Showing posts with label Operation Enduring Freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Operation Enduring Freedom. Show all posts

Monday, June 15, 2009

Family waits for answers on death of Sgt. Franklin D. "J.R." Barnett Jr.


Belleville soldier's death under investigation
BY MARIA BARAN - News-Democrat

A soldier from Belleville died Sunday at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

The Army is investigating the cause of death for Sgt. Franklin D. "J.R." Barnett Jr., 29, of Belleville.

During Barnett's recent tour of Afghanistan, Barnett survived a suicide bombing attack and pulled his lieutenant to safety, despite his own injuries to his lungs.

"We don't believe he died from his war injuries, but the Army is investigating," Brooke Army Medical Center spokesman Dewey Mitchell said.

The father of three sons was found unresponsive in his Fort Sam Houston barracks room Sunday afternoon. He had been assigned to C Company of the Warrior Transition Battalion since Oct. 15 after being injured in Afghanistan, according to a news release.

"I don't exactly know what happened," said his wife, Diane Barnett.

She was not able to contact him late Saturday and into Sunday, so she called and had someone check on him. He was found in his chair with his television and video game on.
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http://www.bnd.com/179/story/806453.html

Saturday, June 6, 2009

101st Airborne returns home

101st Airborne returns home
Division command and colors back at Fort Campbell
By JAKE LOWARY • The Leaf-Chronicle • June 5, 2009


Thursday brought a joyous but bittersweet end to a 15-month Afghanistan deployment for the 101st Airborne Division.

Commanding General Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser and 31 other division staff officers were greeted at Fort Campbell by an excited crowd for a celebratory ceremony.
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101st Airborne returns home

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

U.S. Troops Unfit for Combat

U.S. Troops Unfit for Combat?
Thursday, 21 May 2009 00:28 Dahr Jamail
t r u t h o u t Perspective

This Monday at 2 PM Baghdad time, a US soldier gunned down five fellow soldiers at a stress-counseling center at a US base in Baghdad. Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a news conference at the Pentagon that the shootings occurred in a place where "individuals were seeking help." Admiral Mullen added, "It does speak to me, though, about the need for us to redouble our efforts, the concern in terms of dealing with the stress.... It also speaks to the issue of multiple deployments."

Commenting on the incident in nearly parallel terms, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that the Pentagon needs to redouble its efforts to relieve stress caused by repeated deployments in war zones that is further exacerbated by limited time at home in between deployments.

The condition described by Mullen and Gates is what veteran health experts often refer to as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

While soldiers returning home are routinely involved in shootings, suicide, and other forms of self-destructive violent behaviors as a direct result of their experiences in Iraq, we have yet to see an event of this magnitude in Iraq.

The last reported incident of this kind happened in 2005 when an Army captain and lieutenant were killed when an anti-personnel mine detonated in the window of their room at a US base in Tikrit. In that case, National Guard Staff Sgt. Alberto Martinez was acquitted.

The shocking story of a soldier killing five of his comrades does not come as a surprise when we consider that the military has, for years now, been sending troops with untreated PTSD back into the US occupation of Iraq.
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U.S. Troops Unfit for Combat

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

CONTRACTORS WORKING IN WAR ZONES UNAWARE OF MENTAL HEALTH RISKS

May 19, 2009 08:01 ET
CONTRACTORS WORKING IN WAR ZONES UNAWARE OF MENTAL HEALTH RISKS
Market Wire (press release) - USA

Attention: Assignment Editor, Health/Medical Editor, Media Editor, News Editor, Photo Editor

TORONTO, ONTARIO, MEDIA ADVISORY--(Marketwire - May 19, 2009) - While there have been a number of studies examining the psychological health of soldiers returning home from war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan, a new study is the first of its kind to take a closer look at the mental health of contractors working in war zones.

"Like soldiers, there is a significant number of contractors who suffer from post-traumatic stress when returning home from a war zone," says Dr. Anthony Feinstein, lead investigator of the study and a neuropsychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. "Our study shows that there is little in place to educate contractors on the psychological risks they may face in conflict zones and they are not receiving appropriate help when they return home."

