I Got The News Today Post

The following is a post I put up at DailyKos yesterday. It was pretty emotionally draining to write this, and you'll see why as you learn about these four men who died fighting abroad.

IGTNT: Four Soldiers, Four Stories of Sacrifice

Tonight we honor the sacrifices of three soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan earlier this month, and one who lost his life in Iraq.
Captain Benjamin A. Sklaver of the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, based out of Greensboro, North Carolina, was serving his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Pfc. Alan H. Newton Jr., from Asheboro, North Carolina, was also assigned to the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion.
Staff Sergeant Thomas D. Rabjohn was assigned to the 363rd Explosive Ordnance Detachment, out of Coolidge, Arizona.
Spc. Paul E. Andersen, of Dowagiac, Michigan, was assigned to the 855th Quartermaster Company out of South Bend, Indiana.

Please follow me below the fold to learn more about the lives of these four American soldiers, the stories of these four remarkable men.

On Monday, the Department of Defense announced the following:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Oct. 2 in Murcheh, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when they were attacked by a suicide bomber. They were assigned to the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, Greensboro, N.C. Killed were:
Capt. Benjamin A. Sklaver, 32, of Medford, Mass.
Pfc. Alan H. Newton Jr., 26, of Asheboro, N.C.
The incident is under investigation.

"It's a sad day for Hamden," said Hamden Mayor Craig Henrici. "He's kind of like the all-American boy who grew up to be a hero and a humanitarian." The people in Uganda who simply knew him as Moses Ben,’ the man who brought them clean and sustainable drinking water. In addition to his service in the Army Reserves, Captain Benjamin Sklaver was the director of ClearWater Initiative, a non-profit he had founded after witnessing Ugandan children drinking and dying from dirty water during his tour of duty with the Combined Joint Task Force there. The non-profit had already brought clean drinking water to more than 6,500 people in war-ravaged Uganda.

Sklaver graduated from Tufts University and received a graduate degree in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School, during which time he joined the Army Reserves. Upon receiving his degree, he served in the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta. Earlier this year, Ben had been hired to conduct disaster planning for FEMA’s New York office. He also announced his engagement to Beth Segaloff. "He couldn't wait to get back -- that's mostly what he talked about," said his friend, Jake Herrle. "They were talking about a June wedding."

Soon after starting at FEMA, Sklaver was called back into service in Afghanistan. Ben is survived by his parents, his brother Sam and sister Annie, both of New York City, and his fiancée, Beth. "I would like, in whatever small way possible, for this incident to raise awareness of the sacrifice that all of our soldiers and their families are making in order to protect all of us here at home," said his father, Gary Sklaver.

The Sklaver family is asking that any donations remembering Ben be sent to ClearWater Initiative.
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Alan Newton graduated from Southwestern Randolph High School in 2002, and served in the military more than five years as a civil affairs specialist. He had a two-year old daughter, Riley, and was engaged to Shannon Walsh. Her father, Mike Walsh, remembered him fondly as a friend, and told of Alan’s plans to come home at Thanksgiving and surprise his family and friends who were expecting him at Christmas. "His service to the country pretty much says it all," Walsh said.

Dr. Wayne Thrift, Newton's former principal, also praised his character:

"I remember Alan as being a really solid citizen. Somebody you could depend on and who was trustworthy. I am certainly saddened by what has happened, and of course my heart goes out to his family and friends. However, I'm proud of the fact that he chose that path and was willing to serve his country and was willing to make sacrifices."

Newton's numerous military awards include the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Bronze "M" Device, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Army Service Ribbon. Posthumous awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Good Conduct Medal, NATO Medal, and the Combat Action Badge.

His friends and family have dedicated a tribute page to him on Facebook.
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On Monday, the Department of Defense also announced the following:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Staff Sgt. Thomas D. Rabjohn, 39, of Litchfield Park, Ariz., died Oct. 3 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated during an attempt to disarm it. He was assigned to the 363rd Explosive Ordnance Detachment, Coolidge, Ariz.

Thomas "Tommy" Rabjohn's unit in Afghanistan had no easy task: they were charged with removing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and ensuring their safe disposal. But Rabjohn always put himself on the line to protect the public. He served as a marine, which included a tour of duty in Iraq. Upon returning to Phoenix in 2002, he joined the Phoenix Police Department.

Alex Ortiz, his close friend since second grade and fellow police officer recalled, "Whenever you needed calmness, his best friends looked to Tommy. Tommy would talk sense into people and make them straight," said Ortiz.

While serving as a police officer, Rabjohn remained in the Arizona National Guard, and in April, was deployed to Afghanistan. "It's a great example for us as Americans. Everything he did was about serving others," noted Arizona National Guard Commander Paul Aguirre.

Rabjohn’s family said Sunday, "Thomas was a wonderful father and husband. He died doing what he loved. He prided himself on his performance and knowledge of his job both in the military and on the police force. We loved him very much and will miss him even more."
Rabjohn is survived by his wife, and daughters 14-year-old Kylee, 13-year-old Koree, and 12-year-old Kelsee.
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On Monday, the Department of Defensealso announced the following:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Paul E. Andersen, 49, of Dowagiac, Mich., died Oct. 1 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his camp using indirect fire. He was assigned to the 855th Quartermaster Company, South Bend, Ind.

Paul Anderson was a fun and quirky family man. His wife recalled the time he rode a lawnmower several miles down the road to deliver it to his stepdaughter after it wouldn’t fit in his car. His family members recalled his passion for tinkering with machines and "going overboard" with Christmas lights every year.
Born and raised in West Michigan, Andersen graduated from Buchanan High School in 1979. Andersen had just returned from a one-year deployment to Iraq in 2004 when he met his future wife, Linda. They fell in love immediately, and after a whirlwind romance, married three months later. At the time of his second deployment to Iraq, Andersen was living with her in Indiana, with his children and grandchildren.

Andersen is survived by his three daughters, three stepchildren, and Linda, with whom he shared a love of old movies, country music, and strawberry milkshakes.
"I hope he can rest now. He's served our country very well," she said.
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About "I Got the News Today" (IGTNT)
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. 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.

Click here to see the series.

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.