Friday, June 01, 2007 4:44 PM - INCOMING - MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Corps - Iraq soldier in a small arms fire attack on Friday, June 1st. The place of the attack is given as "Zawiyah". Unfortunately, towns and villages with this or similar names occur in Ninawa, Diyala, Wasit and Al Anbar Provinces, so it is not possible with the information given to pinpoint the location.
| Friday, June 01, 2007 4:44 PM - INCOMING - |
Juan Campos, 27, of McAllen, Texas
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The McAllen (Texas) Monitor is reporting the death of a McAllen native. Army Staff Sergeant Juan Campos, 27, was severly injured in a roadside bomb blast near Baghdad on May 13th. On May 16th he arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, with burns over 80% of his body, plus kidney damage. He needed a respirator to breathe. Campos finally succumbed to his injuries on Friday, June 1st, according to his family. He had just been home on leave in late April ... and was wounded two weeks after returning to Iraq. He was married and has an 8-year-old son. |
| Sunday, June 03, 2007 4:46 AM - 4 INCOMING - |
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(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Task Force Marne soldier in a small arms fire attack south of Baghdad on Saturday, June 2nd. |
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(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in an improvised explosive device attack in a western neighborhood of Baghdad on Saturday, June 2nd. Two other soldiers were injured in the blast. |
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(3) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Task Force Lightning soldier in a roadside bomb attack in Diyala Province on Saturday, June 2nd. Four other soldiers were wounded in the incident. |
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(4) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of another Task Force Lightning soldier from wounds he received in what was apparently a second roadside bombing in Diyala Province on Saturday, June 2nd. Two other soldier were wounded in that blast. |
| Sunday, June 03, 2007 6:15 AM - 3 INCOMING - |
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(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of two Task Force Lightning soldiers when an improvised explosive device detonated somewhere in Ninawa Province on Saturday, June 2nd.
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(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Task Force Marne soldier southwest of Baghdad on Saturday, June 2nd. His dismounted patrol had apparently attempted to question two suspicious looking people. As they approached the two, one of the men detonated explosives on his person, killing himself and the soldier.
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| Sunday, June 03, 2007 7:01 AM - UPDATE - |
Bruce Horner, 43, of Loraine, Ohio
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The Lorain (Ohio) Morning Journal is reporting the death in Iraq of a soldier who grew up in that town: Army Sergeant Bruce Horner, 43. According to Horner's father, Horner was a member of the 127th Military Police Company (which would likely have ut him under the authority of Multi-National Corps - Iraq) stationed out of Iskandariyah in Babil Province, south of Baghdad. He had recently been called on to help search for two missing soldiers, captured on May 12th, and was on a foot patrol in unknown territory when he was apparently shot by a sniper. These details match quite well with the death (described in this CENTCOM release) that happened on Friday, June 1st, in the vicinity of "Zawiyah". We have, however, been unable to locate a town or village of this name in Babil Province where the search is primarily occurring. After high school, Horner became an emergency medical technician in Lorain. Eventually, it was that training that led him to enlist in the army ... an enlistment that had nearly reached 18 years in duration. But his father stated that his son was ready to give it up. "He said it was just so bad over there and it was driving his family life apart." Horner had been working with the Iraqi police at Iskandariyah in daily training sessions and providing emergency medical care where needed. |
Sunday, June 03, 2007 12:27 PM - INCOMING - MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier, presumably in the Baghdad area, when an improvised explosive device detonated on Sunday, June 3rd.
| Sunday, June 03, 2007 2:3327 PM - 6 INCOMINGS - |
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(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of four Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers when a roadside bomb detonated northeast of Baghdad on Sunday, June 3rd. |
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(2) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of another Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a western part of Baghdad on Saturday, June 2nd, in what would appear to be a separate IED attack from the one reported earlier this morning in the same area. Eight soldiers were wounded in this incident, six of whom have been returned to duty. |
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(3) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a roadside bomb blast in an eastern part of Baghdad on Sunday, June 3rd. Two other soldiers were injured in the attack. |
| Monday, June 04, 2007 7:30 AM - UPDATE - |
Keith Nepsa, 21, of New Philadelphia, Ohio
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The New Philadelphia (Ohio) Times-Reporter has announced the death of a local man in Iraq. According to his family, Private Keith Nepsa, 21, of New Philadelphia, was killed in a roadside bombing on Saturday, June 2nd. Although they did not state where he died, they reported that his last posting was to Fort Bliss, Texas. Very few units from Fort Bliss are in Iraq currently, but one is the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment (1st Cavalry Division) which has been in Iraq since at least October of 2006, as was Nepsa. This unit is currently thought to be operating in the Ghazaliya neighborhood of western Baghdad. As it happens, CENTCOM reported two separate IED deaths in this area on June 2nd. Nepsa could be either one. Nepsa enlisted in the army after graduating from high school in 2003, hoping to get an education in computers. At that point, his mother said he could take a computer apart and put it back together again with ease. This was his second deployment to Iraq. He is survived by his parents, a sister and a brother.
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| Monday, June 04, 2007 8:16 AM - UPDATE - |
Jared Crouch, 21, of Zachary, Louisiana
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The Baton Rouge (Louisiana) Advocate is reporting the death of a soldier from Zachary, Louisiana, in Iraq on Saturday, June 2nd. Jared Crouch, 21, had been in Iraq for a little over a month when a roadside bomb detonated near his patrol. He was a cavalry scout assigned to the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division out of Fort Lewis, WA. The cavalry unit assigned to this brigade is the 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, which is newly arrived in Iraq and which has been assigned to the area around Khan Bani Sa'ad (between Baghdad and Ba'qubah) in Diyala Province (see photos at this website). CENTCOM has indeed reported two IED death in two separate incidents in Diyala Province on June 2nd. Crouch could be from either one. Like so many young men, Crouch enlisted right out of high school in 2004. When his four year tour was up, he planned to transfer to the National Guard and study history with an eye toward government service. As it happens, Crouch's younger brother, a reservist, is also stationed in Iraq ... and will try to accompany his brother's body home.
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Monday, June 04, 2007 11:52 AM - UPDATE - The DoD has confirmed the death of Specialist William Jared Crouch, 21, of Zachary, Louisiana, in a roadside bombing on Saturday, June 2nd. He was killed in the vicinity of "Al Hadid" which is either near Ba'qubah to the west, or actually a western neighborhood of Ba'qubah in Diyala Province. His unit, the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Cavalry Regiment (4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division) has been based just a little south of there in Khan Bani Sa'ad.
