more died from bomb blasts

01/07/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Pfc. Jason F. Lemke, 30, of West Allis, Wis., died Jan. 5 in Ibrahim Al Adham, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat...
01/06/08 MNF: IED kills MND-B Soldier Multi-National Corps - Iraq
A Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldier was killed and three others wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations in southern Baghdad on Jan. 6.

3,911 died in Iraq as of tonight.

Hostile - hostile fire - explosion 17

Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire, IED 18

Hostile - hostile fire - grenade 28

Hostile - hostile fire - suicide car bomb 59

Hostile - hostile fire - car bomb 102

Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack 93

Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack 100

Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack 1624

http://icasualties.org/oif/stats.aspx


Bombs
These are just some of them from last year.

Sgt. 1st Class Jesse B. Albrecht 31 725th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Hager City, Wisconsin One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Iskandariya, Iraq, on May 17, 2007

Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev 23 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Wilmington, California One of five soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by roadside bomb in Abu Sayda, Iraq, on May 28, 2007

Sgt. John E. Allen 25 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Palmdale, California One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 17, 2007

Sgt. Ian C. Anderson 22 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Prairie Village, Kansas One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Mosul, Iraq, on January 15, 2007

Sgt. Brian D. Ardron 32 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Acworth, Georgia One of three soldiers killed when multiple roadside bombs detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 21, 2007

Staff Sgt. Jason R. Arnette 24 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Amelia, Virginia Died in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 1, 2007, of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 31, 2007

Pfc. James L. Arnold 21 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Mattawan, Michigan One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 15, 2007

Spc. Benjamin J. Ashley 22 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division Independence, Montana Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Balad, Iraq, on May 24, 2007

Sgt. Corey J. Aultz 31 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Port Orchard, Washington One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on January 30, 2007

Pfc. Jeffrey A. Avery 19 571st Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade Colorado Springs, Colorado Died from wounds suffered when a homemade bomb exploded during checkpoint operations in Muquadadiya, Iraq, on April 23, 2007

1st Lt. Andrew J. Bacevich 27 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Walpole, Massachusetts Killed by a bomb during combat patrol operations in Salah Ad Din Province, Iraq, on May 13, 2007

Pvt. William L. Bailey III 29 755th Chemical Reconnaissance/
Decontamination Company, Nebraska Army National Guard Bellevue, Nebraska Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle in Taji, Iraq, on May 25, 2007

Cpl. Zachary D. Baker 24 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Vilonia, Arkansas One of five soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by roadside bomb in Abu Sayda, Iraq, on May 28, 2007

Pfc. Michael C. Balsley 23 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Hayward, California One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 25, 2007

Sgt. Jeremy D. Barnett 27 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Mineral City, Ohio Died February 24, 2007 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained from a landmine detonation in Dujail, Iraq, on February 21, 2007

Sgt. William J. Beardsley 25 260th Quartermaster Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Troop Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division Coon Rapids, Minnesota Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Diwaniya, Iraq, on February 26, 2007

Spc. David W. Behrle 20 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Tipton, Iowa One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 19, 2007

Spc. Ryan M. Bell 21 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Colville, Washington One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq, on March 5, 2007

Staff Sgt. David R. Berry 37 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, Kansas Army National Guard Wichita, Kansas Killed when his vehicle was truck by a roadside bomb in Qasim, Iraq, on February 22, 2007

Cpl. Ray M. Bevel 22 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Andrews, Texas Killed when a homemade bomb exploded near his unit during combat patrol operations in Yusifiya, Iraq, on April 21, 2007

Spc. Ryan A. Bishop 32 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Euless, Texas Died of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb exploded while he was on dismounted patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 14, 2007

Spc. Jeffrey D. Bisson 22 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Vista, California One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee in Karma, Iraq, on January 20, 2007

Spc. Clinton C. Blodgett 19 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Pekin, Indiana Died when the vehicle he was in struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 26, 2007

Pfc. Kyle G. Bohrnsen 22 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Philipsburg, Montana Died of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 10, 2007

Pfc. John G. Borbonus 19 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Boise, Idaho One of two soldiers killed when their patrol encountered a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 12, 2007

Sgt. 1st Class Russell P. Borea 38 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division El Paso, Texas Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee during combat operations in Mosul, Iraq, on January 19, 2007

Pfc. Brian A. Botello 19 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Alta, Iowa One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 29, 2007

Pfc. Matthew C. Bowe 19 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Coraopolis, Pennsylvania One of three soldiers killed when the vehicle they were in was struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 19, 2007

Spc. William G. Bowling 24 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Beattyville, Kentucky One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghad, Iraq, on April 1, 2007

Sgt. Larry R. Bowman 29 513th Transportation Company, 57th Transportation Battalion, 593rd Corps Support Group Granite Falls, North Carolina Died of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 13, 2007

