Image courtesy: Pfc. David Hauk, U.S. Army. Kandahar, Afghanistan, November 12, 2009

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The mission persists

NATO's International Security Assistance Force confirms that two allied troops were killed in a southern Afghanistan helicopter crash. Voice Of America reports that the Taliban is claiming it shot down the chopper. Of course, terrorists have made many false claims about past crashes of coalition aircraft. The helicopter went down in Helmand province, not far from Lashkar Gah.

Elsewhere, NATO announced the capture of two Taliban-affiliated terrorists in Kandahar City on Wednesday night. Officials said a Taliban logistics officer and an enemy facilitator were captured in a Lay Bala Karz compound without a single shot being fired. A weapons cache was seized by coalition forces, and no civilians were injured or killed.

Despite the daily progress of U.S.-led troops, losses on the battlefield continue to be painful. The Pentagon released the identities of nine fallen Americans over the last 48 hours.

Cpl. Julio Vargas, 23, Sylmar, California
Cpl. Joe Wrightsman, 23, Jonesboro, Louisiana
Sgt. Justin Allen, 23, Coal Grove, Ohio
Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Eastman, 28, Moose Pass, Alaska
1st Lt. Robert Bennedsen, 25, Vashon, Washington
Sgt. Anibal Santiago, 37, Belvidere, Illinois
Sgt. Jesse Tilton, 23, Decatur, Illinois
Cpl. Paul Miller, 22, Traverse City, Michigan
Staff Sgt. Brian Piercy, 27, Clovis, California

May God bless these valiant volunteer warriors and their families.

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