PFC Miller

[richhodg66]

They're burying a kid who got killed in Afghanistan last week here on Fort Leavenworth in a little while. We all get up out of our office and go line the street in a few minutes. Haven't heard about Fred Phelps' idiots protesting outside, hopefully the family won't have to see that.

I'm retiring here shortly after 24 years and my oldest son just left for USMC boot camp a couple of weeks ago. This kind of stuff has gotten hard to take lately. I sure wish we'd get our kids out of there and just establish a program of containment and bombing instead of trying to win the place. There's nothing there worth losing anymore of our boys and girls over in my opinion.

[gnoahhh]

I agree Rich. Hold your salute to PFC Miller an extra heartbeat for me, please.

[DIRT Farmer]

I agree Rich, I have two nephews and a son in now, one has been there and one in Iraq. I guess if the place is that important, turn them loose with the full weight and might of the US or get them out.

[richhodg66]

Well, it was a nice procession and great showing from the Patriot Guard Riders as always. One thing I can say about the Army (and I presume the other branches of the service) is that they take care of their own when this kind of thing happens.

I'm 46 now and pretty senior and have been in a job environment that past few years where everybody else is too, in fact, many of our guys are actually contractors who are all retired vets many of whom are a lot older than me. I kind of miss being around the young Soldiers and when I do see them now, they really do seem like children. I've been in harm's way a few times in the service, but it's somehow rougher to watch someone else do it, especially these kids. A firned of mine here was a CAO last year for a boy who graduated high school last may, immediately went to basic and AIT and ended up being KIA in late August, I just can't even imagine how you talk to his mom and try to get any of the administrative and benefit stuff done.

Wow, started out as a pretty good day, weather was beautiful, I got up early and made it to the range for a while, rode the bike to work knowing I didn't have much to get done. Forgot they said this was going to happen today, kinda put me in a downer mood.

[Geraldo]

In 2010 I went to visit my best friend's son (WIA) in Bethesda. While I was there I went into DC and looked at the Vietnam Memorial, and then I kept thinking about the memorial we haven't built yet. I wish I could believe that Afghanistan when we withdraw will be changed and worth it all, but I really doubt it will be.

[hiram1]

I think if we are going to go do a job,Lets go do it and come home do it like we did berlin.No one fooled with us for a while after that.But we dont need to rebild them.And dont send them food after we do it.thay will have that to think about for a while.

[jswaff]

My eldest son is in boot camp now at Fort Jackson, SC. He graduates on July 4th. I am hoping and praying that he stays out of harms way.

My thoughts and prayers to the fallen soldiers family and prayers to all of our soldiers.

[FISH4BUGS]

My dad, Maj Ellis C. Coker, US Army (R) is buried there. He was buried in 1963 and I remember it like it was yesterday. WW2 vet, CO of Sugamo prison after WW2, and a tortured soul. He headed the executions of the Class A's and others and never really got over it. He died as a result of that time as the military executioner just as sure as any combat death.
I can't listen to taps anytime and anywhere without welling up.
My condolences to the Miller family and a heartfelt thank you to PFC Miller. His willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice is what heros are all about. He is with many other heros at that place.
Thank you PFC Miller....thank you......thank you.......

[41 mag fan]

What can you say to a family who let their child go to a war, that we should be winding down on, and then have to watch him being put into the ground??

We just need to pull all our troops from around the world and bring them all home...leave a warning...you mess with us, we'll annihilate you and your family...don't believe us, try us.

If you ask me, every industry, every person in the U.S. need to take a minute of pause at the same time, every time a soldier dies and is brought home and buried.

[WILCO]

My dad, Maj Ellis C. Coker, US Army (R) is buried there. He was buried in 1963 and I remember it like it was yesterday.

Thanks for sharing this. I learned something new today. Prayer said for those concerned.

[dragonrider]

RIP PFC Miller

[WILCO]

RIP PFC Miller

Ditto for me. Thank you.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

we had a young man from the next town over U.S. Army Cpl. Benjamin Neal come home for his final rest several weeks back now , they did up the hwy real nice with flags for miles for his last ride

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/orfordville-soldier-killed-in-afghanistan-s856cg5-149155645.html

may they all rest in peace

[41 mag fan]

we had a young man from the next town over U.S. Army Cpl. Benjamin Neal come home for his final rest several weeks back now , they did up the hwy real nice with flags for miles for his last ride

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/orfordville-soldier-killed-in-afghanistan-s856cg5-149155645.html

may they all rest in peace

That was a sad story. Putting out flags along the road on his last ride, was an honorable thing to do.