Spc. Joshua M. Boyd 30 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Seattle, Washington Died on March 14, 2007, at Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit in Samarra, Iraq, on March 5, 2007

2nd Lt. Jonathan Carlos Bracho-Cooke 24 Company C, 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment Hove, England Died of injuries sustained during a roadside bomb attack against his patrol of Warrior Armored Fighting Vehicles in Basra, Iraq, on February 5, 2007

Sgt. Emerson N. Brand 29 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Rigby, Idaho One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 15, 2007

Sgt. 1st Class Christopher R. Brevard 31 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Phoenix, Arizona Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 16, 2007

Staff Sgt. Harrison Brown 31 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Prichard, Alabama One of two soldiers killed when their unit came in contact with enemy forces using a homemade bomb and small arms fire in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 8, 2007

Spc. Nicholas P. Brown 24 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Huber Heights, Ohio Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Mosul, Iraq, on January 22, 2007

Sgt. 1st Class Scott J. Brown 33 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Windsor, Colorado One of two soldiers killed when their unit came in contact with enemy forces using a roadside bomb and small-arms fire in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 18, 2007

Pfc. Travis W. Buford 23 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Galveston, Texas One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on February 22, 2007

Staff Sgt. Jerry C. Burge 39 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Carriere, Mississippi One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Taji, Iraq, on April 4, 2007

Sgt. William W. Bushnell 24 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Jasper, Arkansas Died of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by a rocket propelled grenade during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 21, 2007

Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr. 27 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Penfield, New York One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit in Ramadi, Iraq, on May 23, 2007

Spc. Jonathan D. Cadavero 24 Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Tuxedo, New York One of three soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 27, 2007

Pfc. Daniel P. Cagle 22 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Carson, California One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit in Ramadi, Iraq, on May 23, 2007

Spc. Mark R. C. Caguioa 21 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Stockton, California Died on May 24, 2007 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, of wounds suffered when the vehicle he was in struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 4

Pfc. Jay S. Cajimat 20 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Lahaina, Hawaii Died of wounds suffered when a car bomb detonated near his unit in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 6, 2007

Sgt. 1st Class Keith A. Callahan 31 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division McClure, Pennsylvania Killed when a roadside bomb exploded while he was conducting a combat patrol south of Baghdad, Iraq, on January 24, 2007

Spc. Leeroy A. Camacho 28 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Saipan, Mariana Islands One of three soldiers that died of wounds from an explosion during breaching operations in Baquba, Iraq, on February 9, 2007

Cpl. Joseph H. Cantrell IV 23 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Ashland, Kentucky One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Taji, Iraq, on April 4, 2007

Sgt. Robert M. Carr 22 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Warren, Ohio Killed when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 13, 2007

Cpl. Brian L. Chevalier 21 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Athens, Georgia Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near him in Mufrek, Iraq, on March 14, 2007

Pfc. Adare W. Cleveland 19 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Anchorage, Alaska One of three soldiers killed when the vehicle they were in was struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 19, 2007

Spc. Ross A. Clevenger 21 321st Engineer Battalion Givens Hot Springs, Idaho One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit while on combat patrol in Karma, Iraq, on February 8, 2007

Pfc. James J. Coon 22 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Walnut Creek, California Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle in Balad, Iraq, on April 4, 2007

Sgt. John E. Cooper 29 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Ewing, Kentucky One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Mosul, Iraq, on January 15, 2007

Sgt. Wayne R. Cornell 26 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Holstein, Nebraska One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 20, 2007

Sgt. Richard V. Correa 25 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Honolulu, Hawaii One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their position during a dismounted patrol in Ilbu Falris, Iraq, on May 29, 2007

Sgt. Bacilio E. Cuellar 24 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Odessa, Texas One of three soldiers killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 30, 2007

Pfc. Branden C. Cummings 20 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Titusville, Florida Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations in Baquba, Iraq, on February 14, 2007

2nd Lt. Mark J. Daily 23 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Irvine, California One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Mosul, Iraq, on January 15, 2007

Spc. Ryan S. Dallam 24 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Norman, Oklahoma One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 6, 2007

Spc. Michael W. Davis 22 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division San Marcos, Texas One of three soldiers killed when multiple roadside bombs detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 21, 2007

Pfc. William N. Davis 26 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Adrian, Michigan One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 17, 2007

Pvt. Eleanor Dlugosz 19 Royal Army Medical Corps Southampton, England One of four British soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded underneath their Warrior Armored Vehicle during a early morning patrol west of Basra, Iraq, on April 5, 2007

Sgt. Allen J. Dunckley 25 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Yardley, Pennsylvania One of two soldiers killed when their unit came in contact with enemy forces using a homemade bomb and small arms fire in Salman Pak, Iraq, on May 14, 2007

Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham 36 1st Brigade Transition Team, attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Baltimore, Maryland One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 24, 2007

Sgt. Shawn M. Dunkin 25 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Columbia, South Carolina One of three soldiers killed when the vehicle they were in was struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 19, 2007

Sgt. Clayton G. Dunn II 22 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Moreno Valley, California One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Salah Ad Din province, Iraq, on May 26, 2007

Staff Sgt. Terrence D. Dunn 38 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Houston, Texas One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 2, 2007

2nd Lt. Joanna Yorke Dyer 24 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment Yeovil Somerset, England One of four British soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded underneath their Warrior Armored Vehicle during a early morning patrol west of Basra, Iraq, on April 5, 2007

Hospitalman Lucas W.A. Emch 21 1st Marine Logistics Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Kent, Ohio Killed when a roadside bomb exploded in his vicinity while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on March 2, 2007

Spc. Ebe F. Emolo 33 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Greensboro, North Carolina One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit in Zaganiya, Iraq, on April 7, 2007

Staff Sgt. Justin M. Estes 25 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Sims, Arkansas One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq, on March 5, 2007

Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing 22 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Phoenix, Arizona One of five soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by roadside bomb in Abu Sayda, Iraq, on May 28, 2007

Pfc. Nathan P. Fairlie 21 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Candor, New York Died of injuries suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle during combat operations in Baquba, Iraq, on January 26, 2007

Sgt. Sean P. Fennerty 25 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Corvallis, Oregon One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee in Karma, Iraq, on January 20, 2007

Spc. Wilfred Flores Jr. 20 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Lawton, Oklahoma Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 31, 2007

Pfc. Victor M. Fontanilla 23 725th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Stockton, California One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Iskandariya, Iraq, on May 17, 2007

Pfc. Walter Freeman Jr. 20 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Lancaster, California One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 4, 2007

Pfc. Daniel A. Fuentes 19 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Levittown, New York Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 6, 2007

Sgt. Alexander H. Fuller 21 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Centerville, Massachusetts One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 25, 2007

Sgt. Alexander J. Funcheon 21 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Bel Aire, Kansas One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 29, 2007

Sgt. Freeman L. Gardner Jr. 26 18th Engineer Company, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Little Rock, Arkansas Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit while on combat patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 22, 2007

Sgt. Mickel D. Garrigus 24 543rd Military Police Company, 91st Police Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division Elma, Washington Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat patrol in Taji, Iraq, on January 27, 2007

Pfc. Aaron D. Gautier 19 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Hampton, Virginia Died of wounds suffered when his mounted patrol came in contact with enemy forces using small-arms fire and a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 17, 2007

1st Lt. Kevin J. Gaspers 26 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Hastings, Nebraska One of nine soldiers killed when a homemade bomb exploded near their location in Sadah, Iraq, on April 23, 2007

Spc. Joseph A. Gilmore 26 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Webster, Florida One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 19, 2007

Sgt. Milton A. Gist Jr. 27 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division St Louis, Missouri One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on January 30, 2007

Spc. Curtis E. Glawson Jr. 24 610th Brigade Support Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Daleville, Alabama Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 20, 2007

Sgt. Christopher N. Gonzalez 25 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Winslow, Arizona One of two soldiers killed when their unit came in contact with enemy forces using a homemade bomb and small arms fire in Salman Pak, Iraq, on May 14, 2007

Pfc. Orlando E. Gonzalez 21 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division New Freedom, Pennsylvania One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baquba, Iraq, on March 25, 2007

Pvt. Mark W. Graham 22 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Lafayette, Louisiana Died on March 7, 2007, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit while on combat patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 2, 2007

Spc. Matthew T. Grimm 21 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Mosul, Iraq, on January 15, 2007

Sgt. Ryan P. Green 24 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Woodlands, Texas Died on March 18, 2007, in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit while on combat patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 15.

Pfc. Aaron M. Genevie 22 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Died of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 16, 2007

Pfc. Derek A. Gibson 20 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Eustis, Florida One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 4, 2007

Capt. Jonathan D. Grassbaugh 25 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division East Hampstead, New Hampshire One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit in Zaganiya, Iraq, on April 7, 2007

Spc. Marieo Guerrero 30 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Fort Worth, Texas Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 17, 2007

Staff Sgt. Joshua R. Hager 29 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Broomfield, Colorado One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on February 22, 2007

Staff Sgt. Marlon B. Harper 34 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Baltimore, Maryland Died of wounds suffered when he came in contact with enemy forces using a rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 21, 2007

Spc. Blake Harris 22 1st Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Pueblo, Colorado One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit in Baquba, Iraq, on March 5, 2007

Staff Sgt. Blake M. Harris 27 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Hampton, Georgia One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 15, 2007

Pfc. Nicholas S. Hartge 20 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Rome City, Indiana Died of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using grenades and a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 14, 2007

Pfc. Travis F. Haslip 20 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Ooltewah, Tennessee One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 19, 2007

Cpl. Lorne E. Henry Jr 21 Company A, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Niagara Falls, New York One of three soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 27, 2007 .

