I Got The News Today (IGTNT) is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos. It is a way for our community to pay respect to those who have died while in service to our nation.
Chief Petty Officer Jason C. Finan
Jason C. Finan listed Anaheim, California as his place of residence when he enlisted in the Navy in 2003. However, his duty stations have included San Diego, California; Panama City, Florida and Great Lakes, Illinois. More recently, he lived in Imperial Beach with his family and was based in Coronado, California.
Finan was previously deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He served aboard the aircraft carrier the Ronald Reagan from 2004 to 2006, and was then selected for training as an explosive ordinance disposal technician. After attending dive school, he spent the next year in training at the Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
He had been based with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit THREE (EODMU THREE) in Coronado, California since becoming an EOD technician.
The EOD community is renowned throughout the military both for the bravery of its teams and the diversity of its members. Technicians from the Marine Corps, Navy, Army and Air Force train at the same schools and often serve with their fellow services in combat.
Chief Petty Officer Finan served as a combat adviser to Iraqi forces, which have joined Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in battling the jihadist group Islamic State for control of Mosul, a city in Iraq which is about the size of Chicago.
The 34-year-old CPO was attached to Navy SEALs who were advising the Iraqi counter-terrorism forces as they advanced on Mosul. Reports say that when they were near the town of Bashiqa, Finan had seen a IED, warned his teammates and was directing everyone to safety when his vehicle struck another roadside bomb. He was taken by medevac to the Kurdish regional capital, Irbil, but was unable to recover from his injuries.
As word spread of Finan’s death, several people in his mother’s Lake Forest neighborhood (in Orange County, California) displayed U.S. flags at half-staff in their yards to show respect and support. A vigil was also held in remembrance of him by that community.
U.S. Congressman Scott Peters released the following statement on the death of Navy Chief Petty Officer Jason C. Finan:
“I offer my deepest condolences and prayers to the family and loved ones of Chief Petty Officer Jason Finan. I also offer my condolences to the entire Naval Special Warfare community, which is enduring the loss of another of its finest as it occupies the frontlines in the fight to destroy ISIS and preserve our freedom and security.
“Chief Petty Officer Jason Finan is a hero who represents the best of San Diego, the best of our special operations community, and the best of America – he will not be forgotten.”
Chief Petty Officer Finan received several awards, including the Navy Marines Corps Commendation with Combat V, the Army Commendation Medal and the Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
He also received Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a Combat Valor designation, the Army Commendation Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, two Combat Action Ribbons, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon, the Iraq Campaign Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the NATO Medal.
According to the Washington Post, Chief Finan was a hero:
“Chief Finan was extremely proud of his service to his country [and] he was deeply respected by his peers and teammates,” Capt. Dean Muriano, commander of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group Unit 1, said in a statement. “His family and brothers in arms are mourning and grieving the loss of this respected and talented Sailor.”
“He gave his life for his teammates and was committed and loyal to the country he loved,” Muriano wrote. “In return I ask that to best honor his memory and service, we give both his family and his fellow Sailors the time they need to heal so they can mourn his loss.”
Among those mourning Chief Petty Officer Finan is his wife, Chariss, and their 7-year-old son, Christopher.
Finan’s name will be etched into the EOD Memorial Wall at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, and a memorial service will be held there to honor him next May. Burial services are still being planned, and the Patriot Guard Riders have been invited to attend.
May he rest in peace.
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About the IGTNT series:
”I Got the News Today” is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died. US service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized two days or so after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner. Click the #IGTNT tag to see previous diaries in the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is maintained by i dunno, Sandy on Signal, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, Jax Dem, The Fat Lady Sings, Ekaterin, & Joy of Fishes. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but show our community’s respect for those who have died.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.