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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Blue to Gold: ARMY SSG Rayvon Battle Jr

ARMY SSG Rayvon Battle Jr., twenty-five, of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, died November 13, in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
According to the Department of Defense, Staff Sgt. Rayvon Battle Jr., twenty-five, of Rocky Mount, NC, died Nov. 13, in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

He was assigned to the 38th Engineer Company, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, which is attached to Headquarters, 7th Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

According to unit records, Staff Sgt. Battle entered the Army in June 2005 and reported to Fort Leonard Wood, MO for Army Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training MOS 12B (Combat Engineer).

Upon graduation from AIT, he arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in November 2005. He was assigned to 1st Special Forces Group Support Battalion, as a gunner. He deployed with the unit to Iraq from May 2008 to February 2009. In September 2009, he was assigned to the 38th Engineer Company as a team leader. He deployed to Iraq from February 2010 to September 2010. In November 2012, he deployed to Afghanistan, this time as a squad leader.

Staff Sgt. Battle’s civilian and military education includes a high school diploma (2005), Military Occupational Specialty 12B: Combat Engineer (2005), Combat Lifesaver and Tactical Combat Medical Care Courses (2006), Airborne School (2007), Combatives Level I (2007), Bus Drivers Course (2007), Warrior Leaders Course (2011), Information Assurance Certification Program (2011), Short Range Marksmanship Course (2011), Combatives Level 2 (2011), and the Advanced Leaders Course (2012).

His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal with 2nd Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal (2nd award), National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with 3 campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral “2”, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with Numeral “2”, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge and Driver’s Badge.

On behalf of the 7th Infantry Division and the entire Joint Base Lewis-McChord military and civilian community, we extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Staff Sgt. Battle.

Blue to Gold: ARMY Sgt. Matthew H. Stiltz

ARMY Sgt. Matthew H. Stiltz, twenty-six, of Spokane, Washington, died November 12, at Zerok, Afghanistan.
Army Sgt. Matthew H. Stiltz, twenty-six, was killed on November 12, in Zerok, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense, when insurgents attacked his unit with indirect fire.

According to Stiltz's MySpace page, he grew up in Spokane, Washington and spent time in Iraq before being deployed to Afghanistan.

Stiltz listed his heroes as his father and his grandfather. In filling out a quiz on how he wanted to die, he wrote:

[O]f old age with a loving wife and child.

Stiltz was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley in Kansas.

Blue to Gold: ARMY Capt. James D. Nehl

ARMY Capt. James D. Nehl, thirty-seven, of Gardiner, Oregon, died November 9, in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.

An Oregon Coast man serving as a captain in the US Army in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, was shot and killed Friday on patrol, the US Department of Defense said.

Capt. James D. Nehl, thirty-seven, was from Gardiner, a small community on the north bank of the Umpqua River near Reedsport in Douglas County.

Nehl was killed by small arms fire while patrolling during combat operations, officials said. Nehl served in Operation Enduring Freedom, the joint American, British, and Afghan military campaign in Afghanistan.

Nehl was based at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.

Nehl was the eighth Douglas County military service member to die in Afghanistan or in Iraq since 2005, according to news reports and military databases.

The Oregon Military Department lists 136 soldiers from Oregon or with ties to Oregon who have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He was the 28th Oregon soldier killed in Afghanistan, according to iCasualties.org.

FreedomRemembered.com lists Nehl as the 36th soldier from Oregon or with close Oregon ties to die serving Operation Enduring Freedom since its start in 2001.

Blue to Gold: ARMY Staff Sgt Kenneth W. Bennett

ARMY Staff Sgt Kenneth W. Bennett, twenty-six, of Glendora, California, died November 10, in Sperwan Gar, Afghanistan.
Kenneth Wade Bennett, twenty-six, of Glendora, Calif., was killed in the Sperwan Gar area of Kandahar province. He was assigned to the 53rd Ordnance Company of Lewis-McChord’s 3rd Explosive Ordnance Battalion.

EOD companies belonging to the 3rd battalion are serving throughout southern Afghanistan in small teams this year, attaching themselves to infantry units patrolling through dangerous terrain in the Taliban’s birthplace.

Bennett was on his third deployment to Afghanistan. He served there from August 2007 to November 2008 and from March 2010 to March 2011. He deployed for his last mission there in September.

Bennett joined the Army in 2004 and trained to become an explosive ordnance technician in 2006. He has been assigned to Lewis-McChord since 2009.

His awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, an Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal with 3 bronze loops, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one campaign star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, as well as other awards and ribbons.

He is the 32nd Lewis-McChord soldier to die in Afghanistan this year, and the first from Lewis-McChord units in his EOD battalion since the spring of 2010.

Kenneth Wade Bennett, 26, of Glendora, Calif., was killed in the Sperwan Gar area of Kandahar province. He was assigned to the 53rd Ordnance Company of Lewis-McChord’s 3rd Explosive Ordnance Battalion. EOD companies belonging to the 3rd battalion are serving throughout southern Afghanistan in small teams this year, attaching themselves to infantry units patrolling through dangerous terrain in the Taliban’s birthplace. Bennett was on his third deployment to Afghanistan. He served there from August 2007 to November 2008 and from March 2010 to March 2011. He deployed for his last mission there in September. Bennett joined the Army in 2004 and trained to become an explosive ordnance technician in 2006. He has been assigned to Lewis-McChord since 2009. His awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, an Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal with 3 bronze loops, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 1 campaign star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, as well as other awards and ribbons. He is the 32nd Lewis-McChord soldier to die in Afghanistan this year, and the first from Lewis-McChord units in his EOD battalion since the spring of 2010.

