Army of Volunteers
Tuesday's World Events - May 23, 2006
Questions
Tuesday's News Issue is usually a Human Interest story:
- Human Interest stories differ from the regular news - they are sometimes referred to as "the story behind the story".
- The major news articles of the day tell of the important happenings. The Human Interest stories tell of how those happenings have impacted the people or places around the story.
1. What is an IED?
2. The 278th Army National Guard unit out of Knoxville, Tennessee was deployed to Iraq in November 2004. What type of missions did they engage in while there? (15)
3. How many soldiers from the 278th's 3rd Squadron were killed on Aug. 13, 2005? How many soldiers did the 3rd Squadron lose in all? Name all of these men.
4. What do you think is the reporter's main objective for writing this article?
5. SFC James Sanders of the 2nd Platoon describes each of the men who were killed on Aug. 13, 2005. For each man, what stands out the most for you?
6. What impresses you most about Spc. Kevin Downs, the soldier injured on Aug. 13? (mentioned in para. 6-11 and 34-37)
7. The reporter states: "Every soldier interviewed for this article considers such sacrifices heroic and necessary." Has this article changed your mind about our troops' mission in Iraq? Explain your answer.
8. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.
a) Why is it necessary to remember our fallen heroes?
b) What is the best way to honor our military on Memorial Day?
c) There are many organizations that support our troops and their mission, providing people the opportunity to write a letter of encouragement and support or send a care package. Look at the websites below. Which is the most interesting to you? Consider writing a letter of thanks and support to a soldier today.
(NOTE: Many organizations point out that you might not receive a letter in return, as soldiers aren't always in a place where they have time to write letters. But remember why you are writing: to encourage the soldier and express American support and appreciation for what they are doing for us.)