Fort Riley ? The deaths of 13 soldiers deployed from Fort Riley to Iraq has left the base reeling and prompted anger among some of those left behind.

Friday, the fort had a private memorial service for the latest Fort Riley soldiers killed in Iraq — Staff Sgt. Mark D. Vasquez, of Port Huron, Mich., and Staff Sgt. Gary L. Collins, of Hardin, Texas. Both were killed Nov. 8 when the Bradley Fighting Vehicle they were riding in was struck by an improvised explosive device.

The continuing bad news is weighing on such people as Staff Sgt. Robert Greeley, who is putting in long hours at the Family and Soldier Support Center, which provides services to the families of deployed soldiers.

But as the war drags on and the death toll rises his job is becoming tougher, Greeley said.

“Emotionally, it’s draining pretty much everybody in this building. It really wears you out,” he said. “It’s not the job you were trained to do. I’m a mechanic. Right now, I feel like I’m a social worker.”

Although there is a separate office to help the family of a soldier who is killed, Greeley has spent a lot time working with those families.

“The families are upset,” said Greeley, who will head to Iraq in a few months. “At first, I think the families were treating it just like a regular deployment. Now, it’s starting to hit home with people they know. They’re kind of wigging out.”

Nearly two-thirds of the 6,500 Fort Riley soldiers are deployed to Iraq and other areas around the world.

Deserea Ford’s husband has been deployed to Korea, where protests and threats toward U.S. personnel also are escalating. She said a soldier from every other home on her block was fighting in Iraq.

“It’s caused me to have fear,” said Ford, who said other spouses were angry as the fighting in Iraq had become more dangerous.

“There’s a lot of bitterness,” she said. “They’re pretty upset about their husbands being away, and they feel like there’s no point to it all. Nobody has a significant reason for us to be there.”

Kelly Sutton, station manager for the American Red Cross, says she feels almost helpless when wives come to her.

“Most of the wives I see are angry,” she said. “They’re feeling fear, anger, bitterness and confusion.”

The fort provides help from members of the deployed units who stay home, as well as civilian counselors, chaplains and financial planners. The family center is open 24 hours a day.

The effects of the ongoing war have been clear to Deb Skidmore, a post spokeswoman who has been at Fort Riley for more than 20 years.

“I think the families around here are scared to death,” Skidmore said. “You never know if the next one is going to be yours.”

The deaths have been hard on Skidmore, who compiles information about each casualty for the media.

“I hate to pick up the phone and hear ‘Casualty Branch,’ because then you know it’s another death,” she said.