| Monday, June 04, 2007 1:58 PM - UPDATES & INCOMING - |
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(1) The DoD has confirmed the death of Sergeant Bruce E. Horner, 43, from a small arms fire attack on Friday, June 1st. His place of death is given as "Baghdad" (CENTCOM reported it as "Zawiyah"). The DoD gives his hometown as Newport News, Virginia. But according to media articles, he was actually raised and lived in Lorain, Ohio ... then spent the next 18 years living at various bases in the military. |
Travis W. Atkins, 31, of Bozeman, Montana
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(2) The DoD appears to be announcing a new death, one not previously reported by CENTCOM. Army Staff Sergeant Travis W. Atkins, 31, of Bozeman, Montana, was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in the vicinity of Al Yusufiyah south of Baghdad on Friday, June 1st. A Montana government website has apparently been posting military bios and pictures of Montana servicemen who have been deployed to Iraq. Atkins was one of those postings. |
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(3) The DoD has identified one of the two soldiers who died in western Baghdad in separate improvised explosive device attacks on Saturday, June 2nd: Specialist Romel Catalan, 21, of Los Angeles, California. According to the DoD he died in "Ameriyah" which is a neighborhood in west/southwest Baghdad. His unit, the 1st Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment (a Stryker Brigade unit of the 2nd Infantry Division) has operated in western Baghdad in the past. [Note that Specialist Chadrick Domino, who died on May 31st, was from the same unit.] |
Tuesday, June 05, 2007 2:07 PM - INCOMING - MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a small arms fire attack in a southern part of Baghdad on Tuesday, June 5th.
| Wednesday, June 06, 2007 4:12 AM - UPDATES & INCOMING - |
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(1) The DoD has identified the two Task Force Lightning soldiers who died in Ninawa Province (near Qayyarah, about 65 km south of Mosul) when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle on Saturday, June 2nd: |
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Specialist Jeremiah David Costello, 22, of Carlinville, Illinois |
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Specialist Keith V. Nepsa, 21, of New Philadelphia, Ohio |
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Both men were based at Fort Bliss, TX, with the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment. We had heard of Nepsa's death earlier via media reports and had thought that he was one of the western Baghdad IED deaths on the 2nd, but obviously not. He has now been moved to his correct spot on the spreadsheet. The Springfield (Illinois) State Journal-Register reports in an article that Costello was called "Jeremy" by his friends and family, and was raised in the southwest Illinois community of Carlinville. A teacher at Greenfield High School recalls him as always smiling ... and always having his hair dyed either green or blue. Eventually his brightly colored hair disappeared, and Costello enlisted in the army. He is survived by his mother and a four-year-old daughter on whom he doted. His father pre-deceased him in 1999. |
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(2) The DoD has also identified two more deaths, both from a roadside bomb that exploded in Baghdad on June 2nd: |
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Sergeant Shawn E. Dressler, 22, of Santa Maria, California |
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Private 1st Class Joshua D. Brown, 26, of Tampa, Florida |
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Dressler died on the 2nd; Brown died from his wounds the following day, June 3rd, and so is likely a new death, not previously announced by CENTCOM. Both men were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment (1st Infantry Division), and were thought to be operating in a southwestern part of Baghdad. Dressler could very well be one of the IED deaths in "western Baghdad" on the 2nd. |
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According to an article in the Lompoc (California) Record, Dressler attended Santa Maria High School from 1998 to 2002 where he was active in Future Farmers of America, taking basic through advanced agricultural mechanics classes. He apparently enlisted in the army right after graduation and returned to the school for a visit two years ago, at which point he had already served one tour of duty in Iraq. Dressler reportedly married within the past year. |
| Wednesday, June 06, 2007 11:17 AM - 2 INCOMING - |
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(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multinational Division-North Soldier from wounds sustained from enemy gunfire in Diyala Province on Tuesday, June 5th. |
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(2) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Task Force Lightning Soldier, killed as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion while conducting operations in Diyala Province, June 6. |
| Wednesday, June 06, 2007 2:37 AM - 4 INCOMING - |
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(1) The DoD has identified two new U.S. Air Force deaths, not previously reported by CENTCOM. Both airmen were Special Agents to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations who died in the vicinity of Kirkuk in northern Iraq when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle on Tuesday, June 5th: |
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Technical Sergeant Ryan A. Balmer, 33, of Mishawaka, Indiana |
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Staff Sergeant Matthew J. Kuglics, 25, of North Canton, Ohio |
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According to an Associated Press report, Balmer was based at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. He is survived by a wife and three children. The article went on to say that Kuglics was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. The Akron (Ohio) Beacon is carrying a brief article on Kuglics, stating that he graduated from high School in 2000. |
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(2) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a 13th Sustainment Command soldier in a roadside bomb attack in the vicinity of Bayji on Wednesday, June 6th. |
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(3) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a roadside bomb attack in an eastern neighborhood of Baghdad on Wednesday, June 6th. One other soldier was wounded in the blast. |
| Thursday, June 07, 2007 4:51 AM - UPDATES - |
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(1) On June 4th, the DoD identified a soldier, Staff Sergeant Travis W. Atkins, as having died in Yusufiyah southwest of Baghdad "when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit" on Friday, June 1st. At the time, Atkins was placed in our database as a new death as CENTCOM had not previously reported such a death for June 1st. Since then, however, Fort Drum has issued a press release which describes Atkins' death in much more detail. They state that he was "killed near Yusufiyah, Iraq June 1 when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device as he was being apprehended". This sounds exactly like the circumstances for the death, supposedly on June 2nd, described in this CENTCOM release ... a Task Force Marne soldier who approached two suspicious looking men for questioning when one of them detonated explosives, killing himself and the soldier. We believe now that CENTCOM was likely in error on the date of the incident and that their release was actually meant to cover Atkins' death on the 1st. The "extra" database entry on the 2nd has now been deleted, reducing our death count by one. |
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(2) The DoD has identified the four Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers who died in a roadside bomb blast northwest of Baghdad on Sunday, June 3rd: |
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Staff Sergeant Greg P. Gagarin, 38, Los Angeles, California |
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Sergeant James C. Akin, 23, of Albuquerque, New Mexico |
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Sergeant Tyler J. Kritz, 21, of Eagle River, Wisconsin |
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Sergeant Robert A. Surber, 24, of Inverness, Florida |
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According to an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Gagarin had been in the Army for 19 years and had previously served in South Korea. He had also been deployed to Iraq previously from 2003 to 2004. |
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An article that appeared in the Albuquerque (New Mexico) Tribune, and also an Associated Press piece, describe Akin as vitally interested in politics, working on a state senate campaign in 2004. He felt that his military experience would be an asset in his own future runs for elective office. Graduating from high school in 2002, he enlisted in the army in 2004 after selling a retail cell phone business he had been operating. Akin had been deployed to Iraq since last summer and was scheduled for leave later this month. He is survived by his wife and father. |
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The Rhinelander (Wisconsin) Daily News writes that Kritz was a lover of music and adventure who enlisted in the Army right out of high school in 2003. An Associated Press article adds that he had already been deployed once to Iraq, and had been in-country since last June on his current tour there. |
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An article published by the St. Petersburg (Florida) Times reports that Surber had held odd jobs after high school graduation, but enlisted in the Army one week after September 11, 2001. Like the other three men who died with him, his present tour of duy would have been over in May had his unit not been extended for four months. Surber was able to spend time home on leave in April. |
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(3) The DoD has identified the MND-B soldier who died in a roadside bomb attack in east Baghdad on Sunday, June 3rd: Sergeant Caleb P. Christopher, 25, of Chandler, Arizona. His unit, the 1st Battalion of the 8th Cavalry Regiment (1st Cavalry Division) had been operating in the eastern Baghdad neighborhood of New Baghdad. |
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(4) The DoD has identified the Multi-National Division - North soldier who died in Ba'qubah in Diyala Province in a small arms fire attack on Tuesday, June 5th: Sergeant Andrews J. Higgins, 28, of Hayward, California. San Francisco station KPIX is reporting that Higgins actually took his Army basic training while still in high school and spent two years in the Army Reserves after graduating. He participated in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, and was on his second deployment to Iraq. As his father said, however, "He was more and more disappointed with what was happening to the troops over there. He had made up his mind that he was not going to re-enlist when his enlistment was up in 2009." |
Thursday, June 07, 2007 5:19 AM - INCOMING - The British Ministry of Defense has announced the death of one of their soldiers in Iraq on Thursday, June 7th. The soldier was on patrol in the Al Atiyah district to the northwest of Basra when he was hit by small arms fire. He was airlifted quickly to the medical facility at Basra Air Station, but died there shortly after arrival.
