First Coverage of Military Casket in 18 Years

Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday via an improvised explosive decvice. He was 30 years old, from Virginia, and is survived by his wife.

Interestingly, the Navy Times reported that "no live filming was allowed" at the event, yet we have the AP video right here. Family permission is required for media coverage.

The Navy Times was supportive of the lift of the ban, calling it "an early watershed in the administration of President Barack Obama, a nod in favor of transparency and away from secrecy favored by prior administrations."

More on the matter here;

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/04/gns_hero_returns_040609w/

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/04/home-to-dover.html

PS - the LA Times plagiarized the Navy Times with this line; "Almost all of the 4,266 casualties in Iraq and the 668 casualties in Afghanistan through the end of March have come through Dover’s mortuary, military officials said earlier this year." Come on LA Times, step it up.

See this past post for more on the media-ban lift; http://curiousspencer.blogspot.com/2009/02/defense-chief-lifts-ban-on-pictures-of.html