100% troop deaths: noncombat related

In the May 14, 2009 edition of the Washington Post on page A10, the names of seven dead American troops are listed. They all died as a result of "noncombat injuries."

Five of them were killed by the mentally-ill Army sergeant who shot and killed them May 11 at Camp Liberty in Baghdad.

Why do so many of our troops die from noncombat related reasons?

This morning NPR (and the Post) featured a story on three troop deaths due to electrocutions in "sewage showers." An engineer claimed that 90% of military electrical work done in Iraq was faulty. The inferior work has been attributed to KBR, formerly of Halliburton,Inc. Dick Cheney's old firm, whose public relation officer responded: "Us? No way. We are not to blame."

Is Patrick Tillman's death the only cover-up?

How do these numbers compare to those in other conflicts? Are soldiers rushed into combat so quickly they are not trained sufficiently? Does the Defense Department need numbers so badly that soldiers are sent to harm's way without adequate training about the deadly weapons they carry? The mentally ill carry them!

Does the Defense Department investigate these deaths and the reasons behind them?
What changes has the Defense Department implemented to stop them? Any?

Family members and taxpayers would like to know.

The five soldiers shot by their comrade were:

Spec. Jacob Barton, 20, Lenox, MO

Sgt. Christian Bueno-Galdos, 25, Paterson, NJ

Maj. Matthew Houseal, 54, Amarillo, TX

Navy Cmdr. Charles Springle, 52, Wilmington, NC

Pfc. Michael Yates, Jr., 19, Federalsburg, MD

Two other soldiers are listed in the May 14 paper who died from "noncombat injuries" were:

Pvt. Justin Hartford, 21, Elmira, NY

Spec. Omar Albrak, 21, Chicago

We hang our heads in sorrow.

75% Die in Iraq from Non-Combat Related Causes

The causes of deaths of our soldiers listed in the Washington Post today are: non-combat related (6) and military action (2).

Why are these numbers so high?

Inadequate training? Friendly fire? Suicide?

I have raised the question with the Defense Department which sent me to its Web site and later, did not return a telephone call inquiring about the statistics of the dead.

Is anyone with any power asking these questions?

The names of the dead from non-combat related reasons listed today are:

Sgt. Jose R. Escobedo, Jr., 32, Albuquerque

Staff Sgt. Raphael A. Futrell, 26, Anderson, S.C.

Lance Cpl. Nelson M. Lantigua, 20, Miami

Sgt. Devin C. Poche, 25, Jacksonville, N.C.

Sgt. Daniel J. Beard, 24, Buffalo

Lance Cpt. Stephen F. Dearmon, 21, Crossville, TN

The two soldiers who died from combat-related causes were:

Spec. Gary L. Moore, 25, Del City, OK

Spec. Israel Candelaria Mejias, 28, San Lorenzo, P.R.

The Defense Dept. Answers RE: Non-Combat Related Deaths

(Thanks to Sen. Jim Webb for forwarding my questions to the Department. The main thrust of the DOD letter follows. After studying the numbers and percentages, the question rises: Why have non-hostile deaths of our troops risen 250% from the Korean to the Iraq wars? Look at the numbers at the DOD Web site. Am I figuring incorrectly?)

Dear Patricia,

The Department has a casualty reporting system…and both combat and non-combat related deaths are posted weekly…along with the cause of death…at http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil.

[Click “Personnel,” then “Military Casualty Information.”]

Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom each have a report titled “Casualty Summary by Reason Code” [which] …contain the reasons for all deaths, hostile and non-hostile.

Each Service analyzes the information…and they have safety boards to address deaths as a result of unsafe actions, equipment, etc. to try and prevent any additional harm to Service members….[including] suicide prevention and early detection. All of this information is used by the Department to try and prevent further injuries and deaths. Individual causes…are withheld to protect…privacy….

If you have any questions, please contact Kris Hoffman at 831-583-2500.

Sincerely,

Mary Snavely-Dixon
Director, Human Resources Activity
Defense Manpower Data Center

I appreciate the letter and Sen. Webb’s attention. I will send my computations below to Senator Webb after I receive an answer from Ms. Hoffman about reasons, if any are known, about the leap in non-combat related deaths. I talked with her February 23, 2009.

At the Web site supplied above I discovered approximately 20 percent of the deaths (830 of 4,228)of all troops in Iraq from March 19, 2003 through January 31, 2009 result from nonhostile actions:

20% of Army deaths (613 of 3,072) are from nonhostile actions

35%, Navy (including the Coast Guard) (34 of 97)

16%, Marines (162 of 1,010)

almost 43%, Air Force (21 of 49)

More than 62% (518) of all non-hostile deaths in the Iraq War have resulted from accidents; more than 21% (176), “self-inflicted” causes. You have seen the recent stories about the increase in suicides among veterans and at West Point.