Pfc. Charles B. Hester 23 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), 2nd Infantry Division Cataldo, Idaho Died of wounds suffered when the vehicle he was in struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 26, 2007

Sgt. Glenn D. Hicks Jr. 24 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division College Station, Texas One of three soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb and small arms fire during combat operations in Salman Pak, Iraq, on April 28, 2007

Staff Sgt. Kristopher A. Higdon 25 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Odessa, Texas One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit in Taji, Iraq, on May 22, 2007

Pfc. Ryan J. Hill 20 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Keizer, Oregon Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 20, 2007

Pfc. Brian L. Holden 20 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Claremont, North Carolina One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 9, 2007

Sgt. James J. Holtom 22 321st Engineer Battalion Rexburg, Idaho One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit while on combat patrol in Karma, Iraq, on February 8, 2007

Spc. Levi K. Hoover 23 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Midland, Michigan One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit in Zaganiya, Iraq, on April 7, 2007

Sgt. Michael R. Hullender 29 1st Battalion, 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Little Falls, New Jersey Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit during combat patrol operations in Iskandariya, Iraq, on April 28, 2007

Spc. Michael J. Jaurigue 20 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Texas City, Texas One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Salah Ad Din province, Iraq, on May 26, 2007

Pfc. Allen B. Jaynes 21 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Henderson, Texas Killed when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle in Iraq on January 20, 2007

Maj. Alan R. Johnson 44 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion Yakima, Washington Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee in Muqdadiyah

Pvt. 1st Class Tomasz Jura 25 25th Air Cavalry Brigade Poland Killed when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb during a patrol in Diwaniya, Iraq, on April 20, 2007

Staff Sgt. Darrel D. Kasson 43 259th Security Forces Company, Arizona Army National Guard Florence, Arizona Died on March 4, 2007, in Tikrit, Iraq, of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle at Bayji, Iraq

Staff Sgt. Bradley D. King 28 2nd Battalion, 152nd Infantry Regiment, 76th Infantry Brigade Marion, Indiana Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations in Amiriya, Iraq, on April 2, 2007

Spc. Jerry R. King 19 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Browersville, Georgia One of nine soldiers killed when a homemade bomb exploded near their location in Sadah, Iraq, on April 23, 2007

Sgt. Jonathan P. C. Kingman 21 41st Engineer Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Nankin, Ohio Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baji, Iraq, on January 20, 2007

Pfc. David A. Kirkpatrick 20 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Upland, Indiana One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Falluja, Iraq, on April 27, 2007

Spc. Rhys W. Klasno 20 1114th Transportation Company, California Army National Guard Riverside, California Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Haditha, Iraq, on May 13, 2007

Pfc. Garrett C. Knoll 23 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Bad Axe, Michigan One of nine soldiers killed when a homemade bomb exploded near their location in Sadah, Iraq, on April 23, 2007

Pfc. Cory C. Kosters 19 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division The Woodlands, Texas One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq, on March 5, 2007

Staff Sgt. David C. Kuehl 27 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Wahpeton, North Dakota Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit in Taji, Iraq, on May 22, 2007

Sgt. Russell A. Kurtz 22 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Killed when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Falluja, Iraq, on February 11, 2007

Capt. Kevin C. Landeck 26 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Illinois One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 2, 2007

Pfc. John F. Landry Jr. 20 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Lowell, Massachusetts One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 17, 2007

Sgt. Thomas L. Latham 23 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Delmar, Maryland Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 11, 2007

Staff Sgt. Paul M. Latourney 28 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Roselle, Illinois One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle while on combat patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 2, 2007

Cpl. Ben Leaning 24 The Queen's Royal Lancers Scunthorpe, England One of two British soldiers killed when their Scimitar Armoured Reconnaissance vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb while providing protection for a convoy in Maysan province, Iraq, on April 19, 2007

Sgt. Nicholas J. Lightner 29 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Newport, Oregon Died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. on March 21, 2007, of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit while on combat patrol on March 15, 2007, in Baghdad, Iraq

Spc. James T. Lindsey 20 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Florence, Alabama Died of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 12, 2007

Staff Sgt. Kenneth E. Locker Jr. 28 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Wakefield, Nebraska One of nine soldiers killed when a homemade bomb exploded near their location in Sadah, Iraq, on April 23, 2007

Senior Airman Elizabeth A. Loncki 23 775th Civil Engineer Squadron New Castle, Delaware One of three airmen killed when a car bomb exploded while performing duties in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 7, 2007

