Category: Non Combat Death

Army Pvt. Matthew Brown Died As a Result of a Non-Combat Related Incident in Afghanistan; Death Ruled Suicide But Family Alleges Murder in Vanity Fair Publication (May 11, 2008)

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Matthew Brown
Pvt. Matthew Brown, U.S. Army (photo: Vanity Fair)

Army Pvt. Matthew W. Brown, 20, of Zelienople, Pennsylvania, died May 11, 2008 in Asadabad, Afghanistan from injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. Pvt. Brown was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on behalf of the 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Fires Brigade (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. At the time of the incident, the Department of Defense announced Pvt. Brown’s death was under investigation. On January 8, 2019, the family alleged Matthew was murdered in a Vanity Fair publication titled “Leave No Soldier Behind”: The Unsolved Mystery of the Soldier Who Died in the Watchtower.

Related Links:
Pvt Matthew Warren Brown | Find A Grave
DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Pvt. Matthew W. Brown
Army Pvt. Matthew W. Brown | Honor the Fallen
Fort Bragg Soldier dies in Afghanistan
Soldier from Fort Bragg dies in Afghanistan
Fort Bragg soldier dies from injuries in Afghanistan
Zelienople soldier killed in Afghanistan, father says
Soldier from Zelienople killed in Afghanistan
Zelienople soldier who died in Afghanistan buried today
“Leave No Soldier Behind”: The Unsolved Mystery of the Soldier Who Died in the Watchtower | Vanity Fair
Family of soldier found dead in Afghanistan in 2008 says he did not commit suicide as claimed
Family of soldier who was found dead in Afghanistan watchtower in 2008 says he did not commit suicide, as the military claims, and had told them he feared he would be killed over his role in a drug ring that was being run on-base by a ‘thug’ sergeant
“Leave No Soldier Behind”: The Unsolved Mystery of the Soldier Who Died in the Watchtower | Vanity Fair (January 8, 2019)

Fort Stewart Army Spc. Mary Jaenichen Died of Non-Combat Related Injury in Iskandariyah, Iraq (May 9, 2008)

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Mary Jaenichen
Spc. Mary Jaenichen, U.S. Army

Army Spc. Mary Jaenichen, 20, died of a non-combat related injury on May 9, 2008 in Iskandariyah, Iraq. Spc. Jaenichen was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the Brigade Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia. At the time of the Department of Defense press release, the incident was under investigation. The official cause of death is unknown.

The 2006 graduate had signed up for the Army Reserve at age 17 with the promise of a military-funded college education. She attended boot camp between her junior and senior years. At the time of her death, she was assigned to the Brigade Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, Ga. Her father, Alfred Alan “Jay” Jaenichen of Santa Ana, who recently retired as a Marine master sergeant, said she was serving as a military police officer at a “detainee holding area” — a prison. ~LA Times

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Army Spc. Mary J. Jaenichen
Army Spc. Mary Jane Jaenichen, 20, Temecula
Six Soldiers With Ties To San Diego Die
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Iraq)
Military Policy and Legislation Considerations for the Investigations of Non Combat Death, Homicide, and Suicide of US Service Members

Senator Patty Murray Calls for Changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Wake of Suicides (May 1, 2008)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Scandals, Stateside Death, Suicide, Suspicious Deaths, USAF, USCG, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment

Despite recent efforts by the Veterans Administration to prevent veteran suicide, seven have committed suicide in the Inland Northwest in the last four months and US Senator Patty Murray is calling the situation unacceptable. -4 News Now (May 1, 2008)

