No Charges in Death of Shaler Green Beret

No criminal charges will be filed against defense contractor KBR Incorporated in the death of 24 year old Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth of suburban Pittsburgh. The green beret from Shaler was electrocuted while taking a shower in his barracks in Baghdad. The Pentagon Inspector General said Sergeant Maseth died when he came in contact with a metal shower that became electrified due to a failed underground water pump installed by KBR. The Pentagon says there's insufficient evidence to prove that anyone is criminally culpable.

PA Strykers Keep Lines Open

In addition to its presence on Camp Taji, the Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th Strkyer Brigade mans nine smaller bases called "joint service stations" with the Iraqi Army. It takes a lot to keep them running, including fuel, water and food -- and it's the 328th Brigade Support Battalion's job to get those supplies there. To do tat they have to travel less than safe roads in trucks that are not always up to the riggers of the trip. Listen to a longer version of the story here.
To here all the stories in this series click on the "IRAQ EMBED" Label below.

PA Soldiers Losing State Stipends

The effect of the commonwealth's ongoing budget impasse is being felt as far away as Iraq. A significant number of Pennsylvania National Guard troops deployed there are state employees.
They've been getting a 500-dollar stipend from the commonwealth each month but like all other government payments, that's been halted. The last checks, until a spending plan is passed, went out a week ago.
Sergeant Robert Meghahen a corrections officer from Altoona, says he's thankful he's receiving full military pay during the impasse...

"Like right now, I know?I feel it's going to be passed by the time I get back to work. And it's not going to have that big of an adverse effect on me, the state budget, but I'm just really concerned about my friends who have kids and mortgages and stuff."

Sergeant Richard Snyder of Lebanon, who works for PennDOT, says the budget negotiations and possible layoffs leave him uneasy...

"I'm already having a hard time even though I'm making pretty good money now with my family. But I have five kids to support, so what's going to happen when we get back?"


Soldiers are regularly checking the news to keep up to speed with negotiations.
Many of them say they blame Governor Rendell for the impasse, and are angry their friends and co-workers aren't getting paychecks.
Rendell would not definitively say whether the stipends would be restored in a temporary "bridge" budget he could sign next week.

Where Do Strykers Go When They Get Sick?

Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade who are injured or sick make their way to a squat building at Camp Taji, Iraq. It's just down the road from the base's dining facility. It's the home of the unit's medical team, nicknamed "Charlie Med." The team is more likely to treat the flu than it is a combat wound but they are always ready to answer the call. However Scott Detrow reports that does not keep hem from have a wheelchair race or two on the slow nights. Listen to a longer version of the story here. To here all the stories in this series click on the "IRAQ EMBED" Label below.

PA National Guard Looks For Buried Weapons in Iraq

Communicating and cooperating with the Iraqi Army is one of the main challenges members of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigrade are facing during deployment. Brigrade members are about 6 months into a 9 month tour in Iraq. Scott Detrow, who reports for WDUQ, WITF in Harrisburg and other Pennsylvania Public Radio stations, is embedded with the brigade for three weeks. For this story, he accompanied a platoon, plus some Iraqi soldiers as they searched for buried weapons. Listen to the report.
Photos: top left: Sergeant Michael Raley outside Iraqi Army barracks; center left: Soldiers wait with Iraqi Captain Abbas; bottom left: Captain Abbas questions Iraqi woman.

Listen to an interview with Brigade Commander Colonel Marc Ferraro

Listen to a report by Scott Detrow as he undergoes training at a camp in Georgia to prepare to be embedded with the Stryker Brigade

PA National Guard Brigade in Iraq

The Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade is a bit more than two thirds of the way through a nine month tour in Iraq. Scott Detrow, who usually reports from the state capitol for WDUQ as well as WITF in Harrisburg and other Pennsylvania Public Radio stations, is embedded with the brigade for three weeks. Two members of the brigade have been killed during this current tour. Detrow sat down with the unit's commander, Colonel Marc Ferraro at their headquarters at Camp Taji to discuss their mission. Listen to the interview with Colonel Ferraro.