Spc. James E. Lundin 20 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Bellport New York One of three soldiers killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 30, 2007

Spc. Ronnie G. Madore Jr. 34 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division San Diego, California One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baquba, Iraq, on February 14, 2007

Cpl. Jonathan A. Markham 22 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Bedford, Texas Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his dismounted position in Abu Sayda, Iraq, on May 29, 2007

Pfc. Chad E. Marsh 20 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Wichita, Kansas Died of wounds suffered when a grenade detonated near him during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 18, 2007

Sgt. Randell T. Marshall 22 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Fitzgerald, Georgia One of nine soldiers killed when a homemade bomb exploded near their location in Sadah, Iraq, on April 23, 2007

Staff Sgt. Jay E. Martin 29 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Baltimore, Maryland One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 29, 2007

Sgt. Anselmo Martinez III 26 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Robstown, Texas One of three soldiers killed when their unit came in contact with enemy forces using a roadside bomb in Tahrir, Iraq, on May 18, 2007

Sgt. Randy J. Matheny 20 1074th Transportation Company McCook, Nebraska Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 4, 2007

Pvt. Barry W. Mayo 21 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Ecru, Mississippi One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit in Baquba, Iraq, on March 5, 2007

Pfc. Rodney L. McCandless 21 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Camden, Arkansas One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit in Zaganiya, Iraq, on April 7, 2007

Spc. Marquis J. McCants 23 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division San Antonio, Texas One of two soldiers killed when their unit came in contact with enemy forces using a roadside bomb and small-arms fire in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 18, 2007

Spc. Sean K. McDonald 21 9th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Rosemount, Minnesota Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 25, 2007

Sgt. Robert M. McDowell 30 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Deer Park, Texas One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghad, Iraq, on April 1, 2007

Staff Sgt. Thomas M. McFall 36 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), 2nd Infantry Division Glendora, California One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their position during a dismounted patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 28, 2007

Sgt. Phillip D. McNeill 22 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Sunrise, Florida One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee in Karma, Iraq, on January 20, 2007

Sgt. Jean P. Medlin 27 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Pelham, Alabama One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 19, 2007

Staff Sgt. David A. Mejias 26 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division San Juan, Puerto Rico One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghad, Iraq, on April 1, 2007

Spc. Gregory N. Millard 22 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division San Diego, California One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Salah Ad Din province, Iraq, on May 26, 2007

Senior Airman Daniel B. Miller Jr 24 775th Civil Engineer Squadron Galesburg, Illinois One of three airmen killed when a car bomb exploded while performing duties in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 7, 2007 .

Sgt. Robert J. Montgomery Jr. 29 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Scottsburg, Indiana Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his unit in Al Jabour, Iraq, on May 22, 2007

Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore 28 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Alpaugh, California One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 19, 2007

Pfc. Joshua M. Moore 20 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Russellville, Kentucky One of three soldiers killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 30, 2007

Staff Sgt. William C. Moore 27 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Benson, North Carolina One of nine soldiers killed when a homemade bomb exploded near their location in Sadah, Iraq, on April 23, 2007

Sgt. Ashly L. Moyer 21 630th Military Police Company, 793rd Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade Emmaus, Pennsylvania One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 3, 2007

Maj. Michael L. Mundell 47 1st Brigade, 108th Division (Institutional Training) Brandenburg, Kentucky Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations in Fallujah, Iraq, on January 5, 2007

Spc. Casey W. Nash 22 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Baltimore, Maryland One of three soldiers killed when their unit came in contact with enemy forces using a roadside bomb in Tahrir, Iraq, on May 18, 2007

1st Lt. Phillip I. Neel 27 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Maryland Died of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using grenades in Balad, Iraq, on April 8, 2007

Pfc. Christopher M. North 21 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Sarasota, Florida Died of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using a homemade bomb and small arms fire during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 21, 2007

Cpl. Jason Nunez 22 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Naranjito, Puerto Rico One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baquba, Iraq, on March 25, 2007

Cpl. Wade J. Oglesby 27 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Grand Junction, Colorado One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Taji, Iraq, on April 18, 2007

Spc. Toby R. Olsen 28 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Manchester, New Hampshire One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee in Karma, Iraq, on January 20, 2007

Cpl. Kris O'Neill 27 Royal Army Medical Corps Catterick, Yorkshire, England One of four British soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded underneath their Warrior Armored Vehicle during a early morning patrol west of Basra, Iraq, on April 5, 2007

Pfc. Jay-D H. Ornsby-Adkins 21 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Ione, California One of three soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb and small arms fire during combat operations in Salman Pak, Iraq, on April 28, 2007

