Tuesday, October 2, 2007 11:50 AM - 1 INCOMING - An Associated Press article and a Chinese media source are reporting the death of a soldier of the U.S.-led coalition forces died Tuesday, October 2nd, during a military operation in eastern Afghan province of Kunar on Tuesday. The death was later confirmed in this release from Combined Joint Task Force-82. A coalition statement said the soldier was "killed by small-arms fire while conducting combat operations." Three other coalition soldiers were wounded in the fighting. Most all coalition troops around Kunar are US, so we will count this death as a US servicemember.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007 11:39 AM - UPDATE -
Mark R. Cannon, 31, of Lubbock, Texas	Lubbock (Texas) station KCBD is reporting the death of a Lubbock sailor in Afghanistan on Tuesday, October 2nd. According to his father, Mark Cannon was shot in the chest while on patrol. He was a Navy medic assigned to a Marine unit currently deployed to Afghanistan. No other details are available at this time. Cannon is likely the death described in this CENTCOM release.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007 2:40 PM - UPDATE - In an excellent investigative piece, The Boston Globe has revealed a few new twists in the case of Ciara Durkin, a Massachusetts National Guardswoman who died in Afghanistan under mysterious circumstances on September 28th. The military first reported that Durkin had been killed in combat, then changed their classification to "non-combat", and told family members that she was found with a single bullet in her head, lying near the church where she worshipped on the secure Bagram Airfield. Durkin had warned her family that if anything happened to her, they should push for a thorough investigation. Durkin served in a financial unit, and may have found some improprieties that put her at risk. She was also gay, and may have been the victim of a hate crime. The family rejects any possibility of suicide, and suspects friendly fire or murder. Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy are pushing for immediate answers from the Army, and Durkin's family in Ireland is urging the Irish media and military to push for an independent investigation. The Globe reports that “Kerry said the Durkin family desperately needs answers to three questions: Why has the Army not responded to the Durkin family's request for an independent autopsy? Why, after not responding to the family's request for an independent autopsy, did the Army fail to contact the Durkin family with the Army's autopsy results? The family was told to be available to receive a phone call between 1 and 3 p.m. on Oct. 1, and the Army never called. Why has the Army refused to make Durkin's will and paperwork available to her family, so they can respect her wishes as they plan her funeral and burial?”

Thursday, October 4, 2007 7:19 AM - 1 INCOMING -

Lorenzo D'Auria, 33, of Italy

Media sources are reporting that an Italian intelligence agent working for SISMI (Italian Military Intelligence and Security Service), who was kidnapped on September 22nd in western Afghanistan near Shindand, and wounded during a NATO-led raid that freed him on September 24th, died on Thursday, October 4th, according to the Italian Defense Ministry. Corporal Lorenzo D'Auria, 33, and another Italian soldier were freed by Italian and British special forces. But D'Auria suffered gunshots in his head and neck during the raid, and had to be put on a respirator soon after his release. Both were flown back to Italy for treatment at Celio military hospital in Rome, where Auria later died. The kidnapping and circumstances of the rescue prompted new calls by leftist members of Prime Minister Romano Prodi's government to withdraw Italy's troops from Afghanistan. Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera last week quoted Defense ministry sources as saying that at least one of the bullets that wounded the two hostages came from weapons used by NATO-led forces. A spokesman for the NATO-led force in Afghanistan has denied the report, saying their kidnappers had opened fire on them. An Italian intelligence source has told Reuters the exact circumstances of the rescue are being investigated.

Thursday, October 4, 2007 10:10 AM - UPDATE - The Italian Ministry of Defense has now confirmed the death of Corporal Lorenzo D'Auria.

Saturday, October 06, 2007 9:11 AM - 2 INCOMING -
Alexis Roberts, 32, of Kent, England	(1) The British Ministry of Defense is announcing the death of British Army Major Alexis Roberts, 32, of Kent, England, in a roadside bombing west of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Thursday, October 4th. Roberts had been commissioned into the Royal Gurkha Rifles in December of 2000, and since then had served with both the 1st and 2nd Battalions on exersizes in Brunei, Australia and Canada, and also deployment to Bosnia and Afghanistan. He had also spent a period of time as an instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. On October 4th, Roberts was in command of a convoy that had traveled deep into Helmand Province. The convoy was on the final leg of its return to base in Kandahar when the bombing occurred. Roberts was married and had a family.
	(2) CENTCOM is reporting the death of a coalition soldier from the U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan from a suicide car bombing in Kabul on Saturday, October 6th. The attack came in a heavily populated area of the city, killing and injuring an unknown number of Afghani civilians. Although the dead soldier's nationality was not given, we are assuming he was an American.