Compare “In-Theatre” deaths of other conflicts (which are not broken down "In Theater" or "Non-Theater" for Iraq casualties):

Gulf War non-hostile deaths: 61.5% (235 of 382)

Vietnam non-hostile deaths: 18.5% (10,786 of 58,220)

Korea non-hostile deaths: 7.75%(2,835 of 36,574)

Why did the percentage of nonhostile deaths increase so dramatically from Korea to Vietnam? Reduced training? Lowered standards? Different measuring means? On Friday at Ft. Campbell, KY, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, told soldiers increased suicides among troops may be related to long and repeated deployments.

Many Vietnam troops were drafted and joined the service unwillingly. With economic conditions today and the Army’s lowered standards (accepting felons, more high school dropouts, more with lower intelligence levels) yet with supposedly additional safety measures in place, why has the number increased? Who measures the effects of the Army’s lowered standards? Also, I refer you to this site for casualty count:www.antiwar/com.casualties

Uncover the Coffins

At Monday's press conference the AP reported President Barack Obama said policy change would be considered to possibly end the media ban photographing caskets holding our military dead from Iraq and Afghanistan as they arrive back in the U.S.

In yesterday's Washington Post (p. A-8) Defense Secretary Robert Gates "said he was told that, if media were allowed to cover the fallen service members return to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, many of the service members' families would feel compelled to attend, which would pose a financial hardship for them and slow the return of the remains."

How grotesque: "would feel compelled." And "slow the remains."

What words are there to describe Gates' callousness and total disregard for affected families? He nonchalantly tosses words around with no thought of their impact.

Should not the affected families be allowed to make their own decisions rather than the defense secretary quoting hearsay and making decisions for them?

At this most terrible times of their lives, affected loved ones can stand on their own without the Defense Department exploiting their losses so it can cover up its dead and the 65% who died of "non-combat related" causes. Enough of Defense Department cover-ups!

Would not local communities rush to raise money for Dover expenses for those in need? Those who want to come to praise, salute and honor their war dead? Theirs.

President Obama: Uncover the coverup of the coffins. We want to see them. We want to see how the military treats the return of our human treasures. We want to see the containers holding our dead on their last journey. We want to recognize their bravery and their sacrifices for us. We want to be stung with reality that inside the boxes are remains of troops who lived and whom we glorify.

President Obama: You said "change." The Bush/Cheney regime ended, praise God, on January 20, 2009. Please bring change.

Letter to Sen. James Webb RE: Non-Combat Related Deaths

Dear Senator Webb,

I received an e-mail from you dated December 16, 2008 in which you said you had referred my questions about non-related combat deaths of our soldiers in Iraq to the Defense Department.

I know it's a huge agency with much on its plate, but, alas, more than a month later and no reply!

The Washington Post listed yesterday the names of five more of our soldiers killed in Iraq (p. A-13), and of these, SIXTY PERCENT died as a result of "non-combat related" causes. I researched their names and found on the Web that one died as the result of a forklift accident and one died from a gunshot wound. (His father was quoted in the local press, and he was quoting the military.)

Above the names of these dead soldiers was a story about the crashes of two U.S. helicopters which killed four U.S. servicemen. It was listed as "non-combat related."

I would like to know about all the "non-combat related" deaths of our troops, their causes, and what changes Defense is making to stop these tragedies. Are our troops not trained adequately? Is Defense rushing troops to Iraq with insufficient training and therefore, equipment and gun accidents happen more frequently than in prior combat? Than on Army bases? A comparison would be revealing. We read constantly about the Army's lowering its standards to accept those without a high school diploma and to accept some with criminal charges which may factor in "non-combat related" deaths.

With the decline in our activity in Iraq, media, and therefore public, attention dwindles, and we tend to forget about 150,000 troops stationed there which plays to Defense's hands to ignore questions about anything Iraq.

With your military knowledge, experience, and interest, I would think Defense would pay more attention to you and to your requests for explanations. An entire summary of these deaths and their causes may shatter the public's mindset about our troops' training, or it may not. Whatever, since it is our money, time, equipment, and most importantly, human resources, we deserve to know.

Sincerely,
Patriciadc

60% of Our Soldiers' Deaths in Iraq: Noncombat-Related Causes

Sixty percent of the deaths of our soldiers in Iraq listed in the Washington Post today were due to “non-combat” related causes.

What are the causes?

When last I wrote about this November 14 2008, I also emailed Sen. James Webb who responded on December 16:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding non-combat related deaths.

In order that I might provide you with a detailed response to your inquiry, I forwarded your message to Department of Defense. You should receive a response directly from that office.

