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Funeral honors Moorestown surgeon killed in Iraq by The Associated Press A funeral service will be held this morning for a prominent New Jersey surgeon from who was killed in Iraq.The funeral for Army Maj. John P. Pryor is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Philadelphia's Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. Pryor died Christmas Day when a mortar round hit near his living quarters in Iraq. John Pryor, center, at work at the University of Pennsylvania trauma center in Philadelphia in 2007. The 42-year-old married father of three was a trauma surgeon at the Hospital of the University of...

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ANOTHER Australian soldier has been killed in Afghanistan after a rocket exploded in a defence compound. He is the eighth Australian soldier to die in the conflict zone. Australian Defence Force Chief Angus Houston told a press conference at defence headquarters this morning that he would not be releasing the man's name yet at the request of his family. "It is with deep regret that I inform you an Australian soldier has been killed. The soldier was killed instantly when a rocket exploded in the compound. To the family I want to convey I am terribly sorry for their loss,”...

A month-long operation by British, Afghan and coalition forces saw fierce close-quarter combat. WHEN Lance-Corporal Ben Whatley was killed on Christmas Eve, he was leading his Royal Marines from the front as they fought close up with the Taliban. His family in Norfolk had put Christmas festivities on hold, expecting him home in early January. It has now emerged that the clash in which Whatley died – a helicopter-borne assault on the village of Chah-e Anjir — was the climax of a month-long operation in Helmand province involving 1,500 British, Afghan and coalition troops. The offensive, described in detail this...

Israel has confirmed the first death of a soldier in its offensive in the Gaza Strip. The army says the soldier was killed by mortar fire earlier today in northern Gaza. The confirmation comes as explosions continue to pound the Strip as Israeli forces push further into the Hamas-run territory after launching a ground assault overnight.

KABUL, Afghanistan – A record 151 U.S. forces died in Afghanistan in 2008, the deadliest year yet in a seven-year war that military officials say is likely to get even bloodier in 2009, as thousands more American troops pour into the country.

WASHINGTON - Fewer police officers died in the line of duty in 2008 compared to last year, reflecting better training and tactics, two law enforcement support groups reported Sunday. GCDN Galveston County Sheriff’s deputies Jimmy Gillane and Sgt. Greg Hayes fold the Texas flag draping Galveston Police Sgt. Jeff Wyers' casket Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Galveston. The findings reversed the trend for 2007 when there was a spike in police deaths, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and another group, Concerns of Police Survivors. The groups reported fatalities through Sunday. Officer deaths this year totaled...

News ReleaseTwo Canadian soldiers killed and four injured in AfghanistanCEFCOM NR–08.046 - December 28, 2008OTTAWA– Two Canadian soldiers, as well as one member of the Afghan National Police and one Afghan interpreter were killed on December 27, 2008, when an explosive device detonated in their vicinity in the Panjwayi District. Four other Canadian soldiers and one Afghan interpreter were injured in the incident, which occurred at approximately 12:15 p.m. local time, approximately 25 kilometres west of Kandahar City. The soldiers were conducting security operations in the area when the explosion occurred. Killed in action was Warrant Officer Gaétan Roberge, from...

John P. Pryor, 42, of Moorestown, the dedicated leader of the University of Pennsylvania's trauma team and a decorated major in the Army Reserve who wrote eloquently about the painful parallels between battlefield deaths and urban homicides, was killed on Christmas by enemy fire in Iraq while serving as a combat surgeon.

John P. Pryor, 42, of Moorestown, the dedicated leader of the University of Pennsylvania's trauma team and a decorated major in the Army Reserve who wrote eloquently about the painful parallels between battlefield deaths and urban homicides, was killed on Christmas by enemy fire in Iraq while serving as a combat surgeon. Dr. Pryor deployed Dec. 6 and was with a risky frontline surgical unit when he was killed by shrapnel from a mortar round. It was his second tour of duty in Iraq. Dr. Pryor, who was experienced and cool under pressure, was born in Mount Vernon, N.Y., and...

Canadian Soldier Killed in Afghanistan CEFCOM NR–08.045 - December 27, 2008 OTTAWA – One Canadian soldier was killed and three others were injured when their armoured vehicle was struck by an explosion in Zharey District about 12:45 p.m. Kandahar time, December 26, 2008. The fallen soldier is Private Michael Freeman of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment based at CFB Petawawa. All members of Task Force Kandahar are thinking of the family and friends of our fallen comrade during this time of sorrow. The dedication and sacrifice of soldiers like Private Michael Freeman is helping to make a difference in...

