Fearful and angry, soldiers' families at Fort Riley struggle to

FORT RILEY, Kan. -- 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.

On 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.

"Now, it's starting to hit home with people they know," said Greeley, who will head to Iraq in a few months.