After seven years into a war in Afghanistan and five years into a war in Iraq, this study is the first of its kind to present empirical data on this particular group of individuals working in a war zone.

It is estimated that up to 126,000 contractors are currently working in Iraq. Unofficial estimates put their death toll at a little over 1,000, with nearly 13,000 injured in the past six years. The average number of traumatic events faced by this group is double that reported by front-line journalists.
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Thursday, May 7, 2009

Contractors Using Military Clinics in Iraq and Afghanistan and not paying!

Contractors Using Military Clinics
Civilians Also Are Not Paying, Audit Says
By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 7, 2009

Military clinics and field hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan have supplied more than $1 million a month in health-care services to civilian contractors during the past two years without seeking reimbursement from their employers, as provided by law, according to a new audit by the Defense Department inspector general.

The report, issued Monday, noted that all costs associated with both emergency and primary medical care are reimbursable to the government and are the responsibility of the contingency contractor personnel, their employer or their health insurance provider.

Yet the study found that Army, Navy and Air Force clinics and hospitals were not billing contractors because there was no unified system for doing so. Moreover, more than half the contracts were vague about who pays for the medical treatment of employees, although the law is clear on this point, the IG found.

Investigators cited cases in which contractors were hospitalized with heart problems, pneumonia, an accidental self-inflicted gun shot or injuries from a blast, but the medical facilities did not bill the patients' employers for $141,340 for their stays. At the time, the military did have rates of $2,041 a day for nonmilitary inpatients and $195 per visit for outpatients.


Two contractors, Blackwater Worldwide, now known as Xe, and KBR, operated medical facilities for their own personnel and for other nonmilitary people. The cost of those facilities was included in their overall contracts, but the IG investigators said the contractors did not break out what they were charging the Army overall for the medical treatment they were providing.

The IG found that military medical units had incomplete or inaccurate records. For example, in a sampling of about 200 records, 13 percent incorrectly identified patients as contractors, 22 percent had duplicate entries, and 25 percent showed discrepancies between computer and paper records.
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Contractors Using Military Clinics

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Army identifies remains of Riley soldier


Army identifies remains of Riley soldier

By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 6, 2009 11:33:49 EDT

The remains of a Pennsylvania soldier previously listed by the Army as “duty status whereabouts unknown” have been positively identified by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the Defense Department announced Tuesday in a press release.

Staff Sgt. William D. Vile, 27, of Philadelphia, who was assigned to a military transition team in Afghanistan, died of wounds suffered in an attack May 1 when insurgents attacked his unit using direct fire and rocket-propelled grenades, officials said.

The attack took place in the village of Nishagam, Konar province.

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Monday, May 4, 2009

Hernando County women use stars to thank troops and veterans

Hernando County women use stars to thank troops and veterans
By Beth N. Gray, Times Correspondent
Monday, May 4, 2009


BROOKSVILLE — Stars that once fluttered from flagpoles flying the nation's red, white and blue are now going into the pockets of military men and women.

Four women from across Hernando County who have been providing goods from home and moral support to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for several years have launched a new effort, called the Star Project.

From U.S. flags that have worn out their colors and fabric, the women and their friends are cutting from them the fields of blue, then scissoring off the embroidered stars.

Into a plastic bag goes a star and a wallet-sized card with a flag background explaining: "I am part of our American flag that has flown over a home in Florida. I can no longer fly. The sun and winds have caused me to become tattered and torn. Please carry me as a reminder that you are not forgotten."
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Hernando County women use stars to thank troops and veterans

Thursday, April 30, 2009

6-year-old boy accepts dad’s Silver Star


Army via AP First Lt. Jonathan Brostrom was killed July 13 in Afghanistan, one of nine soldiers killed when Taliban guerrillas ambushed an Army outpost.



