Often overlooked in the MSM's daily casualty tally is the toll taken on our contract support workers in Iraq. On August 3, a wall hanging was dedicated in Baghdad honoring the 43 men and women of Kellogg, Brown, and Root (KBR) who have paid the ultimate sacrifice supporting our service members and other civilian staff.
Steven Arnold, the current director and project manager of the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program III (LOGCAP), recalled how in Somalia, KBR civilians fed the Soldiers, got them out of the dirt to get a shower and 'made all the difference in the world.' In Bosnia, KBR employees followed right behind the lead combat echelon to set up the main airfield so additional troops and supplies could flow in to make the mission a success.
A veteran KBR operations manager, Marc Whitt II, noted that most of those killed,
'...were truck drivers at the beginning of the conflict ... that was the most dangerous job with KBR. I equate this wall with the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. The emotions I felt there are very similar to the emotions I feel today. Young men and women came over here to help the military and assist the Iraqis in having a freer life, and they paid the ultimate price of giving their life.'
All of us owe our deepest gratitude to these courageous people in addition to our fallen service members; and our prayers go out to their families and friends.
But there is one last thing. We are still waiting for an apology from Dan Rather for his rant about these 'desperate' people.
I'm not holding my breath.
Douglas Hanson 8 13 05
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