News Release Canadian Soldier Killed in Afghanistan CEFCOM NR–08.044 - December 26, 2008 OTTAWA – One Canadian soldier was killed and three others were injured when their armoured vehicle was struck by an explosion in Zharey District about 12:45 p.m. Kandahar time, December 26, 2008. The injured soldiers were evacuated by helicopter to the Role 3 Multi-National Medical Facility at Kandahar Airfield where all the soldiers are reported to be in good condition. Next of kin have been notified. The identity of the deceased soldier is being withheld at the request of the family. -30-

A Royal Marine was killed in southern Afghanistan on Christmas Eve, the Ministry of Defence said today. The serviceman, from 42 Commando, died from enemy fire while on a mission in the Nad-e-Ali district near Lashkar Gah in Helmand province. Commander Paula Rowe, the Task Force Helmand spokeswoman, said: “The death of this Royal Marine is a tragic loss and coming so close to Christmas, this is particularly poignant. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this dreadfully sad time.” Next of kin have been informed.

EXCLUSIVE: For much of the past seven years, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have waged a clandestine operation inside the White House. It has involved thousands of military personnel, private presidential letters and meetings that were kept off their public calendars or sometimes left the news media in the dark. Their mission: to comfort the families of soldiers who died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and to lift the spirits of those wounded in the service of their country. On Monday, the president is set to make a more common public trip...

The soldier, from the 1st Battalion The Rifles was hit by enemy fire in Southern Helmand. An MoD spokesman said the soldier was taking part in an operation against enemy forces in the district of Nad-e-Ali. He received immediate medical care at the scene and was taken by helicopter to the military hospital at Camp Bastion for further treatment but died of his wounds. The spokeswoman for Task Force Helmand, Commander Paula Rowe, said: "The death of this soldier has left everyone in Task Force Helmand deeply saddened. Whilst words cannot ease their devastating loss, our heartfelt condolences go to...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2008 – Starting early next year, the Army will allow full military funeral honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia for all soldiers killed in action. Full military honors include a caisson, band, colors team and an escort platoon in addition to the standard honors of a firing party, bugler and chaplain. In the past, the caisson was available only for officers killed in action because of limited availability, Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman, said. The cemetery has two caissons, or horse-drawn vehicles, which now will be available for officers and enlisted soldiers killed in action on...

Starting next year, the Army will provide full military honors for all soldiers killed in action when they are laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

C.F.B. GAGETOWN, N.B.–Just over a week before a roadside bomb ended his young life, Justin Jones was at home in Newfoundland, celebrating a trio of events with his family and eagerly awaiting his return to Afghanistan. The rookie soldier was back in Baie Verte for two weeks to mark an early Christmas, his 21st birthday and his beloved grandparents' 50th anniversary. It was a brief respite from his first tour in Afghanistan, where he had deployed in August with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based at CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick. He was expected to stay until March or...

Three Canadian soldiers killed and one injured in AfghanistanCEFCOM NR 08.043 - December 14, 2008OTTAWA – Three Canadian soldiers were killed and one was injured when an improvised explosive device detonated near an armoured vehicle during a patrol in the Arghandab District. The incident occurred approximately 14 kilometers west of Kandahar City at about 9:00 a.m., Kandahar time, on 13 December 2008. Killed in action were Corporal Thomas James Hamilton, Private John Michael Roy Curwin, and Private Justin Peter Jones. These soldiers were all from 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment based at CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick, and served as...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan–Three more Canadian soldiers died Saturday after an improvised explosive device detonated on a stretch of road just west of Kandahar city, pushing Canada's death toll from the Afghan mission to 103. The Canadian Forces did not immediately release the names of the dead soldiers or their hometowns as it continued efforts to reach all next-of-kin Saturday, but a spokesperson said all "primary family members" had already been contacted. The latest deaths come just eight days after Warrant Officer Robert Wilson, Cpl. Mark McLaren and Pte. Demetrios Diplaros were killed when their armoured vehicle struck an IED while on...

Widows of war veterans have been wrongfully denied up to millions of dollars in government benefits over the past 12 years due to computer glitches that often resulted in money being seized from the elderly survivors' bank accounts. The Veterans Affairs Department said Saturday it wasn't fully aware of the problem. It pledged to work quickly to give back the pension and disability checks — ranging from $100 to more than $2,500 — that hundreds of thousands of widows should have received during the month of their spouse's death. "This problem must be fixed," said VA Secretary James Peake. The...

