Soldier: Honor troops like Va. Tech dead

[RaspberrySwirl 20]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/afghanistan_fla...rog2RjLXZgDW7oF

Soldier: Honor troops like Va. Tech dead

By ALISA TANG, Associated Press Writer Mon Apr 23, 11:16 AM ET

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Army sergeant complained in a rare opinion article that the U.S. flag flew at half-staff last week at the largest U.S. base in

Afghanistan for those killed at Virginia Tech but the same honor is not given to fallen U.S. troops here and in

Iraq.

In the article issued Monday by the public affairs office at Bagram military base north of Kabul, Sgt. Jim Wilt lamented that his comrades' deaths have become a mere blip on the TV screen, lacking the "shock factor" to be honored by the Stars and Stripes as the deaths at Virginia Tech were.

"I find it ironic that the flags were flown at half-staff for the young men and women who were killed at VT, yet it is never lowered for the death of a U.S. service member," Wilt wrote.

He noted that Bagram obeyedPresident Bush's order last week that all U.S. flags at federal locations be flown at half-staff through April 22 to honor 32 people killed at Virginia Tech by a 23-year-old student gunman who then killed himself.

"I think it is sad that we do not raise the bases' flag to half-staff when a member of our own task force dies," Wilt said.

According to the Defense Department, 315 U.S. service members have died in and around Afghanistan since the U.S.-led offensive that toppled the Taliban regime in late 2001, 198 of them in combat.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force said that the flags of all its troop-contributing nations are flown at half-staff for about 72 hours after the service member's death "as a mark of respect when there is an ISAF fatality."

Sgt. 1st Class Dean Welch, who works with Wilt at the U.S.-led coalition public affairs office, said the essay is a "soldier's commentary, not the view of the coalition and not the view of the U.S. forces."

Welch added that such outspoken opinion pieces are rare.

Wilt suggested that flags should fly at half-staff on the base where the fallen service member was working and in the states where they hail from. He said some states do this, but not all of them.

He wrote that the death of a U.S. service member is just as violent as those at the university last week, but it lacks the "shock factor of the Virginia massacre."

"It is a daily occurrence these days to see X number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan scrolling across the ticker at the bottom of the TV screen. People have come to expect casualty counts in the nightly news; they don't expect to see 32 students killed," he wrote.

"If the flags on our (operating bases) were lowered for just one day after the death of a service member, it would show the people who knew the person that society cared, the American people care."

___

[mmarlo 1]

No question about it. Each casualty deserves far more attention than it gets from our profit-driven media.

And we should also be mourning the Iraqi civilians dying at mind-boggling rates in senseless tragedies that our administration is in large part responsible for.

[almaty 19]

I AGREE WITH THE SGT. !

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I agree too!!

[mawilson 2,133]

I don't. Soldiers willingly signed up for the gig. The risk factor is part of the job -- they

rolled the dice and accepted it. The students didn't expect to die in their classroom

when they signed up.

[almaty 19]

I don't. Soldiers willingly signed up for the gig. The risk factor is part of the job -- they

rolled the dice and accepted it. The students didn't expect to die in their classroom

when they signed up.

oh, brother MA, you hard azz..

[JODO 2]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/afghanistan_fla...rog2RjLXZgDW7oF

Soldier: Honor troops like Va. Tech dead

By ALISA TANG, Associated Press Writer Mon Apr 23, 11:16 AM ET

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Army sergeant complained in a rare opinion article that the U.S. flag flew at half-staff last week at the largest U.S. base in

Afghanistan for those killed at Virginia Tech but the same honor is not given to fallen U.S. troops here and in

Iraq.

In the article issued Monday by the public affairs office at Bagram military base north of Kabul, Sgt. Jim Wilt lamented that his comrades' deaths have become a mere blip on the TV screen, lacking the "shock factor" to be honored by the Stars and Stripes as the deaths at Virginia Tech were.

"I find it ironic that the flags were flown at half-staff for the young men and women who were killed at VT, yet it is never lowered for the death of a U.S. service member," Wilt wrote.

