U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq

As of Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009, at least 4,370 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 31,603 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department’s weekly tally.

U.S. Troop Casualties in Iraq

Latest identifications:

• Army Pfc. Jaiciae L. Pauley, 29, Austell, Ga., died Dec. 11, 2009 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
• Army Pvt. Jhanner A. Tello, 29, Los Angeles, Calif., died Dec. 10, 2009 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 3rd Aviation Support Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
• Marine Sgt. Ralph Anthony Webb Frietas, 23, Detroit, Mich., died Dec. 8, 2009 as a result of unknown causes in Baghdad. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.

U.S. Military Deaths in Afghanistan

As of  Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009, at least 856 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department.

Latest identifications:

• Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony C. Campbell Jr., 35, Florence, Ky., died Dec. 15, 2009 of wounds suffered from the detonation of an improvised explosive device in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 932nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
• Marine Cpl. Xhacob Latorre, 21, Waterbury, Conn., died Dec. 8, 2009 of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
• Army Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Hansen, 31, Panama City, Fla., died Dec. 7, 2009 at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit Dec. 3 with an improvised explosive device in Logar province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
• Army Sgt. Elijah J. Rao, 26, Lake Oswego, Ore., died Dec. 5, 2009 in Nuristan, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Remember Their Sacrifice

Related links

Iraq Casualties

Afghanistan Casualties

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago – December 16, 2008 (#1)

A shoe is raised during a protest against President George W. Bush’s visit to Iraq and the detention of an Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at him, in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq, on Monday, Dec. 15, 2008. (Photo credit: Karim Kadim / AP)

Arabs Hail Bush Shoe-Thrower

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported that thousands of Iraqis took to the streets to demand the release of Muntadhar al-Zeidi, a reporter who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush, as Arabs across the Middle East hailed the journalist as a hero and praised his insult as a proper send-off to the U.S. president upon leaving office.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago – December 16, 2008 (#2)

Adam Walsh, 6, disappeared from a mall in August 1981. His head was found two weeks later, 120 miles away.

Ottis Toole Murdered Adam Walsh

Ottis Toole, a drifter and convicted pedophile, confessed twice, recanted twice and died in prison.

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, in a rare second post for the day, I also reported the breaking news that Ottis Toole, a serial killer who died more than a decade ago, had been identified by Florida police as the person who likely decapitated the 6-year-old son of “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh in 1981. The announcement brought to a close a case that has haunted the Walsh family for more than two decades, launched the television show about the nation’s most notorious criminals, and inspired changes in how authorities search for missing children.