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« Know your mass murderer: Nidal Malik Hasan | Main | Aftermath (part 2) »

November 6, 2009

The fallen

By Greyhawk

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*****

From a story on one of the soldiers wounded at Ft Hood: "Lunsford is in stable condition at the hospital in Temple, Tex., where hundreds waited in line to give blood for the wounded."


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First responders use a table as a stretcher to transport a wounded soldier to an awaiting ambulance at Fort Hood Nov. 5, 2009. U.S. Army photo.

Staff Sgt. Joy Clark, 27, was standing in line when shots rang out, says her father, Jerry Nelson of Des Moines.

"She heard some noise and the soldier in front of her went down," he says. She tore off her jacket and knelt to apply it to his wound.

"That's when she got shot," Nelson says. The bullet tore through her left forearm and broke two bones. A soldier for seven years who was a medic before becoming an occupational therapist, his daughter reacted instinctively, Nelson says.

She was about to deploy to Afghanistan. Clark's husband, Josh Clark, drove all night to Temple, Texas, where his wife is hospitalized, Nelson says. He and his wife, Danise, are flying to Texas today.

"I'm glad that she's alive ... and very disappointed for those who lost their lives," Nelson says.

Cpl. Nathan Hewitt was hit by two bullets as he led other soldiers out of the Fort Hood building during the rampage, says his uncle Rex Deaton, who spoke with him two hours after the shooting.

Deaton told USA TODAY that Hewitt described one bullet grazing his hip and another hitting his calf.

They are among the wounded. Some might say "lucky" - but others would disagree.

In an interview with CBS' "The Early Show", Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said soldiers caught in the hail of bullets at an on-base medical facility were "really remarkable in terms of their reaction."

Witnesses told Cone that the suspected gunman, military psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, walked into the Soldier Readiness Center and opened fire in a "very calm, measured approach." Thirteen people - 12 of them military personnel - were killed and at least 30 were injured.

One soldier, who was wounded four times, told Cone that when he was on the ground, he "made the mistake of moving," and was shot again.

But the carnage could have been worse if not for soldiers' reactions.

"As the shooter would change directions, the soldiers would scramble on the ground and try to help each other to carry each other outside the building," Cone told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith.
<...>
After realizing some of the soldiers were escaping, Cone said the gunman followed them outside where he continued to fire at them. He was eventually brought down by civilian police officer Kimberly Munley, who was the first responder on the scene. She shot the suspect four times while sustaining a gunshot wound herself, though she was in stable condition.

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First responders carry a victim to an ambulance during the deadly shooting on Fort Hood, Texas, Nov. 5, 2009. Thirteen people were killed and 30 were injured in the incident. DoD Video Screengrab.

*****

The toll may still rise:

W. Roy Smythe, head of surgery at Scott & White, said six of the wounded at the hospital remain in intensive care, while four have been moved to regular rooms. Smythe said the patients were shot in various parts of the body, and several had multiple gunshot wounds. Of the six still in intensive care, he said, two require additional surgery.

Although all the patients are stable at the moment, Smythe said, it was possible that the death toll could mount.

"I don't think there is an excellent chance that everyone will recover," he said. Several of the patients are "not at all out of the woods."

Names have not been officially released, but around the country family members have been notified. And the story isn't just about Ft Hood, it's about a cross-section of Americans - men, women, old, young - united by service to the country in which they fell. The youngest was 19, the oldest, 62. Many were health care professionals. One, 51-year old Russell Seager, was described by his uncle as a man who "joined the Army a few years back because he was a psychiatrist who wanted to help returning veterans adapt back to civilian life."

Their stories follow.

Chicago:

A woman from Chicago was one of the 13 people killed in a shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, on Thursday.

Pfc. Francheska Velez, 21, had just returned from Iraq because she was three months pregnant, according to her family. She had served in the Army for three years.

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Chicago:

An Army private first class from southwest suburban Bolingbrook was one of the 13 people killed in the rampage at Fort Hood, his family said.

Michael Pearson, 21, joined the Army slightly more than a year ago and was training to deactivate bombs, said his mother, Sheryll.
<...>
About 10 p.m., an Army surgeon called to say that Mike hadn't made it. He said doctors had brought Mike back to life twice on the operating table but were unsuccessful the third time.
<...>
She said she last talked to her son two days ago about him coming home for Christmas. She told him she had already gotten his room ready. She was particularly excited because she hadn't seen her son in a year. He had been training for a year in the Mojave Desert.

"He was always upbeat and looking forward to coming home," she said.
<...>
"He was the poster child of what any mother wanted in a son."

At Pearson's Bolingbrook family home on Friday, a yellow ribbon was tied to a porch light and a sticker stamped with American flags on the front door read, "United we stand."

