7 Die As U.S. Helicopter Crashes in Iraq

ap ^ | Feb 07 1:10 PM US/Eastern

[HardStarboard]

God bless your son for his compassion, and his service.

[TheBattman]

Another? goodness - sounds like some terrorists have our pilots figured out... Come on guys - I thought I heard about some changes in tactics...

[KellyAdmirer]

Maybe the US needs to stop flying helicopters over "insurgent strongholds." Just a thought. Maybe it's impractical to stop, though.

[theFIRMbss]

>Falling? Yes, but they've had a little help

We should take the war
to the scumbags providing
the terrorists "help."

[Tommyjo]

Iraq had thousands of MANPADS. Lots of weaponry simply went walkies out of the Iraqi inventory before Coalition forces could secure them.

[JOE43270]

He is in my prayers. Tell him that this USAF Airman is standing beside Him. He is not alone.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Thank you both. It has been a number of hours and my daughter has heard nothing from him. We can only hope that it went as smoothly as such a thing can.

I really can't imagine being on either side of the news; recipient or giver. So very sad.

I also pray that these families who suffered loss today, as well as families of all others who have given their lives, know that those who serve are loved and supported by millions and that the media does not represent most of us.

[TomasUSMC]

Read Desolate Roads Part 2 now
Michael Yon is back in Iraq.

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/desolate-roads-part-2-of-2.htm

It tells more about how handcuffed our troops are.

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At the battalion level. The route where the giant bomb was hidden had not been swept by IA in four days.

The Howling Wind

There were five occupants in the humvee: 2LT Mark Daily born in Irvine, California; SSG John Cooper born in Cleveland, Ohio; SGT Ian Anderson born in Prairie Village, Kansas; Specialist Matthew Grimm from Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. Matt Grimm had recently been awarded a Purple Heart for injuries he suffered while on patrol in a humvee that came under attack. It was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade that killed Sergeant Brent Dunkleberger. Matt had been driving the day Brent was killed, and he was driving again on the morning of 15 January. The fifth occupant was “Jacob,” a Christian Assyrian-Iraqi, born in Mosul in 1967, now performing arguably the most dangerous job in Iraq: interpreter for American combat forces.

There were a couple of occupied two-story houses just next to the road, and an unfinished house, from which at least one terrorist had run a wire to the explosive.......
......The two families who lived in the two houses closest to the bomb were canvassed but the occupants claimed ignorance. A man from the first house seemed upset about the debris that landed on his roof. The soldiers were amazingly focused and professional, even to the man who seemed mostly to mind the mess. After some such attacks, families get paid by the Americans for the damages.