This one hits close to home.

A U.S. Army staff sergeant was charged with murder in connection with last week's shooting deaths of two Army officers at a base outside Baghdad, the military said Thursday.

AP covers the sad story of another murder allegation against a US serviceman. This time, though, the sergeant in question stands accused of killing his own. This hits home because of the victims:

The officers killed were Capt. Phillip T. Esposito, 30, of Suffern, N.Y., and 1st Lt. Louis E. Allen, 34, of Milford, Pa. Esposito was company commander and Allen served as a company operations officer.

Captain Phillip T. Esposito is the second serviceman from Rockland County to die in the line of duty in Iraq. He was a graduate of Rockland's only Catholic high school, Albertus Magnus. The local paper covered the story of the initial investigation into his death as a possible crime here.

It's tragic enough when The US loses brave men and women in Iraq. But when it happens under these circumstances, it's truly nonsensical as well.

A scholarship fund for Captain Esposito's daughter has been set up. Get the details here.