30 US Troops killed by Taliban in single attack.

[RaNDM G]

Who's bright idea was it to stuff 38 people in a single aircraft and fly them over a firing zone? I know the Chinook has a large carrying capacity, but when you put so many people in one vehicle you're pretty much asking for them to get shot down. It's a sad event, but this was a reckless use of resources. I want to know what the Hell the guy who coordinated this mission was thinking when he thought this was a good idea.

My prayers go out to the soldiers and their families. They didn't deserve to die like this.

 

[Sud0_x]

Millions of civilians were killed in Iraq.
I appreciate that the OP was just reporting on recent news but damn dude, look at the world around you.
Bad shit happens, people die. Those soldiers knew what they were getting into.
My Uncle's in Afghanistan.

I won't go into the "should they/shouldn't they be" stuff too much but I do have to concede that there is a situation, and I don't want to know what might happen if that situation is left to grow unchecked. My only gripe is the plight of the innocent.

 

[Devil's Due]

(removed by the National Security Agency)

 

[Grey_Focks]

Wow, that's terrible. My condolences to the families of the lost.

And you people say "soldiers die, no big deal" and "no sympathy for killers" are just being jackasses. Grow up.

 

[Gladiateher]

While it's sad that people are killed like that, I can't say I am particularly moved.
It's war. People firing rockets at eachother is to be expected.

My condolences go out to those left behind from the attack.

Yeah, this... They died doing what they loved and they knew the risks. It's sad but many more than this die every day doing stupid mundane things.

 

[cryogeist]

time for an actual post
to everyone saying that the soldiers knew what they were signing up for
that may be true
but im sure NONE of them would expect to die horrible in a fucking helicopter crash
because there's no way that was quick and painless
honestly i feel sorry for their families
thats 30 people who arnt coming home...

 

[Pandabearparade]

At the risk of sounding incredibly insensitive Oslo was worse. Not only were there more, they were all innocents. Military combatants losing lives in a known combat zone due to the actions of enemy forces is less of a tragedy more of an occupational hazard.
Premature death is always a sad thing, but this isn't exactly shocking, surprising, or even really news.

I agree with this entirely. It's sad, but not really newsworthy. They signed up to fight, that's why people all have those 'support our troops!' bumper stickers. In combat, people die. It's sad, but honestly something to expect in war.

 

[Sud0_x]

Millions of civilians were killed in Iraq.

I'm sorry, what? Iraq Body Count [http://www.iraqbodycount.org/] (IBC) and the wikileaks [http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wikileaks-iraqi-civilian-deaths-higher-reported/story?id=11953723] have suggested that is it no where near that number since the invasion began in Iraq. IBC has watched the news regularly to provide estimates between 102,000 to 111,000 Iraq civilian deaths (numbers do not report if U.S., NATO, or Taliban individual counts), while wikileaks has stated downwards near 66,000 Iraq citizens killed since the invasion began in 2010. So unless we detonated a few nuclear warheads in a few cities this year that we don't know about...

Where did you get MILLIONS? Are you talking about when Saddam was in control?

There are way too many ignorant people in this thread. If you don't care about the war, or soldiers. Why bother posting? To look like a complete dick to everyone? Good job, pricks.

OT: 30 is a high number in modern conflicts, sad news indeed, especially for some of Americas Elite troops.

+1

Yeah, leave it to assholes at Escapist to piss on the dead in an effort to look cool.

I completely agree with this statement, especially considering the amusing irony that so many Escapists claim that all lives are precious and should be preserved, I even remember a few wanting to make sure the Oslo killer wouldn't be harmed in his arrest. Yet the minute an American soldier dies, everyone gladly says he deserved it.

Hell, I'm joining the military in a year along with my pals, and I'm not bothered by people's ignorance. I know that me and my friends are brave enough to put on the uniform and have a job to do, we don't need any more than that to motivate us.

Err brain fart, for some reason I was thinking 1 Million, must've been 100,000.
But yeah, who gives a fuck about them. [/sarcasm]

Okay fine, I just googled "Iraq 1,000,000" and according to a wiki article one of the estimates is just over 1 Million dead. My memory did serve me because I believe that number was used in the documentary I watched entitled "The war you don't see".

IBC has watched the news regularly to provide estimates...

There's your problem.

Let me just state that the only reason I'm responding here is because I did state a number without revealing where it came from.

I stand by what I said, they can do what they think has to be done now but I've got more compassion for the innocent bystanders at the end of the day.


You go your way, I go mine.

 

[enzilewulf]

This thread is sick. I like how once a American solider dies then who gives a shit right? That seems to be the general feeling here. Yet im supposed to feel sympathy for the people who cause and praised the 9/11 attacks? Frankly? Fuck them. I don't give a shit what happens to them, and I hope they all get killed. As for the civilians? I really feel sorry that they have to live in such a shit hole where IED's go off in schools and hospitals. I feel sorry that they are trapped in between such a shit conflict that has really gone on for to long. I hate that we are still over there. What I don't hate is the troops that sign on for this knowing they could end up dead. Knowing that they don't have to do it. I will praise them for still having faith in their country even though it frankly is a mess right now. I feel sorry for any troop, regardless of nationality that is in this war or any other. Any Extremist? I will never feel sorry for. People on this sight are disrespectful and just plain out rude. Some one said we are no better than them? They gun down innocent people because they don't agree with them. How can we ever be compared to that?

