Free Republic

More than half a dozen military trainees from Afghanistan have disappeared over the course of about two weeks. They were training at U.S. bases, including Fort Gordon in Augusta and Fort Benning near Columbus. “It’s concerning and legitimately so,” Georgia State University security and counterterrorism expert Robert Friedmann said. Seven trainees went AWOL from bases so far this month. Friedmann says he doesn’t think the timing is a coincidence. “It's fairly likely that it was coordinated, because that's too much of a coincidence,” he said.

FORT BENNING, Ga. (Army News Service, July 12, 2006) – Pvt. Jay Grassel believes he has a lot in common with Pfc. James Murphy. Both Pittsburgh natives joined the Army at 19, fresh out of high school. Both were assigned to 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment. When the going gets tough, Grassel looks to Murphy for inspiration. But Murphy doesn't know it. He was killed by small arms fire 44 days after arriving in Vietnam nearly 40 years ago. "He knew he was going to war when he enlisted. I enlisted knowing I’ll go to war," said Grassel, who's training...

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