Weekly Scoop On Our Troops

Click here for HALLOWEEN CANDY details!!

A SWEET WAY TO MAKE EVERYONE SMILE!

Donate your Halloween Candy to Operation Gratitude and send a “bit of home” to our troops!

Please  ship/deliver candy to:
OPERATION GRATITUDE / California Army National Guard
17330 Victory Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA  91406

Cinnabon

With every foursquare check in at a Cinnabon Bakery, Cinnabon will donate $1 to Operation Gratitude! In appreciation for every $1 that you donate between October 1 – 31, you will receive a $1 Cinnabon Coupon to use on your next visit! Offer expires 12/31/12 These bite-sized goodies capture the essence of our Classic Roll. Each order is served in a portable sleeve. Kellogg’s® Cinnabon® Snack Bars 18 Oct. 2012 NATO strategy and timeline in Afghanistan unchanged, Secretary General says in Kabul NATO will stick to its goal, strategy and timeline to hand over full security responsibility to Afghan forces by the end of 2014, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Thursday (18 October) during a visit to Afghanistan. “Our visit today is a clear demonstration of our commitment. All fifty nations that are part of our coalition remain committed to Afghanistan, now and for the long term. And this is a great opportunity to see with our own eyes the progress we are making", the Secretary General said at a joint press conference with President Hamid Karzai in Kabul.  He stressed: "Let me repeat in Kabul what I said in Brussels, so that there can be no mistake: Our strategy is working and the timeline remains unchanged".  Mr. Fogh Rasmussen said: "We are all committed to seeing our mission through to its successful conclusion with a full transition of security responsibilities to the Afghan security forces by the end of 2014” . The Secretary General, the North Atlantic Council and representatives from partner nations are currently visiting Afghanistan. As well as holding talks with the president, they are due to meet other members of the Afghan government and Parliament, representatives of the international community, and units of the Afghan National Security Forces. Afghanistan’s forces have already begun taking responsibility for their country’s security, and the Secretary General paid tribute to them.  “They have already achieved much. They are in the lead for the security of three quarters of the population. And where they are in charge, violence has gone down. Your forces are in the lead for 80 percent of all operations, and for 85 percent of the training. That is progress that we can all be proud of", he noted. The goal shared by NATO and the Afghan government is to see the Afghan forces fully responsible for security by the end of 2014. Once that transition is complete, NATO will offer a new mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan forces. On 10 October, the defence ministers of NATO member countries and potential operational partners endorsed the broad outline of that new mission. “This will not be a combat mission. It will focus on training, advice and assistance. And we are actively planning for that mission”, the Secretary General underlined.  Looking at the challenges ahead and, in particular, the threat of insider attacks, Mr. Fogh Rasmussen stressed: “The enemies of Afghanistan may change their tactics, but they will not succeed”. He expressed his full confidence in the ability of ISAF and Afghan security forces to curb that threat together. Addressing his remarks to the Afghan people, the Secretary General underlined the enduring nature of the international commitment to Afghanistan.  “You have the strong and long-term support of the whole international community. So I hope that you will look to the future with confidence, and build the future that you want and deserve. ISAF / NATO CASUALTY REPORT

10/27/12DoD: Army Casualty Identified  Sgt. Clinton K. Ruiz, 22, of Murrieta, Calif. He was assigned to the 9th Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne), 8th Military Information Support Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C. ...died of wounds suffered Oct. 25 when their unit was attacked by small arms fire in Khas Uruzgan, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. 10/27/12 DoD: Army Casualty Identified  Staff Sgt. Kashif M. Memon, 31, of Houston, Texas. He was assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C...died of wounds suffered Oct. 25 when their unit was attacked by small arms fire in Khas Uruzgan, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

10/27/12 KP: 6 Afghan civilians shot dead on Kabul-Kandahar highway According to local authorities in eastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan, Afghan police forces discovered bodies of 6 Afghan civilians who were shot dead on Kabul-Kandahar highway. Gen. Mohammad Hussain provincial security chief for eastern Ghazni province said the individuals were killed on Friday in Kabul-Kandahar highway.

10/27/12 KP: British troops deaths in Afghanistan ‘not due to friendly fire’ An initial review into the deaths of a Royal Marine and an army medic in Afghanistan has revealed the killings were not caused by “friendly fire”, the Ministry of Defence has said. Corporal Channing Day, 25, who served with the 3 Medical Regiment, and Corporal David O’Connor, 27, of 40 Commando, were fatally injured while on patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province on Wednesday.