"He was a genius as far as we were concerned," Kristopher Craig told CNN affiliate WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois, late Thursday, reeling from the news that his 21-year-old "little kid brother" was among the 12 soldiers and one civilian killed in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.

Pearson grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois, with two brothers and a sister. "He was really living his life playing guitar," Craig said. "When he picked up a guitar, we all understood that he was expressing himself."

Pearson enlisted in the Army more than a year ago so he could some day go to college to study music theory, his brother said. Basic training toughened him up and matured him, Craig said, adding, "Even though it's hard and it hurts, he loved every minute of it."

Pearson was scheduled to return home in a week or two to catch up with family and friends before deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan in January, his brother said.

"He was accepting the possibility of what might happen over there, but we were completely blindsided by this," Craig told WGN. "He didn't even get the chance to leave."

Utah:

A 19-year-old Utah man was killed in Thursday's massacre at Fort Hood, Texas.

Aaron Thomas Nemelka is among the dead, relatives at his family's West Jordan home confirmed.
<...>
Ogden native Joey Foster, 21, was shot in the hip, but is expected to recover.

More:

In a prepared statement, Michael and Teena Nemelka said they were "devastated" by their son's death but "so proud to have him serve our country in the military."

Nemelka is the youngest of four children. His aunt, Alesa Forrest, told the Deseret News that Nemelka was supposed to come home on leave during Christmas and planned to propose to his girlfriend before being deployed to Afghanistan in January.

"His family was everything to him," Forrest said.

The yard of Nemelka's West Jordan home was covered with at least two dozen American flags Friday morning. Numerous vehicles were parked in the driveway and along the street, including one with U.S. government license plates.

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Gloria Nemelka, grandmother of Aaron Thomas Nemelka, who was killed at Fort Hood, Texas, on Thursday, talks to reporters in front of the Nemelka home in West Jordan on Friday. Michael Nemelka hugs his daughter Bridget in the background. (Rick Egan / The Salt Lake Tribune)

Frantic over her brother as the night drew on, Ashlee Brewer sent a note to friends on Facebook. "We sit and stress and they can't tell us anything," Brewer wrote. "I guess I can take comfort in the fact he cannot possibly be injured because then I would know where he is."

She was right...

The West Jordan teenager, an Eagle Scout and the youngest of four children, had enlisted in the Army after graduating from West Jordan High School last year. He was a member of the 510th Engineering Company, 20th Infantry Battalion, 36th Engineering Brigade. He told his family and friends that he wanted to go to war so that he could help dismantle the powerful roadside bombs that have accounted for so many fellow soldiers' deaths.

His first combat tour was scheduled to begin in January. In December, family members said, he was planning to return home to propose to his girlfriend. "He was excited," said Lindsey Nemelka, his sister-in-law. "He had the ring."

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Aaron Nemelka and girlfriend Kristin Whittle

Wisconsin:

A second Wisconsin resident died in the shootings at Fort Hood in Texas, according to a family member.

Russell Seager, 51, of Racine was killed in the shootings, according to a person answering Seager's phone who said he was a relative. The family member declined to answer other questions and referred all other questions to public affairs officials with the military.

Family members of Amy Krueger of Kiel say she was also killed. The Army said 13 people were killed by a shooter on the Texas base Thursday afternoon.

State records indicate Seager was licensed as a registered nurse and advanced practice nurse prescriber.

More:

Seager's family received a call at around 12:00 a.m. Friday.

He was listed in the Army reserves as a mental health specialist, serving as a nurse who treated veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder at the Veteran's Administration hospital in Milwaukee.

His uncle says the 51-year old Seager "joined the Army a few years back because he was a psychiatrist who wanted to help returning veterans adapt back to civilian life."


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Detectives assigned to the Fort Hood Directorate of Emergency Sevices respond Nov. 5, 2009, to a shooter barricaded in the post's deployment readiness center. Thirteen people died and 30 more were wounded in the incident. U.S. Army photo

Also killed was 29-year-old Amy Krueger of Kiel. The injured included 23-year-old Army Reserve Spc. Grant Moxon of Lodi and 19-year-old Amber Bahr of Random Lake.
In Amy Krueger's home town:

Krueger, a sergeant with the Army Reserve's Madison-based 467th Medical Detachment, died in the shooting that left 12 other people dead and about 30 injured, including Random Lake native Amber Bahr, who was shot in the back, and 23-year-old Army Reserve Spc. Grant Moxon of Lodi who was shot in the leg.

Krueger was a 1998 graduate of Kiel High School and joined the military soon thereafter, principal Dario J. Talerico said.
<...>
Flags still stood at full staff at Kiel Veterans Memorial on a nearby bridge over the Sheboygan River.