Thursday, June 07, 2007 9:34 AM - INCOMING - MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in an IED attack in a southwestern neighborhood of Baghdad on Wednesday, June 6th. Two other soldiers were wounded in the incident.
Thursday, June 07, 2007 7:28 PM - UPDATE - The DoD has now confirmed the death of Army Staff Sergeant Juan F. Campos, 27, of McAllen, Texas, on Friday, June 1st. Campos was burned over 80% of his body when his vehicle was attacked by insurgents using improvised explosive devices and rocket propelled grenades in Baghdad on May 14th. He was transported to the Army's burn center in San Antonio, Texas, the Brooke Army Medical Center. In a brief interview with Campos's brother, Toledo (Ohio) station WTVG reported that the soldier was in unbearable pain before he died. Weslaco (Texas) station KRGV is announcing that the funeral will take place on Friday, June 8th.
| Friday, June 08, 2007 1:27 PM - UPDATES - |
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(1) The DoD has identified the Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier who died in an improvised explosive device and small arms fire attack in eastern Baghdad on Wednesday, June 6th: Private 1st Class Shawn D. Gajdos, 25, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. His unit, the 2nd Battalion of the 16th Infantry Regiment (1st Infantry Div.), was based in far eastern Baghdad in Fedaliyah district. The Grand Rapids (Michigan) Press is reporting in an article that Gajdos graduated from high school in 2000, but had only enlisted in the army about 18 months ago. He was home on leave over Christmas ... then shipped out for his first Iraq deployment last February. According to his friends, he was an avid biker, swimmer and mountain climber, plus enjoyed puzzles and role-playing games. But above all, he was a caring soul who simply wanted to help others less fortunate than himself. |
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(2) The DoD has identified the Task Force Lightning soldier who died in As Sadah, a suburb to the northeast of Ba'qubah, in Diyala Province, from wounds he received when an improvised explosive device detonated on Wednesday, June 6th: Staff Sergeant Timothy B. Cole Jr., 28, of Missouri City, Texas. According to an article in the Raleigh/Durham (North Carolina) News & Observer, Cole had a long background in the military, having begun his career with the Marine Corps from October 1998 to March 2001. He enlisted in the Army in October 2001. His commander described him as "a tough man, a combat-proven leader". He is survived by his wife, three daughters and one son. |
| Friday, June 08, 2007 2:11 PM - UPDATES - |
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(1) The British Ministry of Defense has identified the soldier from the 4th Battalion, The Rifles, who was killed by small arms fire in Basra on Thursday, June 7th: Corporal Rodney Wilson, 30. Wilson was born in Rinteln, Germany. One of his commanding officers described him as a "maverick". "He loved to challenge convention and upset apple carts - he was argumentative, challenging, thoughtful, highly intelligent and, more often than not, right. But in spite of this wilful streak to his character he sailed through life, effortlessly making friends and gaining admirers along the way ... he could charm the birds out of the trees." Wilson served as a Section Commander for his unit. He was engaged to be married.
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Justin A. Verdeja, 20, of La Puente, California
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(2) The DoD has identified the Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier who died in a small arms fire attack in a southern neighborhood of Baghdad on Tuesday, June 5th: Private 1st Class Justin A. Verdeja, 20, of La Puente, California. |
| Friday, June 08, 2007 6:40 PM - UPDATES - |
Kimel L. Watt, 21, of Brooklyn, New York
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(1) The DoD has identified a soldier who died in a roadside bomb attack in Baghdad on Sunday, June 3rd: Sergeant Kimel L. Watt, 21, of Brooklyn, New York. The Albany (New York) Times Union reports that Watt was actually born in Manchester, Jamaica, but immigrated to New York with his family when he was three years old. New York, however, was where he considered "home" to be. He enlisted in the army after graduating from Automotive High School in Brooklyn, hoping to continue his education in computers. After assignments in Korea and Germany, he was deployed to Camp Liberty in Baghdad last January. His sister described him as "sweet, loving, energetic and very, very quiet."
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Matthew Soper, 25, of Kalamazoo, Michigan
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(2) The DoD has identified the 13th Sustainment Command soldier who died in an IED attack near Bayji in Salah ad Din Province on Wednesday, June 6th: Michigan Army National Guardsman Sergeant Matthew Soper, 25, of Kalamazoo, Michigan. An Associated Press article states that Soper was a high school dropout, but later earned a high school equivalency degree and enlisted in the Guard, turning his life around in the process. He had already been called up once to serve in Iraq, returning in February 2005. Soper then attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College, taking classes until he was called up a second time in June of 2006. He was to have returned home this August. |
Saturday, June 09, 2007 8:45 AM - INCOMING - MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Task Force Lightning soldier in a small arms fire attack in Diyala Province on Saturday, June 9th.
| Saturday, June 09, 2007 1:29 PM - INCOMING - |
William N. Newman, 23, of Kingston Springs, Tennessee
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The DoD has announced a new death, one not previously reported by CENTCOM. Air Force Senior Airman William N. Newman, 23, of Kingston Springs, Tennessee, was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated south of Balad on Thursday, June 7th. Newman was part of an explosive ordnance disposal team assigned to the 15th Civil Engineer Squadron out of Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. |
Saturday, June 09, 2007 2:23 PM - UPDATE - The DoD has released the identity of the soldier who died in an IED attack in southwest Baghdad on Wednesday, June 6th: Sergeant 1st Class Greg Lamont Sutton, 38, of Spring Lake, North Carolina. Greenville (North Carolina) station WNCT is reporting that a funeral home in Farmville, Oklahoma, is handling funeral arrangements for Sutton as he has a sister and extended family in that area. His sister was quoted as saying, "He loved the army, he was a soldier for life." Indeed, he had been in the military for nearly 15 years and was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, having deployed early this year. Although the DoD states that he was assigned to Fort Riley, KS, the media are saying that he was assigned to Fort Sill, OK, and had lived in Oklahoma for the last three years. He leaves behind a wife and two children.