The Tiny Soldier will donate 5% of proceeds to Operation Gratitude!  Start Shopping Now! Custom Embroidery and Patriotic Children’s Clothing www.thetinysoldier.com 623.825.5057 Buy a Cup Of Joe for $2. We'll deliver it with your own letter of thanks to one of our Troops overseas. COJ travels to the forward operating bases throughout the Mid East, personally hearing from Troops that feel isolated from, and forgotten by, people back home. Their goal is to mobilize a movement, through Cup Of Joe For A Joe, to enable any anyone, anywhere in the world, to reach out, let a Service Member know they care, and say “thanks”. CLICK TO SEND COFFEE AND SAY THANKS:  Green Beans offers prepaid Coffee Cards, available exclusively through online purchase for use at any Green Beans café worldwide. Green Beans Coffee Cards are a fast and convenient means of sending a well-appreciated gift to a loved one. Our Coffee Cards are easy to carry, never expire and upon purchase are almost instantly available for pick-up by the recipient at the Green Beans café of his or her choice.  For each Coffee Card purchase, Green Beans will contribute an ADDITIONAL 10% IN DOLLAR VALUE to your Coffee Card's face value. Cards are available in any denomination starting at $20.  Coffee Cards are for a specific recipient whom you know, and requires an email address for them. CUP OF JOE FOR A JOE gives everyone an opportunity to express their support for our men and women in uniform through the simple act of buying a cup of premium coffee and having it delivered along with their own personalized message of thanks to a Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Airman or Coast Guardsman serving overseas. With your help, we can raise awareness for this wonderful program, but more importantly, brighten the day for our Troops serving far from home.  Cup of Joe is web‐based, takes only a few minutes to complete and costs less than the spare change in one’s pocket. READ SOME OF THE MESSAGES OF THANKS TO OUR TROOPS 10/27/12 WaPo: As US and allies shift away from Afghan combat, some see stalemate even as Taliban weaken A new chapter of the Afghanistan war is opening with a slimmed-down Western force doing more advising than fighting, a resilient Taliban showing little interest in peace talks, and Americans tempted to pull the plug on a conflict now in its 12th year. PARTY SUPPLIES!!

Made in the USA Grateful Nation Party Supplies will donate a portion of every purchase to Operation Gratitude!  The first place to go after hearing, ”I AM COMING HOME!” ONLINE SPECIAL – 20% OFF!! 10/26/12 NATO: ISAF casualty KABUL, Afghanistan (Oct. 25, 2012) — An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an insurgent attack in western Afghanistan today.

10/26/12 LATimes: 'The Black Tulip' shows Afghanistan's triumphs, tragedies Made under challenging circumstances, "The Black Tulip" is an earnest melodrama about Afghanistan's tumultuous recent past, told through the triumphs and ordeals of a progressive Kabul family.

10/26/12 AP: Suicide bomber at Afghanistan mosque kills 36 During his address on the first day of Eid al-Adha, Afghan President Hamid Karzai  called on Taliban to embrace peace and lay down their arms.  (Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press) A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a mosque in northern Afghanistan on Friday, killing 36 people and wounding 23, officials said. The attack in the town of Maymana, capital of northern Faryab province, came as people were gathering at the mosque to celebrate the Eid al-Adha holiday.

10/25/12 NYTimes: Four International Service Members Killed in Afghan Attacks Two attacks in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday and Thursday killed four international service members, and in both cases there are continuing investigations into whether they were insider attacks, with members of the Afghan security forces responsible, officials said.

10/25/12 NATO: U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Casualties KABUL, Afghanistan (Oct. 25, 2012) — Two U.S. Forces-Afghanistan service members died after an individual wearing an Afghan National Police uniform turned his weapon against them in Khas Uruzgan, Uruzgan.

10/25/12 MoD: Corporal David O’Connor and Corporal Channing Day killed in Afghanistan the Ministry of Defence must confirm the deaths of Corporal David O’Connor from 40 Commando Royal Marines and Corporal Channing Day from 3 Medical Regiment on Wednesday 24 October 2012 while on patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province. Corporal O’Connor and Corporal Day were participating in a patrol with C Company, 40 Commando to conduct low level training with the Afghan Local Police. While en route to conduct that training, the patrol came under small arms fire near the village of Char Kutsa. As a result of the engagement Corporal O’Connor was fatally injured alongside his colleague and patrol medic, Corporal Day.

American Fatalities by Year & Month

Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total
2001	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	3	7
2002	10	1	9	4	1	3	0	1	0	0	0	1	30
2003	4	1	8	2	1	2	1	4	1	3	6	0	33
2004	9	2	3	1	8	4	2	3	4	5	7	1	49
2005	2	1	5	18	4	26	2	15	11	4	2	3	93
2006	1	7	7	1	11	18	9	10	6	10	7	1	88
2007	0	12	3	8	11	12	13	18	8	9	11	6	111
2008	7	1	7	5	16	28	20	22	27	16	1	3	153
2009	14	15	13	6	12	24	44	51	37	59	17	18	310
2010	30	31	24	19	34	60	65	55	42	50	53	33	496
2011	24	18	29	46	35	47	37	70	42	31	18	15	412
2012	26	10	18	34	39	29	41	39	19	16	0	0	271

Ending this note with a quiet prayer for all of you. Have a nice evening and please get involved and support our troops...