Originally posted 2008-07-27 12:33:36 -0600, bumping for the front page - standingup

To be honest, I'm just not sure what to make of this.

I've stumbled across an inconsistent application of casualty definitions within the Department of Defense while researching the Missing Persons Act and how it pertains to civilian contractors working in Iraq.

The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness distributes what's known as an instruction that "provides uniform official casualty terms and definitions." The relevant Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) is DoDI 1300.18 - "Personnel Casualty Matters, Policies, and Procedures." The most recent version was issued in January 2008.

The instruction provides a chart and definitions used for casualty reporting. So every time some one is injured or killed in Iraq, paperwork is filed. This paperwork in turn sets in motion a variety of actions through different agencies and departments, for instance alerting the Casualty Assistance Center to get in touch with next of kin, etc.

But here's the thing. The status of "Missing," as in missing person, is itself missing from one of the casualty reporting forms.

According to a news report from the Associated Press, on Wednesday July 9, 2008, the remains of two US soldiers kidnapped in Iraq in 2007 were located and identified.

Spc. Alex R. Jimenez, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts
Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Michigan

Sincere condolences to their friends and family.

The following is an Associated Press report posted at YouTube.

There are currently eight American men publicly known to be missing in Iraq:

Kirk von Ackermann
Timothy E. Bell
Aban Abdel Malek Mahmoud Elias (also Aban Elias)
Radim Sadeq Mohammed Sadeq (also Dean Sadek)
Jeffrey Ake
Spc. Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (also Ahmed K. Altaie)
Pfc. Byron W. Fouty
Sgt. Alex Ramon Jimenez

What follows are brief entries on these Americans. Ages given are those at the time of their disappearance. They are listed in chronological order, by date of incident.

Corrections and/or additions very much welcome.

originally posted - 2008-03-14 08:54:56 -1100

Deeply disturbing news released in Austria on Wednesday that 5 severed fingers belonging to a group of missing contractors were delivered to the US Army in Iraq.

The missing contractors are:

Jonathon Cote, 25, of Getzville, New York
Joshua Munns, 25, of Redding, California
Bert Nussbaumer, 26, of Austria
Paul Reuben, 41, of Andover, Minnesota
Ronald Withrow, 40, of Lubbock, Texas