Back on Jan 16th I wrote a story about Marine Gunnery Sgt. Michael Burghardt. He was injured when a IED exploded while he was trying to disarm it. 

Burghardt, of Huntington Beach, Calif., started his third tour in Iraq trying to beat the insurgents to the IEDs - improvised explosive devices - and disarm them before the insurgents could set them off.

As is often the case, Burghardt and his Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were accompanied to a bomb site Monday by the First Platoon, 167th Cavalry of the Nebraska National Guard.

One IED had blown up a Bradley fighting vehicle and killed a U.S. soldier. As often happens, the insurgents left behind more IEDs. Burghardt disarmed two bombs that were found - quick action that probably saved the lives of several Nebraska soldiers.

But he couldn't get to a third.

When word spread that the third device had been found, 167th Capt. Jeff Searcey of Kearney, 1st Lt. Matthew Misfeldt of Omaha and their men hit the ground as a blast exploded skyward.

Burghardt was wounded.

But with two new young Marines in his ordnance disposal unit - and the insurgent attackers undoubtedly looking on - "I didn't want them to see the team leader carried away on a stretcher," he said.

So after the Nebraskans tended to wounds that reached from his boot tops to the small of his back, Burghardt rose to his feet and reached back with a one-finger salute for his attackers.

With all the coverage of Mr. Woodruff's IED injuries, I think it would be a much more interesting story to follow Gunnery Sgt. Michael Burghardt's treatment and recovery. SInce he is part of the real story, not just covering it and getting caught up in it. I am sorry if this sounds cold, but I am tired of the coverage of this reporters non-story and would like to see the press follow a real story, one of the troops that are injured, medivaced and treated, through the recovery and finally the return home. That would be a real story.