Duty to Country

[eisely]

I have been very busy and not following all the news stories about scouts and scouters as closely as I normally might. Apparently the army officer killed a couple of weeks ago when the rockets hit the hotel in Baghdad was an active scouter. Need I say more?

 

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ORLANDO, Fla. - The Army officer killed in a rocket barrage on a Baghdad hotel had a high-ranking position in which he directly advised civilian administrator L. Paul Bremer on how the occupation was being received by Iraqis, a military official said Monday.

 

 

The Pentagon (news - web sites) identified the officer as Lt. Col. Charles H. "Chad" Buehring, 40. He was in his hotel room Sunday at the time of the attack, which also injured fifteen people.

 

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was visiting the hotel at the time of the attack, but escaped unharmed.

 

Buehring was in charge of psychological operations for Army Forces Central Command, said his commanding officer, Lt. Col. Bo Merchant. Buehring also directly advised Bremer and other officials about how the occupation was being received by average Iraqis and how to encourage their cooperation.

 

"He was just a great American," Merchant said. "An awesome officer."

 

Buehring, who lived in Winter Springs, had served in the Army for 18 years and is survived by a wife and two boys, ages 12 and 9. He was active in the Boy Scouts and his church.

 

"He had the unique ability to balance the needs of the military profession, the needs of his family and the needs of his community simultaneously," said Merchant. "He was very active in Scouting, he was very active in the (Presbyterian) church he was a member of."

 

After graduating from The Citadel with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1985, Buehring was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He later earned master's degrees in international relations and in military arts and strategic studies.

 

In the Army, Buehring graduated from the Special Forces' officer qualifications course, the Army Rangers school and the Pathfinders course. He was a master parachutist and was qualified as an anti-terrorism instructor.

 

 

 

[Eamonn]

My heart goes out to his wife and sons.

I will remember them in my prayers.

This is just so very sad.

Eamonn

[matuawarrior]

I, too, will remember his family in my prayers.

 

It is a sad loss.

 

 

Matua