I appreciate your letter and thoughts on this matter. Your correspondence helps me serve you better in the U.S. Senate. Please let me know if the response you receive does not resolve your concern or you need further assistance

.

No reply from DOD!

I shall write to Sen. Webb again and hope he is able to push the Pentagon to supply answers. Why isn’t anyone else asking?

The names of soldiers who died in Iraq are listed today on p. A13 below a story on the crashes of two U.S. helicopters which killed four American soldiers. “Nonhostile” causes are believed the reason for the crashes.

The names of our dead soldiers listed today are:

Sgt. Marquis Porter, 28, Brighton, MA (noncombat-related death)
Ricky Turner, 20, Athens, AL
Omar McKnight, 22, Marrero, LA (noncombat-related but shot according to his father quoting the military)
Roberto Andrade, Jr., 26, Chicago
Kyle Harrington, 24, Swansea, MA (noncombat-related but a forklift accident)

Please remember the supreme sacrifices our troops and their families made and make for us: 4,236 fatalities; 30,984 wounded.

CNN = Children's Naughty Network

If you click on the tab for "Iraq War" at CNN.com, you are taken to a site where the most recent story, "Iraq Troop Surge Ends; 150,000 Left" was filed "4 hours and 19 minutes ago" at the time I looked today.

Beyond that, the most recent story filed under "Iraq War" was dated July 10, 2008 ("Senate Okays Petraeus as head of Mideast forces") six days ago. Before that, June 24, 2008 ("Iraqi military to take control of Anbar province") 16 days before July 10.

Did the war stop? Has CNN pulled its staff out of Iraq to focus on more important issues like the color of Britney's underpants today or where Paris was taking her dog for lunch?

On the list of ten "most popular viewed" stories of the hour was one about a rapper (#4) and another, about a "boy band promoter" (#5). Britney and Paris each has her own tab among CNN's "top (10) people."

And the war is a "forgotten war." Why is that?

No wonder it's all right for John McCain to send more troops into Iraq. No wonder it's all right for John McCain to pledge the children of the middle and lower-income to a forgotten war. They have no voice. But the salaries paid by the military to lure the family members of those who are not wealthy to its wares are enticing.

How many of our troops in Iraq and in Afghanistan are sons and daughters of parents in top income brackets? Hey, Defense Department: You got a study on that? Yeah, I didn't think so.

"You can take my money, but leave my children at home!" is the silent mantra of the Top Tier Whiners. "Let them fight my battles! Who cares?" Well, certainly not the decision-makers, the "deciders" at CNN.

I checked casualty figures for the days CNN failed to make an entry about the Iraq War:

On June 24, 2008 five American soldiers were killed in Iraq. Between June 24 and July 10 when CNN had no coverage of the Iraq War, 14 American troops died in Iraq. Between July 10 and July 16 three American soldiers died in Iraq. I haven't included the number of those injured. I guess these numbers are not high enough to compete with Paris' lipstick choice today.

Does not the "news" business demand some accountability of itself, some level of sophistication, responsibility, and professionalism? Must it continually serve up garbage to attract those with no more depth than a sponge, those who have never registered to vote, those whose only care is what kind of fluff can I wear today, those who have never had to provide, those who are unable to read more than a paragraph on a cereal box, those who are unable to compose a letter demanding coverage of world events?

Rather than a news source, CNN has become the channel for teenagers who are enamored by Hollywood types with empty heads and empty voices, rather like the heads of CNN's management.

Actually, it's surprising CNN even carries a tab for "Iraq War." I doubt its viewers click on that tab much or even know where Iraq is. Let us be thankful for small things. At least, Fox makes noise.

Letter to Washington Post's Ombudsman about Failure to Cover the Iraq War

(Written May 13, 2008. Check it out: No Iraq War coverage. And NO REPLY.)

Dear Ms. (Deborah) Howell,

Am I missing the Post's Iraq War story today? Why can't I find anything with a dateline from Iraq?

Aren't we still engaged in a war there?

You don't carry one mention of it today: Not on any of your pages, not one story by any of the columnists. Why?

When Americans identify the Iraq War as the second issue of concern to them, the POST fails to carry a word about it! It is no wonder the was has continued for five+ years when the media abandons it, and yet, how many of our troops are stationed there? How much money are we pouring there by the minute?

Dick Cheney and the Defense Department must be jumping up and down and drinking champagne over the Post's lack of coverage. Did you see his quote yesterday? "Good news is no news." So that means it is all good coming out of Iraq?

Perhaps I have missed the story, perhaps there is a paragraph about it somewhere, but I fail to find it anywhere, even in the one paragraph stories in "Around the World".

I believe the POST strives to be an "international" paper, but perhaps I am wrong, too, about that.

I hope you are able to tell me the page number of the story I missed in today's Washington Post about the Iraq War.

Sincerely,
Patriciadc