He noted that Bagram obeyedPresident Bush's order last week that all U.S. flags at federal locations be flown at half-staff through April 22 to honor 32 people killed at Virginia Tech by a 23-year-old student gunman who then killed himself.

"I think it is sad that we do not raise the bases' flag to half-staff when a member of our own task force dies," Wilt said.

According to the Defense Department, 315 U.S. service members have died in and around Afghanistan since the U.S.-led offensive that toppled the Taliban regime in late 2001, 198 of them in combat.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force said that the flags of all its troop-contributing nations are flown at half-staff for about 72 hours after the service member's death "as a mark of respect when there is an ISAF fatality."

Sgt. 1st Class Dean Welch, who works with Wilt at the U.S.-led coalition public affairs office, said the essay is a "soldier's commentary, not the view of the coalition and not the view of the U.S. forces."

Welch added that such outspoken opinion pieces are rare.

Wilt suggested that flags should fly at half-staff on the base where the fallen service member was working and in the states where they hail from. He said some states do this, but not all of them.

He wrote that the death of a U.S. service member is just as violent as those at the university last week, but it lacks the "shock factor of the Virginia massacre."

"It is a daily occurrence these days to see X number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan scrolling across the ticker at the bottom of the TV screen. People have come to expect casualty counts in the nightly news; they don't expect to see 32 students killed," he wrote.

"If the flags on our (operating bases) were lowered for just one day after the death of a service member, it would show the people who knew the person that society cared, the American people care."

___

Well he does have a point,but OTOH,we do have Memorial Day.

[mmarlo 1]

Anyone know about studies done on the motivations that trigger citizens to enroll in the military? It would be interest to know what percentage go because they are more or less forced to out of economic hardship and because of a lack of other opportunities.

[CountryBoy 0]

No question about it. Each casualty deserves far more attention than it gets from our profit-driven media.

And we should also be mourning the Iraqi civilians dying at mind-boggling rates in senseless tragedies that our administration is in large part responsible for.

I agree about american casualties of war getting more attention, the Iraqi civilians in senseless tragedies, and about the profit driven LIBERAL media

I do not agree that our administration is responsible for it, even in part. President Bush is one of the greatest presidents that has ever served in office. He has taken it upon himself, against popular opinion it would seem, to personally insure the safety of the WORLD by seeking out terrorists where they live. Terrorism is the reason for the deaths in Iraq, not the president.

When Osama Bin Laden used commercial airliners to bomb the World Trade Centers in New York on September 11, 2001 the amount of support that the president received for his plan of ending terrorism was overwhelming. If he doesn't follow thru with his promise then I believe that he is not a man of his word. He isn't doing what is popular, he is doing what is right.

I suggest that you (mmarlo) look at the list of Senators and Representatives that supported the mission in the beginning. Consider those that have changed their opinions; vote to put elected officials in their place that will either stick to their word, or make more educated decisions on issues of such a great nature before they state their opinions. I have far more respect for those elected officials that have been against this mission from the beginning than the wishy washy majority that have proven thier inability make sound judgement calls.

You are living in the greatest country in the world. If you want to vioce your opinion about our duly elected administration I suggest that you do it in the voting booth.

In reply to the original post,

Most of the men and women that are serving in the military actions overseas are doing so with pride. Many have come from middle (or lower) income families and couldn't afford to go to their local community college let alone Virginial Tech. The military offers many incentives for the aspiring student; repayment of college loans, GI Bill, etc. and this may be the reason some of the service members sign up for their branch of choice .. they don't have rich parents or scholarships to pick the bill up for them. 315 of those service members (at the time of the article) died performing their duty and unless they come from near your community you never hear about those casualties. This needs to change.

My heart goes out to the families of the students that died and to the students that were injured at Virginia Tech, it truly was a tragedy. I do not believe that any sign of respect for the dead there should have been any less than it was, but perhaps we need to spend a little more time remembering all of that are cut down in their youth .. not just americans, everyone in the world. Maybe then we can justify our presence in countries where people die wrongfully on a regular basis (like the ones at Virginia Tech) at the hand of a terrorist.

