From BlackFive:
Soldiers' Angel Adelle has done all of the homework on this.

It's time for all of us to get tested for the national marrow database.
US Navy SEAL Justin needs our help. He served in Iraq and took care of us. Now it's our turn.

Let's spread the word and get as many people as possible tested to give Justin a shot at finding a match. Usually, all you need to do is have a swab sample of cheek cells. YOU may be the one to give someone a second chance - the life you save may be Justin's.

Read the Rest

I searched and there's a center about a half hour away from my house. There's very likely one near yours, too.

Maxwell said bye to Shawn when he was 11 days-old, and on my last post, I talked about one of my biggest fears, father and son not knowing each other (Maxwell was not supposed to come home until October). But UNFORTUNATEY and FORTUNATELY he came home earlier, Maxwell was brought home on emergency leave through the Red Cross. My mother was dying of cancer with only neighbors and a Doctor at her bedside. Maxwell came to take care of the kids while I went to Mexico to take care of my Mother on her last days.

On my return from Mexico, I was very surprised of the way Maxwell took care of the kids, (he knew Shawn's routine better than I did) and the house. Now, I love and admire him even more because as much as he didn't want to leave us alone, he was ready to go back and continue to serve our country.

We got to spend a few days together before returning to Iraq, this trip also had consequences...

I AM PREGNANT and we are hoping for a girl...

Maxwell said, life has weird and mysterious ways, when he was deployed I was 5 months pregnant with his first child, and when he returns I will be 5 months pregnant with his second child...

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the RED CROSS, for their time, efficiency in delivering messages, compassion, kindness, guidence, and most of, support to military families.

Natalia, my condolences at your loss, and please let me know if there's anything I can do for you.

And congratulations! Our best wishes for a happy, healthy baby.

---------------------------------------------

Need to catch up on Natalia's Corner?
Deployment, Part I
Deployment, Part II
Deployment, Part III
Deployment, Part IV
Deployment, Part V

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Additional NOTES from Pam:
* Certain details will be edited to protect security concerns or family privacy. My edits appear in brackets [ ]. Any personal details that appear in these posts have been approved by Natalia and/or Maxwell.

* Maxwell's status as the blog's "adopted" Hero, and Natalia's posts about her experiences, should NOT be construed as their endorsement of any opinion I post on this blog, or representative of any policy or position of the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense, or any other government entity. This is merely a way to allow readers to learn more about what military families experience, and to offer an opportunity to support a deployed Hero and his family.

* To learn what you can do to help, click on Maxwell's picture over on the left, or go here.
To adopt "your own" Hero, visit Soldiers' Angels.

Camp Lemonier, Djibouti (July 10, 2006) - Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Robert Willard tours the tent city portion of Camp Lemonier with the Camp Lemonier Commanding Officer Capt. Robert Fahey and the Public Works Officer Lt. Cmdr. Richard Hayes. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Scott Taylor

I wonder what the Indian commuters did to wound honor?

Although not confirmed yet, it looks like there's more happiness and joy from the benevolent followers of the "Religion of Peace" today:

Seven Explosions Hit Bombay Train Stations at Rush Hour

I'm sure there's a good explanation for this, right?


Right?


And the crickets say chirp....chirp....chirp...


UPDATE: The death toll now stands at more than 160, and the bombings are now, not surprisingly, being categorized as terrorist attacks.

Afghanistan reconstruction
Senior Airman Melissa Laclair helps unload humanitarian supplies at the Afghanistan National Police Station in the Parandae District on Saturday, July 8. Airman Laclair is assigned to the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team. The team, with help from the Army's 405th Civil Affairs Battalion, delivered more than three tons of food to 240 families, who are beginning to run out of food from last year's harvest. Airman Laclair is deployed from Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. John Cumper)

It's all over the news today - Al Qaeda has released a video it says shows the corpses of U.S. Soldiers murdered last month. I was waiting for this one, and unfortunately, it's here.

There's also, typically, a sadly predictable twist - they're now saying that these Soldiers were murdered in retaliation for the alleged rape and murder of a young Iraqi woman by a U.S. Soldier.

And the media frenzy has begun:

Terrorists: Soldiers Murdered as Revenge (Fox News)
"Barbaric" video (Reuters)
Group: Soldiers killed over rape-slaying (AP)

The U.S. military response has been succinct to this point:

Title: TERRORIST VIDEO RELEASED
Release Date: 7/11/2006
Release Number: 06-07-01P
Description:
BAGHDAD — Terrorists released a mutilation video Monday, presumably showing two Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers who were taken captive June 16 and killed sometime later near Yusufiyah.

MND-B condemns the release of the video in the strongest of terms; it demonstrates the barbaric and brutal nature of the terrorists and their complete disregard for human life.

Coalition Forces remain resolute in our in commitment to catch the perpetrators of this crime and bring them to justice.