Sunday, June 10, 2007 9:02 AM - INCOMING - The Associated Press is reporting the death of a U.S. airman in a roadside bombing in southern Iraq on Sunday, June 10th. One other airman was wounded in the attack.
| Sunday, June 10, 2007 12:18 PM - 2 INCOMING - |
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(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - North soldier in a small arms fire attack in Diyala Province on Saturday, June 9th. In addition, one soldier was wounded in the incident. |
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(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in combat in a southern neighborhood of Baghdad on Sunday, June 10th. One soldier was wounded in the same attack. |
Monday, June 11, 2007 3:50 AM - 3 INCOMING - MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of three U.S. soldiers and the wounding of six when a suicide car bomber detonated his load of explosives at the base of a support pillar under the overpass upon which their checkpoint was located. The attack happened about 6 miles east of Mahmudiyah in Babil Province on Sunday, June 10th. The Associated Press is carrying details of the attack and subsequent rescue of soldiers from the rubble of the collapsed overpass here.
| Monday, June 11, 2007 10:22 AM - UPDATE & 1 INCOMING - |
Eric M. Barnes, 20, of Lorain, Ohio
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(1) The DoD has identified the U.S. Air Force member who died in an improvised explosive device attack about 100 miles south of Baghdad (province not reported): Airman 1st Class Eric M. Barnes, 20, of Lorain, Ohio. Although media reports led us to believe that Barnes died on the 10th, the DoD has stated that his death was actually on Saturday, June 9th. The Lorain (Ohio) Morning Journal has an article posted, describing the six-foot 6-inch tall Barnes as an enthusiastic baseball player in high school, an avid bowler, and an Eagle Scout who enjoyed camping and the outdoors. He had graduated from high school in 2004, enlisting in the Air Force shortly afterward. This was his second tour of duty in Iraq, a tour he volunteered for. Barnes was serving in a transportation unit ... and was riding in the lead truck of a convoy at night when the IED detonated. |
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(2) CENTCOM is reporting the death of a U.S. airman assigned to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing on Monday, June 11th. The only location given for the death was "Southwest Asia". CENTCOM did not indicate whether the death was hostile or non-hostile, providing no further details except to say that the death was under investigation. |
| Monday, June 11, 2007 6:31 PM - UPDATES - |
Dariek E. Dehn, 32, of Spangle, Washington
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(1) The DoD has finally identified the Task Force Lightning soldier who died in a roadside bomb attack in Diyala Province on June 2nd: Sergeant Dariek E. Dehn, 32, of Spangle, Washington. His unit, the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment (1st Cavalry Division), has been based out of Muqdadiyah in Diyala Province. |
Cory M. Endlich, 23, of Massillon, Ohio
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(2) The DoD has identified one of the two soldiers who died in separate small arms fire attacks in Diyala Province on Saturday, June 9th: Sergeant Cory M. Endlich, 23, of Massillon, Ohio. His unit, the 2nd Squadron of the 1st Cavalry Regiment (2nd Infantry Division), has been known to be operating in Khan Bani Saad to the northeast of Taji in Diyala Province. The Seattle (Washington) station KOMO-TV is carrying a brief article that says that Endlich performed with a swing band and also ran cross country in high school in Massillon. He had only been in Iraq since April 9th of this year. |
Scott A. Miller, 20, of Casper, Wyoming
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(3) The DoD has also identified the second small arms fire death in Diyala Province on Saturday, June 9th: Private Scott A. Miller, 20, of Casper, Wyoming. He, like Endlich, had been based out of Fort Lewis, Washington. He died in Ba'qubah. |
Brian M. Long, 32, of Burns, Wyoming
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(4) The DoD has, we believe, identified the MND-B soldier who died in combat in a southern part of Baghdad on Sunday, June 10th: Staff Sergeant Brian M. Long, 32, of Burns, Wyoming. According to the DoD, he died from wounds received from "explosive ordnance". His 2nd Infantry Division unit, based at Fort Lewis, WA, was a Quick Reaction Force operating in Baghdad. The Cheyenne (Wyoming) Tribune-Eagle has published a brief blurb, stating that he died "when a roadside explosive device detonated". Long was on his second year-long deployment to Iraq. He was scheduled to be home at the beginning of June, but had his stay extended for about a month. |
| Wednesday, June 13, 2007 4:16 AM - UPDATES - |
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The DoD has released the identities of three soldiers who died "from an improvised explosive device" on Sunday, June 10th, "in Karbala": |
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Corporal Llythaniele Fender, 21, of Medical Lake, Washington |
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Corporal Meresebang Ngiraked, 21, of Koror, Republic of Palau |
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Specialist Adam G. Herold, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska |
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We believe these men were likely killed in the suicide car bombing "near Mahmudiyah" that dropped a bridge out from under their checkpoint as described in this CENTCOM release. The aftermath of the event was witnessed by an AP reporter within 2 minutes of its happening. His report states that it happened 6 miles east of Mahmudiyah. We have no idea why the DoD is now saying that the incident occurred at Karbala, a city some 40 miles to the southwest of Mahmudyah. |
| Wednesday, June 13, 2007 5:22 AM - 3 INCOMING - |
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(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a roadside bombing in an eastern part of Baghdad on Monday, June 11th. |
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(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a roadside bombing in a southern part of Baghdad on Tuesday, June 12th. |
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(3) Lastly, MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Marine from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Tuesday, June 12th. |
| Wednesday, June 13, 2007 5:12 PM - UPDATES - |
Cameron K. Payne, 22, of Corona, California
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(1) The DoD has identified the soldier who was wounded in an improvised explosive device attack in eastern Baghdad on Monday, June 11th, and who then subsequently died later that day in a medical facility at Balad in Salah ad Din Province: Private 1st Class Cameron K. Payne, 22, of Corona, California. |
William C. Johnson, 22, of Oxford, North Carolina
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(2) The DoD has also identified the soldier who died in an improvised explosive device attack in southern Baghdad on Tuesday, June 12th: Private William C. Johnson, 22, of Oxford, North Carolina. His unit, the 1st Squadron of the 4th Cavalry Regiment (1st Infantry Division) had been operating in the southern Baghdad neighborhood of Dora. |
| Friday, June 15, 2007 4:14 AM - UPDATES & 2 INCOMING - |
Glade L. Felix, 52, of Lake Park, Georgia
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(1) The DoD has identified the Air Force serviceperson who died "in Southwest Asia" on June 11th: Lieutenant Colonel Glade L. Felix, 52, of Lake Park, Georgia. The DoD gives his place of death as Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, but gives no further details. However, an article in the Air Force Times calls it a non-hostile death and quotes Felix's son, Army Captain Chris Felix, as saying that he is thought to have died of "natural causes". The elder Felix was a physical therapist ... and an Air Force reservist ... on deployment to Qatar. The younger Felix is currently preparing for his own second deployment to Iraq. |
Johnny Ray Strong, 21, of Waco, Texas
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(2) The DoD has also identified the Marine who died from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Tuesday, June 12th: Lance Corporal Johnny Ray Strong, 21, of Waco, Texas. The Houston (Texas) Chronicle is reporting that Strong had always wanted to be a Marine ... and enlisted right out of high school in 2004 after having been involved in Little Marines and Junior ROTC. He returned from his first deployment to Iraq last fall, spending Christmas with his family in Waco. Strong was then shipped out for his second deployment in late January of this year. According to his family, he enjoyed camping, listening to symphonic music and playing the organ. He was his parents' only child. |
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(3) CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Task Force Lightning soldier in a small arms fire attack in Diyala Province on Thursday, June 14th. |
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(4) The DoD would appear to be identifying a new death, not previously reported by CENTCOM. Specialist Damon G. LeGrand, 27, of Lakeside, California, apparently died on Tuesday, June 12th, in Ba'qubah in Diyala Province, after being severely wounded when his unit was attacked. Legrand was assigned to the 571st Military Police Company based out of Fort Lewis, WA. The DoD states that the attack happened in Baghdad. But media reports appear to conflict with this. An article from Idaho Falls station KIFI (in which his parents are quoted) and also one from the News Tribune of Tacoma (Washington) state that the ambush happened in Diyala Province. Officials at Fort Lewis said that two anti-tank mines exploded under LeGrand's Humvee, then insurgents opened up from both sides with small arms and RPG fire. Indeed, the last death from the 571st MP Company occurred in Muqdadiyah in Diyala Province. Idaho Falls station KIFI reports that LeGrand was raised in the San Diego area, but that his parents moved to Idaho Falls a few years ago. His wife and two young daughters were staying with his parents while he was in Iraq. |
| Friday, June 15, 2007 4:36 AM - 4 INCOMING - |
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(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of three Task Force Lightning soldiers from "an explosion" in the vicinity of the northern city of Kirkuk on Thursday, June 14th. |
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(2) The Associated Press is reporting that a U.S. soldier died somewhere in Iraq on Wednesday, June 13th, in a non-combat related incident. U.S. military sources said that the incident is under investigation. |
Friday, June 15, 2007 12:57 PM - 1 INCOMING - The Associated Press is reporting that a U.S. Air Force F-16 has crashed in Iraq on Friday, June 15th. It's pilot, the sole crewmember, is presumed dead. The craft was assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing currently stationed at Balad Air Base. The actual Air Force announcement of the crash referred to it as an "accident".