Monday, October 08, 2007 7:29 AM - 1 INCOMING - The Australian Department of Defense is confirming the death of an Australian soldier in a roadside bombing in Oruzgan Province in Afghanistan on Monday, October 8th. Another Australian soldier was injured in the attack. According to a report from ABC Radio Australia, the bombing occurred as a regular patrol passed along a road in the southern part of the province.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007 5:52 AM - UPDATES -
David Pearce, 41, of Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia	(1) The Australian Department of Defense has identified the Australian soldier who died in a roadside bomb attack in southern Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan, on Monday, October 8th: Trooper David Pearce, 41, of Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia. Born in Liverpool, Pearce entered the military service late in life. He enlisted first in the Australian Army Reserve in 2002 and saw an operational deployment to the Solomon Islands in 2005-2006. At the age of 39, however, he joined the regular army (July, 2006). Pearce and his wife of 18 years have two daughters, ages 11 and 6. His family described him as having an "outgoing personality" and the "ability to releate to people of all ages".
Adam D. Quinn, 22, of Orange City, Florida	(2) The U.S. Department of Defense has identified the American soldier who died from wounds suffered in a suicide car bombing in Kabul on Saturday, October 6th: Specialist Adam D. Quinn, 22, of Orange City, Florida. The DoD gives his place of death as Forward Operating Base Phoenix, which is located on the outskirts of Kabul and which is the headquarters for the Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix which trains the Afghan Army. Quinn was assigned to the Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 82nd Airborne Division, out of Fort Bragg, NC. A brief article from Raleigh (North Carolina) station WNCN reports that Quinn is survived by his wife and parents.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 7:27 AM - 1 INCOMING -

Anders Johan Stærh Storrud, 34, of Denmark

The Danish Ministry of Defense is announcing the death of one of its soldiers in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. An English translation that describes the incident has been published by Deutsche Presse Agentur. Apparently, a Danish armored personnel carrier was hit by a mine early on Monday, October 15th, disabling it, but causing no injuries among the crew. 34 year old Major Anders Storrud was leading the unit which was towing the disabled vehicle in to base when they were attacked with mortars and possibly RPGs, seriously injuring Storrud. He was flown immediately to the field hospital at Camp Bastion where all efforts were undertaken to save his life. Unfortunately, he died on Tuesday morning, October 16th. Storrud was the head of a mechanised infantry unit serving in Helmand Province, part of the 1st Battalion of Den Kongelige Livgarde (The Royal Guards) based at Høvelte, Denmark. He had also been deployed to Afghanistan in 2004. The Danish media outlet Avisen.dk lists his full name as Major Anders Johan Stærh Storrud. That outlet also mentions that Storrud was married with two minor children.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 7:05 AM - 1 INCOMING - CJTF-82 is reporting the death of a U.S.-led force servicemember in a single vehicle accident about 21 miles northwest of Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan on Tuesday, October 23rd. One other servicemember was injured. No nationalities were given in the report. Our assumption is that they were American.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 5:44 PM - 1 INCOMING - NATO-ISAF is reporting the death of a servicemember during a firefight with insurgent forces while participating in Operation De Rock Bark Kooch in Kunar Province, Afghanistan on Tuesday, October 23rd. Two other servicemembers were injured. Once again no nationalities were given in the report. Our assumption is this soldier was an American.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 7:04 PM - UPDATE -

Larry I. Rougle, 25, of West Jordan, Utah

The DoD announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Staff Sgt. Larry I. Rougle, 25, of West Jordan, Utah, died Oct. 23rd in Sawtalo Sar Mountain, Kunar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds when he was engaged by enemy small arms fire during combat operations. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy. This death corresponds to yesterday's NATO-ISAF report.