Pa. soldier died from 'huffing' in Iraq

[Barrett808]

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A Pennsylvania National Guard soldier found dead in his room in Iraq in March accidentally killed himself by inhaling gases from a container of pressurized air to get high, an Army investigation concluded.

Frederick Carlson IV, 25, was found unconscious in his room at the base in Taqqadum, near Fallujah, shortly before 6 p.m. March 26, The Morning Call of Allentown wrote in an article published Thursday. The paper got the information from an Army report obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Investigators found a can of compressed air near Carlson's bunk and a colleague said he remembered him "huffing" fumes at least once before.

Huffing — inhaling the chemicals given off by glue, aerosols and other substances — replaces oxygen in a person's lungs. It can be fatal when too much oxygen is replaced.

Carlson, of Bethlehem, served as a cook with the 228th Forward Support Battalion, but guard officials said he volunteered for duty on the rapid-response force, providing security for military convoys.

"He could have stayed on base, yet he volunteered for dangerous missions outside the wire," said Capt. Cory Angell, a Pennsylvania National Guard spokesman. "It's tragic that he got caught up in using inhalants."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061130/ap_on_re_us/guardsman_huffing_death

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. He died in March and we are just now hearing about this?

[tom_paine]

2. In Bushmerica, it's lucky it came out at all

That is one of the hundreds of reasons why we must restore Old America and we have so far to go.

[saigon68]

8. Those creeps control lots of things

The "news" is just one of them.

[rainbow4321]

12. Take a look at icasualties webpage...

and scan it for "non-hostile" deaths. Some are illnesses (acute pancreatitis, pneumonia, heat stroke) but the many of them just say "non-hostile". I imagine those listed like that are some of the other chimp cover-ups that we will never hear about.

http://www.icasualties.org/oif/HNH.aspx

http://www.icasualties.org/oif/Details.aspx

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Pa. Soldier Died From 'Huffing' in Iraq

November 30, 2006

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- A Pennsylvania National Guard soldier found dead in his room in Iraq in March accidentally killed himself by inhaling gases from a container of pressurized air to get high, an Army investigation concluded.

Frederick Carlson IV, 25, was found unconscious in his room at the base in Taqqadum, near Fallujah, shortly before 6 p.m. March 26, The Morning Call of Allentown wrote in an article published Thursday. The paper got the information from an Army report obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Investigators found a can of compressed air near Carlson's bunk and a colleague said he remembered him "huffing" fumes at least once before.

Huffing -- inhaling the chemicals given off by glue, aerosols and other substances -- replaces oxygen in a person's lungs. It can be fatal when too much oxygen is replaced.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-guardsman-huffing-death,0,1259411.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines

[Tellurian]

4. The kid couldn't take anymore..

RIP..dear one-
He knew it's all poltics and felt hopeless.

the final excerpt in the above article:

"He could have stayed on base, yet he volunteered for dangerous missions outside the wire," said Capt. Cory Angell, a Pennsylvania National Guard spokesman. "It's tragic that he got caught up in using inhalants."

I sent my packages off today to the troops who haven't family waiting for them to come home..
I enclosed a note.."Keep the Faith, Hang on, we're coming for you..Keep safe."

My little cousin is stationed in Astan..

[partylessinOhio]

5. God rest your soul, soldier.

I'm sorry that the criminal that stole the presidency sent you there. I know your assignment was difficult. I wish you could have come home before this happened to you.

Many of us want all our troops home now so the suffering will end.

[Critters2]

6. Soldiers getting high to deal with the war.

More and more like Vietnam every day.

[aaronbees]

7. What an incredibly sad way to go...

trying to get high and escape the hellhole that is Iraq. RIP, Mr. Carlson. :(

[PassingFair]

9. Will his death register...

as a casualty?

[hedgehog]

10. All those advocating a universal draft,

tell me again how service to one's country is morally uplifting.

[dmoded]

11. sad, but..

I've heard from one lady married to a solider about certain drugs they are given to stay awake/be pepped up. i'm guessing these are more than caffiene pills. Does anybody have knowledge as to what -drugs- are given to soldiers routinely? I almost don't want to know, but it'd be informing.

-dm

[Javaman]

13. A couple of buddies of mine were in the first gulf war...

and they were routinely given "shots" prior to battle. They told me independently that they were just on one huge Adrenalin rush for 3 to 4 days straight with no sleep.

Super pep pills/shots? no doubt. The military has been using this stuff in one form or another since WWII.

However, I'm sure the technology took a huge boost since GWI.

[dmoded]

14. *nod*

I've heard of the taliban in graveyards hopped up on heroin fighting our army, so you can't help but wonder what sorta speed/'pep pills' they would have now.. add something that would give a bit of rage to get some senseless killing in the mix and we have rumsfeld at work :)

-dm

[Javaman]

15. Read up on Somalia and the Ghat the the Somali's chewed...

Or just read "BlackHawk Down". Most of the time the Somali's in their "technicals" were so hopped up on the stuff that were shooting indiscriminately.