Friday, June 15, 2007 2:59 PM - UPDATE - The Toledo (Ohio) Blade is reporting that the pilot of the F-16 that crashed early in the morning 35 miles north of Baghdad on Friday, June 15th, is unaccounted for. He is a member of the 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard based out of Toledo Express Airport. 330 members of that wing were sent to Iraq last month for a 45 day deployment.
| Friday, June 15, 2007 5:13 PM - UPDATE - |
Casey S. Carriker, 20, of Hoquiam, Washington
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(1) The DoD has identified the Task Force Lightning soldier who died from a non-hostile, unspecified cause on Wednesday, June 13th: Private 1st Class Casey S. Carriker, 20, of Hoquiam, Washington. He reportedly died in Kirkuk in northern Iraq. |
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(2) The DoD has also identified the Task Force Lightning soldier who was severely wounded in a small arms fire attack in the vicinity of Muqdadiyah in Diyala Province on Thursday, June 14th ... and who died later that day in a medical facility in Balad: Specialist Josiah W. Hollopeter, 27, of San Diego, California. |
| Saturday, June 16, 2007 5:44 AM - UPDATE - |
Kevin Sonnenberg, 42, of McClure, Ohio
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The Toledo (Ohio) Blade has identified the pilot who died in the crash of an F-16 fighter jet in Iraq on Friday, June 15th: Ohio Air National Guardsman Kevin Sonnenberg who lived north of McClure, Ohio, in Henry County. Sonnenberg's family was too distraught to talk to reporters yesterday, but various people who knew him described him as likeable ... and the kind of person who'd do anything for anybody. He was apparently a pilot for Delta Airlines in civilian life ... and as a Captain in 1997, he spent time enforcing the no-fly zone over northern Iraq. The Associated Press is reporting further details of the crash in a separate article. The jet went down about 5 miles north of Balad Air Base within minutes of take-off. The crash does not appear to be from hostile fire at this point. |
| Saturday, June 16, 2007 5:44 AM - UPDATE & 1 INCOMING - |
Val John Borm, 21, of Sidney, Nebraska
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(1) The Honolulu (Hawaii) Star-Bulletin is reporting the death of infantryman Val John Borm, 21, of Sidney, Nebraska, in Iraq. According to his father, he died in Kirkuk in northern Iraq when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle. His unit, the 2nd Battalion of the 35th Infantry Regiment (25th Infantry Division out of Schofield Barracks, HI) was based in the Kirkuk area. This would likely make him one of the three deaths from an IED attack in the vicinity of Kirkuk on Thursday, June 14th, as described in this CENTCOM release. Borm graduated from high school in 2005, but didn't enlist in the army until last year. He enjoyed computer games and was an avid paint ball competitor. |
Richard K. Parker, 26, of Avon and Phillips in Maine
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(2) The Kennebec (Maine) Journal is reporting the death of a Maine Army National Guardsman in Iraq: Sergeant Richard K. Parker, 26, of Avon and Phillips in Maine. He died on Wednesday, June 13th, according to a statement issued by the office of Maine's governor, John Baldacci. We have no CENTCOM report of a death that matches this one, so we are considering him to be a new death. Parker had already served one tour of duty in Iraq, but volunteered for a second "to be with his buddies". He was originally from Avon, Maine ... in fact, his family still lives there. He graduated from high school in 1999. According to the Kennebec Journal article, Parker was looking forward to coming home to see his girlfriend, who gave birth to his son this past January ... a son he'd never seen. |
Saturday, June 16, 2007 5:44 AM - 1 INCOMING - The BBC is reporting the death of a British soldier in Iraq when his Warrior armoured vehicle rolled off of a bridge and fell into the water below. Two other soldiers were injured in the incident which happened in the As Sarraji District near Basra City. The Warrior was part of a supply convoy. The article does not give a date of death, so we are assuming Saturday, June 16th, for the time being until the British MOD confirms. The soldier was a member of Badger Squadron, 2 Royal Tank Regiment, The Royal Armoured Corps.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 8:43 AM - UPDATE - The British Ministry of Defense has now confirmed the death of a British soldier in a vehicle accident in Basra City on Saturday, June 16th.
