Major Andrew Olmsted Killed in Iraq

Rocky Mountain News story here

Major Olmsted's blog at Rocky Mountain News here

Major Olmsted's Final Post here
You should read it.

Comments at Obsidian Wings and Rocky Mountain News

Major Andrew Olmsted and Captain Thomas Casey were both killed when we were ambushed. They both displayed tremendous courage under fire. I am proud to have served with them. They will be greatly missed. We were all blessed to have known them. They will always be my brothers in arms.Captain John Thompson
Nightmare 3
Posted by John Thompson on January 4, 2008 06:37 AM

Dang... EVERYBODY should read his final post... DANG. IS it real?

RIP, Sir. See you on Fiddler's Green.

Echo the earlier comments and from this armchair a salute. Reminds me of that weighty volume on the early Vietnam years, hence the choice of title.

davidbfpo

I read he was killed in North Iraq, but what was his job/unit?

Classy final blog post. A must read.

F*ck.

When somebody from our comrades die, this is a very bad news. I worked with some of American officers and NCOs in Iraq.
I'm quite sure Andy will have a special place in Heaven.
I use this opportunity to send my condolences to his family and my American comrades.
God bless him!

Respectfully,

George VISAN
Colonel ROU A

Major, A powerful final post !

A must read !

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I do ask (not that I'm in a position to enforce this) that no one try to use my death to further their political purposes. I went to Iraq and did what I did for my reasons, not yours.

Americans are fortunate that we don't have to worry too much about people coming to try and overthrow us, but part of the reason we don't have to worry about that is because we have an army that is stopping anyone who would try.

Soldiers cannot have the option of opting out of missions because they don't agree with them: that violates the social contract.

Whether or not this mission was a good one, my participation in it was an affirmation of something I consider quite necessary to society.

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Cannoneer No 4:

thanks for posting this; very sad but very brave.

This quote hit the hardest on me:

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This is the hardest part. While I certainly have no desire to die, at this point I no longer have any worries. That is not true of the woman who made my life something to enjoy rather than something merely to survive. She put up with all of my faults, and they are myriad, she endured separations again and again...I cannot imagine being more fortunate in love than I have been with Amanda. Now she has to go on without me, and while a cynic might observe she's better off, I know that this is a terrible burden I have placed on her, and I would give almost anything if she would not have to bear it. It seems that is not an option. I cannot imagine anything more painful than that, and if there is an afterlife, this is a pain I'll bear forever.

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God bless Major Olmstead and his family.

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Originally Posted by Cavguy

I read he was killed in North Iraq, but what was his job/unit?

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Cavguy:

Here is what i pulled off of icasualties.org which gives the link to the DOD announcement. It states "Sadiyah" which is a district in west Baghdad but it could also be another area in a different part of Iraq; dont know.

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The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Jan. 3 in As Sadiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit using small arms fire during combat operations. Both Soldiers were assigned to the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

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MAJ Olmsted was a BN MiTT team Chief that originated in Diyala Province last July.

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I believe we understate the costs of war; when we make the decision to fight, we make the decision to kill, and that means lives and families destroyed. Mine now falls into that category; the next time the question of war or peace comes up, if you knew me at least you can understand a bit more just what it is you're deciding to do, and whether or not those costs are worth it.

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I didn't know the Major, but this thought crosses my mind every time I read about another fallen comrade. My heart goes out to the Olmsted family.

Major Olmstead wrote:

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If there is any hope for the long term success of democracy, it will be if people agree to listen to and try to understand their political opponents rather than simply seeking to crush them. While the blogosphere has its share of partisans, there are some awfully smart people making excellent arguments out there as well, and I know I have learned quite a bit since I began blogging.

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I do ask (not that I'm in a position to enforce this) that no one try to use my death to further their political purposes. I went to Iraq and did what I did for my reasons, not yours. My life isn't a chit to be used to bludgeon people to silence on either side. If you think the U.S. should stay in Iraq, don't drag me into it by claiming that somehow my death demands us staying in Iraq. If you think the U.S. ought to get out tomorrow, don't cite my name as an example of someone's life who was wasted by our mission in Iraq. I have my own opinions about what we should do about Iraq, but since I'm not around to expound on them I'd prefer others not try and use me as some kind of moral capital to support a position I probably didn't support. Further, this is tough enough on my family without their having to see my picture being used in some rally or my name being cited for some political purpose. You can fight political battles without hurting my family, and I'd prefer that you did so.

