The Army Times writes of missing soldier Sgt. Alex Jimenez and his new promotion given under a policy issuing MIA servicemembers promotions. Family members receive salaries and benefits accorded the missing soldier. The event is a good reminder that there are still four U.S. soldiers who've gone missing while serving in Iraq.

Sgt. Jimenez and Pfc. Byron Fouty went missing in an ambush on May 12, 2007 in Al Taqa, Iraq (bodies of the other soldiers mentioned in this press release were eventually found). A local Massachusetts paper has this audio slideshow featuring Jimenez's mother thanking her community for its support.

CNN provides a good online graphic of where things stand with the missing. Perhaps the most familiar name on the list is that of Sgt. Keith Maupin, who disappeared April 9, 2004 after his convoy came under attack. A Website kept by his parents has a running clock listing Maupin's time in captivity. After Maupin's disappearance Al Jazeera broadcast a videotape claiming to show his death by a gun shot, but U.S. authorities could not confirm it was indeed Maupin--and therefore he is still listed as missing.

In October 2006 Specialist Ahmed Altaie was kidnapped in Baghdad as he made an unauthorized visit to his wife, an Iraqi college student. Later Altaie's mother-in-law provided this account of the events:

According to [his mother-in-law] Nasser, the abduction of Altaie was preceded by an incident on the same day when a neighbor she identified as Abu Rami put a gun to the soldier's head as he was making his way on a motorbike to the nearby home of Nasser's brother, where his wife was visiting.

Abu Rami later said he was suspicious of Altaie because he had not seen him before in the neighborhood.

"Ahmed was frightened and his wife was crying," Nasser said. "Fifteen minutes later, a car came and stopped outside my brother's house and four armed men jumped out. They wore black pants, black shirts and white masks. They dragged Ahmed out and slapped handcuffs on him before they bundled him into the back seat of the car.

"My daughters struggled with the kidnappers. One of them broke her hand and another had her hand cut in the struggle. They were begging the gunmen not to take him," Nasser said.

As all the families of these soldiers continue to wait for news of their loved ones, here's one example from the Newbury Port News of how they're coping.  The fathers of Jimenez and Fouty came together last November to remember their sons, and find strength in each other:

The fathers of the two missing soldiers talked about their sons growing up and shared pictures and other memorabilia. Fouty also showed Jimenez e-mails his son would send talking about Alex, and several photographs Byron Fouty had on his computer with Alex.

Jimenez was happy to find out the soldiers who were captured together were friends.

"In the situation they're in, it makes me feel better knowing that they are friends because they are looking out for each other," he said.

"I hated myself, everyone and God," Fouty said. "Now the hate is gone, and it's because of you guys and the people here. I'll never forget any of you, ever."