| Saturday, June 16, 2007 6:27 PM - UPDATES - |
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(1) The DoD has confirmed the death of Air Force Major Kevin H. Sonnenberg, 42, of McClure, Ohio, in the crash of his F-16 fighter jet five miles north of Balad Air Base on Friday, June 15th. |
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(2) The Beatrice (Nebraska) Daily Sun has published an article on Specialist Josiah W. Hollopeter, 27, who died on Thursday, June 14th, of wounds suffered in a small arms fire attack in the vicinity of Muqdadiyah in Diyala Province. Although the DoD reported his hometown as San Diego, California, he was actually raised in Valentine, Nebraska, graduating from high school there in 1998. At some point afterwards, he had moved to San Diego to work for a tennis court resurfacing company prior to enlisting in the army. Hollopeter's younger brother Tyler is also currently stationed in Iraq, serving as an Army helicopter pilot. He will accompany his brother's body home to Nebraska. The older Hollopeter was married but had no children. |
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(3) Central Maine Newspapers has published a brief update on the death of Maine National Guardsman Sergeant Richard K. Parker on Wednesday, June 13th, in Iraq. The military has now disclosed that Parker died when his vehicle was struck by a sophisticated improvised explosive device. |
| Sunday, June 17, 2007 3:27 AM - CORRECTION & 1 INCOMING - |
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(1) On June 3rd, CENTCOM issued a press release describing a Task Force Marne death by small arms fire south of Baghdad on June 2nd. Two weeks have now gone by and the DoD has failed to issue a name for this death. We can only conclude at this point that the CENTCOM release was issued in error. As such, this death has been deleted from the database, dropping our death count by one. |
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(2) MNF- Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a roadside bombing in a southern neighborhood of Baghdad on Friday, June 15th. Three other soldiers were wounded in the attack. |
| Sunday, June 17, 2007 9:33 AM - UPDATE - |
James 'Jay' Cartwright, 21, of London, England
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The British Ministry of Defense has identified the British soldier who died when the Warrior Armored Fighting Vehicle he was driving accidentally slid off a bridge, overturning into a canal, in the vicinity of Basra City on Saturday, June 16th: Lance Corporal James 'Jay' Cartwright, 21, of London, England. Cartwright had enlisted in the British Army in August 2003 and was apparently on his first deployment to Iraq, arriving there just last month. Upon returning, he had planned to leave the army, marry his fiance, and settle in Lincolnshire with a job as a fireman. By all accounts, he was a fanatically avid footballer who actually played himself, representing his regiment in competitions. He is survived by his parents and sisters. |
| Sunday, June 17, 2007 3:43 PM - 3 INCOMING - |
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(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of two Task Force Lightning soldiers from "an explosion" near their vehicle in Baghdad Province on Saturday, June 16th. One other soldier was wounded in the incident. |
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(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Task Force Lightning soldier from "an explosion" in Kirkuk Province on Saturday, June 16th. |
| Sunday, June 17, 2007 6:40 PM - INCOMING & UPDATE - |
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(1) The DoD has announced a new death, not previously reported by CENTCOM. Army Staff Sergeant Michael A. Bechert, 24, of New Castle, Indiana, was severely wounded on May 30th in a roadside bomb attack in Baghdad. He died on Thursday, June 14th, at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.
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Michael Patrick Pittman, 34, of Davenport, Iowa
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(2) The Associated Press has identified the Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier who died in a roadside bombing in a southern neighborhood of Baghdad on Friday, June 15th: Private 1st Class Michael Patrick Pittman, 34, of Davenport, Iowa. Pittman was born in Davenport and attended high school in the nearby town of Rock Island, Illinois. He continued to live in that area until he enlisted in the army in 2005, and was recently residing at Fort Riley, KS, with his wife and their four children before deploying to Iraq in February. "He cared about everyone and loved giving to people," his wife said. "He encouraged everyone to do their best." Pittman's parents are pastors of Road to Recovery in Moline, Illinois.
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Monday, June 18, 2007 8:19 AM - 1 INCOMING - MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier when an improvised explosive device detonated near his foot patrol in a southern neighborhood of Baghdad. Unfortunately, the press release does not specify a date of death. We will place the death on Sunday, June 17th, until confirmation of the correct date can be obtained.
| Monday, June 18, 2007 12:42 PM - 1 INCOMING & UPDATE - |
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(1) The DoD has announced a new death, not previously reported by CENTCOM. Army Reservist Specialist Dustin R. Brisky, 26, of Round Rock, Texas, died in Tallil (presumably the Tallil Air Base near Nasiriyah in southern Iraq) from wounds he received in "an explosion". An article that has appeared on the website for Austin (Texas) station KEYE-TV explains that Brisky was operating a bulldozer, working to clear a hill, when the machine hit a gas line that then exploded. |
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(2) The DoD has confirmed the death of Private 1st Class Michael P. Pittman, 34, of Davenport, Iowa, who died in south Baghdad on Friday, June 15th, when insurgents detonated an IED and then attacked his unit with small arms fire. |
| Monday, June 18, 2007 3:44 PM - UPDATE - |
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The DoD has released the identities of the two Task Force Lightning soldiers who died in an explosion in Baghdad Province on Saturday, June 16th: |
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Sergeant Danny R. Soto, 24, of Houston, Texas |
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Specialist Zachary A. Grass, 34, of Beach City, Ohio |
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They were killed by a roadside bomb in the vicinity of the town of Rashidiyah just to the north of Baghdad proper, and about 8 km east-northeast of their base at Taji. |
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Nothing has appeared in the media yet on Soto. However, the New Philadelphia (Ohio) Times-Reporter has a lengthy piece out on Grass. He played both baseball and basketball in high school, graduating in 2003. Earlier this year while on leave, Grass returned to the school to visit his former teachers and coaches. His parents were too distraught at this time to be interviewed. Grass has an older brother who had served in the Air Force. |
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 4:20 AM - 1 INCOMING - CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a small arms fire attack in an eastern part of Baghdad on Monday, June 18th.
| Tuesday, June 19, 2007 2:37 PM - UPDATES - |
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(1) The DoD has identified the Task Force Lightning soldier who died on Saturday, June 16th, in a Kirkuk medical facility from wounds he received from an improvised explosive device that detonated near his dismounted patrol earlier in the week in the Rashaad Valley immediately to the south of Kirkuk: 1st Lieutenant Frank B. Walkup IV, 23, of Woodbury, Tennessee. According to a Honolulu Star-Bulletin interview with his father, Walkup was "a natural leader" who graduated from the University of Tennessee's Army ROTC program in 2005. He was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division's Schofield Barracks a little over a year ago. Walkup was the eldest of nine siblings and is also survived by his wife of nearly two years.
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(2) The DoD has also identified a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier who died in Baghdad on Monday, June 18th, of wounds he'd received the previous day in the city: Private 1st Class David A. Wilkey Jr., 22, of Elkhart, Indiana. His unit, the 1st Battalion of the 28th Infantry Regiment (1st Infantry Division) is known to be operating in the vicinity of the southern Baghdad neighborhood of Amel. We believe he is the undated death described in this CENTCOM release. The South Bend (Indiana) Tribune was able to interview Wilkey's father in Elkhart. Wilkey was actually born in Norway, Michigan, but spent his childhood with his mother in Powers, Michigan. At age 15, he moved to Elkhart, Indiana, to live with his father and stepmother, graduating from high school there in 2003. For nearly three years afterwards, he worked with his father at Plastic Components until he was laid off, at which point Wikley enlisted in the army (January, 2006). He is survived by a wife and two small children ... with one more due in October. He will be buried at Powers where he grew up. |
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 3:14 PM - 1 INCOMING - The Yuma (Arizona) Sun is reporting the passing of a Yuma soldier who was injured in Iraq over a year and a half ago: Sergeant Frank Sandoval, 27. Sandoval was riding in the lead vehicle of a convoy in November 2005 as the gunner when a roadside bomb detonated, causing a piece of shrapnel to be embedded in his right temple. The nature of the injury necessitated removing a piece of his skull. Doctors gave him little hope of recovery. But Sandoval came out of a deep coma on Christmas Eve, 2005, and began the long struggle to recuperate. He spent most of 2006 in hospitals, much of it at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Palo Alto, CA. Finally, in September of 2006, he was allowed to return home to Yuma. Recently, Sandoval had returned to Palo Alto to have a prosthetic mold inserted over the hole in his skull. Apparently, he experienced complications from the surgery and died at the hospital on Monday, June 18th. He is survived by his parents, his wife, and a five-year-old daughter. UPDATE LATE ON WED. NIGHT, 6/20: Associated Press - June 20, 2007 8:24 AM ET - YUMA, Ariz. (AP) - A Yuma soldier who was wounded two years ago during his second tour of duty in Iraq is expected to be taken off life support later this week. The Yuma Suns newspaper says reports that Sergeant Frank Sandoval had died Monday at a VA hospital in California were erroneous.
