Saturday, September 08, 2007 1:41 PM - 2 INCOMING - The British Ministry of Defense is announcing the deaths of two more 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters) soldiers in Afghanistan. According to an article that appeared in Sky News, the men were on a night patrol when they were ambushed on several sides by Taliban insurgents south of Garmsir in southern Helmand Province on Saturday, September 8th. Troops who took part in the engagement later told a journalist at Camp Bastion that it was one of the fiercest battles the unit had fought since arriving in country. The fighting apparently lasted for eight hours and air support had to be called in. Several soldiers were also injured, two of them seriously.

Sunday, September 09, 2007 3:41 AM - UPDATE (photo, additional information) -

Mykel F. Miller, 19, of Phoenix, Arizona

The DoD has identified the second NATO soldier who died in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, September 6th, as an American (the first was the Romanian 2nd Lieutenant Aurel Marcu). Arizona National Guard Private 1st Class Mykel F. Miller, 19, of Phoenix, Arizona, died from enemy action in Zabul Province. According to Phoenix station KOLD, 600 members of Miller's unit, the 1st Battalion of the 158th Infantry Regiment, left Phoenix last January for a year-long deployment to Afghanistan. The Arizona Republic reported that Miller had just days left before coming home to ride the new motorcycle that he had a friend purchase for him over the summer. His 45-year-old neighbor spoke of the 11-year-old "Myke" who used to hang out in his garage to discuss their common love of motorcycles despite their 30 year age difference. Miller leaves behind his mother, stepfather, and two younger stepbrothers.

Sunday, September 09, 2007 8:32 AM - 1 INCOMING - The icWales news service is citing a U.S.-led coalition report stating that one of their soldiers was killed in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan in a roadside bomb explosion on Sunday, September 9th. Four other soldiers were wounded in the blast. As usual, the nationalities of the casualties were not given.

Sunday, September 09, 2007 3:58 PM - UPDATES -
	The British Ministry of Defense has identfied the two 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters) soldiers who died in a firefight with Taliban insurgents south of Garmsir in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on Saturday, September 8th:
		Sergeant Craig Brelsford, 25, of Nottingham in Nottinghamshire, England
		Private Johan Botha, of Pretoria, South Africa
Craig Brelsford, 25, of Nottingham in Nottinghamshire, England	An enormously talented platoon sergeant, Brelsford had enlisted in the British Army in April of 1999 ... and had made rank and completed courses in 8 years that most soldiers don't accomplish in 22 years of service. Shortly after enlisting, he was sent on his first operational deployment to Northern Ireland ... followed by two more tours of duty there in later years. He had also served previously in Afghanistan, and had been on grueling exercises in Kenya and twice in Belize. A commanding officer described him as "idolised by his troops and held in high esteem by his peers." On the day of his death, Brelsford repeatedly attacked a well defended Taliban position in order to extract soldiers who were wounded. He was hit on his final attack ... which was an attempt to get to Private Botha who had fallen behind enemy lines. He was just days away from his 26th birthday.
Johan Botha, of Pretoria, South Africa	A citizen of South Africa, Botha "was a mountain of a man: fit, strong and robust" with a loud personality and confidence to match. According to one part of the British MoD release, he and his wife had moved to the UK about 4 years ago, and Botha had enlisted in the British Army in June of 2005. This was apparently his first operational overseas deployment. An article from the BBC gives his age as 25. A friend and colleague described the way the Taliban had pinned down a section of British troops on September 8th with "intense and accurate fire" with Botha in the thick of it. Botha was eventually seriously wounded, but kept on firing, providing cover for others to make it to safety, until the very end. He and his wife have a young daughter.

Friday, September 14, 2007 8:41 AM - UPDATE -

Travis M. Woods, 21, of Palo Cedro, California

The DoD has identified the Marine who died in northern Helmland Province in Afghanistan on Sunday, September 9th, as an American. Cpl. Travis M. Woods, 21, of Palo Cedro, California (near Redding), died from wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in Northern Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1stMarine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. According to a KCBS report, a Camp Pendleton base press release said Woods was a field wireman. Woods was fighting with special operations forces when he was killed, his mother told the Redding Record Searchlight newspaper. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Woods was on his second tour - he'd spent the first in Iraq - and had recently called his mother in Redding to tell her to stop sending care packages because he was coming home. "He just wanted to surf. I think he couldn't wait to get back and be on the waves," said his mother. "They have quite a bit of money when they get back from these tours, and I'm sure he would have gone through it quickly. He's 21, he would have had fun."

