Department of Defense Graph

Sedona AZ (August 21, 2012) – The Department of Defense announced deaths of ten service members who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, the war in Afghanistan.

Seven died August 16, 2012 in a helicopter crash northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Killed in the northeast Kandahar crash were:

Chief Warrant Officer Brian D. Hornsby, 37, of Melbourne, Florida assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii;

Chief Warrant Officer Suresh N. A. Krause, 29, of Cathedral City, California assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii;

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Petty Officer Technician 1st Class Sean P. Carson, 32, of Des Moines, Washington assigned to an explosive ordnance disposal mobile unit in San Diego;

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick D. Feeks, 28, of Edgewater, Maryland assigned to a West Coast-based naval special warfare unit;

Sgt. Richard A. Essex, 23, of Kelseyville, California assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii;

Sgt. Luis A. Oliver Galbreath, 41, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; and

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class David J. Warsen, 27, of Kentwood, Michigan assigned to a West Coast-based naval Special warfare unit.

Two Marine service members died August 17, 2012 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. They were assigned to 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Gregory T. Copes, 36, of Lynch Station, Virginia and Hospital Corpsman Petty Officer 1st Class Darrel L. Enos, 36, of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

This Farah province incident is under investigation.

United States Army Sgt. 1st Class Coater B. Debose, 55, of State Line, Mississippi died August 19 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

A New York Times article reported today “that Afghan police officers and soldiers gunning down American and NATO troops in so-called green-on-blue (insider attacks). NATO officials worry that the killings — 40 American and NATO troops have died from such attacks this year — could undermine the exit strategy of steadily training and turning over security to Afghan forces during the next two years, before a near-total withdrawal of Western military forces.”

This week alone, a teenager living on the Kandahar base and several Afghani police officers in various locales shot and killed American and NATO military soldiers during planned in-sider attacks. While visiting the Kandahar base on August 21, 2012, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin E. Dempsey’s parked plane was damaged by incoming rockets. The Department of Defense reported two maintenance workers received injuries while Dempsey, not on the plane at the time, and others on the base were unharmed from the attack.

An International Security Assistance Force service member died when an individual wearing an Afghan Uniformed Police uniform turned his weapon against ISAF service members in southern Afghanistan on August 19, 2012.

Afghan and ISAF officials are investigating the incident.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced this week that his country will move up its Afghanistan 2013 withdrawal date. New Zealand reported five soldiers killed this week, three killed by I.E.D.’s, imbedded explosive devices commonly referred to as roadside bombs.

U.S. President Barack Obama flew to Afghanistan in May 2012 to finalize an agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai that the United States cede control of military operations by years end 2014. The death toll for Americans serving in Afghanistan now exceeds 2100.

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