And the Moonbat Anti-war crowd is sure to start the chorus of "they got what they deserved..." So did they?

The murdered Heroes have not been directly linked, in any way, with the alleged crime - other than happening to be in the same unit.

This is what Al Qaeda says our Heroes deserved: One body had been decapitated. Both were bloodied and with flesh missing from several parts of their bodies. Several shots showed the bodies being trodden on by unidentified men.

This is the justification: "We present this production, of the remains of the bodies of the two American soldiers kidnapped near Yusufiya, as revenge for our sister whose honor was violated by a soldier from the same regiment," (Mujahideen Shura Council)

Really? So how, exactly, do you justify what YOU do to innocent Iraqis?

The alleged attack occurred in March. Supposedly, the locals knew. And yet, Al Qaeda waits until June to seek revenge - for the sake of people they kill every day?

Apparently, in Iraq, there has still been "limited public mention of her killing." No one was yelling to the rafters. Even Al Qaeda didn't say initially that it was a revenge killing...they didn't use that excuse until, of course, AFTER the news of the investigation was released in the media - after a US SOLDIER reported the incident. Pretty convenient for Al Qaeda, isn't it? You murder US Soldiers, tick off the Americans, who start hunting you down with renewed vigor, and then the news hits that there's an investigation.

It's a gift, really - now you have a 'reason.' No one's going to condone the murder of an Iraqi girl and her family, no one's going to condone rape. And if you say 'revenge,' it sure does obscure the issue, doesn't it? Even if the Soldiers you brutally murdered are, by all accounts, absent of any link to the girl's death, you can get a whole lot of mileage out of this one, especially in the US media, which as a rule already hates the military.

Hmmmm....so is this a revenge killing? Or an attack on targets of opportunity, Al Qaeda's knowledge of the anti-war crowd's efforts to sabotage the efforts of our Heroes, and their love of video, combined?

I, for one, don't believe for one second that Al Qaeda gives a rat's patootie about this girl. And anyone who believes anything they have to say about anything has some serious issues.

The Soldiers allegedly involved in the girl's death are being tried. That's how the American military justice system works.

But the murder of US Soldiers, the torture and murder of US Soldiers, especially Soldiers COMPLETELY unrelated to the alleged attack, is not justice. It's yet another barbaric crime, perpetrated by the same scum that do the same worldwide.

The only way to stop Al Qaeda is to turn a deaf ear to their lies and distortions, and to remove them from society - permanently.

HELPING HANDS — U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Terry Davis Jr., (left) and Lt. Col. William Mason, commander, 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion, wash an Iraqi child's hands in a village near Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, July 7, 2006. Members of the 402nd distributed donated toiletries, clothing, toys and other items to establish good will and a sense of community with their Iraqi neighbors. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Melissa Thornhill

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Saddam, aides boycott trial for second day
Gunmen ambush bus in Baghdad, kill 10: police - Video
Iraq Sunnis end boycott; attacks kill 39
Saddam trial adjourned for two weeks

Operation Enduring Freedom
UK to Up Afghan Troop Levels
Taliban Terrorists Targeting Schools in Afghanistan
Rumsfeld Visits Kabul

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Russians hail death of 'our bin Laden'

Other Military News
VA Gets Award for Health Records System
Army Surpasses June Recruiting Goal

Immigration / Border Control
Pace Talks About Immigrants in the Military

Worldwide Wackos
U.N. Delays North Korea Vote- Video: China Tries Diplomacy
N. Korea's Tests Create Rift
China says Japan over-reacts with UN resolution Video
Chinese president appeals to North Korea
Iran rejects deadline at EU nuclear talks

Politics / Government
Raid on La. Congressman's Office Was Legal, Judge Rules
Gay marriage fights intensify
Bush: hopes China-Japan relations improve
Online wagering under attack in Congress
Bush to herald improved deficit figures

In the Courts
Alaskan Judge Strikes Down Anti-Marijuana Law

Hurricane Season / Wild Weather
Hurricane Protections Nixed From La. Rebuilding Plan

U.N. News
Bush sees Asian as next to fill top UN post

Oddities
NYC Full Collapse
Rollerblader hitches 50 mph ride
Fans unconcerned by player's call of nature
Woman loses consciousness after Disney ride
Va. gov. gives informal pardon to witch
Duct tape suggested for spacewalk repair (Just figures, doesn't it?)
Witness: Associate's past angered Jackson
Calif. man makes bad writing judges cringe

Other News of Note
Lunsford Murder Trial Begins
Syndicator Clears Coulter of Plagiarism Charges
UK Muslim leaders say anger at Iraq war undimmed
Part of Boston's "Big Dig" tunnel collapses, kills 1

Fox News
U.S.-Backed Warlord's Militia Surrenders in Somalia
Two Arrested in Alleged Gang Rape of 11-Year-Old Girl
Stocks to Watch: Lucent
Howard's End (Home Run Derby)