Gordon Brown paid tribute to four Royal Marines killed in Afghanistan on a visit to their comrades on the frontline today. The Prime Minister’s surprise visit came the day after the soldiers died in the southern province of Helmand with three killed by a 13-year-old suicide bomber and the fourth in an unrelated attack. He praised the soldier’s work in fighting a “chain of terror” stretching from the mountains of Afghanistan to the streets of Britain after flying into the frontline town of Musa Qala, which was recaptured from the Taliban last year. Mr Brown again expressed his sympathy to...

12/8/2008 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- U.S. Central Command's busiest aerial port of debarkation, or APOD, located at an air base in Southwest Asia, serves as the place of duty for Airmen of the 387th Air Expeditionary Group and the 5th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron, as well as sister service and coalition force members. But it also serves as a transit point for patriots. These patriots from across the military stratum come here on their return home from the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, both to be prepared for burial and to be thanked for their sacrifices in the...

News ReleaseThree Canadian soldiers killed in AfghanistanCEFCOM NR 08.040 - December 5, 2008OTTAWA – Three Canadian soldiers were killed as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on their armoured vehicle during a joint patrol with Afghan National Army soldiers in the Arghandab District. The incident occurred approximately 15 kilometers west of Kandahar City at about 9:00 a.m., Kandahar time on 5 December 2008. The Canadian soldiers were participating in a vehicle patrol with their Afghan colleagues when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. The three soldiers were killed instantly by the explosion. Killed in action...

My husband, Art Laguna, was a hero. He was a man of honor -- he kept his word and he valued truth and honesty, and he expected no less from anyone else. His life was spent in service to his country and his family. Here at home, Art served as a sheriff's reserve deputy. He was a volunteer helicopter pilot and flew medical evacuation missions with the California National Guard out of Sacramento 's Mather Field. He was the father of four and grandfather of six. Art was proud of his three-decade career with the U.S. Army and the National...

The milestone of 100 British Service personnel killed by enemy action in Afghanistan was passed yesterday when two Royal Marines died after coming under fire while on foot patrol in Helmand province. The deaths of the Marines from 42 Commando brought to 101 the number of soldiers, Marines and other personnel killed as a result of hostile action. Their names had not been released last night. Another 27 have died from noncombat injuries, including vehicle accidents. In Iraq 176 personnel have died, 136 as a result of hostile action. Eight soldiers and Marines have been killed in Afghanistan this month,...

DEFENCE has named Lieutenant Michael Fussell as the latest Australian soldier to die in Afghanistan. Lt Fussell was killed by an improvised explosive device detonation in Afghanistan yesterday. The 25-year-old was a member of the Sydney-based 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and was conducting a dismounted patrol when he and his team were struck by the device. Lt Fussell was not married and had no children.

VILSECK, Germany — Remember. It was a word repeated each time a photograph of a fallen 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment soldier flashed on the screen at a packed Memorial Fitness Center at Vilseck on Tuesday morning. Twenty-five of the more than 3,500 Dragoons who deployed to Iraq from Vilseck in August 2007 were killed in action during the deployment along with four soldiers from other units assigned to the regiment in Iraq. Positive recollections of the fallen accompanied their portraits. "Mentally tough and never backed down … faithful to his brothers to the end … the rock others depended on...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WAR EAGLE, Iraq, Nov. 17, 2008 – The memory of a fallen comrade lives on, thanks to soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team. From left, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kevin Gregory, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Troy Otto, an Iraqi army officer, and an Iraqi interpreter known as "Eminem" cut a cake Nov. 16, 2008, to dedicate the opening of the Maj. Mark Rosenberg Dining Facility at Forward Operating Base War Eagle in Baghdad. Eminem lost a leg in the attack that killed Rosenberg. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jerry Saslav  (Click photo for...

A British Army soldier has been killed by a road bomb in southern Afghanistan. The Gurkha soldier was taking part in a routine road patrol in Musa Qala, Helmand province, when the vehicle in which he was travelling struck an improvised explosive device (IED). A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said the soldier was a member of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles and that next of kin had been informed. The death, on Saturday afternoon, is the 301st for British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and comes as United States President-Elect Barack Obama seeks a surge...

ANN ARBOR, MI – Jesse Nieto is a 25-year Marine veteran whose honorable service to our nation included two combat tours in Vietnam. His youngest son, Marc, and 16 of Marc’s shipmates were killed on October 12, 2000, by Islamic terrorists who bombed the USS Cole. Nieto has worked as a civilian employee at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina since 1994. Since 2001, Nieto has displayed various decals on his vehicle expressing anti-terrorist sentiments, such as “Remember the Cole, 12 Oct 2000,” “Islam=Terrorism,” and “We Died, They Rejoiced.” On July 31, 2008, two military police officers...

