You guys are heroes. Don't listen to the whiners in the media. A lot of us back home know of your sacrifice and look up to you. I am continually amazed by the professionalism and courage our military demonstrates, every single day.

You're the best! We're behind you 1,000,000%! Stay well, Hero!

People often forget that the motto "That Others May Live" doesn't apply to the rescuers.

"Lord, guard and guide those who fly"

Jim Hogue, CMSgt, USAF ret.

The heart of America is with you, don't listen to mainstream media coverage. They think they can sell more papers & airtime by high drama. They forget they are talking about our sons & daughters.

We support you, we respect you, we admire you.

I have nothing but respect for our men and women in the Armed Forces. You're all doing a wonderful job. Thank you for your sacrifices.

The loss of these six touches me far more deeply than the loss of the Columbia crew. So did the loss of the seven Marines in Afghanistan a few days before Columbia LOCV.

I've got one boy building bombs at Osan, and another who kept LANTIRN working on 15s and 16s.

Right now I'm growing baskets of flowers to bring some brightness and delight into the lives of ordinary Americans. I am able to do that only because the USAF and other branches stand in the gap for me, making my freedom and entrepreneurship possible in the first place.

You all have my prayers and genuine appreciation. Thank you.

Don't for a minute pay attention to those who would detract from what we all know to be true: Americans and particularly their defenders are kind, generous and giving almost to a fault. Don't expect anyone else in the world to understand us.

Don't fall down in doing what you know to be good and decent - doing the kinds of things these six airman were doing when they were killed - despite the beating you continue to receive from far lesser men and women.

God bless and stay safe. And stay American.

(a former Navy RM3(SS))

I'm from New York City and I have a five month old boy. We will NEVER forget your hard work and your sacrifice. We respect you, we admire you, and you have our utmost gratitude.

God's love to all of you over there. Come home safe. We love you.

You all our heros, and most of American knows it. Thank you for all the work you do! You have our utmost gratitude and respect!

The price of the white hat is high. Sorry you guys always end up having to pick up the tab. Afghanistan is a rough place, but it is getting better progressively. It's just going to take some time.

Thanks for the moving picture. Listen, there may be a few thousand protestors. But, there are millions and millions of Americans who many times per day are lifting up prayers for your safety and success. We are awed by your courage and dedication, and we are intensely proud that you represent us. And you are right, no one else lifts up their adversaries as we do. God bless America and God bless our troops.

Every one of you has made a commitment to protect others. There is no higher calling.

The only reason that the whiners whine is because you shame them.

James

words are not enough to say at how PROUD I am of the job that ALL sevice men and women do for OUR country! I am proud to be an AMERICAN and PROUD to have YOU all service her. Remember, if we want our future generations to enjoy the freedaoms that our forefathers bequeathed us, if we want them to live without fear of terrorism striking on our OWN lands and to keep our service men and women safe as they cruise the seas then we MUST as a nation remain strong. THANK YOU PEACE through STRENGTH

We will not forget these heros.
My family is praying for you every night.
God be with you all.
Glenda Maria

To all the heros in the Gulf:

We are behind you in all that you are doing. Stay safe, and know that your country can't wait to welcome you home witharms.

If there are any supplies that you need, please send me an email. My family would be honored to send you anything you need - candy, food, books, whatever.

bless you all,

jason

God Bless their Souls, God Bless America.
Rifle308 TXANG.

God bless and protect all of our service men and women who put their lives on the line everyday to protect us and protect our way of life.

Thank You!

I hate to interrupt this love-fest, but people need to face reality. I am an American, and I do believe that Americans are usually good and noble, and our institutions - including the Air Force - reflect that. (We are not so unique, though - most modern Western armies are just as nice, IMO. Anyone here seriously dissing the Brits and Aussies?)

But good intentions are not enough. In the world, you most act, and the results of actions are independent of intention. They depend only the relation of the act to reality. No matter how many lives "we" sacrifice for "them", Afghans are not beholden to like us, nor obey us. And in fact, there is evidence that "Enduring Freedom" is failing to change Afghanistan politically. Read this, for example.

It is one thing to overthrow a state, especially a weak one. If it is protecting terrorists, you can get at them. It is quite another thing to build an economy or a national state, especially in a place where there is no history of much of either. If we could so easily build up Afghanistan, how much better could we build up our own inner cities? Don't we have goodwill there, too? If we can completely change the political culture of Afghanistan, don't you think we could reform our own schools? Yet we all have good intentions.

Good intentions, and a dollar, will get you a cup of coffee.

To listen to our media, you would think we were ill intentioned, not to mention that we are having far more trouble in this war than we had planned on. I swear they almost hope we lose.

Our servicemen are all heroes. The literally as Kipling said "guard us when we sleep."

LT

Our cause and mission in Afghanistan is just and noble. These soldiers have died in the act of defending our freedom. Afghanistan is just. The soldiers dying in Iraq, on the other hand, have been sold a bid of goods.

Dammit, Oliver...you couldn't just leave off that last sentence, could you, and let...

Ah, never mind.

What were the names of the children that died in the crash. Do we know?

Because they and their families are the rest of this sad tale. We are the most noble when we act in compassion.

But how old was that helicopter?

So there is a connection - where I work - to the Pararescuemen that died. We are sending 11 PJs to attend the memorial service tomorrow at Moody. MSgt Maltz pulled his retirement papers recently...guess he felt that there was work to do. SrA Plite was a fairly recent student at the school. This small career field has lost a rather large number this past year. 1Lt Tamara Archuleta was from a small town just south of Kirtland. Chief Houge pretty well hit the nail on the head.

