article-34537 :: AmericanWay

Across the nation, 11,000 Blue Star Mothers make sure our military men and women are taken care of in the way only a mother can.

article-34537 :: AmericanWay

SGT Mark Adams Cofield US Army Obituary: View Mark Cofield's Obituary by The Gazette

Son, grandson, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, friend, soldier, patriot and American Hero..... SGT Mark Adams Cofield died in service to his country, while assigned to 18th Airborne Corps HQ, Ft. Bragg, NC. He was deployed to Iraq since Oct 2010. Mark was born on March 16, 1986 in Springfield, IL, to parents John Adams Cofield, MAJ, US Army, originally of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Tariena (Tari) Dragoo Cofield, originally from Cammack, Indiana. Mark grew up in many different locations in the world due to his Dad's military service, and lived in Colorado Springs from 1994 until 2009 when he joined the US Army.

SGT Mark Adams Cofield US Army Obituary: View Mark Cofield's Obituary by The Gazette

Invisible war wounds: There’s an app for that? - Military News | News From Afghanistan, Iraq And Around The World - Military Times

Using new-age technology to cope with age-old wounds of war, they tap into mobile phone applications, or “apps,” designed to help with post-traumatic stress and brain injuries.

Invisible war wounds: There’s an app for that? - Military News | News From Afghanistan, Iraq And Around The World - Military Times

Medal of Honor Speaks Out

The Troops Come Home: To war and back

The late Philip Graham, once one of the owners of The Washington Post, famously said that "journalism is the first draft of history."

On this the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that launched the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we find it fitting to look at that draft of history as it has appeared in The Fayetteville Observer.

In sum, they capture the story of war that isn't over on a day when we pause to be grateful that so many of the men and women who serve are home safe, at least for a time.

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FayObserver.com - <div>The Troops Come Home: To war and back</div>

Under the rainbows...

Under the rainbows...
Originally uploaded by The U.S. Army

U.S, may slow pace of troop withdrawal from Iraq

BAGHDAD - American commanders, worried about increased violence in the wake of Iraq's inconclusive elections, are reconsidering the pace of a major troop pullout this summer, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

The withdrawal of the first major wave of troops is expected to be delayed by about a month, the officials said. Waiting much longer could endanger President Obama's goal of reducing the force level from 92,000 to 50,000 troops by Aug. 31.

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FayObserver.com - U.S, may slow pace of troop withdrawal from Iraq

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)

"Washington, US (KRG.org) – Mr Qubad Talabani, the Kurdistan Regional Government's Representative to the United States, on April 9th addressed a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery commemorating Iraq Liberation Day. Members of American and Iraqi forces, including members of the Peshmerga, attended the event, alongside veterans and family of those soldiers who have fallen in support of Iraq’s freedom.

“On this day, it is appropriate and right for us to commemorate the sacrifices made to liberate Iraq from decades of brutal tyranny under Saddam Hussein,” said Mr. Talabani. “So to be absolutely clear: Iraq thanks you. I thank you. And the people of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, most of all, thank you.”"

...

Other speakers included General Nasier Arkan Abadi, Vice Chief of Staff, Iraqi Joint Forces of the Republic of Iraq; U.S. Brigadier General Judd Lyons, Adjutant General of Nebraska; and Ms. Wendy Hoffman, National President of Blue Star Mothers of America. “Today, we must thank those who have helped us get to where we are,” Mr. Talabani said. “Because although we face complicated political problems, the majority of the political forces and people who guide Iraqi society want to live in peace. They want to live up to the promise that American forces have given us.”

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG):

FRG Newsletter

Mourners honour death of last Canadian First World War veteran

First World War veteran John 'Jack' Babcock, seen here in February 2008, has died, the Prime Minister's Office announced Thursday, Feb. 18. He was 109. Babcock, who enlisted at 15, was the last remaining First World War veteran for Canada.

Photograph by: Brian J Gavriloff, Edmonton Journal

SPOKANE, Wash — When Jack Babcock joined the Canadian Army at the age of 15, it’s likely he never imagined that he’d be the last soldier standing more than 94 years later.
But that’s exactly what Babcock was when he died Feb. 18, at the age of 109.
Babcock was remembered Saturday afternoon at a memorial service at Messiah Lutheran Church in his hometown of Spokane, Wash.
The service was attended by a list of Canada’s top dignitaries.
Babcock was the last Canadian veteran of the First World War, and the last link to what many Canadians consider the country’s coming-of-age.


more... Mourners honour death of last Canadian First World War veteran