Newsweek: The True Cost of War (last weeks helicopter crash killing 12)

[Pirate Smile]

The True Cost of War


Photos clockwise from left : U.S. Military Academy / The Gazette-AP; Virginia National Guard; Arkansas National Guard-AP; Courtesy Virgin Islands National Guard; Iowa National Guard-AP; Courtesy Virginia National Guard; Arkansas National Guard-AP (2); Texas National Guard-Courtesy Lyerly Family; Courtesy United States Army; Courtesy Virgin Islands National Guard; Courtesy National Guard Bureau Public Affairs

By Weston Kosova
Newsweek

Feb. 5, 2007 issue - For American soldiers stationed in Iraq, one of the few comforts of this war is how easily they can keep in touch with family back home. Many service members call their spouses and kids several times a week and e-mail daily, reassuring them that they are all right. Sgt. 1/c John Gary Brown knew his wife, Donna, worried every time he went up in the air. A Black Hawk helicopter crew chief and gunner with an Arkansas Army National Guard unit, Brown had experience calming the anxieties of his wife of 18 years. War had separated them before: Brown had flown missions over a similarly bleak landscape a decade and a half ago when he served in the gulf war.

-snip-
Soldiers are not permitted to give their families details about combat operations. So Brown used a simple code when he spoke to Donna. If he mentioned he was going on a "training" flight, she knew not to worry. But if he told her he was going on a "mission," that meant he was heading into dangerous territory and he promised to contact her as soon as he landed. At 5:14 in the evening on Friday, Jan. 19, Donna was at home in Little Rock when Gary called and said the word she dreaded. He was at the airfield and ready to take off—this time on a "mission." Brown had just returned to Iraq after a 15-day home leave. On the phone, he told his wife how much he'd enjoyed being back with her and their two children and pair of grandchildren. Then he cut the conversation short. "I really have to go," he said. In the background, she could hear the thumping of the chopper's rotors.

She began to worry when he didn't call or e-mail on Saturday, but told herself he was probably still on duty and couldn't get to a phone or computer. She spent the day willing the phone to ring. When he still hadn't called by Sunday, she says, she suspected the worst. Still, the solemn visit from the Army's Casualty Assistance Officers came as a surprise. On Monday afternoon, there was a knock on the door. Christian, her 10-year-old grandson, answered and called to her that there were two men outside. She told the boy to ask them what they were selling. He said, "No, you don't understand. They're Army men."

Including Brown, 12 soldiers died around 3 p.m. Iraq time on Saturday when his Black Hawk crashed in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad. The flight was a seemingly routine haul from the massive Camp Anaconda near Balad to the Iraqi capital, carrying four crew and eight passengers. Not far from the town of Baqubah, Brown's chopper—Easy 4-0—broadcast a mayday signal and went down; an accompanying Black Hawk landed nearby and its soldiers reportedly took fire from insurgents. The Army has been unusually tight-lipped about the details of the crash. It has not said exactly what went wrong. At first it reported 13 people had died, then 12. Officials tentatively blamed an equipment malfunction, then enemy fire. Now they say the crash is under investigation. The families of the soldiers say the Army did warn them not to expect much in the way of remains.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16843652/site/newsweek/

[malaise]

1. So when will State governors say

EfuggingNOUGH?

[andrewcorbin20]

2. Thanks for

sharing. It's very unfortunate, but true. This war needs to END!

[Binka]

3. Oh Fucking Hell Bring Everyone Home NOW!

:cry:

[guruoo]

4. What were all these command people doing on the same helo?

[tanyev]

5. WHY ISN'T THIS A BIGGER NEWS STORY?

The crash happened last weekend. The news about all of their ranks did not break until after the SOTU. All I saw about it on ABC was they put up the pictures and said their names and ranks and that was it; on to the next story. The chief medical officer for the coalition was killed, along with other high-ranking officers, fer cryin' out loud! I think there's a lot more to this story.


The Army has been unusually tight-lipped about the details of the crash. It has not said exactly what went wrong. At first it reported 13 people had died, then 12. Officials tentatively blamed an equipment malfunction, then enemy fire. Now they say the crash is under investigation. The families of the soldiers say the Army did warn them not to expect much in the way of remains.

[Pirate Smile]

6. Well, at least it is the cover story of Newsweek .

[tanyev]

9. Well, yes, that's a start.

But most of the article is about the individual people, their backgrounds and their families. I skimmed through all the pages and did not see anything trying to address why so many officers were on this helicopter together, an explanation of what standard protocol is, etc. I guess it's all still "under investigation", but I fear that so much time will pass before more facts finally come out that no one will care anymore.

[Gold Metal Flake]

7. Many large American crps don't allow three or more "wayups" to travel via air in same craft.

Imagine if the eight highest officers of any large corp or company were in one plane crash. What would happen to the company?

This seriously stinks. Does the military not have such travel restrictions? Did they ever?

This may have been a lucky hit on the part of whatever force undertook the attack, but until that is proven I, if I were in a position to make the decision, would assume an intelligence leak and investigate from that premise.

[CatWoman]

8. this is the EXACT POINT Boxer was making to Condi Rice

when the RW echo chamber yelled that Boxer was "mean" to Condi, and questioning her womanhood :grr:

[leftchick]

10. That is a lot of Military knowledge, experience and rank down the tubes

for bush's illegal fucking fantasy in the mideast. :grr:

:cry:

[DemReadingDU]

11. evening kick

this is very tragic, and troublesome