| Tuesday, June 19, 2007 4:47 PM - 2 INCOMING - |
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(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Task Force Marne soldier in a roadside bomb attack south of Baghdad on Monday, June 18th. Three other soldiers were injured in the blast.
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(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Task Force Lightning soldier in an explosion in Diyala Province on Tuesday, June 19th. Two other soldiers were injured in the attack.
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| Wednesday, June 20, 2007 6:52 PM - UPDATES & 1 INCOMING - |
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(1) The DoD is confirming the death of Maine Army National Guard Sergeant Richard K. Parker, 26, of Phillips, Maine. Earlier media reports stated that he died on June 13th. But the DoD is reporting that although he was injured in an IED blast on the 13th, he actually died in a medical facility at Camp Scania in Al Qadisiyah Province south of Baghdad on June 14th. |
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Sergeant Derek T. Roberts, 24, of Gold River, California |
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Specialist Cal J. Borm, 21, of Sidney, Nebraska |
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Specialist Farid Elazzouzi, of Paterson, New Jersey |
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(3) The British Ministry of Defense has announced the death of one of their soldiers from the 4th Battalion, The Rifles, as a result of an indirect fire attack, likely mortar rounds, on the Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Basra City on Wednesday, June 20th. |
| Wednesday, June 20, 2007 7:51 PM - UPDATES - |
Larry Parks Jr., 24, of Altoona, Pennsylvania
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(1) The DoD has identified the Task Force Marne soldier who died in a roadside bombing south of Baghdad in the vicinity of the village of Arab Juboor in the northern part of Babil Province on Monday, June 18th: Private 1st Class Larry Parks Jr., 24, of Altoona, Pennsylvania. The Carlisle (Pennsylvania) Sentinel has published an article describing Parks as a dedicated volunteer fireman who served in that capacity from the age of 16 until he enlisted in the army in 2006. He had only been in Iraq for 38 days at the time of his death. |
Eric L. Snell, 35, of Trenton, New Jersey
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(2) The DoD has also identified the Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier who died from wounds suffered in a small arms fire attack on Monday, June 18th: Sergeant Eric L. Snell, 35, of Trenton, New Jersey. The attack occurred in an eastern part of Baghdad. However, Snell died in a medical facility in Balad. According to the New Jersey Star-Ledger, Snell "had the trifecta: talent, looks and brains". He was a star outfielder in high school ... so good that the Cleveland Indians drafted him in 1989. Although eager to jump to the pros, his mother intervened and pushed him to consider college first. So Snell wound up playing baseball for Trenton State College in the early 1990's. When a career in baseball didn't pan out for him, he turned first to modeling, and then to the army. He was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. Snell leaves behind a 17-year-old son and a 4-year-old boy. |
Wednesday, June 20, 2007 8:18 PM - UPDATE - The DoD has identified the Task Force Lightning soldier who died in an improvised explosive device attack in Ba'qubah in Diyala Province on Tuesday, June 19th: Specialist Darryl Wardlaw Linder, 23, of Hickory, North Carolina. According to an article in the Hickory Daily Record, Linder had enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2001, serving a deployment in Afghanistan. When his term in the service was up, he worked briefly for his father, but then signed up to serve in the army, deploying to Iraq in January of this year. His father remembers, "He said he wanted to go to Iraq. There was nothing here as exciting." Linder leaves behind a three-year-old son.
| Thursday, June 21, 2007 9:33 AM - UPDATES - |
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(1) It has come to our attention [see this article from Tucson (Arizona) station KOLD] that the Yuma (Arizona) Sun reported the death of Sergeant Frank Sandoval on Monday, June 18th, in error. The young man remains alive on life support at his family's wishes until his organs can be successfully harvested for transplant to others urgently in need of them. He is expected to be removed from life support later this week. He has been removed from our database for now, but will be re-instated when his death is officially confirmed. |
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(2) According to a piece in the London Sun, the British soldier killed in Basra on Wednesday, June 20th, was an officer who was by himself in a fortified watchtower when it took a direct hit from a barrage of four rockets early in the morning, killing him instantly. His name is expected to be released later today. |
| Thursday, June 21, 2007 10:55 AM - 14 INCOMING - |
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(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of two Task Force Marne soldiers in a roadside bomb attack southwest of Baghdad on Wednesday, June 20th. Another four soldiers were wounded in the blast. |
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(3) CENTCOM is also reporting the deaths of four Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers in a roadside bombing in a western neighborhood of Baghdad on Wednesday, June 20th. One other soldier was injured in the attack. |
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(4) CENTCOM is reporting the deaths of five Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers in yet another roadside bombing in a northeastern part of Baghdad on Thursday, June 21st. The attack also killed three Iraqi civilians and an Iraqi interpreter. One other soldier and two Iraqi civilians were wounded. |
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(5) CENTCOM is also reporting the death of a Multi-National Corps - Iraq soldier when his vehicle was struck by a rocket propelled grenade in a northern part of Baghdad on Thursday, June 21st. Three soldiers were wounded in the attack. |
| Thursday, June 21, 2007 12:56 PM - UPDATES - |
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The DoD has released the names of two soldiers who died in a roadside bomb blast in the vicinity of a village called Muhammad al 'Ali (located on the Tigris River in Babil Province between Mahmudiyah and Salman Pak southeast of Baghdad) on Tuesday, June 19th: |
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Sergeant 1st Class William A. Zapfe, 35, of Muldraugh, Kentucky |
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Joshua S. Modgling, 22, of Las Vegas, Nevada |
Private 1st Class Joshua S. Modgling, 22, of Las Vegas, Nevada |
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According to the DoD release, they were assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 30th Infantry Regiment. However, according to the Global Security website and other sources, this unit has been stood down and redesignated the 3rd Squadron of the 1st Cavalry Regiment (3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division). The 3-1 Cavalry is currently a part of Task Force Marne and is thought to be based out of FOB Hammer at a place called Besmiya about 18.6 miles east of Baghdad. However, they are also known to be operating near Salman Pak according to this military public affairs article. As the focus of this unit is southeast of Baghdad, it would seem unlikely that they are the Task Force Marne deaths that CENTCOM described in this release as having occurred southwest of Baghdad on June 19th. However, in the interest of not inflating the death count without good reason, we will assume for the time being that that CENTCOM release was meant to cover Zapfe's and Modgling's deaths. (Incidentally, that CENTCOM release when originally issued gave the death date as June 20th. It has since been amended to June 19th.) |
Thursday, June 21, 2007 1:39 PM - UPDATE - The British Ministry of Defense has identified the soldier who died in an indirect fire attack in Basra on Wednesday, June 20th: Major Paul Harding, 48, of Winchester in Hampshire in the south of England. With his death, the British Army would seem to have a lost a truly extraordinary individual, one much loved and highly regarded in the service. Harding had served for 30 years ... and had risen from the lowest rank of Rifleman, through Regimental Sergeant Major, to his current rank of Major. His skills honed in the tough school of Northern Ireland in the 70's and 80's, he was considered the perfect candidate for Chief of Staff at the small, very isolated outpost in central Basra called the Provisional Joint Coordination Center. There he was responsible for the security, resupply and overall day-to-day operations of the place. His commanding officer told the story of how the building was nearly overrun by 200 armed insurgents on one of Harding's first days at the outpost ... and that his men fought them off for 4 hours, expending over 9,000 rounds of ammunition. On the night of his death, he had gone to a watchtower to help secure the route for a resupply convoy when the tower took a direct hit by a mortar round. He had only been in Iraq for a little less than a month. Harding leaves behind a wife and two sons.