Related Links:
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Veterans – United States Senator Patty Murray
“Epidemic” of military suicides investigated
Veterans and Suicide | CBS (November 13, 2007)
President Bush Signed the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act Into Law
Army National Guardsman Spc. Timothy Juneman Died by Suicide; Family Shares Imminent Redeployment to Iraq ‘Major Stressor’ (March 5, 2008)
CBS News: Veteran Suicides An Epidemic (March 20, 2008)
Seven Veterans Under VA’s Care Commit Suicide
Murray calls for changes in VA in wake of veteran suicides
Murray Assails Top VA Official over Vets Suicide Cover-Up
Rural Veterans Access to Care Act, VA’s ‘Strength of a Warrior’ Campaign, Sen. Patty Murray Calls for More to Be Done for Suicidal Vets
Murray’s visit to Vancouver puts focus on veterans issues
New data reveals high death rates for Iraq, Afghanistan vets
Investigation blasts VA over wait times for mental health care
Senator Patty Murray: Veteran’s suicide prevention bill passes Senate
Murray Reiterates Mental Health Challenges Facing Veterans
U.S. military veteran suicides rise, one dies every 65 minutes
Mental Health and Suicide Among Veterans (Senate Hearing)
Waiting At VA Hospitals: A Matter Of Life And Death
Sen. Murray: VA system needs change now, not another report
Spokane Veterans Affairs hospital brings budget concerns to Sen. Patty Murray
Senator Patty Murray Urges DEA to Get Right on Pot
Sen. Murray Urges Greater Accountability, Assistance for Veteran Suicide Prevention at Senate Hearing
As Senate Prepares to Vote on Sweeping Legislation to Improve Veteran Access to Care, Senator Murray Highlights a Provision of the Bill That She Wrote, Which Would Finally Expand VA’s Caregiver Support Program
Senator Murray Continues to Fight for Veterans and their Families, Urges Support for Bill to Reduce Medical Costs for Veterans with Newborns
Timeline of Veteran Suicides, Legislative Efforts, and Nationwide Negligence at the Department of Veterans Affairs

Is There an Army Cover-Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers?

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US Army SealIs There an Army Cover-Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers? by Ann Wright

The Department of Defense statistics are alarming – one in three women who join the US military will be sexually assaulted or raped by men in the military. The warnings to women should begin above the doors of the military recruiting stations, as that is where assaults on women in the military begin – before they are even recruited.

But, now, even more alarming, are deaths of women soldiers in Iraq and in the United States following rape. The military has characterized each death of women who were first sexually assaulted as deaths from “noncombat related injuries,” and then added “suicide.” Yet, the families of the women whom the military has declared to have committed suicide strongly dispute the findings and are calling for further investigations into the deaths of their daughters. Specific US Army units and certain US military bases in Iraq have an inordinate number of women soldiers who have died of “noncombat related injuries,” with several identified as “suicides.”

Ninety-four US military women have died in Iraq or during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Twelve US civilian women have been killed in OIF. Thirteen US military women have been killed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Twelve US Civilian women have been killed in Afghanistan.

Of the 94 US military women who died in Iraq or in OIF, the military says 36 died from noncombat related injuries, which included vehicle accidents, illness, death by “natural causes” and self-inflicted gunshot wounds, or suicide. The military has declared the deaths of the Navy women in Bahrain, which were killed by a third sailor, as homicides. Five deaths have been labeled as suicides, but 15 more deaths occurred under extremely suspicious circumstances.

Eight women soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, (six from the Fourth Infantry Division and two from the 1st Armored Cavalry Division) have died of “noncombat related injuries” on the same base, Camp Taji, and three were raped before their deaths. Two were raped immediately before their deaths and another raped prior to arriving in Iraq. Two military women have died of suspicious “noncombat related injuries” on Balad base, and one was raped before she died. Four deaths have been classified as “suicides.”

Read more here.

Navy PO1 Cherie Morton Died of a Non Combat Death while Stationed with Naval Security Forces in Bahrain (2008)

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Screen Shot 2018-04-10 at 8.45.36 PM
PO1 Cherie Morton, US Navy

Navy Petty Officer First Class Cherie Morton, 40, died of a non combat death on April 20, 2008 in Galali, Muharraq, Bahrain. PO1 Morton was a military policeman supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the Naval Security Force, Naval Support Activity Bahrain. At the time of the Department of Defense press release, the incident was under investigation. According to media outlets, PO1 died unexpectedly and the cause of death may be due to an unknown medical cause.

