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DoD Identifies casualty in Kirkuk raid

by Jonn Lilyea••30

Joshua L. Wheeler

The Department of Defense has identified the soldier killed in the raid yesterday in Kirkuk Iraq that freed more than 70 hostages held by the Islamic State forces;

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.

Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, 39, of Roland, Oklahoma, died Oct. 22, in Kirkuk Province, Iraq, from wounds received by enemy small-arms fire during an operation.

He was assigned Headquarters U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

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30 thoughts on “DoD Identifies casualty in Kirkuk raid”

  3. RIP.

    These Delta Operators made the choice to jump in the firefight when they saw their Kurdish counterparts start to go down.

    Honor is honor no matter what country and culture you come from.

  4. This quote from “The Bridges at Toko-ri” came to mind:

    “RAdm. George Tarrant: Where do we get such men? They leave this ship and they do their job. Then they must find this speck lost somewhere on the sea. When they find it they have to land on its pitching deck. Where do we get such men?”

    God bless Mater Sergeant Wheeler and his comrades for going into harm’s way, and may He keep watch over his family in thier hour of grief..

  10. Rest in peace now Master Sergeant Wheeler. You gave your all for your brothers, your mission and your country. God bless and be with your family now.

  15. And how can man die better
    Than facing fearful odds
    For the ashes of his fathers
    And the temples of his gods . . .

    . . . Or for his brothers-in-arms
    Being freed from vilest quods.

    Rest in peace, MSGT Wheeler. You went out on your terms, performing your duty while freely assisting your brothers-in-arms in their hour of need.

    There are few if any more honorable ways to die. We mourn your passing, and honor your memory.

    May God comfort your surviving kin, friends, and colleagues.

  17. For a Master Special Forces Operator
    with 17 deployments:

    I have a rendezvous with Death
    At some disputed barricade,

    I have a rendezvous with Death
    On some scarred slope of battered hill,

    But I’ve a rendezvous with Death
    At midnight in some flaming town,
    When Spring trips north again this year,
    And I to my pledged word am true,
    I shall not fail that rendezvous.

    Alan Seeger. 1888–1916

  18. Well the dog eater administration won’t say it was combat. See Fox Special Report opening just now.

  19. Cross posted on the Weekend Open Thread:

    Well, aint that wonderful. Fox Special Report led off with ole SECDEF Ash in contortions to not attribute the death of Master Sergeant Wheeler to combat action. Can’t be combat because dog eater said we are just advising.

    Now, will ole Ash have some balls and wave the bullshit flag now, as the SECDEF, or will he wait like Gates and tell all in a book?

    I hate these people.

  20. Woe to our nation when we have no more studs like this who believe in the idea that is America.

    RIO

  21. “Not a combat mission” – Obama Administration.

    What was it, Barack….workplace violence??

    POTUS can kiss my Irish ass!!

    I hope this country elects a real Man in the next Presidential election.

  23. Damn… 39 years old and still kicking in doors. He did his part and then some. It pisses me off to no end that we have warriors like that whose political bosses won’t even acknowledge they are fighting a war.
    RIP Soldier.

  24. Unlike our current administration under Obummer, the KRG will respect his sacrifice.

    Rest well, Ranger.

    RLTW.

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