Bomb kills Iraq hero (Another mercenary)

[saigon68]

Bomb kills Iraq hero

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/news/tm_headline=bomb-kills-iraq-hero%26method=full%26objectid=17978203%26siteid=109975-name_page.html


Newly-wed Noah Stephenson, who served in the Parachute Regiment and was a member of the Red Devils free-fall display team, died when the convoy he was protecting struck a roadside bomb.

The 29-year-old, from Redcar, was working for a private security firm guarding American troops when the incident happened at around 10am local time on Wednesday.

But after 12 years in the Army, by which time he had reached the rank of Lance Corporal, he decided to follow in the footsteps of many other soldiers and landed a job with a private security company in Iraq, guarding high profile American generals.

In a tragic irony Noah recently posted a message on Friends Reunited about "dodging bombs" in his new job. The message read: "I'm happy! I have just recently been married and I have now left my easy life in the Army Red Devils and have now started working in Iraq doing security work!!

Wonder how much this Fool was paid-- Maybe $2,000.00 a day

Oh well good luck spending it where he is now.

CLUE --- He isn't guarding "high profile American Generals" ANY MORE

[kentjay]

1. please tell me how one can get

that sticker vvaw,also the kevin tillman letter is getting play on the national cable sites.thank you and peace,u of nam 66-68

[saigon68]

2. A tip

Save it to your website.

link it like a photo

What unit in the Nam?

[kentjay]

7. pbr`s,unlike swift boats they were 31 ft

junks,but i like the duty,we took sniper squads down the rivers.

[Art_from_Ark]

3. Last time I heard, there was no such thing as "Lance Corporal"

in the Army.

On edit, it's a British publication. Perhaps their "Lance Corporal" is the equivalent of our "Sergeant Major"? :shrug:

[Nihil]

5. There is in the British Army but ...

... if it took him 12 years to get to Lance Corporal there was something
pretty unimpressive about him ...

(We have Sergeant Majors over here too: one of the family "antiques" is
a clock presented to my grandfather by his men on the occasion of his
marriage when he was Company Sergeant Major on the Western Front in 1916.)

Still, a silver lining is that this dismal failure has probably progressed
to "guarding high profile American generals" in their somewhat warmer HQs
now ... hopefully soon to be joined by others in their high command ...

[0007]

17. Good to hear from you again Art_from_Ark.

I had wondered where you were!

[acmavm]

4. Did he think he was 'special' and that dying was for other people

in the 'war zone' but not him?

War is a pretty good equalizer. Except for the brass who is usually far away from the area of combat or whatever, everyone has a shot at being killed.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Howardx]

8. private security firm guarding American troops

hmmmmmmm

[Hugin]

11. Beat me to it...

The single most distorted sentence I've ever read.

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. Er...why do American troops need to be guarded?

That's complete bullshit to make this guy look better. It's absurd on its face. If you need to hire private guards for members of the military...:eyes:

That's like saying that he was hired to guard the police. It's stupid.

[Sabriel]

12. Can I ask why US soldiers aren't guarding US soldiers?

Why are we paying mercenary prices when we have trained personnel to do that very job? Or did I just answer my own question there....

How nuts is this story?

[alcibiades_mystery]

13. Totally nuts

I never heard anything like it. Hiring private guards to guard the military? It's completely insane.

[Nolo_Contendre]

18. Maybe our generals don't trust US troops to guard them?

Frag risk.
So they hire a trustworthy British mercenary instead. It's not as if the taxpayers are going to notice a few million here or there out of the $2 billion per week that is being blown on securing freedom in Iraq.

[chicagolefty]

10. I wish I could say I was sorry

But he got exactly what he asked for. If he were drafted I would feel sorry for him, but he signed up to do this and he made the decision to leave his wife. He must have really loved her to willingly go to Iraq, risking his life for the opportunity to shoot at some Iraqi's for sport.

I thought most civilized nations banned the practice of being a mercenary. I guess they've skirted this by calling them "security firms" now.

[Richard Steele]

16. Exactly. Killers-for-hire are now called "security contractors".

That way, it's all nice and legal again!:puke:


And BTW: Welcome to DU! :hi:

[chicagolefty]

20. Yup...

I have seen video's on YouTube made by these "security contractors" and their rules for engagement are basically, "if it moves shoot it". They shoot up passing civilian cars, they randomly shoot in populated areas at things they *think* might be a threat. I even saw one video where they were driving around shooting at cars BEHIND them making them fly off the road out of fear or perhaps because they driver was wounded. They did this several times while laughing about it.

These "contractors" answer to no one and I've yet to hear of even ONE story where they were brought up on charges for their ruthless actions. It seems they can pretty much act as a mofia of their own over there without any fear of paying for their actions.

Congress should outlaw this practice NOW.

Oh, and thanks for the warm welcome. :)

[saigon68]

21. They kill anyone who gets in their way

The US taxpayer gives them $2,000.00 a day too.

[daleo]

14. "Iraq hero"?

Somehow, I doubt that most Iraqis saw him as a hero.

[mitchum]

15. I guess you could PAY me to be grief stricken over this...

as a mercenary, I'm sure Stephenson would understand my sympathy-for-hire

[NuttyFluffers]

19. i can't figure out the "hero" label, sounds more like victim...

pickin' out what stands out to me...

<<Jay, who works for a catering equipment company, said: "He knew it was dangerous, but it was also good money. All he wanted was to get the money to buy a house for his wife and kids. He said he'd just do it for a couple of years, not push his luck.

"But in the last few weeks he hadn't been as happy with things. He'd seen someone else killed by a bomb and had said he thought the troops shouldn't be there anymore. They were just getting picked off one by one."

He added: "People should know what happened to Noah and the others. They are doing an important job out there. It shouldn't be forgotten.">>

as much as i cannot stand mercenaries (i really can't. it's a visceral, unforgiving thing, so please don't ask me to go beyond my limits) i see this man as a victim of an uncaring systemic structure of a dying empire. he wanted good money to get a house for his wife and kids, wanted to just get the money and leave. then he started to not like it, said they shouldn't be there anymore, and were being picked off "one by one."

how different his life could have been if we had a society where there were good paying domestic jobs so his skills would have provided for his family through peace than war. how different it could have been if he felt the military could have provided for him and his family if he decided to become a lifer, instead our bloated spending on weapons. how different if our veterans were taken cared of and we showed people it's OK to go through the military as a career choice -- we'll take good care of you. how different it could have all been...

but at the end of empire the only lord left is the coin of the realm. the great family houses of power buy and sell eveything, and once talented people are discarded like husks. even loyalties and common sense can be bought and sold, and thus the mercenary market grows...

it could have been so very different, and yet he threw in his lot with those who cared not a whit for him nor his "charges." and now all he loved and cared for are without, because in another's eye he was but a pawn. in dangerous times you must choose wisely who your friends and allies are -- it should be obvious that mercenary companies should have your welfare at the very bottom. as much as i can find sympathy for the man, the husband, the son, i cannot for the mercenary. he should have known. he should have known.