Since 2001, 2259 U.S. troops have died while serving in Afghanistan. From 2003 to 2012, 4486 U.S. troops died while serving in Iraq.
The IGTNT (I Got The News Today) series is a reminder that nearly every day, somebody gets the heartbreaking news that a friend, former classmate, or beloved family member will not be coming home from war.
Tonight we remember two soldiers who lost their lives serving in Afghanistan:
Sgt. Stephen M. New, 29, of Bartlett, Tennessee
Spc. Nicholas B. Burley, 22, of Red Bluff, California
Please take a moment below to remember them,
and all those who have lost their lives in these wars.
The Department of Defense confirmed the death of a soldier in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Stephen M. New, 29, of Bartlett, Tennessee
Sgt. New died July 28, in Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by small arms fire in the Sarobi District of Kabul Province, Afghanistan. Sgt. New was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), based at Jackson, Mississippi.
Stephen New joined the Army in August of 2003 as a health care specialist, caring for fellow soldiers. He served with Headquarters, 75th Ranger Regiment, in Ft. Benning, Georgia, until leaving active service in 2005.
In July of 2009, New joined the Mississippi National Guard and was assigned to 2nd Bn., 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Jackson, Miss.
In 2011, Sgt. New attended Special Forces Assessment and Selection and was selected to become a Special Forces Medical Sergeant. New completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in Nov. 2012. In April 2013, Sgt. New deployed in with 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne).
Sgt. New's awards include the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge and the Special Forces Tab and many other decorations.
Sgt. New leaves behind are his parents, sister, and friends, and the men in his unit.
Sgt. Stephen M. New is missed. May he rest in Peace.
The Department of Defense confirmed the death of a soldier in Afghanistan.
Spc. Nicholas B. Burley, 22, of Red Bluff, California
Spc. Burley died July 30, in Pul-E-Alam, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained after his unit was attacked with indirect fire. Spc. Burley was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, based in Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Nicholas Burley grew up in Red Bluff, and graduated from Red Bluff High School in 2009. He joined the Army a year later and graduated from basic infantry training in Fort Benning, Georgia in 2011, reported
KHLVTV.
According to KPBS Governor Jerry Brown released the statement:
On behalf of all Californians, Governor Brown and First Lady Anne Gust Brown honor Spc. Nicholas B. Burley, who bravely gave his life in service to our state and nation. The Governor and First Lady extend their deepest condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.
Among those Spc. Burley leaves behind are his mother, father, family and friends.
Spc. Nicholas B. Burley is missed. May he rest in Peace.
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Thanks to Timroff for our faithfully lighted candle IGTNT logo;
Other Photos by CalNM and linked Sources
Helping our troops: If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com. Fisher House provides housing for families of injured troops and veterans who are recovering in hospitals, and Guardian angels for soldierspet assists the animal companions of our deployed military.
When our veterans come back home, they can find support at Welcome Back Veterans. Our recently returned veterans need jobs, and Veterans Green Jobs is now hiring for positions and filling training sessions. VGJ corps retrains veterans as leaders in forest and resource conservation, green construction, and energy efficient upgrades of homes in rural areas. Encourage a Veteran, and see if you can help out.
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About the IGTNT series: I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect, and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died at war. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories. The US Department of Defense news releases are found at defense gov/releases. Icasualties lists the names of those killed, and shows the number of wounded. Published AP photos of the returning war fatalities are found on the Dover AFB page. Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries in the series which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, Sandy on Signal, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Ms Wings, maggiejean, JaxDem, theFatLadySings, Ekaterin, Joy of Fishes, and me, CalNM. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for our fallen brothers and sisters.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.