Andrew J. Olmsted
Encyclopedia
Andrew J. Olmsted was a major
in the U.S. Army
. He was educated at St. John's High School
in Shrewsbury, MA, and Clark University
.
Major Olmsted was assigned to a battalion military transition team working with 5th Iraqi Army Division. He was killed in action by sniper fire while serving in the Iraq War. Also killed in the attack was Captain Thomas J. Casey. They were the first casualties suffered by the US Army in Iraq in 2008. Major Olmsted's funeral took place on January 15, 2008, at Fort Carson, Colorado..
His eleven-man team (Nightmare) likely suffered the most casualties of any transition team. Albert A. Haroutounian, an interpreter that worked with the team, was killed by a roadside bomb on March 10, 2008 in Diyala. Captain Ulises Burgos and Specialist Matthew Morris (who was loaned to the short-handed team by the 2-3 Armored Cavalry Regiment) were killed by a roadside bomb on 6 April 2008. Surviving members of team Nightmare are, MSG Joe McDuffie, MSG Fredrico Flores, MSG Elish R. “Jay” Jackson, SFC William Beaver, SSG Brandon Shaw, CPT Todd Bradford, CPT John Kurt Thompson, CPT Patrick Confer. Most of the senior enlisted soldiers listed above have retired or will very soon. MSG Jackson has since returned to Iraq with the 101st Airborne, MSG Flores is actually 1sgt Flores at a training post. CPT Thompson is in a unit near Washington D.C. Details on the rest of the team members are hard to come by.
SFC Beaver was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on 3 January 2008. After being wounded in the face he continued to support his comrades with suppressive .50 caliber machine gun fire and coordinating with higher headquarters for medevac and QRF support.
CPT Thomas Casey was recommended for the Silver Star by his teammates and the award is pending approval.
His team operated from Kirkush Military Training Base (KMTB) near FOB Caldwell. His team operated throughout the Diyala province in support of the Iraqi Army 5th Division. Units they supported were far flung. His team had to roam from KMTB west to Baqubah and FOB Warhorse east to Mandali and along the Iranian border to the far north of Diyala. They clocked thousands of kilometers along some of the most dangerous routes in Iraq.
He was known for writing the blog
From the Front Lines for the Rocky Mountain News
, and guest-posting at Obsidian Wings blog as G'Kar. He was killed in As Sadiyah, Iraq
at the age of 37.. His last blog entry was published posthumously and was entered in the congressional record.
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He was educated at St. John's High School
St. John's High School (Massachusetts)
Saint John's High School is a private Catholic boys' high school located in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester...
in Shrewsbury, MA, and Clark University
Clark University
Clark University is a private research university and liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts.Founded in 1887, it is the oldest educational institution founded as an all-graduate university. Clark now also educates undergraduates...
.
Major Olmsted was assigned to a battalion military transition team working with 5th Iraqi Army Division. He was killed in action by sniper fire while serving in the Iraq War. Also killed in the attack was Captain Thomas J. Casey. They were the first casualties suffered by the US Army in Iraq in 2008. Major Olmsted's funeral took place on January 15, 2008, at Fort Carson, Colorado..
His eleven-man team (Nightmare) likely suffered the most casualties of any transition team. Albert A. Haroutounian, an interpreter that worked with the team, was killed by a roadside bomb on March 10, 2008 in Diyala. Captain Ulises Burgos and Specialist Matthew Morris (who was loaned to the short-handed team by the 2-3 Armored Cavalry Regiment) were killed by a roadside bomb on 6 April 2008. Surviving members of team Nightmare are, MSG Joe McDuffie, MSG Fredrico Flores, MSG Elish R. “Jay” Jackson, SFC William Beaver, SSG Brandon Shaw, CPT Todd Bradford, CPT John Kurt Thompson, CPT Patrick Confer. Most of the senior enlisted soldiers listed above have retired or will very soon. MSG Jackson has since returned to Iraq with the 101st Airborne, MSG Flores is actually 1sgt Flores at a training post. CPT Thompson is in a unit near Washington D.C. Details on the rest of the team members are hard to come by.
SFC Beaver was awarded the Silver Star for his actions on 3 January 2008. After being wounded in the face he continued to support his comrades with suppressive .50 caliber machine gun fire and coordinating with higher headquarters for medevac and QRF support.
CPT Thomas Casey was recommended for the Silver Star by his teammates and the award is pending approval.
His team operated from Kirkush Military Training Base (KMTB) near FOB Caldwell. His team operated throughout the Diyala province in support of the Iraqi Army 5th Division. Units they supported were far flung. His team had to roam from KMTB west to Baqubah and FOB Warhorse east to Mandali and along the Iranian border to the far north of Diyala. They clocked thousands of kilometers along some of the most dangerous routes in Iraq.
He was known for writing the blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
From the Front Lines for the Rocky Mountain News
Rocky Mountain News
The Rocky Mountain News was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, United States from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As of March 2006, the Monday-Friday circulation was 255,427...
, and guest-posting at Obsidian Wings blog as G'Kar. He was killed in As Sadiyah, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
at the age of 37.. His last blog entry was published posthumously and was entered in the congressional record.