Read more: http://sgt-jim.blogspot.com/2012/11/rip-staff-sgt-kenneth-w-bennett.html

Read more: http://seemydeath.com/military/3991-staff-sergeant-kenneth-w-bennett-26-killed-by-ied-during-combat-operations-in-sperwan-gar-afghanistan.html#ixzz2CVcDKXaN
Follow us: @seemydeath on Twitter | seemydeath on Facebook“EOD companies belonging to the 3rd battalion are serving throughout southern Afghanistan in small teams this year, attaching themselves to infantry units patrolling through dangerous terrain in the Taliban’s birthplace. Bennett was on his third deployment to Afghanistan. He served there from August 2007 to November 2008 and from March 2010 to March 2011. He deployed for his last mission there in September. Bennett joined the Army in 2004 and trained to become an explosive ordnance technician in 2006. He has been assigned to Lewis-McChord since 2009” (source: Army EOD sergeant from JBLM killed in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive http://blog.thenewstribune.com/military/2012/11/11/army-eod-sergeant-from-jblm-killed-in-afghanistan-by-an-improvised-explosive/ ).
His service record indicates Staff Sgt. Kenneth W. Bennett was “decorated.” Service awards include “the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, an Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal with 3 bronze loops, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 1 campaign star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal", as well as other numerous otherawards and ribbons.

Blue to Gold: ARMY Spc Daniel L. Carlson

ARMY Spc Daniel L. Carlson, twenty-one, of Running Springs, California, died November 9, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
While the Friday death of Army Spc. Daniel L. Carlson, twenty-one, of Running Springs, California, is still under investigation, Glendora mourns the loss of another fallen soldier.

Carlson died in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan, but his death was determined to have not derived from combat.

Carlson was a CH-47 Chinook helicopter repairer serving his first combat deployment, according to Army officials. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii.

Carlson, who is survived by his wife and parents, was raised in Glendora and attended middle school in Glendora before the family relocated to Running Springs. Carlson still has extended family members residing in Glendora.

Carlson earned several awards, including the Army Commendation Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, among many others.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Rockets Fired From Egypt as Israel Hits Hamas HQs

Sources in Israel also tell us that rockets are now coming out of Egypt's Sinai peninsula, as well as the continued rain from Gaza.

This after Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Qandil visited Hamas' front lines, and President Mohamed Morsi berated Israel for their actions.

According to the Israeli Defense Forces, one of the Gazan rockets hit electrical cables, which feed Gaza, knocking power out to the northern part of the area.

Israel hit Hamas Headquarter buildings, in Gaza, over night, so as to avoid casualties.

Israel is continuing airstrikes into Saturday, as they try to end the confrontation, before ground troops become required.

The Cabinet has authorized the call up of seventy-five thousand reservists, sixteen thousand of which have already received word.

Review: Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2

Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2, hit theaters at midnight Thursday/Friday.

As the last movie in the Twilight Saga, it had a lot of closing up to do.

After the Cullens are falsely accused of turning a child into a vampire, the Volturi are coming to destroy them.

The epic battle between the Volturi and the Cullens with their werewolf allies, clearly takes place, as you can see in the trailer.

There's a lot of build up before that, mostly with Bella getting used to being a vampire, and the Cullen's gathering vampire allies, to help them against the Volturi threat.

Yes, there is an actually rather spectacular twist, near the end of the movie, though apparently those who read the books, won't be quite as surprised as those who didn't.

We won't say anything more, so as not to spoil the movie, but Twilight fans will love this last installment, those just going along to the movie should enjoy it as well.

O, and despite the rumors, there isn't anything after the credits, though there is some pretty decent music during them.

Walmart Workers Planning Black Friday Strike

Walmart workers are planning another strike, this one to take place on Black Friday.

Organizers with Organization United for Respect at Walmart, say that over a thousand stores will see strikes.

It is unclear how many employees will participate, as there is no union in the company.

According to the organizers, the strike's goal is "to inform customers about the illegal actions that Walmart has been taking against its employees".

The decision comes after Walmart announced that Black Friday shopping specials will begin at 8pm, on Thursday, which is Thanksgiving.

That decision, by Walmart, has been spoken against by employees and shoppers.

October saw the first ever strikes against the company, which is the largest employer, in the world.

Workers are complaining about poor treatment and low wages.

Chicago Alderman Seeking Ban on Energy Drinks

Alderman George Cardenas, of Chicago's twelfth district, is proposing that the city ban caffeine filled energy drinks.

He made his call just two days after the FDA announced links between energy drinks and deaths.

Cardenas says that the city of Chicago should ban the energy drinks for anyone under the age of twenty-one.

He is the City Council's Health Committee, and has attacked various other things he saw as unhealthy, like sodas, before.

The Alderman sees no reason to ban energy drinks that don't have caffeine in them, as the FDA has not linked anything to them.

Taliban Accidentaly Reveals Email Contacts

Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, spokesperson for the Taliban, made a slight error, Saturday morning.

He accidentally revealed everyone who he sends emails to.

Instead of using the BCC, or blind carbon copy, function he used just plain old CC, showing everyone who received the email, who else got it.

Whilst most of them were Afghani journalists, to whom the Taliban sends their press releases, attack claims, etc., some of them were not.

The others included government officials, scholars, and activists, bringing into question why they're on the mailing list.

All of those non journalist recipients can now expect to be investigated for ties to the Taliban.

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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Friday, November 16, 2012