A drive through Kiel's neighborhoods paints a picture of its patriotism: military banners flew beneath Old Glory outside a number of homes.

Talerico said Krueger's years of service alone showed her love of country. And sentiment was evident from neighbors on a signboard outside the 11th Frame Sports bar in nearby New Holstein that read, "In memory of Amy Krueger."

"She was very proud to serve in the military," Talerico said.

Friends share memories of Kiel woman killed at Fort Hood:

Krueger, a sergeant with the Madison-based 467th Medical Detachment, had arrived at Fort Hood on Tuesday and was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan in December, said her mother, Jeri Krueger. She had previously spent three months in Afghanistan in 2002.

Amy Krueger and a friend, Kristin Thayer, went to a recruiter to enlist together the day after Sept. 11, 2001, Thayer said.

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Post police take cover when a gunman fires shots at the Fort Hood Soldier Readiness Processing Center Nov. 5, 2009. U.S. Army photo.

Oklahoma

A Tipton soldier killed Thursday during a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, was a quiet boy who thought the military would help him grow into a man, his family said Friday.

Spc. Jason Dean Hunt, 22, was one of 12 soldiers killed when a gunman opened fire at a soldier readiness center on the post.
<...>
"He never gave his mother one minute of heartache in his whole school life," Smith said. "He was a good student. He was so embarrassed if someone thought he did something wrong."

Hunt was married two months ago, Smith said. His wife, Jenna, was finishing a class in Oklahoma City and planned to move to Fort Hood, where Hunt recently bought a home.

Leila Willingham, Hunt's sister, said one of the family's fondest memories was when Hunt's mother, Gale Hunt, had to drive to the high school and give her permission for him to sit out of a cat dissection for a science class because he didn't feel right about it.

Hunt joined the Army a year after graduating from Tipton High School and served for three and a half years, including a tour in Iraq, where he celebrated his 21st birthday.

Willingham recalled her brother once likened his feelings for his military family to the love a parent feels for their children.

"He said, 'I would die for your children.' He said, 'I would die for a stranger to save them.' And he said he would dive in front of a bullet for a soldier."

Hunt, who was stationed in Fort Stewart in Georgia after high school, transferred to Fort Hood to be closer to his family.

Texas:

A Cameron man was among the 13 fatalities from yesterday's shooting at Fort Hood. Mike Cahill, who worked as a physician's assistant for Dr. Sid Richardson from 1997 until 2000, and who stilled lived in Cameron, was killed during the Thursday afternoon incident.

The alleged shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, is blamed for the deaths of 13 soldiers and one civilian, military officials said.

Another 30 people were wounded in the incident. About half of them required surgery, and all were in stable condition Friday morning, said Col. Steven Braverman, hospital commander at Fort Hood.

If early reports are correct, Michael Grant Cahill, a 62-year old physician's assistant, was the only civilian killed in the murder spree. Cahill was formerly a resident of Spokane, and leaves behind his wife, Joleen, three children, Keely, Kerry, and Jaime, and a grandson, Brody.

mikecahill.jpg

...and Washington:

SPOKANE, Wash. -- A Spokane native was among those killed during a rampage at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas.

Michael Grant Cahill, 62, was a physician assistant who worked at the base as a contracted civilian.

His daughter, Keely Cahill Vanacker, said Cahill was among 13 killed in the shooting spree.

Michael Cahill graduated from Spokane's Rogers High School in the 1960s and Eastern Washington University in 1973.

Cahill suffered a heart attack two weeks ago, but had already returned to work. He and his wife, Joleen, had been married 37 years.

The family's typical Thanksgiving dinners ended with board games and long conversations over the table, said Vanacker, whose voice often cracked with emotion as she remembered her father. "Now, who I am going to talk to?"

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SWAT team members approach a building with a gunman inside. Thirteen people were killed and 30 more wounded in an attack by a lone gunman at Fort Hood, Texas, Nov. 5, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jason R. Krawczyk

California:

SAN DIEGO -- A county government employee who recently deployed with the Army was among those killed Thursday at Fort Hood in Texas.

John Gaffaney, a supervisor in the county's Adult Protective Services department, was one of 13 people killed when Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire in a crowded medical building. Thirty others were injured, making it the nation's worst-ever attack on a stateside military base.

Gaffaney was 56 and lived in Serra Mesa.

gaffaney.jpg

Capt. John Gaffaney, US Army Reserve, was a North Dakota native who had also served in the Navy and the California National Guard.

Minnesota:

A young St. Paul man who loved fishing in the St. Croix River with his brother was one of the 13 people shot and killed Thursday in the attacks at Fort Hood.