Tuesday, September 18, 9:06 AM - 1 INCOMING - The British Ministry of Defense and NATO ISAF have both announced the death of a soldier from 36 Engineer Regiment in Helmland Province, southern Afghanistan. According to the MoD, two soldiers were injured in the blast, one very seriously when an army dump truck was hit by an explosion while taking part in a routine logistics convoy, 19 kilometers north-east of the town of Gereshk on Monday 17 September 2007. The very seriously injured soldier was pronounced dead on arrival at the ISAF medical facility at Camp Bastion. The BBC reports that the soldiers' regiment is based out of barracks in Maidstone, Kent, England.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:09 AM - UPDATE -

Ivano (Sean) Violino, 29, from Salford, (Greater Manchester) England

The British Ministry of Defense has identified the soldier who was killed in Helmand Province on Monday, September 17, 2007: Lance Corporal Ivano (Sean) Violino, 29, from Salford, near Manchester, England. Violino was based with the 20 Field Squadron, 36 Engineer Regiment. According to the Mod, he was commanding an FL12 Self-Loading Dump Truck on a routine logistics convoy, moving vital engineering equipment to a Forward Operating Base 19 kilometre north east of the town of Gereshk in Helmand province, when his vehicle was caught in an explosion. Despite the best efforts of the Air Medical Emergency Response Team who arrived on the scene shortly after the explosion, Violino was sadly pronounced dead on arrival at the field hospital at Camp Bastion. He was an Army canoeist and regularly represented the regiment at rugby. He leaves behind his wife and 8-year-old twins.

Thursday, September 20, 8:47 AM - 2 INCOMING - The British Ministry of Defence and NATO ISAF have announced the death of two soldiers from 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters) in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, September 20, 2007. According to the MoD, Shortly after 3am local time, the soldiers were taking part in a re-supply mission in support of Operation Palk Wahel, 5km south west of their patrol base in an area north of Gereshk, Helmand province, when the Pinzgauer vehicle they were travelling in came off the road. Sadly, both soldiers were declared dead at the scene. No enemy forces were involved.

Thursday, September 20, 9:32 AM - 1 INCOMING - According to the German website KLAMM and other German media reports, a German soldier was found dead in his or her barracks on Saturday, September 8, 2007, at Camp Marmal, near Mazar e Sharif in northern Afghanistan. Force was excluded as cause of death, and most media are listing this death as a suicide. The German MoD has yet to make an announcement.

Thursday, September 20, 3:40 PM - 1 INCOMING - M&C.com is reporting a new death in Afghanistan. The Dutch Prime Minister is quoted as saying that a Dutch soldier was reportedly killed on Thursday, September 20, just north of the Dutch military base at Deh Rawod. Defence Minister van Middelkoop said the death occurred during intensive fighting. "The guerillas were forced to leave a vehicle, which was later destroyed by a Dutch Apache helicopter," Van Middelkoop told reporters.

Thursday, September 20, 4:38 PM - UPDATE - The Dutch Ministry of Defense has identified the soldier who died on Thursday, September 20, 2007, near Deh Rawood: Soldaat der 1e klasse (Pfc.) Tim Hoogland, 20. A rough translation of the Dutch suggests that Hoogland was killed during a firefight northwest of Camp Hadrian near Deh Rawod, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan, and that he was assigned to the 13e Infanteriebataljon “Stoottroepen Prins Bernhard”, 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade, Koninklijke Landmacht (Royal Netherlands Army).

Friday, September 21, 7:17 AM - 1 INCOMING - The French Ministry of Defense is reporting the death of a French soldier [URL no longer valid] who died when his convoy was attacked in a bombing on Friday, September 21st. According to the Guardian Unlimited the convoy was attacked in western Kabul by a suicide bomber. Six civilians were seriously wounded. NATO-ISAF has confirmed the death, and raised the number of civilians wounded to eight.

Friday, September 21, 9:04 AM - UPDATE -
	The British Ministry of Defence identified the deaths of two soldiers who died in an accident in southern Afghanistan on Thursday 20 September 2007:
		Colour Sergeant Phillip Newman, 36, (hometown not given)
		Private Brian Tunnicliffe, 33, of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England
	Phillip Newman, 36, of the UK (no home town given)	Newman, of the 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment, served in Afghanistan on two previous occasions in support of the regular Army and also in Iraq with a Territorial Army. He had recently requested to stay with the Battalion for the next two years on a full time reserve service contract. His commanding officer described him as a "larger than life character [whose] thirst for adventure was infectious for so many of those who were close to him.” He leaves behind a wife and 3 children.
	Brian Tunnicliffe, 33, of Ilkeston (near Nottingham), Derbyshire, England	Tunnicliffe, of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters), served previously in Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Belize and Kenya. Private “Tunny” Tunnicliffe had been employed in various roles over the last 10 years. He spent most of his career as a store man in A (Grenadier) Company. His varied other tasks included a spell as Ram Orderly to Private Derby, the Regiment's Swalesdale Derbyshire Ram mascot. The MoD press release claims that "Private Derby" was "thankful for the companionship, never had he been exercised so much or cared for so diligently." More recently Private Tunnicliffe was employed in the motor transport platoon. His commanding officer said, "...there isn't a single man who has served [with him] who won't have a collection of 'Tunnicliffe stories'. Private Tunnicliffe reflected the archetypal county infantryman, fiercely loyal to his regiment and his friends. A truly big hearted Ilkeston man through and through, our lives are darker now that his bright light has gone out." Tunnicliffe leaves behind his wife
		According to the MoD, both soldiers were deployed on Operation Palk Wahel with A (Grenadier) Company 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters) and were conducting an essential re-supply during a pause in the fighting. They were travelling in a Pinzgauer 4X4, 5km south west of their patrol base in an area north of Gereshk, on their way to a rendezvous point as part of a two vehicle replenishment patrol. The vehicle over-turned and tragically landed on its roof in an irrigation channel. One other passenger was able to escape without injury. Despite all of the efforts of the patrol, a medical officer, engineers and a quick reaction force who were on the scene within minutes, sadly Colour Sergeant Newman and Private Tunnicliffe were unable to be saved.

