As suspected, the “NATO” casualties from a vehicle accident on Mar. 29 were in fact, U.S. troops from the 82nd Airborne.On Monday, April 2, the DoD issued a news release.
They are Sgt. Edmund W. McDonald, 25, of Casco, Maine and Spc. Agustin Gutierrez, 19, of San Jacinto, Calif.
These good Americans were killed by accident during a convoy north of Kabul. They are not nameless coalition members – as initially released. Four days (96 hours) passed before the military released their names to the public – again, well past the average news cycle in today’s information age. (While I’m not a casualty assistance officer, I can guarantee it did not take that long to notify their families – the normal reason for a delay in release.)
SO, HOW WAS IT COVERED?
Kevin Maurer, a military writer for the Fayetteville Observer – the hometown paper to Fort Bragg where the 82nd Airborne is based – cranked out a story which was online by Tuesday morning (April 3).
Here is where you find that these troops are more than just nameless NATO troops who died in an unfortunate way in Afghanistan. McDonald served two previous tours in Iraq. He has a wife, a mother in Maine and other family who will miss him dearly. His commander called him one of his top non-commissioned officers, a dependable mechanic – literally the unsung nuts and bolts of our military who do their thankless jobs with pride.
In the small town of San Jacinto, Francisco and Elvira Guitierrez are now morning the loss of their teenage boy who died a world away.
Here is where you find that these troops are more than just nameless NATO troops who died in an unfortunate way in Afghanistan. McDonald served two previous tours in Iraq. He has a wife, a mother in Maine and other family who will miss him dearly. His commander called him one of his top non-commissioned officers, a dependable mechanic – literally the unsung nuts and bolts of our military who do their thankless jobs with pride.
In the small town of San Jacinto, Francisco and Elvira Guitierrez are now morning the loss of their teenage boy who died a world away.
And what do Americans know about this incident – and so many others that occur everyday in Afghanistan and Iraq?
This is not the pony express days of previous conflicts – this is the information age, where were should have the ability to access and understand combat situations in far off lands though our free fourth estate.
The few hits on the internet were simply AP wire copy – a regurgitation of the DoD news release. Yes, the local papers ran stories. The local reporters did their jobs, collected the DoD news release, the AP wire copy and then had the difficult task of interviewing the families. Their stories offer a glimpse of who these troops were.
The few hits on the internet were simply AP wire copy – a regurgitation of the DoD news release. Yes, the local papers ran stories. The local reporters did their jobs, collected the DoD news release, the AP wire copy and then had the difficult task of interviewing the families. Their stories offer a glimpse of who these troops were.
But most of us don’t read their local papers four or five days after we may have heard that “NATO” coalition soldiers died somewhere in Afghanistan – because we never make the connection and the news has moved on.
Portland Press Herald
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/070331mcdonald.html
CBS San Jacinto
http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_092201538.html