Oh yeah and the best part is they died defenseless.

 

[wilsontheterrible]

This wouldn't have happened if they hadn't been there in the first place.

The US puts it's nose in everyone's business and then cries foul when they get punched in the face.

That could have possibly worked on the Iraq side but the Afghan conflict is almost the reverse. We got punched in the face but our responce was a little more substantial than crying foul.

U.S soldiers are the bravest people I know. All give some, some give all. Best respect.

 

[synulia]

Oh for fuck's sake people, show a little sympathy. No soldier signs up to die like this. And this story is newsworthy because 30 soldiers died, all in one go, which is the worst loss of life the US has had since the war began. But no, you guys are more worried about who you'll be able to bed in Mass Effect 3. Christ, and I thought I was a misanthrope.

 

[MaxwellEdison]

Yet another reason to gtfo of there. We don't need more young men dying.

 

[Arsen]

Right. 30 dead. Because that's so much more important than the fact that over 1500 Iraqi citizens, completely innocent, have been killed, often with just as many people as this being gunned down. It's sad, but other things need more attention. I may sound callous. That's because I am. When the world stops its downward descent to hell, I'll soften up.

30 members who busted their asses to become handpicked to serve in missions requiring the greatest of secrecy, usually taking place on hostile ground, thousands of miles away from their homes, surrounded by people that fucking hate their very guts, in a mission in which there is no chance they will survive, while keeping a war over an ocean for the sake of their fellow countrymen so that they may live.

Yeah. I'd say those thirty outweight the irrelevant, small thousand. Quality over quantity.

 

[Smooth Operator]

You know i don't have time to reply to all of these, but just think about there families, and the one civilian on board as well.

And the families of the all the people they killed?
I understand that as your countrymen they represent the righteous knights of freedom that ride into the battle field on fluffy bunnies to vanquish sauron and his evil henchmen, the truth however is alot more grim.

 

[kouriichi]

Ok, first off, im not trolling, nor do i mean to offend anyone with this post.
I formally apologize to you, or anyone you know who has lost family due to conflicts between two nations. Again, i am not trolling, nor am i trying to anger the readers of this post.
^Formal apology if this offends you. Please read it twice^

Ok, my take on it? They signed up for it. I am not saying this isnt a sad loss, nor am i saying they deserve it. Im sure they were good people, fighting for what they believe is right, and im sorry for theyre family's loss.

But they knew the risks involved with this line of work. You work with hammers, expect to smash your fingers once or twice. You work at a water park, expect to get wet. You work with guns, explosives, and angry extremists running at you, Ak-47 flailing about, expect to live a short life.

Again, im sorry if this post offends anybody, and i know they were fighting for the good of the world, and to protect the innocent people who live in that land. ((please read formal apology again if you feel i have insulted, angered, and or offended anyone with this post as it was not my intention.))

 

[photog212]

The news over here said it was an "accident".

Then again, I never believed it was an "accident". I always thought it had been attacked. A multi-million dollar helicopter doesn't just malfunction like that.

And they say we have a "free press".

EDIT: Oh, NOW they're saying it was an attack. God, I really fucking hate the news media, bunch of lying, dick-yanking bastards!

The media has to report what they were told or else they can get sued for slander of libel. Also, they run the risk of losing their embed status when it comes to the military. However, there are incidents where the media should have done more research into the story and hunted for the truth. But if the story is: "Government Officials say Helicopter accident" and everything is quoted and sourced then the lie is on the government not the media.

I'm not trying to get into a thing here, but sometimes its not so black and white.
And remember we had a couple of multi-BILLION space shuttles malfunction so its not unheard of.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

You know i don't have time to reply to all of these, but just think about there families, and the one civilian on board as well.

And the families of the all the people they killed?
I understand that as your countrymen they represent the righteous knights of freedom that ride into the battle field on fluffy bunnies to vanquish sauron and his evil henchmen, the truth however is alot more grim.

Actually i'm British.
I know everything about war, it's just still tragic.

And just becauase they have killed, doesn't neccasarily mean they're monsters you know.

I'm incredibly cynical about war, it's just that this is sad.

 

[photog212]

Soldiers sign up to protect their country and freedoms. You may disagree with what the military does but the majority of service members have noble intentions.

However,
They DO NOT sign up for:
10 year long quagmires
A defense department that doesn't adequately kevlar their vehicles
An "Allied" nation stabbing them in the back (Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan)

You can't rationalize war by saying: War is hell and soldiers die. That makes as much sense as saying there are fucked up people in the world and sometimes they go on a shooting spree. Tragedy has no rationalization.
(hope that made sense I'm really tired)