6-year-old boy accepts dad’s Silver Star
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Apr 30, 2009 13:09:20 EDT

WEST HAVEN, Utah — A 6-year-old Plain City boy has been presented with the Silver Star awarded posthumously to his father, who died in a firefight in Afghanistan.
The medal for valor was presented to Jase Spargur on Wednesday during an assembly at Kanesville Elementary School in West Haven. Utah National Guard Maj. Gen. Brian Tarbet gave the medal to Jase. His father, 1st Lt. Jonathan Brostrom, was killed July 13 in Afghanistan.
Brostrom was one of nine soldiers killed when Taliban guerrillas ambushed an Army outpost. Brostrom died carrying medical supplies and ammunition to other soldiers.
Related stories:
Dire sunrise at Wanat
6-year-old boy accepts dad’s Silver Star

Saturday, April 25, 2009

UK problem with PTSD is fraction of what US is seeing

While the US troops go to Iraq or Afghanistan for what was a 15 month tour and now they are shooting for a 12 month tour, notice that the UK has a problem with PTSD and it comes from one 6 month tour. Our troops, some of them are on their 5th tour of duty. Reminder, the Army said redeployments increase the risk of PTSD by 50% for each time back. Do you think we're only seeing the beginning of all of this? My guess is we ain't seen nothing yet and we are no where near being prepared for any of it.

April 26, 2009

Scores of troops traumatised by Afghan war


Michael Smith
THE first evidence of the trauma suffered by troops fighting in Afghanistan has been revealed, with scores needing treatment for mental disorders.

More than 230 troops – 4% of the fighting force – were diagnosed with psychological ailments after a single six-month tour, newly released Ministry of Defence figures show.

The figures back up claims by the forces charity Combat Stress that the numbers of soldiers suffering posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental illnesses are dramatically worse than in other recent conflicts.

“We are seeing the bow wave of a much greater problem,” Toby Elliott, the charity’s chief executive, said. “The numbers are beginning to mount up.” The latest data cover the period from March to October 2007 when there were 5,700 British troops in Afghanistan. They show that 234 soldiers were diagnosed with psychological disorders when they returned home.


This was at the bottom of this article,,,,,the UK is not going to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Brown vetoes reinforcements

GORDON BROWN has vetoed any further British involvement in the US troop surge in Afghanistan, according to senior defence sources.

The move has caused dismay within the British Army, whose commanders have requested an extra brigade of up to 3,500 men for Afghanistan.

It is also an embarrassment for John Hutton, the defence secretary, who has criticised Britain’s Nato partners for depending on the Americans to provide the bulk of Nato troops.

The prime minister has decided that since the US was prepared to dispatch 10,000 troops to Helmand, the most dangerous province in Afghanistan, Britain did not need to send any more.

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Scores of troops traumatised by Afghan war

Thursday, April 23, 2009

FAREWELL TO A HERO Spl. Adam Kuligowski is laid to rest


Tracie and Michael Kuligowski bow their heads during funeral services for their son Adam Kuligowski at Forest Hill Cemetery in East Derry.
Allegra Boverman / Staff Photographer

FAREWELL TO A HERO
Spl. Adam Kuligowski is laid to rest


By Julie Huss
jhuss@derrynews.com

DERRY — Adam Kuligowski's own words became a final tribute Saturday as family and friends gathered to remember the fallen soldier and say their goodbyes.

"For certain, change is eternal," Kuligowski once wrote in a high school essay. "And love is found in family and friends; something we all should hold onto."

An emotional funeral and final farewell for the former Derry man was held Saturday at the Derry Ward Latter Day Saints chapel with a military-honored burial following in Forest Hill Cemetery.

Kuligowski, a 21-year-old Army specialist, died of non-combat injuries on April 6 in Bagram, Afghanistan. He was the 602nd soldier to die in Operation Enduring Freedom.

His awards and decorations included the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and NATO Medal.

Friends and family gathered to pay respects and say goodbye to their son, brother, friend, and comrade. Speaking through tears and smiles, a portrait of an inquisitive young man who wanted to see the world emerged.
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http://www.derrynews.com/local/local_story_112132157.html

Toby Keith: More celebs should visit troops

Toby Keith: More celebs should visit troops
By: Jeff Dufour and Kiki Ryan
Examiner Columnist
04/21/09 4:22 PM
Country superstar Toby Keith will leave D.C. for Afghanistan on Tuesday night to add to the 100-plus USO shows he’s played throughout the past seven years. But at the National Press Club earlier in the day, Keith lamented that more celebrities don’t make similar trips to back the troops.