| Friday, June 22, 2007 10:09 AM - 2 INCOMING - |
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(1) CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier "during combat operations" in a southwestern neighborhood of Baghdad on Thursday, June 21st.
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(2) Army Sergeant Frank Sandoval is now officially dead. According to a report in the San Jose (California) Mercury News, he had been admitted to the Vet's Administration Hospital in Palo Alto, CA, for surgery to install a prosthetic cover over a hole in his skull caused by a piece of shrapnel that hit him in November 2005 in Baghdad. He never awoke from the surgery and doctors declared him brain dead on Monday, June 18th. It was his family's wish that all possible organs be donated. However, Sandoval had a rare blood type, B Pos. So it took a few extra days to line up potential recipients for his organs, during which time Sandoval was kept on a ventilator. Finally, on Wednesday night, June 20th, the ventilator was removed and six major organs, including his heart, were recovered for transplantation.
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| Friday, June 22, 2007 3:20 PM - UPDATES - |
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The DoD has identified the two Marines who died from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Wednesday, June 20th: |
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Sergeant Shawn P. Martin, 30, of Delmar, New York |
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Staff Sergeant Stephen J. Wilson, 28, of Duluth, Georgia |
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They were assigned to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit out of Camp Pendleton, CA. |
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In an article about Martin, the Albany Times Union reports that he died in a roadside bombing in the vicinity of As Saqlawiyah, a town about 20 km northwest of Fallujah. Martin's father had been a firefighter for many years, so the young man knew the inside of a fire station from a very early age. When he graduated from high school in 1995, he signed on with the Elsmere, NY, volunteer firefighters and worked with them, as well as other local jobs, for five years. In 2000, he made the decision to join the Marine Corps ... and proceeded to travel the world: Italy, Hungary, Cuba and Spain. In 2002 he married his long-time sweetheart and settled with her in California. But he made time to travel back to Delmar frequently for family visits. Martin had only been in Iraq for five weeks at the time of his death. |
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Nothing has appeared in the media at this point on Wilson. |
| Friday, June 22, 2007 3:58 PM - UPDATE - |
David John Bentz III, 20, of Newfield, New Jersey
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The Bridgeton (New Jersey) News is reporting the death in Iraq of Army Private 1st Class David John Bentz III, 20, of Newfield, New Jersey, on Wednesday, June 20th. According to his uncle, Bentz died when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in Baghdad ... and that "several other soldiers" were killed when the vehicle came under fire. This would appear to be the incident in western Baghdad described in this CENTCOM release. After high school graduation, Bentz investigated several military career options in 2006, although he wanted to be a paratrooper. Unfortunately, at 5'-7" tall, he didn't meet the height requirement ... and wound up as an Army Humvee driver instead. He had only been in Iraq for six weeks at the time of his death. Bentz's father, who is gravely ill in the hospital, still has not been told of his son's death on the advice of his doctors. "DJ" played soccer for all four years of high school, and also enjoyed fishing and playing card games. |
Friday, June 22, 2007 8:31 PM - 1 INCOMING - The DoD has announced a new death, not previously reported by CENTCOM. Private 1st Class Jacob Timothy Tracy, 20, of Palestine, Illinois, was severly injured when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad on June 17th. He was transported to a medical facility in Balad where he died the next day, Monday, June 18th. Tracy was born September 20, 1986, in Paris, Illinois, according to his obituary, attending Palestine High School as a teenager. The Terre Haute (Indiana) Tribune Star interviewed several people who knew him, all of whom remembered Tracy as always talking and always cracking jokes. "You couldn't be mean to him because once you did, he'd say something that'd make you laugh," a friend reminisced, "And you just couldn't be mad anymore." Tracy enlisted in the army in August of 2006 and had been deployed in Iraq since March according to an Associated Press piece.
Friday, June 22, 2007 8:41 PM - 1 INCOMING - The British Ministry of Defense has announced the death of another soldier from 4th Battalion, The Rifles Regiment. The soldier died in a roadside bomb attack in Basra City on Friday, June 22nd.
| Saturday, June 23, 2007 5:42 AM - 3 INCOMING - |
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(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier from a non-hostile, unspecified cause, presumably in Baghdad, on Saturday, June 23rd.
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(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the deaths of two Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers when their unit was struck by a roadside bomb followed by small arms fire in an eastern neighborhood of Baghdad on Saturday, June 23rd. Three other soldiers were wounded in the attack.
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| Saturday, June 23, 2007 7:30 AM - UPDATES - |
Raymond N. Spencer Jr., 23, of Carmichael, California
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(1) The DoD has identified the soldier who died in southwest Baghdad on Thursday, June 21st, when his unit was struck by an IED followed by small arms fire: Private 1st Class Raymond N. Spencer Jr., 23, of Carmichael, California. His unit, the 2nd Battalion of the 12th Cavalry Regiment (1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Bliss, TX) has been operating in the western part of Baghdad.
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Karen N. Clifton, 22, of Lehigh Acres, Florida
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(2) The DoD has also identified the Multi-National Corps - Iraq soldier who died when her vehicle was struck by an RPG in a northern part of Baghdad on Thursday, June 21st: Specialist Karen N. Clifton, 22, of Lehigh Acres, Florida. She was a military policeman assigned to the 554th Military Police Company based in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
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| Saturday, June 23, 2007 7:55 AM - 5 INCOMING - |
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(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of four Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers in a roadside bomb attack northwest of Baghdad on Saturday, June 23rd. An Iraqi interpreter was wounded in the blast.
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(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Multi-National Corps - Iraq airman in a roadside bombing near Tikrit in Salah ad Din Province on Saturday, June 23rd.
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Saturday, June 23, 2007 7:24 PM - 1 INCOMING -MNF-Iraq |