Capt. Anthony Palermo 26 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Brockton, Massachusetts One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 6, 2007

Sgt. Steven M. Packer 23 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Clovis, California Died of wounds suffered when his dismounted patrol encountered a roadside bomb in Rushdi Mullah, Iraq, on May 17, 2007

Sgt. Brandon A. Parr 25 630th Military Police Company, 793rd Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade West Valley, Utah One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 3, 2007

Sgt. Michael C. Peek 23 630th Military Police Company, 793rd Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade Chesapeake, Virginia One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 3, 2007

Sgt. Andrew C. Perkins 27 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Northglenn, Colorado One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq, on March 5, 2007

Sgt. Brice A. Pearson 32 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Phoenix, Arizona One of nine soldiers killed when a homemade bomb exploded near their location in Sadah, Iraq, on April 23, 2007

Spc. Coty J. Phelps 20 725th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Kingman, Arizona One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Iskandariya, Iraq, on May 17, 2007

Staff Sgt. Terry W. Prater 25 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Speedwell, Tennessee One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 15, 2007

Cpl. Cody A. Putnam 22 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Lafayette, Indiana One of two soldiers killed when their patrol encountered a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 12, 2007

Spc. Shawn P. Rankinen 28 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Independence, Missouri One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 7, 2007

Spc. William J. Rechenmacher 24 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division Jacksonville, Florida Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 18, 2007

Sgt. James J. Regan 26 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Manhasset, New York Killed when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb during combat operations in northern Iraq on February 9, 2007

Pfc. Stephen K. Richardson 22 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Bridgeport, Connecticut One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 20, 2007

Pfc. Nicholas E. Riehl 21 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Shiocton, Wisconsin Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit during combat patrol in Falluja, Iraq, on April 27, 2007

Spc. James D. Riekena 22 145th Brigade Support Battalion Redmond, Washington Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 14, 2007

Sgt. Greg N. Riewer 30 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division Frazee, Minnesota Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee during combat operations in Habbaniya, Iraq, on March 23, 2007

Spc. Brian E. Ritzberg 24 977th Military Police Company, 97th Military Police Battalion, 1st Infantry Division Long Island, New York Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit during combat operations in Kirkuk, Iraq, on April 2, 2007

Spc. Michael D. Rivera 22 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Brooklyn, New York One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 7, 2007

Sgt. John D. Rode 24 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Pineville, North Carolina One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baquba, Iraq, on February 14, 2007

Pvt. Damian Lopez Rodriguez 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Tucson, Arizona One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 6, 2007

Spc. Luis O. Rodriguez-Contrera 22 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Allentown, Pennsylvania One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle while on combat patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 2, 2007

Spc. Michael J. Rodriguez 20 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Sanford, North Carolina One of nine soldiers killed when a homemade bomb exploded near their location in Sadah, Iraq, on April 23, 2007

Cpl. Michael M. Rojas 21 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Fresno, California One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Taji, Iraq, on April 18, 2007

Spc. Justin A. Rollins 22 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Newport, New Hampshire One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq, on March 5, 2007

Spc. Joshua G. Romero 19 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Crowley, Texas One of three soldiers killed when their unit came in contact with enemy forces using a roadside bomb in Tahrir, Iraq, on May 18, 2007

Spc. Alexander Rosa Jr. 22 293rd Military Police Company, 3rd Military Police Battalion Orlando, Florida Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle in Muqdadiya, Iraq, on May 25, 2007

Spc. Adam J. Rosema 27 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Pasadena, California Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during recovery operations south of Baquba, Iraq, on March 14, 2007

Staff Sgt. Eric Ross 26 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Kenduskeag, Maine One of three soldiers that died of wounds from an explosion during breaching operations in Baquba, Iraq, on February 9, 2007

Spc. Ryan D. Russell 20 1st Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Elm City, North Carolina One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit in Baquba, Iraq, on March 5, 2007

Pfc. Jon B. St. John II 25 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Neenah, Wisconsin One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during convoy operations in Taji, Iraq, on January 27, 2007

Pfc. Junior Cedeno Sanchez 20 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), 2nd Infantry Division Miami, Florida One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their position during a dismounted patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 28, 2007

Sgt. Paul T. Sanchez 32 543rd Military Police Company, 91st Military Police Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division Irving, Texas Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle on January 14, 2007, in Baghdad, Iraq

Staff Sgt. Ronnie L. Sanders 26 407th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Thibodaux, Louisiana Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feburary 3, 2007

Sgt. Ed Santini 25 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Toa Baja, Puerto Rico One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 17, 2007

Sgt. Joshua A. Schmit 26 1451st Transportation Company, 13th Support Command Willmar, Minnesota One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Falluja, Iraq, on April 14, 2007

Spc. Collin R. Schockmel 19 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Richwood, Texas Died of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using grenades during security and observation operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on January 16, 2007

