Yesterday was a grim milestone for 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division: The Pentagon announced the 35th death of the brigade’s yearlong deployment.

(For what it’s worth, the brigade says they’ve lost 37 soldiers. Our two counts vary because 5/2 counts two civil affairs soldiers who were attached to the unit but not from Lewis-McChord.)

Other local links:

5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
Fallen soldier was close to returning home [Yakima Herald-Republic]
Lewis-McChord unit loses 35th soldier [Associated Press]
Chugiak graduate killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan [Anchorage Daily News]
Yakima soldier …

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Emilio Morenatti, the Associated Press photographer who was riding in a Stryker with Fort Lewis troops when it hit a roadside bomb, an incident that led to the loss of his foot, has returned to work.

Morenatti has shot some stellar photos from Afghanistan and Pakistan over the last few years. Check out a few of his photos here.

I’m back from a few days off. If you haven’t read it, check out my Sunday stories about the Stryker vehicle. In the main story, I covered a bit of the history and what folks across the military (from joes to generals) and Congress think about the vehicle today. In a sidebar, I wrote about future modifications to the vehicles. And you should check out the print edition: It’s got plenty of cool graphics, a box descrbing the 10 variants and a timeline of the Strykers vis-à-vis Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Other local links:

Military spouses
Abrupt …

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I wrote the Sunday centerpiece about the Stryker vehicle. Most of the story quotes people who think the Stryker is the right platform for the military for today’s wars and future wars.

Of course, some disagree. One such person, Irish author Victor O’Reilly, was one of the system’s most vocal critics during the transformation a decade ago. He wrote a report for a congressman (he “measured my research material in yards and had sources from the CSA’s office to the Air Force”) before the first brigade went into Iraq that panned the system.

Years later, he’s still not convinced. I can to briefly summarize what he wrote me. But I hope it can spark conversation by posting his full critique here. It’s just below the jump:
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The Washington Post has a moving article about the burial of Sgt. Anthony A. Paci, the Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier killed March 4 in Afghanistan.

More than 200 family members and friends turned out for Paci’s funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, the Post reported. Paci’s death in a Stryker rollover left behind three children, all younger than 3 years old.

From the story:

As members of the Army’s Old Guard fired three volleys, Sgt. Paci’s family and friends drew closer around his wife, three children and parents. The crowd took a few steps closer in support of the

…

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War resistor Pvt. Travis Bishop has been released from his incarceration at Joint Base Lewis-McChord three months early, the Seattle Times reported.

Bishop, a former Fort Hood-based soldier, began doubting the war in Iraq during a deployment. He refused to deploy to Afghanistan but said he wasn’t aware of an opportunity to file as a conscientious objector.

His lawyer charged at an October press conference that Bishop and another war resistor had been mistreated while in custody, allegations Lewis-McChord spokesmen deny.

Other local links:

5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry …

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The 62nd Airlift Wing public affairs shop has an article about a staff sergeant serving in Chile as part of the U.S. military’s response to the Feb. 27 earthquake.

Other local links:

3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
Suffering and Triumph in Iraq: a Sheikh’s Story [DVIDS]
Army and Navy Receive Medical Training [DVIDS]
Illuminating the Night to Increase Bases Safety [DVIDS]
Aruba Suq Micro-grant Surge Shows Unprecedented Progress [DVIDS]

5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
Army hero Sgt. Anthony Paci laid to rest today [The Trentonian]
Progress in …

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Not too many stories of local troops out there today:

5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
Dad’s return from Afghanistan surprises kids [The News Tribune]

62nd Medical Brigade
Just What the Doctor Ordered: a Mission for Fort Lewis’ 56th Multi-Functional Medical Battalion [DVIDS]

Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Army Mail Training Ramps Up During Silver Scimitar [DVIDS]