Reuters: Top News
US set to sign Russian WTO deal before G8
Shuttle astronauts fix space station rail cart
Media firms queue up for U.S. wireless auction
Mongolia's "manly" wrestlers ready for a fight
Experiment could be male infertility breakthrough
Circumcision may stop millions of HIV deaths: study
Actress June Allyson dies at 88
Boxoffice treasures galore for record-setting "Pirates"

AP World News
Alcoa 2Q profit jumps 62 percent to $744M
Researcher dies after Andrea Doria dive (The Andrea Doria is an extremely dicey dive - always has been)
Tobacco may kill 1 billion this century
Endangered cuckoo spotted in Indonesia
Lucent to miss revenue, income estimates
Rogers, Penny will start All-Star game
Southeastern gecko found in Kansas
Obituaries in the news
Yates says she tried to kill herself twice
Liability questions for firemen linger

Military.com
Future Combat System Costs Skyrocket

CENTCOM: News Releases
TERRORIST VIDEO RELEASED

AFGHAN FORCES LEAD COALITION RAID

COALITION FORCES DETAIN THREE TERRORISTS

COALITION FORCES DETAIN TARGETED TERRORIST JULY 10

AFGHAN, COALITION FORCES WIPE OUT EXTREMIST SAFE HAVEN

IRAQ ARMY CAPTURES ENTIRE INSURGENT CELL

CCCI CONVICTS 11 INSURGENTS

Department of Defense
EagleCash Accesses Funds - Story

ON THE GROUND
Iraqi Army to Control Logistics for Compound - Story
Gun Platoon Protects Supply Convoys - Story
Ops Center Coordinates Space Support - Story

IN IRAQ
Marines Raise Morale with Mess Night
Competition Tests Troops' Warfighting Skills
Mechanics Earn Reputation as 'Go To' Guys
U.S. Soldiers Bring Smiles, Toys to Children

IN AFGHANISTAN
Troops Coordinate Delivery of Supplies
Reconstruction Team Molds Afghan Police
Aircrews Drop Treats to Soldiers on Fourth

BACKGROUND
IRAQ
Renewal In Iraq
Iraq: Security, Stability
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq (PDF)
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report (PDF)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Weekly Reconstruction Report (PDF)
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Fact Sheet: Budget Request
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Army Casualties - Story

Weather
Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Gitmo

Today in History
1533 - Pope Clement VII excommunicates King Henry VIII of England.
1740 - Czarina Anne expels Jews from Little Russia.
1781 - Thomas Hutchins is designated Geographer of the U.S.
1798 - An Act of Congress establishes the U.S. Marine Corps (celebrated as the USMC birthday until November 1921, when General Lejeune summarized the mission, history, and tradition of the Corps, ordering that it be read every November 10th following to celebrate the Corps' birthday).
1804 - Vice President Aaron Burr kills Alex Hamilton in a pistol duel in New Jersey.
1812 - The U.S. invades Canada.
1952 - General Eisenhower is nominated as the Republican presidential candidate.
1955 - Congress authorizes all U.S. currency to say "In God We Trust"; Colorado's Lowry AFB dedicates its new USAF Academy, with 300 cadets.
1962 - Cosmonaut Micolaev sets a record for what was then the longest space flight, at 4 days.
1974 - The House Judiciary Committee releases evidence on the Watergate inquiry.
1977 - Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., is posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom.
1979 - The U.S. satellite Skylab enters the atmosphere over Australia, disintegrating.
1980 - Iran frees American hostage Richard I. Queen.

Birthdays
1274 - Robert the Bruce, Scottish King
1767 - John Quincy Adams, 6th U.S. President
1861 - George William Norris (Rep-NE)
1899 - E.B. White, writer ("Charlotte's Web")
1916 - Gough Whitlam, Australian PM
1920 - Yul Brynner, actor ("The King and I", "The Ten Commandments")

Passings
1804 - Alex Hamilton, killed in a pistol duel by Vice President Aaron Burr
1937 - George Gershwin, composer ("American in Paris")
1989 - Sir Laurence Olivier, acting great

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Shattuck, Lewis W., USAF (WA); F105D shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - alive as of 1998

Wilkins, George H., USN (NC); A4C shot down, remains returned October, 1996

1972
Crody, Kenneth L., USMC (IN); CH53D shot down, KIA, body not recovered

Hendrix, Jerry W., USMC (KS); CH53D shot down, KIA, body not recovered

Lesesne, Henry D., USN (SC); A4 shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Captain as of 1996 - alive and well as of 1998

Masterson, Frederick J., USN (CA); F4J shot down, released by DRV March 1973 - retired as a Lt. Commander as of 1996 - alive and well as of 1998

Randall, Robert I., USN (NJ); F4J shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998