A decade of U.S. combat in Afghanistan, officially marked today, will bring a great deal of attention and further debate about what lasting impact the military has had since October 2001, whether the blood and treasure have been worth it, when the pullout should happen and what exactly would victory look like.
That is as it should be in a democratic society.
It's worth remembering, though, that underneath all the national strategy objectives and debates are the lives of young men and women.
Most Americans cannot fathom what these soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines experience in the remote corners of Kandahar and Kunduz, Lashkar Gah and Ghazni. Most of us cannot grasp why they would volunteer for months and years in such danger and hardship, many serving two or three deployments -- or more.
More than 1,700 of those Americans took their last breaths in Afghanistan.
Sixteen of them called our area home.
Army Pfc. Steven C. Tucker was the first, on May 21, 2005. The 19-year-old, fun-loving kid from Grapevine was killed by a bomb buried in the road.
The latest, on Aug. 27, was 23-year-old Army Spc. Michael C. Roberts of Watauga. The former wrestler's last act stopped a suicide vehicle from hitting a police station.
They should not be forgotten.
Here are the 16 among the dead who had direct ties to the Fort Worth-Arlington area.
Army Pfc. Steven C. Tucker
Died May 21, 2005
19, of Grapevine; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, Vicenza, Italy; died May 21 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained near Shinkay, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee. | Read Pfc. Tucker's obituary
Army Staff Sgt. Eric Caban
Died July 19, 2006
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28, of Fort Worth; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died July 19 of injuries sustained July 18 when his combat reconnaissance patrol came in contact with enemy forces using small-arms fire during combat operations in southern Afghanistan. | Read Staff Sgt. Caban's obituary
Army Sgt. 1st Class William R. Brown
Died Nov. 6, 2006
30, of Fort Worth; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Nov. 6 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy vehicle in Sperwan-Gar, Afghanistan. | Read Sgt. Brown's obituary
Army Pfc. Peter K. Cross
Died June 26, 2009
20, of Saginaw; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died June 26 at FOB Shank, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover. | Read Pfc. Cross' obituary
Marine Lance Cpl. Shawn P. Hefner
Died Nov. 13, 2009
22, of Hico; assigned to 2nd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Nov. 13 while supporting combat operations in Nawa, Afghanistan. | Read Cpl. Hefner's obituary
Army Spc. Joseph M. Lewis
Died Nov. 17, 2009
26, of Terrell; assigned to the 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Nov. 17 in Ezqabad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. | Read Spc. Lewis' obituary
Army Pfc. Benjamen G. Chisholm
Died Aug. 17, 2010
24, of Fort Worth; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Aug. 17 in Managai, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device caused a military vehicle rollover. | Read Pfc. Chisholm's obituary
Army Pfc. Austin G. Staggs
Died Nov. 29, 2010
19, of Senoia, Ga.; assigned to 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Nov. 29 in Pachir Wa Agam district, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an insurgent attacked his unit with small-arms fire. | Read Pfc. Stagg's obituary
Army Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Burgess
Died March 29, 2011
29, of Cleburne, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died March 29 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained after enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire in Kunar province. | Read Sgt. Burgess' obituary
Army 1st Lt. Robert F. Welch III
Died April 3, 2011
26, of Denton; assigned to 201st Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Knox, Ky.; died April 3 in FOB Salerno, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his base with indirect fire. | Read Lt. Welch's obituary
Marine Staff Sgt. Jeremy D. Smith
Died April 6, 2011
26, of Arlington; assigned to 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Houston; died April 6 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. | Read Sgt. Smith's obituary
Army Spc. Joel A. Ramirez
Died April 16, 2011
22, of Waxahachie; assigned to 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died of wounds suffered April 16, in Ahmid-Khan, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. | Read Spc. Ramirez's obituary
Army Spc. Joseph B. Cemper
Died April 16, 2011
21, of Warrensburg, Mo.; assigned to the 101st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.; died April 16 at Forward Operating Base Gamberi, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an Afghan National Army soldier attacked him with multiple grenades. | Read Spc. Cemper's obituary
Navy Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills
Died Aug. 6, 2011
35, of Fort Worth; assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL team; died Aug. 6 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter in which he was riding was shot down. | Read Petty Officer Mills' obituary
Army Pfc. Jesse W. Dietrich
Died Aug. 25, 2011
20, of Venus; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Aug. 25 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire. | Read Pfc. Dietrich's obituary
Army Spc. Michael C. Roberts
Died Aug. 27, 2011
23, of Watauga; assigned to 561st Military Police Company, 716th Military Police Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Aug. 27 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. | Read Spc. Roberts' obituary
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