Specialist Kham Xiong, 23, had been at Fort Hood for five months preparing for a New-Year's deployment, according to his family.

His relatives said he was in line waiting for a physical.

His wife Shoua texted him a message saying, "Come home for lunch and go back later."

But he wrote back, "No, I'll stay. It's almost my turn."

Moments later he was shot.

Xiong's father Chor Xiong is upset none of the soldiers were armed. Only police are allowed to carry weapons on base.

Chor Xiong said, "The sad part is he had been taught and trained to protect and fight, yet it's a tragedy he didn't have the chance to protect himself at the base."

The Xiongs have a history of serving the U.S. in war.

Kham Xiong's 18-year-old brother Nelson is a marine in Afghanistan.

Chor Xiong is from Laos and fought the Vietnamese alongside the CIA in 1972.

Kham is survived by his wife, three children and ten siblings.

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Emergency personnel carry a victim to an ambulance in the deadly shooting on Fort Hood, Texas, Nov. 5, 2009. Thirteen people were killed and 30 others were injured in the rampage. DoD Video Screengrab.

Pennsylvania:

Juanita Warman, 55, a military physicians's assistant, was among the 13 people who have died so far, said her sister, Margaret Yaggie of Roaring Branch, Pa.

Ms. Warman attended Pittsburgh Langley High School and put herself through school at the University of Pittsburgh, her sister said. She had spent most of her career in the military. The family was notified of her death early this morning.

Ms. Warman had two daughters and six grandchildren, her sister said.

According to this story Warman was "originally from Pittsburgh, but she lived in Maryland in the Havre De Grace area for the last ten years."

"I am so excited to be leaving the country again soon. Just now got a few minutes. So much to do, so many lives to touch. Just wish it didn't take me away from home so much."

- Psychiatric nurse practitioner Lt. Col. Juanita Warman, in her final Facebook entry hours before she was murdered by Nidal Hassan. "Warman had been at Fort Hood for only 24 hours to be processed for duty in Iraq, a deployment for which she had volunteered."

LtC Warman is survived by her husband, two daughters, three stepchildren and eight grandchildren, her mother and six siblings.

Indiana:

The family of an Indiana soldier said they were told Friday that their son was among 13 people killed in the shootings at Fort Hood.

The father of Staff Sgt. Justin M. DeCrow, 32, of Plymouth, told WSBT-TV in South Bend that representatives from the Army visited the family on Friday to tell them of DeCrow's death.

After 13 years in the Army, DeCrow, who was married and had a 13-year old daughter, was scheduled to be medically discharged:

...last month, Thompson said, DeCrow was told to report to work at Fort Hood until the paperwork for his medical discharge came through.

After anxious hours of trying to call her son and sending him text messages, Thompson received a call early Friday from her sobbing daughter-in-law. Justin had been shot. No, he wasn't one of the people in the hospital.

His wife said Friday night that she wanted everyone to know what a loving man he was. She paused frequently during a phone interview, crying as she talked about him.

"He was well loved by everyone," MaryKay DeCrow said. "He was a loving father and husband, and he will be missed by all."

DeCrow had been stationed at Fort Hood since returning from a year stationed in Korea, said his father, Daniel DeCrow of Fulton, Ind. Before that, DeCrow was stationed at Fort Gordon, Ga., where he and his wife and daughter had a home, his father said.

The family planned to live in Georgia after his discharge.

However,

CNN says his wife, Marikay DeCrow, said her husband went to Fort Hood in September to prepare for his deployment to Iraq. He was scheduled to deploy sometime between December and March.

Arizona:

L. Eduardo Caraveo arrived in this country as a young immigrant with a drive that helped transform him "from nothing to something."

Caraveo, 52, one of 13 people who died in the shooting rampage Thursday in Fort Hood, Texas, arrived in the United States in his teens from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, knowing very little English, according to his son, Eduardo Caraveo. By 1986 he'd earned his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Arizona.
<...>
Caraveo had just arrived at the post on Wednesday and was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan with a Wisconsin-based combat-stress-control unit, his son said during a phone interview from his mother's home in Tucson.

Caraveo had been in the Army National Guard for almost 10 years and was a major in the U.S. Army, his son said.

Caraveo moved from Mexico to the United States in the mid-1970s.

He graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with an undergraduate degree in 1979 before receiving his master's degree in counseling from the university in 1980, according to his Web site.

He came to Tucson from Lubbock, Texas, in 1984 and received his doctoral degree two years later.

Caraveo worked with bilingual special-needs students in the Tucson and Sunnyside unified school districts before entering private practice, his son said.

He also taught at Pima Community College's West Campus, his son said.