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this one, but all of the times that I have heard statements on VJ about our current administration I just had to reply to this one .. this one hit really close to home.

My post is just my opinion

CB

[Alex+R 0]

Maybe flags should be flown half-mast during the entirety of any wartime.

[mawilson 2,133]

I don't. Soldiers willingly signed up for the gig. The risk factor is part of the job -- they

rolled the dice and accepted it. The students didn't expect to die in their classroom

when they signed up.

oh, brother MA, you hard azz..

I'm not saying the troops shouldn't be honored, just not in the same way.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Just not with the flag-draped coffins I guess... The govt doesn't like to have that on display. Apparently

[Ban Hammer 12,861]

I don't. Soldiers willingly signed up for the gig. The risk factor is part of the job -- they

rolled the dice and accepted it. The students didn't expect to die in their classroom

when they signed up.

and no funerals for police or firemen killed in the line of duty either eh?

i agree with the nco

and you the man, cb, for your post

[natty bumppo 289]

I don't. Soldiers willingly signed up for the gig. The risk factor is part of the job -- they

rolled the dice and accepted it. The students didn't expect to die in their classroom

when they signed up.

and no funerals for police or firemen killed in the line of duty either eh?

i agree with the nco

and you the man, cb, for your post

seconded !!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

No question about it. Each casualty deserves far more attention than it gets from our profit-driven media.

And we should also be mourning the Iraqi civilians dying at mind-boggling rates in senseless tragedies that our administration is in large part responsible for.

I agree about american casualties of war getting more attention, the Iraqi civilians in senseless tragedies, and about the profit driven LIBERAL media

I do not agree that our administration is responsible for it, even in part. President Bush is one of the greatest presidents that has ever served in office. He has taken it upon himself, against popular opinion it would seem, to personally insure the safety of the WORLD by seeking out terrorists where they live. Terrorism is the reason for the deaths in Iraq, not the president.

When Osama Bin Laden used commercial airliners to bomb the World Trade Centers in New York on September 11, 2001 the amount of support that the president received for his plan of ending terrorism was overwhelming. If he doesn't follow thru with his promise then I believe that he is not a man of his word. He isn't doing what is popular, he is doing what is right.

I suggest that you (mmarlo) look at the list of Senators and Representatives that supported the mission in the beginning. Consider those that have changed their opinions; vote to put elected officials in their place that will either stick to their word, or make more educated decisions on issues of such a great nature before they state their opinions. I have far more respect for those elected officials that have been against this mission from the beginning than the wishy washy majority that have proven thier inability make sound judgement calls.

You are living in the greatest country in the world. If you want to vioce your opinion about our duly elected administration I suggest that you do it in the voting booth.

In reply to the original post,

Most of the men and women that are serving in the military actions overseas are doing so with pride. Many have come from middle (or lower) income families and couldn't afford to go to their local community college let alone Virginial Tech. The military offers many incentives for the aspiring student; repayment of college loans, GI Bill, etc. and this may be the reason some of the service members sign up for their branch of choice .. they don't have rich parents or scholarships to pick the bill up for them. 315 of those service members (at the time of the article) died performing their duty and unless they come from near your community you never hear about those casualties. This needs to change.

My heart goes out to the families of the students that died and to the students that were injured at Virginia Tech, it truly was a tragedy. I do not believe that any sign of respect for the dead there should have been any less than it was, but perhaps we need to spend a little more time remembering all of that are cut down in their youth .. not just americans, everyone in the world. Maybe then we can justify our presence in countries where people die wrongfully on a regular basis (like the ones at Virginia Tech) at the hand of a terrorist.

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this one, but all of the times that I have heard statements on VJ about our current administration I just had to reply to this one .. this one hit really close to home.

My post is just my opinion

CB

You must be pretty hardcore if you still believe that (see bolded).