He said when they’re being paid to make movies, few stars want to leave “Disneyland” and “go to a war zone.”

Not that the danger isn’t real. “I’ve raced Marines to a bunker when the sirens go off,” he said. “It took me 100 shows to learn to trust how good our guys really are.”

But “you don’t have to go to a war zone,” he implored any celebs who were listening. “Go to Walter Reed Hospital.”
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Toby Keith: More celebs should visit troops

Monday, April 20, 2009

UK:Soldier escapes death when Taliban bullet hits helmet

British
A British soldier serving in Afghanistan narrowly escaped death when a Taliban bullet passed through his helmet, but missed his head by two millimetres.

Last Updated: 12:21PM BST 20 Apr 2009


Private Leon "Willy" Wilson, 32, said he was left without a mark after the high-velocity round tore through his head protection.

The Territorial Army soldier, on attachment with 2nd Battalion of the Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters), was knocked flat on his back by the impact of the shot.
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http://icasualties.org/oef/

Sunday, April 19, 2009

As many as 13 soldier suicides in March

As many as 13 soldier suicides in March

That would bring 2009’s total to 56, Army reports
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Apr 19, 2009 8:26:29 EDT

As many as 13 soldiers are believed to have killed themselves in March, bringing the number of reported soldier suicides this year to 56, officials announced April 10.

None of the March cases under investigation have been confirmed, but about 90 percent of deaths involved in such investigations typically are ruled to be suicides.

The March total marks a decrease in suicides compared with the first two months of the year.

As many as 24 suicides were reported in January, but on March 4 officials removed one case because it was determined that the soldier was no longer on active duty when he died. Of the 23 remaining cases, 14 are confirmed suicides; nine are pending a determination.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/04/army_suicide_041909w/

Friday, April 17, 2009

31,000 Wounded Civilian Workers Fight For Care

The biggest secret about Iraq and Afghanistan has been the civilians deployed with the troops. When they are wounded or killed, no one ever counts them as the price of either occupation.
According to ICasualties.org, as of today Reported Deaths: 4274 in Iraq from the US alone and a total of 4,592. Afghanistan has coalition forces deaths at 1,133, 678 were US forces.
Would people still be talking about the low death counts if they had to add in the contractors? Begin with adding 1,400 and then add in 31,000 wounded.

Wounded Civilian Workers Fight For Care
AIG, Other Insurers Routinely Deny Medical Claims Of Contractors Injured In Iraq, And Afghanistan, Probe Finds

April 17, 2009


(CBS) Much has been written about the struggle of U.S. veterans to get the proper care from the military's V.A. hospitals, but another class of returnees from the battlefront is facing similar difficulties obtaining care for injuries sustained in the war zone: civilian contract employees who suffered wounds while supporting the military's war efforts.

In an alarming article co-written by T. Christian Miller of ProPublica and Doug Smith of the Los Angeles Times, insurance companies responsible (under taxpayer-funded policies) for the treatment of civilian workers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan are reportedly routinely denying medical claims for basic care, as well as artificial limbs, psychological counseling and other services.

The same companies - primarily American International Group (AIG) - reaped hundreds of millions of dollars in profits from these insurance policies.

At least 31,000 civilians have been injured while providing support services to the military and U.S. State Department. More than 1,400 have died.

Injured Iraq war veterans have sued the Department of Veterans Affairs claiming they were denied timely services for medical and mental health problems.

Meanwhile, the military struggles to cope with soldiers who come home suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which affects one in five service members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan, according to the Pentagon.