Tragically, more to follow



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A first responder to a lone gunman's attack at Fort Hood Nov. 5 renders honors at retreat after aiding his fellow soldiers. U.S. Army photo.



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Posted by Greyhawk / November 6, 2009 1:58 PM | Permalink

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TrackBack URL: http://www.mudvillegazette.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/16905

The New York Times original headline read 'Obama Reminds Nation of Military's Diversity' - but for whatever reason that's been rewritten to 'Obama Urges No 'Jump to Conclusions'. Fortunately, the first line of the story remains intact:WASHINGTON -- Pre... Read More

One of those emails going 'round, as they say. Believe it or not - and even if true, bear in mind it's one point of view. "This is what I saw," the author says, "It can't have been real. But this is my small corner of what happened." He saw a lot. Firs... Read More

Scheduled for 2PM Eastern. Fox News just (1:20) reported that the president's remarks will be approximately 15 minutes long, and "the White House is telling us that his speech will be 'somber and uplifting.'" The Washington Post reports that the event ... Read More

5 Comments

Dr. Russell Seager was an excellent man in every possible way. He was on his way overseas to help sick people become well. Odd how his specialty matched his alleged murderer's so well.

Among his other accomplishments in life, Dr. Seager was a college instructor well-loved and admired by his students in various health care fields.

He was my colleague and I had great respect for him.
He did not waste the life God granted him.

Condolences, Lloyd. He sounds like a truly incredible American, and a great loss.

God Bless the families of those killed and those wounded. How could they have known or expected this to happen. When you send loved ones to war you "brace" for the worst; but how could you have known or expected this to happen on our own soil...

robert stokely
proud dad SGT Mike Stokely
KIA 16 AUG 05 near Yusufiyah Iraq
USA E 108 CAV 48th BCT GAARNG

To all the family and friends of anyone killed at Fort Hood my deepest and heart felt sympothy. I know how this feels as I just buried my friend and family member Maj. David Audo. You are all in my prayers. We will never forget the sacrifice these soldiers gave for our freedom.

A salute to Maj Audo, who died Oct 27 in Baghdad. He leaves behind a wife and two children.

Leave a comment

Mrs G copy.png

November 18, 2009


Dawn Patrol 11/18/2009
[Mrs Greyhawk]
Bookmark and Share - via email, facebook, twitter, etc.

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.


Support Our Troops, Read Their Stories

----------------------------

AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN

Boondoggle -- [3rd Time, New Country - in Afghanistan]
I know I am a little late on posting to my blog, but I returned from a boondoggle out to Mazar-e-Sharif in the Northern provinces. I even have some pictures to post with this entry. First, let me recap last week. We did make a normal trip to NDS. It was actually a clear, cool morning which is a rarity here in Kabul. The pollution is so thick that it is very rare to see the distant mountains. So, here is a picture of the snow-capped mountains, west of Kabul. This picture was taken last Monday. I haven't seen the mountains since. Other than that, it was a normal week of mentoring. There are always little things to work on and improve in the OT. Friday was another violent day here in Kabul. The Taliban used a SVBIED outside Camp Phoenix a little before 0800. There were no American casualties, but there were injuries.

Clinton in Kabul for Karzai's inauguration -- [Foreign Policy - AfPak]
U.S. President Barack Obama reportedly told CNN today that he is "very close" to making a decision about whether to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan and plans to make an announcement "in the next several weeks," after more than two months of deliberations (Reuters, Reuters). Obama is reportedly angry about the stream of leaks that has come out about his Afghanistan decision, telling CBS, "For people to be releasing info in the course of deliberations is not appropriate" and said yes when asked if that is a "firing offense" (CBS, Politico). Meanwhile

The war of leaks -- [Foreign Policy - AfPak]
The Obama Administration's social media prowess has been a novelty among latter day political media machines. It helped to crowd-source the campaign funding needed to put Barack Obama in the White House, and generated a populist gloss that was, at the time, convincingly fresh and transparent. What was equally admirable was its apparent internal discipline over when information made the transition from government secret to press release. Controlling the flow of data and keeping secrets secret is a challenge under any circumstance. Combine that with a predilection for Facebook and Twitter, and a hyperactive security officer might expect policy waters to muddy more quickly than they would under normal circumstances.
So when U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry's expressed his "discomfort" last week over a possible troop surge, via diplomatic cable to Washington, it's no wonder that the message ended up dominating headlines.

Ridding Afghanistan of Corruption Will Be No Easy Task -- [Los Angeles Times]
Afghans have a name for the huge, gaudy mansions that have sprung up in Kabul's wealthy Sherpur neighborhood since 2001. They call them "poppy palaces." The cost of building one of these homes, which are adorned with sweeping terraces and ornate columns, can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many are owned by government officials whose formal salaries are a few hundred dollars a month. To the capital's jaded residents, there are few more potent symbols of the corruption that permeates every level of Afghan society, from the traffic policemen who shake down motorists to top government officials and their relatives who are implicated in the opium trade.