Sgt. Jason A. Schumann 23 A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Hawley, Minnesota Died of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle near Diwaniya, Iraq, on May 19, 2007

Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin L. Sebban 29 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Chattanooga, Tennessee Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit in Baquba, Iraq, on March 17, 2007

Sgt. Carl L. Seigart 32 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division San Luis Obispo, California One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baquba, Iraq, on February 14, 2007

Sgt. Raymond S. Sevaaetasi 29 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Pago Pago, American Samoa Died of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 11, 2007

Spc. Jason A. Shaffer 28 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Derry, Pennsylvania Died of wounds suffered when a car bomb detonated near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle in Baquba, Iraq, on April 5, 2007

Cpl. Stephen D. Shannon 21 397th Engineer Battalion Guttenberg, Iowa Died of wounds suffered when his vehicle was hit by a rocket during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on January 30, 2007

Staff Sgt. Alan W. Shaw 31 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Little Rock, Arkansas One of three soldiers that died of wounds from an explosion during breaching operations in Baquba, Iraq, on February 9, 2007

Pfc. Darrell W. Shipp 25 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division San Antonio, Texas Died of injuries suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 25, 2007

Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker 31 1st Brigade Transition Team, attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Sweet Springs, Montana One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 24, 2007

Pfc. David N. Simmons 20 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Kokomo, Indiana One of two soldiers killed when their unit came in contact with enemy forces using a homemade bomb and small arms fire in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 8, 2007

Pvt. Luke Daniel Simpson 21 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment Howden, England Died of injuries sustained when the vehicle he was driving was hit by a roadside bomb in southern Iraq on February 9, 2007

Sgt. Todd A. Singleton 24 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Muskegon, Michigan Died of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using a homemade bomb and small arms fire in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 8, 2007

Spc. Erich S. Smallwood 23 Company A, 875th Engineer Battalion, Arkansas Army National Guard Trumann, Arkansas Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle near Balad, Iraq, on May 26, 2007

Kingsman Adam James Smith 19 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment Isle of Man, England One of four British soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded underneath their Warrior Armored Vehicle during a early morning patrol west of Basra, Iraq, on April 5, 2007

Spc. Ismael G. Solorio 21 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division San Luis, Arizona One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 9, 2007

Sgt. Richard A. Soukenka 30 Company A, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Oceanside, California One of three soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 27, 2007

Pvt. Cole E. Spencer 21 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Gays, Illinois One of three soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb and small arms fire during combat operations in Salman Pak, Iraq, on April 28, 2007

Spc. Lance C. Springer II 23 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Fort Worth, Texas Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit while on combat patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 23, 2007

Spc. Curtis R. Spivey 25 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Chula Vista, California Died in San Diego, California, on April 2, 2007, of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on September 6, 2006

Staff Sgt. Robert M. Stanley 27 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Spotsylvania, Virginia One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq, on March 5, 2007

Pfc. Lucas V. Starcevich 25 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Canton, Illinois Died of wounds sustained when the vehicle he was in struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 16, 2007

Spc. Brandon L. Stout 23 46th Military Police Company, Michigan Army National Guard Grand Rapids, Michigan Died of wounds suffered when an explosively formed projectile detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 22, 2007

Cpl. James E. Summers III 21 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Bourbon, Missouri One of five soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by roadside bomb in Abu Sayda, Iraq, on May 28, 2007

Cpl. Timothy A. Swanson 21 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division San Antonio, Texas One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during convoy operations in Taji, Iraq, on January 27 , 2007

Sgt. Jason W. Swiger 24 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division South Portland, Maine One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baquba, Iraq, on March 25, 2007

Spc. Eddie D. Tamez 21 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Galveston, Texas One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Falluja, Iraq, on April 27, 2007

Pvt. Michael Tench 18 Company A, 2nd Battalion, The Light Infantry Sunderland, England Killed when his patrol was struck by a roadside bomb in Basra, Iraq, on January 21, 2007

Cpl. Victor H. Toledo Pulido 22 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Hanford, California One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Nahrawan, Iraq, on May 23, 2007

Pfc. David T. Toomalatai 19 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Neenah, Wisconsin One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during convoy operations in Taji, Iraq, on January 27, 2007

Spc. Francis M. Trussel Jr. 21 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Lincoln, Illinois Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his position in Tahrir, Iraq, on May 26, 2007

Trooper Kristen Turton 27 The Queen's Royal Lancers Grimsby, England One of two British soldiers killed when their Scimitar Armoured Reconnaissance vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb while providing protection for a convoy in Maysan province, Iraq, on April 19, 2007

Sgt. Thomas E. Vandling Jr. 26 303rd Psychological Operations Company, Army Reserve Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle while on combat patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 1, 2007

