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The Duffel Brief · the free edition, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Vol. 15 · No. 131 · Tuesday, 3 November 2026

Pentagon

Hegseth wears Eisenhower's globe as Halloween costume

Secretary says historic artifact looks better without America's allies

Spirit Halloween store to become pop-up ICE detention center

Army FRG unveils haunted house featuring spouses saying ‘I’m fine’

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Vol. 15 · No. 131

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Duffel Blog

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Vol. 15 · No. 131 · Deployed worldwide

Tuesday

3 November 2026

1224 Zulu

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← Front page
· Page 2

Casualty team stuck notifying family of Marine who died masturbating

Filed · 1546

NORFOLK, VA — Staff Sgt. Jonathan Barber knows that the job of a Casualty Assistance Calls Officer (CACO) is one of the toughest in the military.

When a service member dies overseas, a special CACO Team is assembled to go break the news to the family of the deceased and then help them through the aftermath and funeral.

"While there's a lot of sadness involved, you can take some solace in knowing that you're helping fallen comrades get the respect which they deserve," Barber said.

Of course that was before Barber got the call to notify a Virginia family that their son had died while masturbating in a porta-john in Afghanistan.

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