[Vision2020] The Human Toll

[Tom Hansen]

"The notion that we ought to now go to Baghdad and somehow take control of
the country strikes me as an extremely serious one in terms of what we'd
have to do once we got there. You'd probably have to put some new government
in place. It's not clear what kind of government that would be, how long
you'd have to stay. For the U.S. to get involved militarily in determining
the outcome of the struggle over who's going to govern in Iraq strikes me as
a classic definition of a quagmire." 

- Dick Cheney, 1991
http://www.tomandrodna.com/Stuff/Cheney_Quagmire.mp3

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"I think Rumsfeld, Cheney, and the president made a big mistake in
justifying going into the war in Iraq.  They put the emphasis on weapons of
mass destruction." 

- Gerald R. Ford (July 28, 2004)
http://www.tomandrodna.com/Stuff/Ford_Iraq_Big_Mistake.mp3
 
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>From the June 18, 2007 edition of the Army Times -

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U.S. service members who died while supporting combat operations in Iraq,
confirmed by the Defense Department from June 1 through June 7:

Army Sgt. James C. Akin, 23, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
(Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer, 33, of Mishawaka, Indiana; assigned as
Special Agent to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. 

Air Force Airman 1st Class Eric M. Barnes, 20, of Lorain, Ohio; assigned to
the 90th Logistics Readiness Squadron, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.

Army Pfc. Joshua D. Brown, 26, of Tampa, Florida; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. 

Army Staff Sgt. Juan F. Campos, 27, of McAllen, Texas; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Army Sgt. Caleb P. Christopher, 25, of Chandler, Arizona; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Army Staff Sgt. Timothy B. Cole Jr., 28, of Missouri City, Texas; assigned
to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd
Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Army Spc. Jeremiah D. Costello, 22, of Carlinville, Illinois; assigned to
the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. 

Army Sgt. Dariek E. Dehn, 32, of Spangle, Washington; assigned to the 6th
Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Army Sgt. Shawn E. Dressler, 22, of Santa Maria, California; assigned to the
1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. 

Army Sgt. Cory M. Endlich, 23, of Massillon, Ohio; assigned to the 2nd
Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker
Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington.

Army Cpl. Llythaniele Fender, 21, of Medical Lake, Washington; assigned to
the 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Fort Lewis,
Washington.

Army Staff Sgt. Greg P. Gagarin, 38, of Los Angeles, California; assigned to
the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry
Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington. 

Army Pfc. Shawn D. Gajdos, 25, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Army Spc. Adam G. Herold, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team
(Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Army Sgt. Andrews J. Higgins, 28, of Hayward, California; assigned to the
5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
(Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington.

Army Sgt. Tyler J. Kritz, 21, of Eagle River, Wisconsin; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
(Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington. 

Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Kuglics, 25, of North Canton, Ohio; assigned
as Special Agent to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. 

Army Staff Sgt. Brian M. Long, 32, of Burns, Wyoming; assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
(Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington.

Army Pvt. Scott A. Miller, 20, of Casper, Wyoming; assigned to the 5th
Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
(Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington.

Army Spc. Keith V. Nepsa, 21, of New Philadelphia, Ohio; assigned to the 5th
Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division,
Fort Bliss, Texas. 

Air Force Senior Airman William N. Newman, 23, of Kingston Springs,
Tennessee; assigned to the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team of the 15th
Civil Engineer Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

Army Cpl. Meresebang Ngiraked, 21, of Koror, Republic of Palau; assigned to
the 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Fort Lewis,
Washington.

Army Sgt. Matthew Soper, 25, of Kalamazoo, Michigan; assigned to the 1461st
Transportation Company (Combat Heavy Equipment), Michigan Army National
Guard, Jackson, Michigan.

Army Sgt. Robert A. Surber, 24, of Inverness, Florida; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
(Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Washington. 

Army Sgt. 1st Class Greg L. Sutton, 38, of Spring Lake, North Carolina;
assigned to the 212th Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry
Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Army Pfc. Justin A. Verdeja, 20, of La Puente, California; assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Army Sgt. Kimel L. Watt, 21, of Brooklyn, New York; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.


June 1 - June 7
Killed: 28; wounded in action: 149

March 19, 2003 - June 7, 2007
Killed: 3,493; wounded in action: 25,830

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U.S. service members who died while supporting combat operations in
Afghanistan, confirmed by the Defense Department from June 1 through June 7:


Army Sgt. Charles R. Browning, 31, of Tucson, Arizona; assigned to Company
B, 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment, Arizona National Guard, Gilbert,
Arizona.

Army Spc. Jacob M. Lowell, 22, of New Lenox, Illinois; assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Air Assault), 173rd Airborne Brigade,
Camp Ederle, Italy.

Army Pfc. Timothy R. Vimoto, 19, of Fort Campbell, Kentucky; assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne) 173rd Airborne Brigade
Combat Team, Camp Ederle, Italy.

Army Sgt. Charles E. Wyckoff Jr., 28, of Chula Vista, California; assigned
to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat
Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.


June 1 - June 7
Killed: 4; Wounded in action: 19

Oct. 10, 2001 - June 7
Killed: 394; Wounded in action: 1,288

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National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Mobilized
(as of June 6, 2007)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2007/d20070606ngr.pdf

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And the beat goes on . . .

"Bring 'em Home"
http://www.tomandrodna.com/Songs/Bring_em_home.mp3

"If you love this land of the free
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
Bring them back from overseas
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home

It will make the politicians sad, I know 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
They wanna tangle with their foe 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home

They wanna test their grand theories
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
With the blood of you and me
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home

Now we'll give no more brave young lives 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
For the gleam in someone's eyes 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home

The men will cheer and the boys will shout 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home 
Yeah and we will all turn out 
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home

The church bells will ring with joy
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
To welcome our darlin' girls and boys
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home

We will lift our voice and sound
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home
Yeah, when Johnny comes marching home
Bring 'em home, bring 'em home."
   
Pro patria,

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime."

-- Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.