Free Republic

CAMP ANACONDA, Iraq — When Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Summers arrived last fall, the Army knew he’d be able save lives. The 7th Transportation Battalion asked the ship hull technician to attach makeshift steel plates to trucks and Humvees. Poorly protected vehicles had been coming under fire every time they left this central logisitics hub for points all over Iraq. Many of the vehicles did not have the extra protection of “armor-up” kits. And the Army didn’t have enough to go around. “I’m a welder by trade,” said Summers, a 33-year-old Naval reservist from Frisco, Calif. “When I got...

by Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson May 21, 2004 A Soldier provides security with a 50 caliber machine gun in Mosul, Iraq. He is assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division’s Company C, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, Stryker Brigade Combat Team. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

When Spc. Michael Merila was killed in Iraq in February, relatives and friends of Stryker brigade soldiers grieved online. One message in particular stood out. "During the long few months he's been deployed, I've already experienced 2 near misses and it never gets any easier trying to relax," wrote a young woman who called herself JakesKatie. She went on to offer heartfelt condolences to those who weren't so fortunate: "Although we cannot physically hold them in our arms, they will forever be held in our hearts. They are resting, out of harms way. May peace be with your souls, and...

SIERRA VISTA - A 1998 Buena High School graduate was killed in action when an improvised explosive device was set off near a convoy he was riding in northern Iraq Monday. According to the Associated Press, Spc. Michael M. Merila, 23, was returning to his base camp at Tall Afar from the Mosul Airport after he and others escorted soldiers of his unit who were departing on leave. A member of the Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment from Fort Lewis, Wash., Merila, who was known as Matt to his friends, was the first member of the Army's Stryker...