Thursday, April 08, 2010

2 US service members killed in Iraq, 5 wounded

The Australian reports 2 US soldiers have been killed "during combat operations in northern Iraq". CNN adds that, in addition to the two dead, five soldiers were injured. Press TV notes, "The fallen US military servicemen were from the American Norther Division that perished while conducting a patrol, the army said in a Thursday statement without identifying the soldiers or providing further details." The deaths bring the total number of US service members killed in the Iraq War to 4390. In all, three US service members have died in Iraq this week.

As noted in yesterday's snapshot, Sgt Kurt E. Kruize died on Sunday. Kruize's body arrived at Dover Air Force Base on Tuesday (link goes to photos of the arrival by AP's Jose Luis Magana). Yesterday's snapshot noted "his survivors include his wife Billie Kruize, four children and his parents Bev and Lyle Kruize." David Unze (St Cloud Times) notes his wife as Billie Jo Kruize and that the two "married in 1996" and quotes her friend Alice Lister stating, "He was a very loving and supportive father and husband." Mary Lynn Smith (Star Tribune) reports:

Growing up in Hancock, a small town about 100 miles west of St. Cloud, Kurt Kruize spent endless hours outdoors, fishing and hunting. He would fish the nearby lake from early morning to dark if his parents let him, his father said. As soon as he could hunt, "dad got skunked and son got a nice four- or six-point buck," his father recalled.

Smith identifies the four children of Kurt and Billie Jo Kruize as "13-year-old Austin, 10-year-old Annabelle, 5-year-old Raven and 2-year-old Tamika" and that survivors also includ "a brother, Darren of North Carolina; two sisters, Tammy Angrimson of Paynesville and Kari Stadfuiss of Big Lake; and a niece, Torrie Kruize of Paynesville."

In other news, AP reports that 66 members of Vermont's National Guard will be deploying to Iraq in September and are scheduled to remain there for one year.

Meanwhile, if you're in Gilbert, Arizona Sunday and enjoy eating pizza, you can eat for a good cause at Flancer's Cafe which is holding it's 10th annual pizza eating contest to raise money for the Wounded Warrior - Disabled Sports USA:

10th Annual Charity Pizza Eating Contest
Sunday 11:00am, April 11th, 2010

$500 cash 1st place prize!
Get crowned by Miss Arizona-Savanna Troupe!
(2nd & 3rd prizes too)

Be a contestant!
Are you or someone you know an eating machine?
No special skills needed to enter.
Anyone can win! ...It’s for Charity folks!
$30 includes: Flancer’s Pizza & Limited Edition Contest T-Shirt

Sign up today, space is limited; you must be paid to be entered!
Gilbert Location 926-9077



610 N Gilbert Rd
1/4 mile S. of
Guadalupe
480-926-9077

Meanwhile Lorraine Mirabella (Baltimore Sun via Stars and Stripes) continues the reporting on the tough job market veterans are facing and we'll note this section of her report:

"It's hard to transition from military life to civilian life," he said. Employers "think you're going to get deployed again. We are qualified to do a lot of jobs, and we can do our job under pressure, but the civilian sector doesn't understand what those jobs are."
Gibson has been looking for work for almost a year, applying not only in the medical field but for warehouse work, and staying with family in Northwest Baltimore.
"When you come home, it's more or less, you're not really welcomed ... because (employers) are more concerned about when you're leaving again," he said.

The following community sites updated last night:

And again, Iraq Veterans Against the War notes:

Warrior Writers Project is applying for a $25,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh program and we need your vote!

Starting April 1, Pepsi will post all the proposals it has received so the public can vote.

The top ten proposals in the $25,000 range win. Grants will be used to fund three 2010 Warrior Writers retreats for veterans throughout the country, so vote early and vote every day!

If you are really motivated to help, plan an event or house party so you can get people to vote. All you need is a laptop and friends willing to offer their votes.

At every event you attend/organize in April, please make this announcement and set up a laptop to ask folks to vote for us. We can do this!!

(IVAW is the fiscal sponsor of the Warrior Writers Project. Application for this grant does not constitute endorsement of the Pepsi Cola Corporation or any of its products.)

The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.



















thomas friedman is a great man






oh boy it never ends









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