3 soldiers killed in insider attack in Afghanistan were from JBLM
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Three soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord were among four soldiers killed by an Afghan police officer in Afghanistan on Sunday.
On Wednesday, the Department of Defense identified the soldiers from JBLM as Sgt. Sapuro B. Nena, 25, Pfc. Genaro Bedoy, 20, and Pfc. Jon R. Townsend, 19. All three were assigned to the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
The fourth soldier, identified as 22-year-old Spc. Joshua N. Nelson, was assigned to the 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade based in Fort Gordon, Ga.
Bedoy, Townsend and Nelson were on their first deployments. Nena was deployed in Iraq in 2009-2010.
Afghan officials said the checkpoint in Zabul province's Mizan district came under attack first from insurgents sometime around midnight. American forces came to help the Afghan police respond to the attack, said Ghulam Gilani, the deputy police chief of the province.
It was not clear if some of the Afghan police turned on their American helpers in the middle of the battle with the insurgents, or afterward, or were somehow forced into attacking the American troops by the insurgents, Gilani said.
One police officer was killed in the clash with NATO troops, but other officers at the site fled and it was unclear if they were involved in the attack, said Jamie Graybeal, a spokesman for the international military in Afghanistan.
The killings prompted NATO to change how the U.S.-led coalition will fight the war in Afghanistan.
Previously, coalition troops routinely conducted operations such as patrolling or manning outposts with small units of their Afghan counterparts. Under the new rules issued on Sunday, such operations with small-sized units are considered no longer routine and require the approval of the regional commander.
NATO's decision reflected escalating worries about the insider attacks, coupled with the widespread tensions over an anti-Islam video that has prompted protests around the world, including Afghanistan.
So far this year, 51 international service members have died at the hands of Afghan forces or militants wearing their uniforms. That is more than 18 percent of the 279 international troops who have been killed in Afghanistan since the beginning of the year, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press.
On Wednesday, the Department of Defense identified the soldiers from JBLM as Sgt. Sapuro B. Nena, 25, Pfc. Genaro Bedoy, 20, and Pfc. Jon R. Townsend, 19. All three were assigned to the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
The fourth soldier, identified as 22-year-old Spc. Joshua N. Nelson, was assigned to the 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade based in Fort Gordon, Ga.
Bedoy, Townsend and Nelson were on their first deployments. Nena was deployed in Iraq in 2009-2010.
Afghan officials said the checkpoint in Zabul province's Mizan district came under attack first from insurgents sometime around midnight. American forces came to help the Afghan police respond to the attack, said Ghulam Gilani, the deputy police chief of the province.
It was not clear if some of the Afghan police turned on their American helpers in the middle of the battle with the insurgents, or afterward, or were somehow forced into attacking the American troops by the insurgents, Gilani said.
One police officer was killed in the clash with NATO troops, but other officers at the site fled and it was unclear if they were involved in the attack, said Jamie Graybeal, a spokesman for the international military in Afghanistan.
The killings prompted NATO to change how the U.S.-led coalition will fight the war in Afghanistan.
Previously, coalition troops routinely conducted operations such as patrolling or manning outposts with small units of their Afghan counterparts. Under the new rules issued on Sunday, such operations with small-sized units are considered no longer routine and require the approval of the regional commander.
NATO's decision reflected escalating worries about the insider attacks, coupled with the widespread tensions over an anti-Islam video that has prompted protests around the world, including Afghanistan.
So far this year, 51 international service members have died at the hands of Afghan forces or militants wearing their uniforms. That is more than 18 percent of the 279 international troops who have been killed in Afghanistan since the beginning of the year, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press.
Get them out NOW!
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I hate reading about these tragic soldiers dying so young. My condolences to their loved ones, friends, and family. My heart bleeds for them. God Speed! I will be praying for their mums and dad etc. Their families lives will never be the same.Â
Get our people out of there! In the meantime, give an order. If one of our "allies" points a gun at you, terminate with extreme prejudice IMMEDIATELY. These people are NOT our allies. These people are NOT our friends. These people are taking our "financial aid" and killing our troops in return. I say we extend a huge middle finger to ALL of them. Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria.......ALL of them, and if they continue killing our kids, push the freaking button, and turn the desert into a big sheet of glass. When it cools down, our government and their oil buddies can tap it for all of the oil they want, and we can rent the rest as a big ol happy skate park.