A sharp salute to all our fallen comrades.

We are so proud of you all.....you are forever in our prayers, and we will always be grateful for your sacrifice. Know now that we love you. Heros one and all.

M

Dammit, Oliver...you couldn't just leave off that last sentence, could you, and let...
No, Dave, I couldn't. Because it makes me angry at the insanity of it all.

Thank you, and I hope it all ends soon for everyone, and these stories and others like it are as few as possible.

I am not an American; but I can say without reservation that I hold the Armed Forces of the USA in a very high regard now. After seeing Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. my respect for the institution continues to grow. If there is a way I can wish all the anti-military demonstrating idiots to be beamed up to the Moon ...

Soon, the Iraqi people will know what the Afghans learned, "all is well, the American military is here".

Insanity... now there's the pot calling the kettle black. Crack an ammonia casual under your nose and wake the hell up, Oliver.

We got Americans supporting their president and dieing for it right now, with no complaints. That’s the way of the American military. Getting rid of that shit bag in Iraq is a righteous thing to do, and over due at that.

Let's have some of you for-no-other-reason-Bush-bashers take up a truly good cause and go after drunk drivers. Now there's a campaign that'll do the whole country good.

Until then, keep your pie-hole closed. Good day.

You are each and every one a hero to myself and my children. I have one son in Iraq who is a career Army officer. His comment last September was "If I don't go and do what needs to be done now, my baby sister and her friends will have to later." He and every man and woman who serves are HEROES by any definition of the word. Thank God for each of you, may you come home safely.

Merry Longsworth
(Daughter of a deceased USMC Master Gunnery Sgt.)

"What were the names of the children that died in the crash. Do we know?"

If I'm reading the story correctly, the helicopter was on the way ot get the children when it crashed. No civilians were hurt.

James

Staff Sgt. John Teal was my cousin and I am saddened by this tragedy. This group of heroes and the rest of the armed forces throughout the world deserve all the credit that is due. I am a proud American and strong supporter of making the world a safer place.Thank you for this website. God Bless

I am very proud of each soilder that fights or holds a position in our Armed Services. I knew Staff Sgt. Jason Hicks very personally. He was a great and wonderful person. I will forever remember him in my heart and thoughts. To the families of all the other fallen soilders, I pray that God will fill this void that sinks now into our hearts and that this war will soon be over and the U.S.A. will be victorious. Please don't ever forget our fallen men and women and don't ever take our freedom for granted.

First of all I have never been more proud of the President and our Soilders than I am today. I too have worn a USAF uniform and although I did not personally know these guys I still feel a comradery with them. I worked very closely with the PJ's and flying personnel as an Aeromed tech and cringe each time I hear of this sort of accident. For all of those who are currently fighting this war just know that we support your actions. Disreguard the protesters for they are to ignorant to know that it is this very action that gives them the right to protest. May God bless the fallen and their families and may His grace and glory shine upon all.

As for you Oliver, you are just another example of an ignorant misinformed liberal that has probably never given anything back to a country that has given you so much. You and all those that share your opinion need to go back in your history books and realize that we are preventing an action that, without interception and the foresite of our President, could result in you or your family being killed. You say that we are infringing on the Iraqi people, but your protest is in effect preventing them from having the freedoms that you yourself are indulging. Don't you think that one day they would like the opportunity to protest without fear of torture and being killed? That is what we are trying to give them. But as you so soon forget our freedom comes with a price. So remember, you are free to protest, and do so under the very umbrella that many have fought in a WAR and died to give to you.

May God Bless John Stein and all the others who give their life. You will always be in my hart and mind.
Class of 1981 Macomb High school, Macomb Il

Someone said that you should ignore the protesters. I disagree: Having people like that oppose you is a badge of honor.

We should all hope to win the excoriation of the fools, bigots, mediocrities and the morally bankrupt.

God keep you all, as you do your duty with courage and honor.

I am the uncle of Michael Maltz I am very proud of what he has done in the para rescue I just returned from the service at moody with his mother
What those men and wowman done there is more then what most people would have done. Trying to save innocent children. I am proud to be an american and darn proud of those six people.

Never stood in the gap and got shot at, did you Oliver? They do it so you can be a jerk in front of millions. God Bless them all.

To all service men and women: Just so you all know, I do NOT agree with the media and the so called "Stars" of this country.....I remember what you are fighting for, I will never forget the horrible sights on my television of the 9-11 footage...my heart is permanately broken. There are new "Stars" in my life now....Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, National Guard and President Bush!!!!!!

Our family had the privelage of knowing the Maltz family for a short while. We attended the same church with Bev and the boys in FL(Mike was deployed most of the time). A few years ago Mike and some others brought a helicopter to our schools Spring Carnival, he was very funny and it was truly exciting to the children. These guys go above and beyond so often and it goes unnoticed. Our hearts go out to Mike's family and the families of the others that died. Our prayers are with you. May God Bless

MSgt Maltz was an instructor at the PJ/CCT indoc school at Lackland AFB while I was there in '94. I admired him then for his accomplishments and admire him more now for all he has done! He made the ultimate sacrifice.

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

May God bless his family and friends. May God also place his protection around the fine men & women that continue to protect this great country in Afghanistan and those fighting for freedom and independance for the Iraqi people.

Hoo-Yah Sgt Maltz !!!