The Blue Spaders – Part I of the Militarytimes.com Series on Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment

My friend, Alex Gallo, is finishing his graduate studies at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. A West Point graduate, Alex was deployed as an Army officer in Iraq with the 1-26 IN (1^st Battalion of the 26^th Infantry Regiment). Alex made me aware of a series that is running on www.militarytimes.com on this unit, one of the most decorated of the Army’s units.

I invite you to read Alex’s introduction and then to click on the link. Of particular interest to me is the story told by Staff Sgt. Ian Newland about his difficulties and frustrations in trying to get adequate and compassionate medical care after being wounded in Iraq. His story strikes me as a microcosm of the systemic failures we have been hearing about in terms of the administration and the VA underestimating the scope of the medical care that veterans would need in returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Here is Alex’s introduction and invitation:

Please check out this four part series in the Army Times on my old battalion, 1-26 IN out of Schweinfurt, Germany – they just got back from their recent tour in Iraq.

It’s unbelievable what they have overcome especially when you consider that during our OIF II deployment in Samarra, we had our BC, CSM, and S3 fired all on the same day and had a catastrophic attack on our battalion by al-Zaqawi. However, 1-26’s experience is merely a subset of the numerous acts of heroism being executed daily throughout the force.

This series also talks about SPC Ross McGinnis who is likely to be the next MOH from the GWOT. I served in the same company with him. These are truly incredible Soldiers.

The link is below.

Thanks

Best,

Alex Gallo

http://www.militarytimes.com/projects/flash/bloodbrothers/

Thanks, Alex, for the service that you and your brothers have performed. And thanks for making us aware of this series.

Al