 @LoudNoises So you would like to see millions of innocent civilians who want nothing more then to live their lives free of fear slaughtered in one glorious nuclear explosion? Idiotic comments like yours are the reason I am sometimes embarrassed to call my self an American.
I cry every time I read a story about our troops dying. My condolences to their families, my heart goes out to them. They all died way too young.
Thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of the departed. Thank you for your service, men.
What a tremendous waste of life. Â I feel horrible for these souls, their families and all they put on the line. Â
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This isn't new...Afghanistan or Vietnam, same difference.  We do have control over how we conduct the war.  It's too short sighted to lump all Afghans into the same group as these "insiders".  That said, enough is enough. This is a useless waste, no win situation. Â
Shouldn't these enemies be called "infiltrators", rather than "insiders"?
 @TheTruncheon Good point!
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 @MidnightRambler You are not the only one pi$$ed MR and Obama is...he is bringing them home.
Sad day. Could we please end this??
RIP. Â Your courage and sacrifices will never be forgotten.
Yet another reason to vote for Obama as he is getting us out of there, but Romney will want to keep us in Afghanistan and expand needless war to Iran.
We need to get out of their ASAP!!!!!!!!! They don't like us, they don't want us. It is time to go!!!
there will never be peace in the middle east as long as their is religion in the world.
when soviet union pulled outta there, apparently there was a reason. Â we're being a slow learner and extremely stupid one. Â
 @CIAassassin You're right. There still in the stone age and always will be.
I'm still in the dark about why we're truly there.
 @sirgavin7 Wars are easier to get into than get out of? Follow the money: We have a bunch of defense contractors making money on the wars.
I'd say it's time to pull out now!!! Â What a complete waste of American lives, limbs, and taxpayers dollars. Democracy is not coming to this place in the next 1000 years. The puppet government is rife with corruption and surely will fall.Â
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Anymore terrorist attacks from Afghanistan should be  dealt by the US with the use of tactical nuclear weapons.Â
Like what i say all the times,we won't get anything out of Afghanistan or Iraq,why waste our troops'
live and money over there !????? Get them out right now fool !
Sounds like we need to withdraw and then carpet bomb their butts. One day for each US Service member lost. Let them sort out the resulting issues.
 @Jeff Valdez Just as the Tea Party doesn't represent all americans, so the Taliban doesn't represent all afghans. Carpet bombing or nuking isn't a solution to the problem, it's just a way to kill thousands of innocent people to get at a few of the guilty.
On the other hand, I don't see a problem with teaching them to fight for their own freedom and then leaving them to it. There is no reason for the tree of afghan liberty to be watered with still more american blood.
 @Fooey Patooey!  @Jeff Valdez Yes, yes...and it's time to go...ten years now?
I hate to see deaths from this war. Obama has not followed through with his promise of bringing the troops home and I don't think he is fully to blame for the billions of money to be made by the building contractors that would get paid to rebuild the Afghanistan infrastructure have been lobbying to keep the American presence for security. But, Obama should see through this now and pull all troops out completely. The majority of Afghan people clearly do not want us there for if they did they would revolt against their own people and stop these thugs, as many nations in that part of the world have recently done, and even America has done. It is not a matter of leaving the country better than when we went in, now it is a matter of leaving the country alive. I choose the latter.
Bring them Home. Â It is time to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as they are part of the reason for the rise in the national debt. Cut military spending. Watch this warning from Ike on the "Military Industrial Complex"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y06NSBBRtY
What is the definition of victory in Afghanistan? Chances are, we will never leave, i.e. Germany, Japan, Korea, Kuwait.......
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The bird speaks the truth.
Yes, I'm going to yell - BRING THEM ALL HOME ... NOW!!!!!! This has gone on long enough and enough of our military has been killed. God Bless you, young men, may you rest in peace!
Obama, it is time to end this war and bring home all the troops. Â This is your war now, you are responsible. Â
 @sfvcyco There actually is a schedule and plan to be fully out now. Cut down to minimal non combat operations by 2014 and then non combat operators by 2023(?)  Quoting my sister, an airman in Afghanistan right now on that 2nd date.
This was the Bush time line. So Obama did nothing but follow  Bush's lead. I suppose we'll want to build another billion dollar embassy compound their too. @quidproquo  @sfvcyco
There's not one single legitimate reason why we should have any soldiers in Afghanistan any more.He said he was going to during his campaigning. Just another one of his many lies.
@sfvcyco