Friday, September 21, 1:38 PM - UPDATE -
Tim Hoogland, 20, of Vroomshoop, Twenterand, The Netherlands	The Dutch Ministry of Defense has released additional information about the soldier who died on Thursday, September 20, 2007, near Deh Rawood: Soldaat der 1e klasse (Pfc.) Tim Hoogland. Hoogland, 20, was from Vroomshoop, Twenterand, The Netherlands.

Sunday, September 23, 2007 9:56 AM - 1 INCOMING - According to xinhuanet.com, NATO/ISAF has announced the death of a NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldier on Sunday, September 23rd, saying only that the servicemember was killed by small-arms fire. The media report stated that the Province where the death occurred was not given, and as usual, no nationality was given.

Sunday, September 23, 2007 4:49 PM - UPDATE - The NATO ISAF website has confirmed the death of an ISAF servicemember killed by small-arms fire in Afghanistan on Sunday, September 23rd. As usual, no further information was given at this time.

Monday, September 24, 2007 9:17 AM - 2 INCOMING -
	The media, the Spanish Ministerio de Defensa, and NATO-ISAF have all announced the death of two Spanish soldiers, killed in Afghanistan on Monday, September 24th. The soldiers were killed when their vehicle hit a mine near Shewan in the western province of Farah. An Afghan interpreter was also killed and three other ISAF soldiers were wounded in the attack. The Spanish Ministerio de Defensa later named the two soldiers:
		Private Germán Pérez Burgos, 33, married, of Alanje, in Badajoz Province, far western Spain
		Private Stanley Ángelo Mera Vera, 20, single, from Guayaquil (Ecuador).
		Both soldiers were paratroopers assigned to the 1st Legionary Horsemen Airborne Battalion (our best English translation at the moment), based in Paracuellos de Jarama (a municipality in Madrid)

Monday, September 24, 2007 12:15 PM - UPDATE - According to The Canadian Press on myTELUS.com, the death of a Canadian soldier in Kabul last month has been deemed a suicide by military police. Maj. Raymond Ruckpaul died August 29, 2007. The Forces' National Investigative Service says the evidence was analyzed by military police and officials with Ontario's chief coroner, which conducts autopsies on all soldiers killed overseas. Ruckpaul was discovered in his living quarters at a secure compound in NATO headquarters in Kabul suffering from a gunshot wound. The Hamilton, Ontario, native died about an hour later. After the incident those who knew Ruckpaul said suicide would have been totally out of character. [This UPDATE is being simultaneously posted here and in our August, 2007 Afghanistan archive.]

Tuesday, September 25, 2007 7:45 AM - 1 INCOMING -

Nathan Hornburg, 24, of Nanton, Alberta, Canada

Canadian National Defense has announced the death of one of its soldiers in southern Afghanistan on Monday, September 24th. Corporal Nathan Hornburg, 24, of Nanton, Alberta, a Reserve soldier from the King's Own Calgary Regiment, based out of Calgary, Alberta, was killed, and four others were wounded during Operation SADIQ SARBAAZ (Honest Soldier), a joint Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and ISAF operation. Hornburg, a mechanic, was fixing the track on a Leopard tank when he was killed in a mortar attack. The incident occurred approximately 47 km west of Kandahar City in the Panjwayi District. Both helicopters and road ambulances were used to evacuate the casualties to the Multinational Medical Unit at Kandahar Airfield. The wounded soldiers are in stable condition and have contacted their families. NATO-ISAF and the media have also announced the death.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007 8:35 AM - 1 INCOMING - The Combined Joint Task Force-82 is announcing the death of a coaliton servicemember who died of wounds sustained during a combat operation on Tuesday, September 25th, 2 kilometers south of Regay Village, Helmland Province. The death was attributed to a rocket propelled grenade attack. Four other coalition servicemembers were wounded in the attack. No further information was given at this time.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007 5:00 PM - UPDATE -