Jesse Nieto is a 25-year Marine veteran whose honorable service to our nation included two combat tours in Vietnam. His youngest son, Marc, and 16 of Marc’s shipmates were killed on October 12, 2000, by Islamic terrorists who bombed the USS Cole. Nieto has worked as a civilian employee at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina since 1994. Since 2001, Nieto has displayed various decals on his vehicle expressing anti-terrorist sentiments, such as “Remember the Cole, 12 Oct 2000,” “Islam=Terrorism,” and “We Died, They Rejoiced.” On July 31, 2008, two military police officers (MPs) issued Nieto a...

Two Royal Marines have been killed in southern Afghanistan from a roadside explosion while they were travelling in one of the latest heavy-armoured vehicles sent out by the Ministry to provide extra protection for the troops. The two Marines died instantly as the device, believed to be a bomb or a landmine, struck their Jackal vehicle which was designed to be mine-resistant. Their deaths bring to 300 the number of servicemen and women killed in Afghanistan (124) and Iraq (176) since the two campaigns began.

South Carolina officials say a new specialty license plate for family members of soldiers killed in combat is now available. The Department of Motor Vehicles on Friday announced the availability of its the Gold Star Family license plate. Motorists must provide military documentation of their family member's death to get the plate. DMV director Marcia Adams says the plates serve as a memorial for slain service men and women. She says several other states offer similar plates. Motorist who qualify for the plates must pay $30 every two years along with the regular registration fee.

A BRITISH soldier from 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles has been killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said today. The soldier was killed yesterday in the Musa Qala area of southern Afghanistan when a patrol came under attack. Next of kin have been informed. Brigadier General Richard Blanchette said: “Our deepest sympathies are with the soldier’s family and friends as they deal with their loss. "This soldier died honourably, helping bring security to Afghanistan.”

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A Kentucky National Guard soldier was killed in Afghanistan last week when his platoon was attacked by a group of Taliban fighters, military officials said Monday. Sgt. Daniel Wallace, 27, was killed in action Friday in the West Paktika Province of Afghanistan, Kentucky Adjutant General Edward Tonini said. Wallace, a gunner in a Mine-Resistant, Armor-Protected vehicle, was shot when he got out to handle a piece of equipment that had been knocked loose, Tonini said. "Sgt. Daniel Wallace was a true patriot," Tonini said at a news conference. "One who stood up and answered the call...

WASHINGTON — "Joe the Plumber" was only one of two Americans injected into the presidential election this past week. The other was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan , whom former Secretary of State Colin Powell invoked in his endorsement Sunday of Barack Obama . Khan was a 20-year-old soldier from Manahawkin, N.J. , who wanted to enlist in the Army from the time he was 10. He was an all-American boy who visited Disney World after he completed his training at Fort Benning, Ga. , and made his comrades in Iraq watch "Saving Private Ryan" every week. He was also a...

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C., Oct. 17, 2008 – Marines, sailors, family and friends, each displaying a mixture of cheerful and solemn expressions, gathered around the fuel pump house here to honor their fallen hero Oct. 10. Friends and family gather at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., on Oct. 10, 2008, for the ceremony dedicating the installation's fuel pump house in honor of fallen Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel McVicker. McVicker, 20, was killed Oct. 6, 2005, when the vehicle he was riding in hit a roadside bomb near Qaim, Iraq. U.S. Marine Corps photo by...

STUTTGART, Germany, Oct. 10, 2008 – An eyewitness never forgets. So was the case on Aug. 11, 1955. Rüdiger Gall, left, a reservist with the German air force, and U.S. Army Col. Robert Armfield, U.S. European Command, salute the 66 fallen soldiers and airmen who died Aug. 11, 1955, in a midair accident near Edelweiler, Germany. U.S. Army photo by Brandon Beach  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. On that day, two C-199 Flying Boxcar planes collided in midair 45 miles south of here. One crashed in a field close to the village of Edelweiler. The other spiraled into...

FALLUJAH, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2008 – Four years ago in the poverty-stricken neighborhoods here, Marines were attacked within minutes of beginning routine foot patrols. Fallujah’s citizens were strongly opposed to the presence of coalition forces, and a vicious insurgency devastated the city. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Benjamin Swain, left, a corpsman with 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, and Marine Corps Maj. Jeffrey McCormack, operations officer for 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, stand at the site in Fallujah, Iraq, where Benjamin's brother, James, was killed in 2004. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Casey Jones...

The U.S. military says two American Black Hawk helicopters have gone down in northern Baghdad, killing one Iraqi soldier. Lt. Patrick Evans said one helicopter went down at about 8:55 p.m. Saturday. He says the military can't immediately confirm the location or provide other details pending further investigation.