But unlike veterans who are provided with care by the military, the civilian wounded have to go it alone - battling a federally-run insurance system that is laden with high costs and delays.
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/17/national/main4951906.shtml

Thursday, April 16, 2009

US forces in Afghanistan already lost same as all of 2003

This is very disheartening. We've already lost the same amount of troops in Afghanistan as we did in 2003. Ever wonder what would have happened there had Iraq not been invaded at all?
2009
US 48
Other 39
Total 87
2008
US 155
Other 139
Total 294
2007
US 117
Other 115
Total 232
2006
US 98
Other 93
Total 191
2005
US 99
Other 32
Total 131
2004
US 52
Other 7
Total 59
2003
US 48
Other 9
Total 57
2002
US 49
Other 20
Total 69
2001
US 12
Other 0
Total 12
Total
US 678
Other 454
Total 1132
http://icasualties.org/oef/

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Canadian Military:Mental toll on soldiers skyrockets

Mental toll on soldiers skyrockets
More than 1 in 5 returning from Afghanistan suffer psychiatric problems, documents show

Apr 14, 2009 04:30 AM
Allan Woods
OTTAWA BUREAU

OTTAWA – More than one in five Canadian soldiers and police officers deployed to Afghanistan leave the force with post-traumatic stress or other psychiatric problems, and that figure is rapidly rising, the Toronto Star has learned.

By the end of last month, the number of soldiers and police officers discharged from the military and RCMP for psychological strain after tours in Afghanistan had reached 1,053, representing an increase of more than 50 per cent from 2008, a spokesperson for Veterans Affairs Canada told the Star.

The increase had been predicted in documents released under the Access to Information Act.

They had revealed that as of April 2008, 700 Canadian soldiers and Mounties who had served on the Afghan front lines – 19 per cent of all forces deployed – had qualified for medical release from the Canadian Forces or RCMP with a "pensionable psychiatric condition," but warned of a dramatic hike in those numbers.
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http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/617978

Second female Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan


Second female Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan
By Matthew Fisher, Canwest News Service
April 14, 2009

KABUL, Afghanistan - The second Canadian female soldier to be killed in Afghanistan died Monday when the light armoured vehicle she was patrolling in struck an improvised explosive device.

Trooper Karine Blais, who had arrived just days ago from Canada with the 12th Armoured Regiment based in Val Cartier, Que., was killed in action when her vehicle was hit by a homemade bomb.

Blais, 21, was the 117th Canadian to be killed in Afghanistan since the start of the conflict in 2002.

Four other Canadian soldiers were injured in the attack, which happened about one hour before dusk in Shah Wali Kowt, a district about 40 kilometres northwest of Kandahar City that is known to be a centre of Taliban activity.

"She was an energetic person who always gave 100 per cent," said Brig.-Gen. Jon Vance, the Canadian task force commander. "She has a great sense and truth and was remarked upon for her honesty. Frank and direct, she showed strong leadership qualities and was respected by all the members of her squadron. She will be missed."
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Second female Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan

Monday, March 30, 2009

Why have Iraq and Afghanistan produced only 5 Medal of Honor recipients

Death before this honor

Why have Iraq and Afghanistan produced only 5 Medal of Honor recipients, none living?
By Brendan McGarry - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Mar 30, 2009 5:51:05 EDT

The number of Medal of Honor recipients from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can be counted on one hand.

Each of the five acted spontaneously and heroically to save the lives of comrades. Each exemplified the medal’s criteria of “gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of one’s own life above and beyond the call of duty.”

And each was killed in action or died from wounds received in action.

From World War I through Vietnam, the rate of Medal of Honor recipients per 100,000 service members stayed between 2.3 (Korea) and 2.9 (World War II). But since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, only five Medals of Honor have been awarded, a rate of 0.1 per 100,000 — one in a million.



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Death before this honor

Sunday, March 15, 2009

"Autism-awareness ribbons have supplanted war-related ribbons"


For the longest time I thought the biggest problem was to get veterans to understand what PTSD was so they would seek help, but over the last few years, the hardest battle has been to get the general public aware of what it is. You'd think since they all experience traumatic events in their lives, they'd be all too willing to understand what the troops go through when they are exposed to traumatic events over and over and over again. At the very least, when I attempted to pull in the police officers and firefighters into the discussion, since their exposures are never ending as well, I expected more interest, but I could see by their facial expression they simply were not interested.

In Central Florida, we have a lot of huge churches of every denomination. I visited over 20 of them trying to get them involved in raising community awareness for the sake of the returning National Guards and veterans. Only one pastor contacted me and he happened to be a chaplain as well.