Afghan Minister Accused of Taking Bribe -- [Washington Post]
The Afghan minister of mines accepted a roughly $30 million bribe to award the country's largest development project to a Chinese mining firm, according to a US official who is familiar with military intelligence reports. The allegation, if proved true, would mark one of the most brazen examples of corruption yet disclosed in a country where the problem has become so pervasive that it is now at the heart of Obama administration doubts over Afghan President Hamid Karzai's reliability as a partner.

Vision for Victory, Part I -- [Washington Times]
The news from Afghanistan all year has been dispiriting, and the last few weeks have been especially tough in terms of the violence. Yet most foreign and Afghan officials and officers who I encountered on a recent weeklong visit sponsored by the U. military are guardedly optimistic about our prospects. How can this be so?

U.S. Turns to Local Guns-for-Hire to Guard Afghan Outpost -- [Danger Room - Noah Shachtman]
The U.S. military is turning to guns-for-hire to guard one of its outposts in Afghanistan. But Blackwaters of the world, take note: simply hiring former G.I.s or American cops or even Nepalese Gurkhas won't do the trick this time. At least half of the 50-man force has to come "from within a 50 kilometer radius" of the base, according to a contract solicitation issued by the U.S. Air Force. Over the summer, the American military signaled its interest in hiring an army of contractors to help handle security at as many as 50 outposts in Afghanistan. It's one of several efforts efforts designed to free up uniformed troops for combat and counterinsurgency work. Now, U.S. forces appear to be taking the first step towards building that country-wide private security force, by soliciting bids for a team that watch over Forward Operating Base Lightening, in Paktya province.

NATO Chief Confident Afghanistan Will Have More Troops -- [Voice of America]
The NATO secretary-general says he is confident the United States and other NATO allies will send more troops to Afghanistan, where insurgent attacks have surged in recent months. He spoke at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Meeting in Edinburgh, where Britain's foreign secretary outlined the strategy his nation would support.

Germany to extend Afghanistan mission another year -- [AP]
Germany will extend its mission in Afghanistan for another year, the government said Wednesday, despite the growing unpopularity of the war at home



Pakistani Successes May Sway US Troop Decision -- [New York Times]
A month after the Pakistani military began its push into the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, militants appear to have been dispersed, not eliminated, with most simply fleeing. That recurring pattern illustrated the problems facing the Obama administration as it enters its final days of a decision on its strategy for Afghanistan. Success in this region, in the remote mountains near the Afghan border, could have a direct bearing on how many more American troops are ultimately sent to Afghanistan, and how long they must stay. Pakistan has shown increased willingness to tackle the problem, launching sweeping operations in the north and west of the country this year, but

Where are Taliban and al Qaeda commanders, US media asks Pak -- [Daily News & Analysis]
Washington: A day after senior Pakistani army commanders claimed that their forces have captured all major towns and population centres of the extremist-ridden South Waziristan, Taliban and foreign militants appear to have disappeared and not been eliminated.

Pakistani Army Shows Off Captured Taliban Posts -- [Washington Post]
A toy car booby-trapped with explosives, chemistry textbooks and handwritten case files from a Taliban court were among the debris left behind by fleeing Islamist militants in this remote village in the conflicted tribal region of South Waziristan. The now-deserted village, which was retaken by Pakistani army forces two weeks ago and visited by Western journalists on Tuesday for the first time since, had been a stronghold of Taliban forces for nearly five years.


IRAQ

Iraqi Kurds Warn of Election Boycott in Dispute Over Seats - [Washington Post]
Kurdish officials threatened Tuesday to boycott the upcoming national election in the three provinces they control in northern Iraq unless more parliament seats are allocated to the region. The threat came two days after Iraq's Sunni vice president said he would veto the election law passed last week unless more seats are set aside for representatives of Iraqi refugees. The majority of Iraqis abroad are Sunni. Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi has until Wednesday to veto the law, which legislators approved after weeks of wrangling, primarily over how the vote would be held in the disputed northern city of Kirkuk. The two ultimatums underscored the deep divisions among Iraqi politicians and raised fresh concerns about Iraq's ability to hold a credible election by Jan. 18.

Iraq's national elections in jeopardy as Sunni VP issues veto
-- [McClatchy News]
BAGHDAD -- Iraq's pivotal national elections were thrown back into turmoil and potential delay Wednesday after Vice President Tariq al Hashemi vetoed part of an election law and sent it back to parliament.