I'm tired of these wars, tired of seeing our kids coming home in caskets.
That area of the world we're in, needs to be a big mud puddle.
Bring our future home, drop a bomb, and be done with it.

Sorry I'm just tired of seeing these kids die, and not experience what life is beyond the few short years they were alive.

[richhodg66]

Don't get me wrong, we needed to go into Afghanistan and root out that rat's nest of terrorists that was theer. I don't think there is a sane American who doesn't believe it was necessary after 9/11 made it plain that they had the basing to launch massive casualty producing attacks on us that we had to do something. One could make an argument that going into Iraq was unnessecary, but that's for another discussion, I suppose.

The fact is, I'm not anti war, far from it. But I think the idea that we can keep Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorists by nation building it into a secure and stable country is a bridge too far and we should come to that realization and quit wasting blood and treasure on it. With the surveilance assets modern technology allows for, we could be vigilant and watch for developing terrorist training camps and such that were going on prior to 2001 and destroy them from high altitude without putting any American kids at risk (or British, Canadian, German, Pole, French, etc., we have a lot of allies who are in it deep too). If that doesn't allow for careful collateral damage control, too bad. Better Afghan citizens than American ones.

[41 mag fan]

You're exactly right. Afghanistan was justified, Iraq I question heavily. But we're sending troops over and they come back in body bags, over a country thats never been socialized.

We could spend the next 100 yrs there, and kill every terrorist that we come across. Problem is, you can cut the head off a terrorist group, and it'll crop up again, just somewhere else.

the way I feel anymore, Karzai is two faced, and it's time to say...build your country or let it go back to the taliban...we're out of here.
Monitor with satellite and drones, and lob a bomb when and where its needed, and save our kids, so they can live and grow old and experience life.

[bruce drake]

I'm not a big fan at all of arbitrary missile strikes without working with the country in question first. If we are lobbing Tomahawks into a country without that country's governments approval we are no better than the terrorists we have sworn to take out.

What ticks me off about Pakistan is that the country agrees with us to strike against the terrorists but takes a public stance against our missiles to keep its hands "clean" for its domestic audience.

Because of this strikes into Pakistan to take out terrorists have created a lot more terrorists than what they take out in my opinion. I spent 12 months on the Afghan/Pakistan border and I can attribute increases in foreign fighters we saw based off the number of missile strikes that occurred in Pakistan in the weeks prior.

There is a the Rule of Law to be applied here when working with a recognized country. Now if there is no recognized government in place (aka Somalia) than you work with the Government in Exile or its Representatives and bomb the warlord/terrorist bases into dust.

Bruce

[richhodg66]

Bruce, in general I agree with you. I haven't been to Afghanistan, but there was a strong argument in Iraq that we created a lot of the terrorists by being there and that it motivated a lot of young men to be martyrs who might otherwise not have. May be some truth to it, but if it drew them in to be killed there rather than on American soil, I'm good with it personally.

I think we have a right and an obligation to strike things that our intell has shown to be a danger to us. It was apparently pretty clear that things were happenning in Afghanistan that were a threat to us before 9/11 and we should have taken action to remove the threat. Clearly, whatever semblance of a "government" in Afghanistan at the time wasn't going to do anything about it. respect another country's sovereignty when you can, but do what you have to do.

Iraq was a pretty advanced country in the grand scheme of things, so there may have been some credibility to the idea of nation building there. Afghanistan was a bunch of stone age heathens then, now and always will be, at least I am convinced of that, and I really don't much care whether they like us bombing targets we percieve to be in our best interests to bomb. If that makes us the stereotypical arrogant Americans, so be it.

By the way, +1 on Pakistan, they seem to be the real enemy anymore.

[bowfin]

By the way, +1 on Pakistan, they seem to be the real enemy anymore.

+1 on the +1.

I will be glad when India is finally provoked to stomp this country flat (again) .

[Roundnoser]

They're burying a kid who got killed in Afghanistan last week here on Fort Leavenworth in a little while. We all get up out of our office and go line the street in a few minutes.

You have the high honor of paying respects to one of our citizen-soldiers! It pains me to see our politicians using the military and our service members as political pawns, but we Americans know better. -- PFC Miller and those members who preceded him made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and their fellow servicemen. They are all honorable men and women who deserve our deepest respects. Richdog, consider yourself priviledged to have the opportunity.

[Hardcast416taylor]

A Marine Sgt. was finally brought home along with the other air crew members in his aircraft that was lost in the Pacific back in 1944. He has laid to rest today with full military honors.Robert