How can you get people interested in a wound they have very little understanding of when they are not even paying attention to what is going on causing the wound? How can you get them to pay attention to what the families are going thru when you can't get them to pay attention to what they troops are going thru? The Impossible Dream theme music plays over and over in my brain because that is exactly what this all seems to be.


Magnet America of King, N.C., the largest manufacturer of yellow ribbons, saw sales peak at 1.2 million in August 2004. Now, sales are about 10,000 a month, said Chris Weeks, director of operations. Autism-awareness ribbons have supplanted war-related ribbons as the company's No. 1 seller.

"We have a stockpile of just under 900,000 unsold yellow ribbons," Weeks said. "The yellow ribbon fad for sure is gone."



Iraq war's supporters and protesters have one thing in common: They're paying attention. Is anyone else?
By Steve Wideman • Gannett Wisconsin Media • March 15, 2009

The question, scrawled in black ink on white poster board and stapled to a wooden lath, is inches from Bradley Bodee's face as he stands on the corner waiting to cross Appleton's College Avenue.

"Health Care or War?"

Bodee, 19, a Lawrence University physics major, doesn't give the sign a second glance. Nor does he hear the anti-war chants of Ronna Swift, one of 15 gathered for a monthly Saturday morning demonstration against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bodee is plugged into his iPod, listening to the Young Dubliners, an American Celtic rock band. When the "Walk" sign flashes, he steps off the curb without exchanging a glance or a word with the protesters.

"I haven't been able to keep up on the wars," Bodee tells a reporter once across the street. "I don't really know where the war is at right now."

Like other wars, the conflict in Iraq has divided the country into two Americas, but this is different. This time, supporters and protesters are on the same side: Americans who still pay attention to the war, including members of the military and their families.

On the other side are people like Bodee, who live in an America that's no longer emotionally invested in Iraq or Afghanistan Some say the wars have dragged on so long they've lost interest. Others are too worried about the economy to concern themselves with events half a world away that don't seem directly to affect them.

The lack of a military draft is a big reason fewer civilian Americans are emotionally invested this time around, observers say. There's even a school of thought that waning interest in the war stems in part from the lack of any searing, iconic photographic images from Iraq, something virtually every other American conflict has produced.

It's a benign divide — generally, there are no shouts or confrontations; both Americas support and appreciate the troops. But it's a divide nonetheless, separating two worlds that co-exist but often are unable to relate, and it's everywhere — running through bank lobbies and airport concourses, restaurants and cemeteries, classrooms and street corners.
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http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20090315/OSH0101/903150405/1128/OSH01

Saturday, March 14, 2009

1 man’s odyssey from campus to combat in Afghanistan

1 man’s odyssey from campus to combat
Michael Bhatia loved Afghanistan, and he lost his life there — the first social scientist to die in a controversial Pentagon experiment that teams soldiers and scholars. This story is the first of two parts.
By Adam Geller - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Mar 14, 2009 9:44:30 EDT

MEDWAY, Mass. — On the overcast New England morning Michael Bhatia came home, nearly 400 of his colleagues, family and friends turned out to meet him.

Seven months had passed since Bhatia, a 31-year-old scholar in international relations from Brown University, hefted his pack across the tarmac at Fort Benning, Ga., ready to begin his sixth journey to Afghanistan.

Every trip had come with risks, but this one was the toughest to explain. No one questioned Bhatia’s commitment to Afghanistan, but many disagreed sharply with the way he’d chosen to pursue it.

“I am already preparing for both the real and ethical minefields,” he e-mailed friends, hours before boarding.

Bhatia was joining the Human Terrain System, a Pentagon experiment to re-engineer the battle against Afghan and Iraqi insurgents by teaming soldiers and scholars. Human Terrain set off a war of its own in the academic world: Critics, particularly anthropologists, argued that Human Terrain researchers could not serve two masters — that they risked betraying the people they studied by feeding information to the military.

Bhatia disagreed. But the only way to know, he told friends, was to see for himself.

Even skeptical colleagues looked forward to the conclusion of his journey: If anybody could thread the ethical minefield, it was Mike.
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