The Stars and Stripes said Morton lived off base and was found in her home. According to the Navy Times, in October 2007, two female sailors were shot and killed on the U.S. naval base in Bahrain. They also said 3,600 personnel work on the American base. While terrorism has been ruled out, according to the Stars and Stripes, the cause of death is under investigation. ~23 ABC

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Navy Casualty
Navy Counselor 1st Class Cherie L. Morton
Sailor found dead in Bahrain ID’d
Navy Identifies Petty Officer Found Dead at her Home in Bahrain
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Cherie Morton, 40, Bakersfield
Navy Sailor from Bakersfield reported dead
Rockford Woman Serving In The Navy Found Dead
A month later, Navy has no cause of death for sailor in Bahrain
Trying to cope with emotional turmoil
Mystery still surrounds female sailor’s death in Bahrain

CBS News: Veteran Suicides An Epidemic (March 20, 2008)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Scandals, Stateside Death, Suicide, Suspicious Deaths, USAF, USCG, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment

CBS News first reported on the staggering number of veteran suicides in a report last year. Now, newly-released data shows that vets who get help from the VA are still at risk. Armen Keteyian reports. -CBS News (March 20, 2008)

Related Links:
Veteran Suicides An Epidemic (CBS News)
Suicides Seen Among Vets Treated By VA
Eye to Eye with Katie Couric on CBS News: Veterans and Suicide (November 13, 2007)
Timeline of Veteran Suicides, Legislative Efforts, and Nationwide Negligence at the Department of Veterans Affairs
Wounded Warrior Project
Home Base Program, Veteran & Family Care
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
American Federation of Suicide Prevention
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
320 Changes Direction – The Campaign to Change Direction
Give an Hour: Department of Veteran’s Affairs Partnership
US Department of Veterans Affairs
VA MISSION Act

Army National Guardsman Spc. Timothy Juneman Died by Suicide; Family Shares Imminent Redeployment to Iraq ‘Major Stressor’ (March 5, 2008)

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Timothy Juneman
Spc. Timothy Juneman, Washington Army National Guard (Screenshot from DVIDS)

“The identity of one other veteran who killed himself this year became public when his family wrote U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in April about concerns with VA mental health care. Spc. Timothy Juneman, 25, a National Guardsman and former [Fort Lewis] Stryker Brigade soldier who was injured in a roadside explosion in Iraq, died March 5, 2008…Juneman’s body was found in his Pullman home March 25, nearly three weeks after he had hanged himself. He had missed several appointments at the Spokane VA. In records obtained by Juneman before his death, Brown wrote that imminent redeployment to Iraq with the National Guard was a ‘major stressor’ contributing to Juneman’s condition, his mother said.” Read more from The Spokesman here.

In the News:

CBS News first reported on the staggering number of veteran suicides in a report last year. Now, newly-released data shows that vets who get help from the VA are still at risk. -CBS News (March 20, 2008)

They served their country honorably but after risking their life in combat abroad, coping with coming home was too much. In the last three months seven servicemen being treated by Spokane’s VA Hospital have committed suicide. -4 News Now (April 29, 2008)

Despite recent efforts by the Veterans Administration to prevent veteran suicide, seven have committed suicide in the Inland Northwest in the last four months and US Senator Patty Murray is calling the situation unacceptable. -4 News Now (May 1, 2008)

Related Links:
Timothy Dean Juneman | Find A Grave
Timothy D. Juneman | Time of Remembrance
Interview with SPC Timothy Juneman | DVIDS
Lives lost at home | The Spokeman-Review
Apr. 29, More Suicide News: Seven Veterans Under VA Care in Washington Commit Suicide
US: Veteran turned away from military hospital commits suicide
Distress Signal | The American Prospect
Local veteran’s suicide reflects troubling trend
Suicide Watch | The New Republic
Soldiers’ emotional battle scars put doctors in dilemma
Veteran Suicides An Epidemic (CBS News)
Seven veterans under VA’s care commit suicide
Murray calls for changes in VA in wake of veteran suicides
Timeline of Veteran Suicides, Legislative Efforts, and Nationwide Negligence at the Department of Veterans Affairs

Army Paratrooper Sgt Matthew Rhoads Found Dead in On-Post Residence at Fort Bragg (2008)

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sgt_matthew_rhoads
Sgt. Matthew Rhoads, US Army

Army paratrooper Sgt. Matthew Rhoads, 29, was found dead March 2, 2008 in his on-post residence at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Investigators did not suspect foul play and indicated an autopsy was conducted. Rhoads was assigned to the 82d Airborne Division in October 2004 and became a small-arms master gunner assigned to the division’s 1st Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Bragg.