On a similar note, while you're free to think whatever you like about my life and death, if you think I wasted my life, I'll tell you you're wrong. We're all going to die of something. I died doing a job I loved. When your time comes, I hope you are as fortunate as I was.

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But for those who knew me and feel this pain, I think it's a good thing to realize that this pain has been felt by thousands and thousands (probably millions, actually) of other people all over the world. That is part of the cost of war, any war, no matter how justified. If everyone who feels this pain keeps that in mind the next time we have to decide whether or not war is a good idea, perhaps it will help us to make a more informed decision.

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WOW.:cool:

This man was clearly a real Class Act. But even though he's gone now, taking a look at his final post, he didn't leave with any real rancour, or any bitterness at all. And what presence of mind in this post; it's chilling, in a good way. The man was actually hopeful, even optimistic, about what's to come, and that's what stands out most in his post (well, that after the final paragraph to his wife, and that stands by itself above everything else).

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I'm dead, but if you're reading this, you're not, so take a moment to enjoy that happy fact.

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May God Bless his wife and family.

http://patdollard.com/2007/12/27/now...-you-remember/

For the Major and his family. Go Rest High On That Mountain-by Vince Gill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayke8v1_T2Q

Godspeed.

Realizing how tough this is for the family, ours prayers are with them.

May he and his family find peace and be granted peace by those who might wish to twist the major's words and this event to suit their own selfish needs. His words are those of a consummate professional and deeply intelligent man, and they should be respected as such.

I argued many times with MAJ Olmsted online about both politics and war, and found him to be one of the most gentlemanly and knowledgeable people I've ever spoken with. I had several email exchanges with him where he was unfailingly respectful and funny even in heated debate. Plus the man knew his Babylon 5.

MAJ Olmsted fought long and hard to get into the theater onto a team where he felt he could do the most good. He didn't have to be in Iraq, but he felt the call to serve his country.

I didn't really know the man, but I miss him terribly. The Army, the Iraqi people, and America are much poorer today.

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Originally Posted by Steve Blair

May he and his family find peace and be granted peace by those who might wish to twist the major's words and this event to suit their own selfish needs. His words are those of a consummate professional and deeply intelligent man, and they should be respected as such.

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So far, I haven't seen that happening too often. Partly because one of Major Olmsted's last wishes was that such a thing DIDN'T take place, and partly because responsible blog owners are deleting the posts of the few idiots who can't resist.

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Originally Posted by Cannoneer No. 4

Rocky Mountain News story here

Major Olmsted's blog at Rocky Mountain News here

Major Olmsted's Final Post here
You should read it.

Comments at Obsidian Wings and Rocky Mountain News

Major Andrew Olmsted and Captain Thomas Casey were both killed when we were ambushed. They both displayed tremendous courage under fire. I am proud to have served with them. They will be greatly missed. We were all blessed to have known them. They will always be my brothers in arms.Captain John Thompson
Nightmare 3
Posted by John Thompson on January 4, 2008 06:37 AM

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Glad you posted this. I had known about it yesterday morning and considered doing the same, but I couldn't find the words to introduce it. Even now, I still am awed by Major Olmsted's foresight and courage to write it and arrange for it to be posted in the event of his death.

Good journey, Major.

Olmsted, 38, dies in Iraq ambush; first casualty of '08

I wasn't aware of his blog until now, and reading his final post I feel bad about missing it in the first place. Judging from that wonderful last post, which brought laughs and tears, he was an excellent writer, officer, and human being.

It's always amazing to be inspired by someone you never heard of and will never meet.

Godspeed and God's peace, Major.

Matt

I was back in CO this past weekend and retrieved the Sat paper to see MAJ Olmsted's face splashed across the front page. Because I knew of his blog project, I was hoping for good news, but that was not the case.

I was impressed with his project and interested in his insights. Additionally, I was hoping to get first hand, near-real-time information on his TT experiences.

Wish I could read any fallout back home, as evidenced in letters to the editor.

Maybe someone in CO could keep us informed.