MEMORIAL MOMENT - U.S. Marines hold a memorial service for Pfc. Jason H. Estopinal, Staff Sgt. Christopher W. Eckard, Lance Cpl. Adam D. Peak, Lance Cpl. Eric L. Ward and Lance Cpl. Garrett W. Gamble on Patrol Base Hassan Abad in Garmsir district in Afghanistan's Helmand province, March 22, 2010. The five Marines were killed in action while conducting counterinsurgency operations in Garmsir district. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dwight A. HendersonFrom The Fresno Bee/AP:
KABUL -- The number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan has roughly doubled in the first three months of 2010 compared to the same period last year as Washington has added tens of thousands of additional soldiers to reverse the Taliban's momentum.
Those deaths have been accompanied by a dramatic spike in the number of wounded, with injuries more than tripling in the first two months of the year and trending in the same direction based on the latest available data for March.
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Update: US military deaths in Afghan region at 945 -- AP
My Comment: With the US surge of troops into Afghanistan now fully underway, coupled with an increase in military operations against Taliban strongholds .... this increase in US troop deaths is not a surprise. Unfortunately, we are not in the fighting season yet, and with drug interdiction being a priority for NATO/Afghan forces I can now only expect the Taliban to gain even more men into their ranks to fight the coalition forces.
My prediction .... and it is not a stretch .... US and coalition casualties are going to be "sky high" this summer.
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