Charles Luke Milam, 26, of Littleton, Colorado

The DoD announced today the death of a sailor, Petty Officer Second Class Charles Luke Milam, 26, of Littleton, Colorado, who died September 25, while conducting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. We believe this is the same death reported by the Combined Joint Task Force-82 in an earlier announcement. Milam was a hospital corpsman assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Thursday, September 27, 2007 7:55 AM - 2 INCOMING -
	Two Danish soldiers have been killed and a third wounded in southern Afghanistan following a Taliban attack on a Nato base on Wednesday, September 26th. The attack took place in the in the Upper Geresk Valley, Helmand province. The Danish Defence Ministry has confirmed and identified the deaths, previously announced by NATO-ISAF:
		Private Mikkel Keil Søerensen, 24, of Denmark
		Private Thørbjoern Ole Reese, 22, of Denmark
	The two Danes, both from the Royal Life Guards infantry unit, had been under a nominal British command. No further details are available at this time.

Thursday, September 27, 2007 7:55 AM - 1 INCOMING-

Christopher F. Pfeifer, 21, of Spalding, Nebraska

The DoD announced today the death of a soldier on Tuesday, September 25th. Pfc. Christopher F. Pfeifer, 21, of Spalding, Nebraska, died Sept. 25 in San Antonio, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire on August 17 near Kamu, Afghanistan. This is a new death, not previously reported. Pfeifer was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Thursday, September 27, 2007 6:54 PM - 1 INCOMING -

Mathew D. Taylor, 21, of Cameron Park, California

The DoD announced today the death of a soldier on Wednesday, September 26th. Pfc. Mathew D. Taylor, 21, of Cameron Park, California, died September 26th in San Antonio of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle July 23rd in Sarobi District, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy. This is a new death, not previously reported.

Saturday, September 29, 2007 3:03 PM - 1 INCOMING- NATO ISAF website has announced the death of an ISAF servicemember killed during combat operations in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, September 29th. As usual, no further information was given at this time.

Saturday, September 29, 2007 3:03 PM - UPDATE - A new translation of the Danish Ministry of Defense announcement concerning the deaths of two Danish soldiers on Wednesday, September 26th has revealed the home towns of both men. Mikkel Keil Sørensen was from Vilsund, in the Thy District of northwestern Denmark. Thorbjørn Ole Reese was from Vejle, in South Denmark.

Sunday, September 30, 2007 8:52 AM - 1 INCOMING - Massachusetts media are reporting that a member of the Army National Guard from Quincy has been killed in action in Afghanistan. Specialist Ciara Durkin, 29, was killed Thursday, September 27th. She was assigned to Task Force Diamond, with the 726th Finance Unit of the Massachusetts National Guard, and had deployed to Afghanistan in February. According to the Boston Herald, Durkin moved to Quincy a few years ago, and she previously lived in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Sunday, September 30, 2007 2:16 PM - UPDATE -

Ciara Durkin, 30, originally of Eanach Mheáin in Connemara, Ireland

The Irish public broadcasting service, RTÉ, is identifying the Massachusetts National Guard soldier who died in Afghanistan as an Irish national, serving in the US Army National Guard. RTÉ says Ciara Durkin was 30 years old, originally from Eanach Mheáin in Connemara, in western Ireland. RTÉ is confirming that she died on Thursday, September 27th, but the details of how she was killed have not yet been released to her family. She had been living in Boston, having moved there with her family in 1986.

Sunday, September 30, 2007 2:16 PM - UPDATE -

The Irish public broadcasting service, RTÉ, is reporting that the family of a Massachusetts National Guard soldier who died in Afghanistan has appealed to the Irish Government to participate in the inquiry into her death. Ciara Durkin died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the head within a secure area on the Bagram airbase, according to information the military has released to the Durkin Family. Speaking on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta this morning Pádraig Ó Conghaile, Ms. Durkin's brother-in-law, appealed to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to participate in the investigation into her death. The Durkin family have been informed that the investigation, which is being conducted by the military in the US, will take up to eight weeks to complete. Because this event took place on the Bagram airbase, USWarWatch is reclassifiying this death as "non-hostile - weapon discharge", although there is not enough information at this time to conclude suicide, accident or homicide.

Sunday, September 30, 2007 3:53 PM - UPDATE - The DoD released today the official announcement of the death of a soldier in Afghanistan. Spc. Ciara M. Durkin, 30, of Quincy, Mass., died Sept. 28th (not on the 27th as some media reports indicated) at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident. She was assigned to the 726th Finance Battalion, Massachusetts Army National Guard, West Newton, Mass. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.