US has time to reconsider Iraq drawdown plan-Odierno -- [Reuters]
The US military does not have to decide until April or May whether to push back the end of its combat operations in Iraq due to...

A few words from medics for the 41st Brigade -- [The Oregonian]
I spent an hour or two last month with Oregon National Guard medics who are based at Al Asad Airbase, discussing a little of what they've observed since coming to Iraq this summer. The discussion, as you might think, covered issues in two categories: The physical and the mental. The Physical - CPT Scott Johnson of Newport, who is the highest-ranking soldier in the medical support unit at Al Asad, said that medics are seeing a significant share of orthopedic issues that stem from the heavy loads that soldiers carry. Even though the war has wound down considerably over the last few years, soldiers on convoys and at checkpoints still wear a lot of body armor and carry a lot of ammunition and weaponry, as much as 65 pounds or even more. Over time, even young soldiers experience increased stress on their joints from walking, running and jumping with that much gear.

Goodbye to Iraq, and thanks -- [The Oregonian]
The soldiers of Oregon's 41st Brigade are about halfway through their Iraq deployment, but I'm finally home after a gruelling passage through Kuwait and a misadventure or two. I said goodbye to my last acquaintance in the Oregon National Guard on Monday afternoon in Salt Lake City. SSG Tom McNeil of Central Point was peeling off to fly to Medford, close to his home in Central Point, while I continued on to Portland. Have a terrific Thanksgiving at home, Tom. Thanks to all the folks along the way, especially the soldiers of Oregon's 41st Brigade Combat Team, for the many kindnesses extended to me during my sojourn among them. This toast to you, and I'm starting with you two, since you challenged me to do this, Scott and Mike


U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

US, China in Strained Diplomatic Embrace -- [Wall Street Journal]
President Barack Obama was set to leave China on Wednesday after an awkward summit with some achievements but a long list of unfinished business - a result that suggests challenges ahead for the US as it struggles to come to terms with Asia's increasingly assertive superpower. The president secured a far-ranging framework for cooperation Tuesday with Beijing. But that deal was announced as frictions between the two nations appeared to increase over human rights and economic policy. President Obama and Chinese leader Hu Jintao issued their ambitious statement on cooperation in a clumsy fashion - at a media "availability" where they took no questions, didn't address each other and exhibited body language that seemed to say they had been frustrated by the entire exercise.

Obama: 'We've restored America's standing' -- [CNN]
A little more than a year after his election, President Obama said his administration has laid the groundwork for success on global and domestic matters. -- "I think that we've restored America's standing in the world

Somali Pirates : Maersk Alabama Attacked, Fights Back -- [Eagle Speak]
On the early morning of 18 November 2009, 350 nautical miles east from the Somali coast, pirates attacked MV Maersk Alabama, a US flagged, Danish owned, 155 meter long, Container ship.

Iranian COS Warns Russia: Your Security Is Tied To Ours -- [Memri Blog]
Iranian Army chief of staff Hassan Firouzabadi has warned Russia that delay in the supply of S-300 missile systems could harm Russia because its security is tied to that of Iran.




WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Suspected Fort Hood Shooter Believed to Be Self-Radicalized -- [Wall Street Journal]
Some lawmakers briefed Tuesday on the Fort Hood shooting said the suspect, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was most likely a self-radicalized extremist. The briefing for select members of Congress came as Republicans with oversight of national-security issues called on Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to open a full congressional inquiry into alleged government miscues in the case of Maj. Hasan. He is charged with murdering 13 people Nov. 5 on the sprawling US Army base where he served as a psychiatrist.

Guantánamo Won't Close by January, Obama Says -- [NY Times]
President Obama acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday that his administration would miss a self-imposed deadline to close the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, by mid-January, admitting the difficulties of following through on one of his first pledges as president.


SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

No Man Left Behind -- [Knottie's Niche]
We've all heard the military quote "No Man left behind" But it wasn't until last weekend as I sat listening to a veteran Marine talking to an Army Sgt about how the Army helicopter pilot who saved him and many others in Vietnam by flying in a hot zone repeatedly to save men that it hit home. The words took on a whole new meaning to me. When Micheal was killed the Army did not leave us behind. It started with a visit to tell us the news and they did not leave until there was no more they could do for us in that moment. Then there was the email to let us know no one else had been hurt from one of the medics. The Army did not leave us behind when they assigned us a causality assistance officer who walked us through each step, even offering to go to the store for us at any hour of the day if we needed anything at all. Then the emails, calls and instant message conversations from the men who served with Micheal began.

