Three US airmen killed in Iraq

[Teaser]

Source: Turkish Press

BAGHDAD - Three US airmen have been killed during combat operations near an air base north of Baghdad, US Central Command said on Friday.

The three were killed on Thursday near Balad air base, it said, adding they were "assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Balad".

The US military's overall losses in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion have now reached 3,848 according to an AFP tally based on Pentagon figures.

The Pentagon figures also take into account soldiers who die after leaving Iraq for treatment.

Read more: http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=200708

[MADem]

1. Airmen, eh?

Assigned to OSI, eh? Killed in combat?

Is it me, or is something a bit off here?

[TwilightGardener]

2. I thought that was weird too--I'd expect SP's or EOD guys, not OSI--

I wonder what they were doing? I wonder if there's an ugly dimension to this (snipers? Turncoat Iraqi soldiers/police? Kidnapping?)?

[MADem]

7. Yep. Was it "combat" or were they "whacked"...as it were. NT

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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[lapfog_1]

3. Maybe they were Tillman'ed???

Like that investigator in Afghanistan... the one killed walking between building ON the US base.

[shaniqua6392]

5. I don't think Airmen are in the air any more, do you?

I think George had to put every available soldier, including Airmen and Navy men, in a sand colored uniform and ship them off to Iraq.

[MADem]

6. I realize that. I knew they were using a bunch of them for perimeter duty.

USN has expanded from just docs and corpsmen to Masters-at-Arms and BMs doing 'infantry-esque' duty.

But it's a stretch when you have guys assigned to OSI getting whacked in combat.

[saigon68]

8. Those OSI "agents "

Bust people for smoking pot, investigate "gay behavior", stop airman from selling on the "black market" and generally are criminal detectives.

They obviously were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Let's see where this goes?

It will be covereed up.

[MADem]

10. These were uniformed personnel working for OSI. Not the civilian agents.

I do understand that they sometimes use uniformed personnel in sting operations, but I'd hardly call a combat action "being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

That's a slight leap, if you ask me.

You can play the same game and insert your operative into the mix with clever billeting arrangements, or putting your undercover in an administrative/pay position in the same unit as your target.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

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[someonesmart]

13. Not so educated, eh?

Wow...you really have NO clue do you. I happen to know "a little" about the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. I happen to know that they DO participate in combat missions. I also happen to know that the three Airman killed in combat were, in fact, "killed in combat." You have no idea what those guys do over there...and you probably never will unless you decide to do a little research and figure out exactly what their mission is over there. I suggest you do a little background research before you make such uneducated comments in the future...especially when these Airmen gave their lives to save others.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

17. Hey guess what

I'm a LIBERAL and I know whats going over on over there. My son is in the air force and he's been training airman to go into combat! He's been deployed twice so far. He's a LIBERAL too. And guess what smarty pants, he knows they are not saving anyones fucking lives. They are being used and abused by fucking Bush! Bush gets off when people die for him! FUCK BUSH FUCK BUSH.

[MADem]

18. Well, why don't you EDUCATE us, then, instead of getting all didactic.

You "happen to know" a lot, but unless and until you SHARE it, it's just bullshit posturing.

This is a discussion board. If you have knowledge that some of us don't have, DO present it--cogently, intelligently, and compellingly.

Save the fucking snark for the rubes who get knocked back by that childish shit.

I'm waiting.

[FightingIrish]

4. Looking at the Google Earth aerial of Balad Air Base

I would have thought it was safer than the Green Zone. So much for the "lull"

[0007]

9. Not to make light of death . . . but three airmen must have been on secret

spying duty. It also brought to mind the film, "No Time For Sergeants"

Airmen! Who wants to be called an airman?

[rodeodance]

11. Who will be the last to die?

[rodeodance]

12. REC

[saigon68]

19. K & R

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

16. wow, it sounds like the airforce recruiter at the mall was lying

Seriously, there were these airforce babes handing out material and telling anyone who would stop to listen that serving in the airforce was safer than flying to cancun and check out this video on my iPod about all the cool shit you can do with us.