Hal Bernton has been a staff reporter for The Seattle Times since 2000. He has roamed widely around the Northwest for regional reporting and to help in the newspaper's military coverage. His oversees assignments have taken him to Russia, Algeria, Aceh Province in Indonesia and Iraq in December of 2003 and January of 2004.
Afghanistan Journal
Seattle Times reporter Hal Bernton, who just returned from assignment in Afghanistan, shares his observations about life in a country now in its third decade of war.
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Fort Lewis soldier dies in Afghanistan
Posted by Hal Bernton
Fighting in the Arghandab Valley of southern Afghanistan has claimed the life of another Fort Lewis soldier, Spc. Michael Dahl, 23, from Moreno, California.
Dahl's vehicle was struck by a bomb. He died on Oct. 17 from wounds suffered in the attack.
Dahl was deployed with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, which I joined in late September for two weeks of patrols. The unit is part of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. It is the first combat unit to deploy to Iraq with Stryker vehicles.
The 1st Battalion, with some 700 soldiers, has now lost more than 10 men since arriving in southern Afghanistan in mid-summer. With the battalion, Dahl was part of Bravo Company, the unit I wrote about in my articles.
All these soldiers have a tough mission. The Arghandab Valley is a Taliban stronghold, where roads hold a constant risk of bombs buried or tucked inside culverts. Stryker vehicles often drive off-road in an effort to reduce the risks of hitting one of these bombs, which are typically made from fertilizer.
Like many of the soldiers in the battalion, Dahl previously seved in Iraq. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal.
Spc. Michael Dahl
(Photo courtesy of Fort Lewis)
Nov 19, 09 - 8:21 PM
Fort Lewis remembers two soldiers from a hard-hit platoon
Nov 10, 09 - 1:03 AM
The camera guy, and some thoughts upon leaving
Nov 3, 09 - 1:44 AM
A gift of water, and life.
Oct 30, 09 - 1:19 AM
Faces of those fallen
Oct 28, 09 - 10:46 PM
A wake-up to gun fire


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• Afghan News Center
• Pajhwok.com: News of Afghanistan written by Afghanistan journalists.
• McClatchy News Service: Dispatches from Afghanistan and beyond.
• Talking with the Taliban: A Toronto Globe and Mail series.
• Foreign Policy Blog on Afghanistan
• Michael Yon: Embedded blogger Michael Yon posts front-line dispatches.
• Washington Post's Afghanistan/Pakistan site
• Abdulhadi Hairan: Afghan writer reflects on events in Iraq
• GlobalPost's Taliban project: Features wide-ranging coverage of Afghanistan.