LTC Tim Karcher Update -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Wonderful update on LTC Tim Karcher, Commander of the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, wounded June 28 in Sadr City.
4 weeks later, after fighting for his life in Iraq, here in Germany, and at Walter Reed, the loss of both legs was the least of his problems:

Support SA while Christmas shopping this year! -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Through Soldiers' Angels, patriotic Americans can do their Holiday shopping or planning and support the troops at the same time!
The easiest way to do this is shop online at all your favorite stores. If you stop by GoodShop and Shop to Earn before you start, you can visit all your favorite online stores, purchase anything you want at the usual great prices, and a portion of what you spend will be donated to Soldiers' Angels--at no extra cost to you! On GoodShop, be sure you select Soldiers' Angels as the charity you are "GoodShopping for."

Trees for Troops: Helping Military Families -- [AdAge.com]
Military families. Transportation. Tree growers. Logistics. These seemingly incongruous words provide a case study in cause marketing.

FOX 5 Special: I-Team VA Loans -- [FOX News]


A FOX 5 I-Team investigation uncovered allegations of a nationwide scheme by banks and mortgage companies to defraud U.S. military veterans. The scheme, spelled out in court documents, claims banks are overcharging veterans on home refinancing loans.
The question raised in a racketeering and class action law suit is how many of those loans involved banks defrauding U.S. military veterans.



MILITARY

Muslim discrimination in the U.S. military. Not. -- [Castra Praetoria]
I'm done listening to any more bellyaching about how Muslims have it bad in the American military. It's a lie.
At this very moment there are American Muslims serving in our armed forces with valor. Muslim interpreters work along side us daily who aren't even American citizens and they have proven themselves as well. All these pansies wailing and moaning about discrimination against them because they are Muslims are not doing anyone any favors. Take it from a guy who has served along side Muslim Marines and Sailors in combat; worked with Jordanian and Iraqi interpreters in country; trained with Iraqi-Americans who have contributed to the effort by working as role players and training our troops in culture and language classes.

Time to revisit firearms policies on military posts -- [Atlanta Journal Constitution]
Just as legitimate questions were raised following the mass killings on the Virginia Tech campus in 2007, both military personnel and civilian citizens

Army's Record Suicide Rate 'Horrible,' General Says -- [Washington Post]
Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli on Tuesday called the Army's record suicide rate this year "horrible" and said the problem of soldiers taking their own lives is the toughest he has faced in his 37 years in service. As of Nov. 16, 140 soldiers on active duty and 71 soldiers not on active duty were suspected to have committed suicide. "We are almost certainly going to end the year higher than last year,"




WELCOME HOME

Veterans' descendants welcome troops home to Fort Campbell -- [Clarksville Leaf Chronicle]
Their day concluded with the Welcome Home ceremony for 80 soldiers who returned from a year in Afghanistan. "We are descendants of our country's first

'Greywolf' Among First CAV Troops to Return Home -- [DVIDS]
Once the buses arrived at Cooper Field, chants of "move that bus" were heard from Families waiting to welcome home their Soldiers. Tommy Tatum, from Kempner


THE MEDIA

Where are Taliban and al Qaeda commanders, US media asks Pak -- [Daily News & Analysis]
Washington: A day after senior Pakistani army commanders claimed that their forces have captured all major towns and population centres of the extremist-ridden South Waziristan, Taliban and foreign militants appear to have disappeared and not been eliminated.

Army officials said that they have killed as many as 550 Taliban militants a month after the military began its campaign into the lawless territory, yet they acknowledge that hundreds, perhaps thousands more have melted away.
As the offensive into the area, considered to be a sanctuary of al Qaeda and Taliban militants gained momentum, Boston Globe said, "Vast numbers of Taliban and foreign terrorists had disappeared into the vast desert scrub and craggy hills surrounding their strongholds of Sararogha and Ladha".
"Where are they? That's what bothers me," New York Times quoted a senior American intelligence officer as saying.




POLITICS

Republicans Criticize Obama's Call to Delay Hill Inquiries on Fort Hood -- [Washington Post]
The Obama administration's request that congressional committees slow their investigations of the Fort Hood shootings sparked denunciations Tuesday from Republicans on Capitol Hill, who pushed for an immediate inquiry of any warning signs before the massacre. House and Senate Republicans, emerging from the most detailed briefings given to Congress since the Nov. 5 attack killed 13 at the central Texas Army post, said delaying investigations would put off legislative efforts to give military officials the tools to prevent similar tragedies in the future. They said such an effort would not interfere with the criminal investigation of shooting suspect Nidal M. Hasan, an Army major who was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan.


Obama Approval Dips Below 50% For First Time
-- [Quinnipiac University]
Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Support For U.S. Troops In Afghanistan Drops Below 50% -- President Barack Obama's job approval rating is 48 - 42 percent, the first time he has slipped below the 50 percent threshold nationally ...


HUMOR / SATIRE

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