Barack Obama played the "me too" game during the Friday debates on September 26 after Senator John McCain mentioned that he was wearing a bracelet with the name of Cpl. Matthew Stanley, a resident of New Hampshire and a soldier that lost his life in Iraq in 2006. Obama said that he too had a bracelet. After fumbling and straining to remember the name, he revealed that his had the name of Sergeant Ryan David Jopek of Merrill, Wisconsin. Shockingly, however, Madison resident Brian Jopek, the father of Ryan Jopek, the young soldier who tragically lost his life to a...

Family Asked Obama TAKE OFF THE BRACELET !!! Remember the debate Friday night, when Senator Obama said, "I have a bracelet too" Good Old WHAT'S HIS NAME? He had the name of an American Hero Sergeant Ryan David Jopek . Well Sgt Jopek's mother asked the Senator to STOP WEARING THE BRACELET because she didn't want it to become a campaign Issue. Obama ignored her request. It seems that he REALLY DOESN'T GIVE A RATS ARSE ABOUT MRS JOPEK OR HER SON "WHAT'S HIS NAME" and of course no mention of this in the media. If the reverse was true,...

His Name Is Ryan David Jopek The phoniness was hard to disguise as Barack Obama attempted to invoke the “me too” tactic in last night’s debate. After McCain talked about the bracelet given to him by the mother of a slain soldier, Obama mentioned that he had one, too. Unfortunately, he couldn’t recall the name of the solder, Ryan David Jopek, and to had to read the name off the bracelet. How could this be possible? Obama was given the bracelet by Sgt. Jopek’s mother in February of this year. So, for the last seven months that he has allegedly...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2008 – Hundreds of relatives celebrated the lives of departed loved ones lost in the war on terrorism during a national remembrance ceremony on the grounds of the Washington Monument yesterday. The third annual “A Time of Remembrance” honored military members who died during the nation’s wars, as well as their families and veterans. It is sponsored by the White House Commission on Remembrance, established by Congress in 2000. Carmella LaSpada, chairman of the “A Time of Remembrance” program, saluted the military families who attended the event. “You, the families of the men and women who fought...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2008 – Air Force pararescue jumpers recover servicemembers from any compromising situation in which they may find themselves. Their motto is “That others may live.” A troop-support group that assists the children of fallen Air Force personnel has adopted that motto. “Our main effort is to augment post-secondary educational funding for children who lost a parent in a [U.S. Air Force} search-and-rescue operational or training mission,” said Laura Lerdall, communications coordinator for That Others May Live Foundation. “Other missions of the foundation include providing assistance in a home purchase or the start-up of a business to...

KUWAIT CITY — Seven U.S. soldiers were killed early Thursday morning when their transport helicopter crashed in southern Iraq, officials said. Enemy fire was not involved in the incident, the military said. The CH-47 Chinook helicopter went down just after midnight around 60 miles west of Basra. All aboard were killed. In its initial news release, the military said five bodies had been recovered and that two soldiers were missing; hours later, that was updated to say the bodies of all seven aboard had been recovered. "It is a tough day for the coalition and we are deeply saddened by...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2008 – A red, white and blue patchwork quilt commemorating the 113 U.S. military women who’ve died during the global war on terrorism was unveiled for public view at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial today. (Left to right) Donna J. Birtwistle, Mavis Olsen, Marlene Wallace and Penny Eakin stand before their patchwork quilt at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, Sept. 17, 2008. The quilt honors military women who’ve died during the global war on terrorism. Defense Dept. photo by Gerry J. Gilmore  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The hand-sewn...

A British soldier has been killed in an explosion in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said. The soldier was a member of the 2nd Battalion the Parachute regiment. His death, in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, is the fourth of a British serviceman this month. He was killed while on a routine patrol near Kajaki, in Helmand province. The cause of the explosion is being investigated by military police. Lieutenant Colonel David Reynolds, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "The life of a British paratrooper can never be replaced, but it can be immortalised. "His participation in this tour...

KABUL (Reuters) -- At least 23 people were killed when Taliban insurgents ambushed a U.S. security firm convoy in southwestern Afghanistan on September 12, provincial officials said, in the second attack on the firm in as many days. Farah provincial police chief Khalilullah Rahmani said 15 of the dead were Taliban militants killed in the fighting that broke out following the ambush. Rahmani said U.S. Protection and Investigations, a firm involved in escorting supplies for coalition forces, also suffered casualties, but he had no details. "The Taliban militants attacked the convoy with heavy machine guns; four vehicles were set on...