Pfc. Alexander R. Varela 19 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Fernley, Nevada One of six soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 19, 2007

Sgt. Michael L. Vaughan 20 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Otis, Oregon One of nine soldiers killed when a homemade bomb exploded near their location in Sadah, Iraq, on April 23, 2007

Sgt. Brandon L. Wallace 27 1451st Transportation Company, 13th Support Command St. Louis, Missouri One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Falluja, Iraq, on April 14, 2007

Pfc. Rowan D. Walter 25 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Winnetka, California One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on February 22, 2007

Pvt. Brett A. Walton 37 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Hillsboro, Oregon One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 9, 2007

Staff Sgt. Shannon V. Weaver 28 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Urich, Missouri One of three soldiers killed when multiple roadside bombs detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 21, 2007

Staff Sgt. Christopher R. Webb 28 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Winchester, California One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 7, 2007

Staff Sgt. Joseph M. Weiglein 31 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Audubon, New Jersey One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their position during a dismounted patrol in Ilbu Falris, Iraq, on May 29, 2007

Tech. Sgt. Timothy R. Weiner 35 775th Civil Engineer Squadron Tamarac, Florida One of three airmen killed when a car bomb exploded while performing duties in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 7, 2007

Pvt. Raymond M. Werner 21 321st Engineer Battalion Boise, Idaho One of three soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their unit while on combat patrol in Karma, Iraq, on February 8, 2007

1st Lt. Kile G. West 23 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Pasadena, Texas One of five soldiers killed when their vehicle was struck by roadside bomb in Abu Sayda, Iraq, on May 28, 2007

Pfc. Anthony J. White 21 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Columbia, South Carolina One of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Baquba, Iraq, on March 25, 2007

Spc. Doonewey White 26 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Milpitas, California Died on May 29, 2007, in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations on May 28 in Baghdad, Iraq

Kingsman Danny John Wilson 28 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment Workington, England Killed when his patrol came under small-arms fire near Basra Palace, a British Army base in Basra, Iraq, on April 1, 2007

Cpl. Jonathan D. Winterbottom 21 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Falls Church, Virginia One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Nahrawan, Iraq, on May 23, 2007

Sgt. Justin D. Wisniewski 22 Company A, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Standish, Michigan Killed when a roadside bomb detonated near his unit while searching for three missing soldiers near Lutifiya, Iraq, on May 19, 2007

Sgt. Daniel E. Woodcock 25 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Glennallen, Alaska Died of wounds suffered from a building explosion while on combat patrol in Ad Dawr, Iraq, on March 11, 2007

Pfc. Robert A. Worthington 19 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Jackson, Georgia One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their unit in Taji, Iraq, on May 22, 2007

Sgt. James M. Wosika Jr. 24 Company B, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard St. Paul, Minnesota Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit while on combat patrol in Falluja, Iraq, on January 9, 2007

Sgt. Gregroy A. Wright 28 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division Boston, Massachusetts Killed when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Muqdadiya, Iraq, on January 13, 2007

Spc. Christopher D. Young 20 Company C, 3rd Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard Los Angeles, California Died of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Safwan, Iraq, on March 2, 2007

Pfc. Casey P. Zylman 22 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Coleman, Michigan Killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Tal Afar, Iraq, on May 24, 2007

Again this is just a few names of the over 2,000 who have died from explosions.

When you consider how many suicides, homelessness and wounded, there appeared to be a huge difference between the two combat operations. Then I took a look at the numbers of those who died from bombs, car bombs, mortars and grenades. More than half of the deaths in Iraq have been caused by explosions. This would explain the residual effects of those around the explosions. We have thousands of cases of traumatic brain injury, PTSD is epidemic already and the survival rate is 7 wounded for every 1 killed. These numbers, as astonishing as they seem already, prove that this is just the beginning of what we can expect to see.

When you think of those who have died or lost limbs in these explosions, we do not tend to think about those who are in the area, witness it or have to take care of the aftermath of it. There are many people involved with explosions. The next factor is the civilian casualties they also come into contact with. With explosions there is no enemy to shoot at. There is nothing that can be done in retaliation.

This is not a war, or at least it is not supposed to be one with a clear enemy to fight, but an occupation. It is not a typical combat operation yet that is exactly how they have been treating it. The troops are not there to fight a conventional enemy but are in fact targets of an invisible evil.

It seems that Afghanistan is heading in the same direction. For all the talk about supporting the troops Congress has provided a lot of lip service and Bush has provided veto pens. We have not even begun to understand the full impact of this occupation. Look at the numbers and know this is going to be a lot worse than Vietnam ever was for the survivors.

Kathie Costos

Namguardianangel@aol.com

http://www.namguardianangel.org/

http://www.namguardianangel.blogspot.com/

http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington