This is a tragic story, and my sympathies go out to the family and friends. But what struck me about it is the last paragraph here. Not to take away from the story itself, but I’ve wondered about this before, and it’s come to mind again after reading this story. I’ve read “120 day tours” often. During Viet Nam a TDY was 90 days. These guys weren’t counted as boots on the ground. A numbers game. I believe if they died while there on a TDY, they weren’t counted. If they were there on a TDY, it wasn’t listed on their DD214’s that they served in Viet Nam. Is the new TDY 120 days? I wonder how many troops we actually have in Iraq, if you count the TDY’s. Here’s one guy, 2 TDY’s to Iraq in a year. Any Viet Nam vets and Iraq vets out there who can enlighten me on this subject???

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) — A veteran of three Air Force tours in Iraq and Afghanistan was killed in a double shooting outside a baby shower in a residential neighborhood.

Senior Airman R’Chardrick Markray, 22, and another man were shot outside a house not far from Nellis Air Force Base, where Markray was stationed, police and military officials said.

The second man was treated and released.

No suspects were identified and police did not immediately have a motive for the Saturday night shooting. Police withheld the identification of the wounded man.

A memorial service is planned for Friday at the base chapel.

“For it to happen here in town contributes to the shock,” said Lt. Col. Brian Fox, Markray’s commanding officer.

Markray was assigned to the 763rd Maintenance Squadron, which maintains helicopters, and was the lead technician for HH60 helicopter gun systems, Fox said.

He was deployed to Afghanistan for 120 days in 2005, and served two 120-day tours at the Balad Air Base in northern Iraq in 2006.

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