Here are recent headlines about the military in Kansas:Fort Riley ¢ 1st Infantry Division(Grand Rapids Press) Grand Rapids soldier dies in Iraq: In the hours before Pfc. Shawn Gajdos’ Army unit left on a mission in Iraq on Wednesday, the Grand Rapids man called Kay Shepard to say that he loved and missed her. Shepard, a friend whom Gajdos called “Mom,” heard a hint of concern in the 25-year-old’s voice and replied that she loved him with all her heart. She told him she couldn’t wait to hear from him when he returned from the assignment. That exchange, however fleeting, will stick in Shepard’s mind after Gajdos was killed in a roadside bombing and artillery shelling that same day, according to family and friends. …Gajdos enlisted about 18 months ago. He had been in Iraq since February after shipping out of Fort Riley, Kan. He repeatedly told people it was the best choice he ever made and that he was helping people who needed it most.Fort Leavenworth(WhiteHouse.gov) Personnel Announcement: President George W. Bush today announced that he has named nine individuals to serve in his Administration … The President has named Francis Q. Hoang to be Associate Counsel to the President. Mr. Hoang recently served as an Associate at Williams & Connolly LLP. Earlier in his career, he served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Thomas B. Griffith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Deputy Chief of Police and SWAT Commander at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Mr. Hoang received his bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy, his master’s degree from Washburn University and his JD from Georgetown University Law Center.Kansas National Guard(Topeka Capital-Journal) Kansas 18th in National Guard deaths per million residents: As fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan nears its fifth year, a new report says the death toll among Kansas National Guard troops is relatively high considering the state’s population. The report, which examines American casualties since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, says 480 soldiers from National Guard units nationwide had died as of late May. Sharon Watson, public affairs director for the Kansas Adjutant General’s Department, said seven Kansas Guard troops have been killed since state units began deploying overseas in 2003. That figure places Kansas 18th in the nation for National Guard casualties per million residents, according to stateline.org. The study estimates that Kansas has lost 2.53 National Guard troops per million of Kansans.