F-16 pilot downed in Iraq listed as KIA

[maddezmom]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - An American pilot whose F-16 fighter jet went down in Iraq was listed as killed in action following DNA analysis of remains recovered at the crash site, the U.S. Air Force said Sunday.

Maj. Troy L. Gilbert, 34, was supporting troops fighting in Anbar province, where many of the country's Sunni-Arab insurgent groups operate. Videotape footage obtained by Associated Press Television News after the crash appeared to show the wreckage of the F-16CG in a field and a tangled parachute nearby.

Remains recovered at the crash site 20 miles north of Baghdad were identified as Gilbert's, the Air Force said.

U.S. forces investigating the crash have said insurgents reached the site before American forces could. The cause of the crash is under investigation, but officials said they did not believe Gilbert was shot down.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061203/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_pilot_killed

:(

[MaineDem]

1. Shot down or not he's still dead in Iraq

My condolences to his family.

[mwdem]

2. My husband works with his sister.

She's in Arizona with family...this is such a shame.

[Botany]

5. When the time is right please send my best wishes to the family. If you can.

Tell them that somebody in Ohio wishes them well and knows that
he will live on in their hearts.

:cry:

[mwdem]

7. Will do.

He has five children, all 8 and under.

[Lisa]

9. those poor kids!

I imagine the youngest ones won't understand that their dad is gone. But the eldest probably will. I'm sorry. A woman I know lost her father when she was about that age, and she told me that she never was able to feel "like a kid" again, from that day on.

[uppityperson]

6. my condolences to family and friends.

[mwdem]

8. I'll pass this on,

this has got to be a nightmare for the whole family.

[itsmesgd]

3. Are there any "official MIA's"?

Or do we, the pentagon, simply write them off as KIA assuming that they will be killed in addition to dodging any criticism of torture and the idea that American soldiers are the one's that are harmed by our government's abuse of others. Do we also write them off so that we can just add them to the "number" and get on with our ilegal occupation?

we = our government.
For this war, abuse, and occupation are done not in my name.

[happyslug]

4. Pressure is to marked them KIA, it is cheaper

As long as someone is ALIVE he or she is entitled to FULL PAY (Which generally goes to the Widow or family), once you are dead your survivors STOP getting your check and instead get a reduced check, thus the Government wants you KIA as soon as possible to reduce what the Government has to pay.

[IntiRaymi]

10. Don't be ridiculous

This is a pilot. The Air Force's Pararescue units are designed with the specific goal of rescuing pilots downed in combat, since these personnel are highly valued for the training and skill they possess.
Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Pararescue

"Pararescuemen (AFSC 1T2X1), also called PJs (a nickname pronounced 'pee jays' that refers to the earlier title 'para jumpers'), are United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Air Combat Command (ACC) operatives tasked with recovery and medical treatment of personnel in humanitarian and combat environments. They are the only members of the DoD specifically organized, trained and equipped to conduct personnel recovery operations in hostile or denied areas as a primary mission. PJ's are also used to support NASA missions and have been used to recover astronauts after water landings."

[happyslug]

11. I was commenting if the pilot or his body can not be found.

The Rescue units only work if they have some idea of where the pilot is, here where we have NO idea where the pilot or his body is the Air force will have to marked him as KIA. The rescue unit need to have SOME idea where the pilot is, and right now we do not.

My point is when the US has NO idea of where someone is and thus the need to classify his status. KIA is the PREFERRED status unless you have solid evidence he did NOT die (Which is NOT the case here).