Afghanistan

Subscribe to Afghanistan via RSS

I live in San Antonio.  My home is perhaps 5 miles from the military’s premier burn center at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas.  And, as most readers know, I am an Iraq vet.  So, the article by Scott Stroud regarding the burn unit resonates with me.  See San Antonio Express News story.  It is a…

On this day of thanks, I ask that we think about 150,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan and 50,000 serving in Iraq.  They work everyday.  They risk their lives everyday for us.  Some of us may question the value of the two wars.  Some soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors might agree.  But, they serve all the…

Some of our best and brightest join the military.  Some of the best of the best are lost to the war.  SGT Cesar Ruiz was one such Marine.  He joined, did his four years and got out.  He left the Marines because his wife, Kimberly, wanted him to avoid another tour in the two wars.

 A Marine from San Antonio was killed in Afghanistan.  CPL Jorge Villareal was killed while on foot patrol in Helmand Province.  He graduated in 2006 from Kennedy High School.   See San Antonio Express News report.  CPL Villareal was part of a close knit group of friends who grew up together.  He served as…

 I try to talk on this forum about employment issues and discrimination in general.  Since I am an Iraq veteran, I also discuss the war from time to time, typically simply to note the death of a local soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.  So, when a local governmental entity itself expresses some form of…

 A San Sntonio soldier has been killed in Afghanistan.  PFC Diego Montoya was Mehtar Lam in Northern Afghanistan.  A 2009 Taft High School graduate, he participated in the high school JROTC program.  He was serving with the 64th MP Company.  See San Antonio Express News report.  His mother said he always wanted to serve in…

Do we really care about the soldiers, asks a First Lieutenant in Afghanistan?  See report.  Do we support pay raises for the troops?  Have we petitioned Congress?  Have we sent letters to our Congressmen?  He adds if we want them to stay overseas, tell our representatives.  If we want them to leave, tell our…

In Iraq and Afghanistan, Moslem interpreters help us everyday with the war effort.  Interpreters assume a special risk.  They are targeted whenever possible.  See report of an Iraqi interpreter who was killed in Samarra by his son and nephew.  His son and nephew are said to be members of Al-Qaeda.  Samarra is heavily Sunni, so…