“Sgt. Rhoads, 29, of Kensington, survived seven months of combat in Iraq but was found dead Sunday at his residence near Fort Bragg, N.C.” -Philly.com

Related Links:
Phila. paratrooper found dead in N.C.
Funeral set for Phila. paratrooper
Sgt. Matthew J Rhoads Fort Bragg Death Under Investigation
Soldiers/Veterans Dead of Probably Sudden Cardiac Death (Prob SCD)

Fort Hood Army Spc. Keisha Morgan Died of Non-Combat Related Cause in Baghdad, Iraq; CID Ruled Suicide But Family Suspects Rape & Murder (February 22, 2008)

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Keisha Morgan
Spc. Keisha Morgan, U.S. Army

Army Spc. Keisha M. Morgan, 25, died of a non-combat related cause in Baghdad, Iraq on February 22, 2008. Spc. Morgan was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood in Texas. Army investigators ruled her death a suicide by overdose of her military-dispensed prescription anti-depressants. The family suspects Keisha may have been raped and murdered.

“But Keisha had confided in her mother about a night when she was certain a fellow soldier had slipped something in her drink at a local bar. When she awoke the following morning–failing to remember how she left the bar and returned to barracks–the soldier was in her room. This same man was on base at the time of Keisha’s death, says her mother, recalling her daughter’s concern about this. A week later, a roommate found Keisha lying on the floor and couldn’t tell if she was sleeping. Keisha erupted in seizures and the roommate ran for help. Medics could not stabilize her and she passed away.” ~WomensENews (December 17, 2010)

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Army Spc. Keisha M. Morgan
District Soldier Keisha Morgan Dies in Iraq
Soldier in Iraq dies of non-combat cause
Mother of One Dead Soldier Suspects Sex Assault
U.S. Military Keeping Secrets About Female Soldiers’ ‘Suicides’?
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Iraq)
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas (US Army)
Military Policy and Legislation Considerations for the Investigations of Non Combat Death, Homicide, and Suicide of US Service Members

Fort Campbell Army Sgt. Tracy Birkman Died of Non-Combat Related Injuries in Owesat, Iraq (January 25, 2008)

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Tracy Birkman
Sgt. Tracy Birkman, U.S. Army

Army Sgt. Tracy Birkman, 41, died from non combat related injuries in Owesat, Iraq on January 25, 2008. Sgt. Birkman was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. At the time of the Department of Defense press release, the incident was under investigation which is typical of non combat death. But the official cause of death is unknown.

Birkman’s father, Jerald Griffith, a Vietnam War veteran, said he was angry with military officials for releasing information about his daughter’s death and with the news media for its portrayal of soldiers such as himself. “I didn’t want it released. I am so [furious] about all this I can just scream,” said Griffith, also of New Castle. “I hate the media with just an unmitigated passion. You . . . lied about me when I was in Vietnam.” He said his daughter was on her third deployment.” She’s over there in a war we shouldn’t even be involved in, on her third tour,” Griffith said. –The Washington Post (January 29, 2008)

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Army Sgt. Tracy Renee Birkman
Sgt. Tracy R. Birkman, The Fort Campbell Courier
Soldier From the Roanoke Area, a Mother of 3, Is Killed
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Iraq)
Violent Crime, Suicide & Non Combat Death at Fort Campbell, Kentucky (US Army)
Military Policy and Legislation Considerations for the Investigations of Non Combat Death, Homicide, and Suicide of US Service Members