Major Andrew Olmsted Killed in Iraq

[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

[selil]

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

[RTK]

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

[davidbfpo]

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

[Cavguy]

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

Classy final blog post. A must read.

[William F. Owen]

F*ck.

[Gian P Gentile]

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

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.

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.

[georgev]

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

[Stan]

Major, A powerful final post !

A must read !

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.

[Gian P Gentile]

Cannoneer No 4:

thanks for posting this; very sad but very brave.

This quote hit the hardest on me:

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.

God bless Major Olmstead and his family.

[JeffC]

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

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.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

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

[MattC86]

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

[Old Eagle]

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.