Army Ranger Killed in Afghanistan -- On 7th Tour in War Zone

Source: E&P Staff

Army Ranger Killed in Afghanistan -- On 7th Tour in War Zone

By E&P Staff

Published: May 01, 2008 3:40 PM ET

NEW YORK An Army Ranger from Ramona, Ca., was killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday—on his seventh tour of duty in that country or in Iraq.

Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell, 30, died Tuesday in Bastion, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered in a firefight when enemy forces attacked using small arms fires, according to the Pentagon.

His father was also an Army ranger.

McDowell had been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq seven times and was a recipient of two Bronze stars and a Purple Heart. His most recent tour in Afghanistan began on March 29.

He is survived by his wife, his high school sweetheart, Joleen; son, Joshua, 11; daughter, Erin, 3; his parents; and two sisters.

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And some of my "conservative" neighbors can't figure out why I hate republicans with a flaming passion.

that's just the mathematics of it. This is what's called "supporting the troops" by our gov't and msm.

Where they keep upping the number of missions.

Its a cluster fuck-- Although one has to wonder if he didn't really volunteer to go back the last time.

Shit like this isn't expected not even in this day and age.

Or, as John Keegan put it in his overview of the Second World War, describing the similar plight of Bomber Command: "Since bomber crews were obliged to fly thirty missions before qualifying for rest, each faced the probability, in statistical terms, of being shot down before a tour was completed."

There is a second part of the story, however. Anyone who survives a certain amount of combat becomes much, much better at surviving thereafter--until they go completely insane and lose all combat effectiveness. Therefore, part of what the Department of Defense is doing is keeping veterans in combat for as long as possible in order to keep casualties lower. The psychological costs are not factored into that math. Part of the psychology works in favor of the DoD, because those who are suffering from PTSD tend to be far more prone to reenlist--because it's the post-traumatic stress that causes them trouble.

But sooner or later, as many soldiers learn, they're all gonna get it like this poor fellow did.

"He died for me, me, me.... and now we don't have to pay him benefits!"

My major problem with this is something that might make some DUers upset. However, my major problem with this is that for some reason the Army is fielding some guys who join the infantry and spend four years in the Army without going to Iraq while other guys go on four and five tours. I contend the Army should stop allowing some guys to spend their whole four years stateside and rotate those guys in Iraq so other guys have less of a chance of going on multiple tours. In addition, I contend WestPoint should end it program of letting athletes who are draft perform their obligation on reserve duty; they should have to complete their active duty obligation first than play professional sports.

My heart goes out to his family. That soldier did his duty and then some.