Just in case anyone forgot ...

There is, in fact, still a war on. The blood hasn't stopped flowing, but it's pretty much fallen below the fold in the news.

Here are a few of the people you haven't been hearing much about lately:

Staff Sgt. Eric M. Steffeney, 28, of Waterloo, Iowa, died February 23 in Tuz, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated.

Staff Sgt. Daniel G. Gresham, 23, of Lincoln, Ill., died Feb. 24 in Camp Wilson, Iraq, when a second improvised explosive device detonated while he was responding to a first device.

Sgt. Nicholas J. Olivier, 26, of Ruston, La., died Feb. 23 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was on foot patrol.

Spc. Jacob C. Palmatier, 29, of Springfield, Ill., died Feb. 24 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle.

And here's a few of the people who, all in all, are glad you aren't hearing about it:

General Electric Aircraft Engines, Lynn, Mass., is being awarded a $33,954,504 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract ...

Radix Technologies Inc., Mountain View, Calif., is being awarded a $25,000,000 not-to-exceed, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract ...

Oshkosh Truck Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., is being awarded a $22,462,290 modification to a firm fixed price delivery order ...

J. Walter Thompson Co., USA, Atlanta, Ga., is being awarded a $13,497,710 modification to previously awarded GSA Task Order ...

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Co., King of Prussia, Pa., is being awarded a $25,882,750 cost-plus incentive-fee contract ...

Integral Systems, Lanham, Md., is being awarded a $23,776,375 cost-plus award-fee contract ...

Rockwell Collins Government Systems, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded a $7,338,336 firm fixed price contract modification ...

Those casualties, and those contracts, are just the ones announced yesterday -- and heaven forfend that anyone should bother to identify the Iraqi dead.

I think I finally get what people mean when they talk about "contract killings."

-----
Technorati Keywords: Iraq, News, Current Affairs, Politics