Army Staff Sgt. Anton R. Phillips

Died December 31, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

31 year old Anton Phillips, of Inglewood, Calif.; assigned to G Forward Support Company, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Task Force Wildhorse, Jalalabad, Afghanistan; died Dec. 31 at FOB Methar Lam, Afghanistan.

‘He was more than just a team leader, he was a friend’

The Associated Press

Anton Phillips, a father of three, “took care of his soldiers like family,” a fellow officer said.

“He rallied them to do their jobs to the best of their ability and he led by example,” said Capt. Alexis Jackson, who served with Phillips.

As an executive officer for the 5th Maintenance Company out of Kaiserslautern, Germany, Phillips earned respect from both his leaders and peers, according to The Provider, a blog about the 82nd Sustainment Brigade, which is supporting the war in Afghanistan.

Phillips, 31, of Inglewood, Calif., died Dec. 31 at Forward Operating Base Methar Lam, Afghanistan. According to the Department of Defense, Phillips was assigned to the base in Afghanistan.

The Defense Department has announced that it is investigating Phillips’ death.

“Sergeant Phillips was beyond reliable,” 1st Lt. Craig A. Long, 5th MC platoon leader, said at a service for Phillips. “He was more than just a team leader, he was a friend and his door was always open to anyone, day or night.”

Phillips is survived by daughters Lexus, 13, Antoneth, 8, and Alina, 5. The Provider reports that more than 200 soldiers attended a memorial service for Phillips at Bagram Airfield.

Army Sgt. Damien T. Ficek

Died December 30, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

26 year old Damien Ficek, of Pullman, Wash.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, Washington Army National Guard, Spokane, Wash.; killed Dec. 30 when his patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire in Baghdad.

Soldier with Oregon, Washington ties killed in Baghdad

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. — Sgt. Damien Ficek, an Oregon native and former Washington State University student, was killed while on foot patrol in Baghdad two days before he was to turn 27, the family of the Washington National Guardsman confirms.

A resident of Pullman, Wash., Ficek was killed Dec. 30. He had spent more than a year in Iraq.

“I praise and honor Damien for answering the call of duty, and I salute him for making the ultimate sacrifice in defending our security, our freedoms and our way of life,” Washington Gov. Gary Locke said Monday. “I know how much he will be missed and my heart goes out to his wife and family.”

Ficek was a student at WSU until withdrawing from classes during fall 2003 when his National Guard unit was activated.

“He was an active member of our community and an excellent student,” said WSU President V. Lane Rawlins. “Our deepest sympathy goes to his wife and family and he will be missed.”

Ficek’s name will be added to the veterans memorial on the WSU campus, Rawlins said. A memorial service is planned on the Pullman campus later this month.

Ficek arrived at WSU for fall semester 2002. He was enrolled in the athletic training education program offered through the College of Education.

Ficek was an infantryman assigned to the Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment. A U.S. Department of Defense news release said he died when his patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire.

Ficek is survived by his wife Kyla; parents Donna and Danny Vian, of the Portland, Ore., area and Dean and Suzanne Dibble of the Vancouver, Wash., area; and two brothers, Dustin and John.

Brian Lynott, a friend of Ficek’s since middle school, said both of them signed up for military service after graduating from Beaverton, Ore., High School in 1996.

Ficek served with the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Fort Lewis, Wash., until June 2000. In July 2002, he enlisted in the Washington Army National Guard.

In a Dec. 16 e-mail to Lynott, Ficek said he was looking forward to returning home — perhaps as soon as March — and starting a family. But with the Iraqi national election coming up, Ficek said, his tour probably would be extended, Lynott told The Oregonian newspaper.

Concerned that Ficek might not have adequate body armor, Lynott said he and others offered to send him the best protection available.

“We made it clear to him from Day 1 we’d get him whatever he needed,” he said.

Ficek deserved nothing less, say those who knew him.

“The world has lost a very, very promising person in Damien Ficek,” said his aunt, Joani Dufourd, 55, of Bend, Ore. “He was the most incredible man. I don’t know how to tell you that any better.

“He was a giver,” she said. “He was not so much focused on his own destiny but on how he could affect people around him.”

Ficek liked physical action, his friends said. He was on his high school football team and wrestling squad and rode BMX bikes for fun.

And Ficek grew into a smart, dependable soldier.

“They put him in contact with the enemy because he knew what to do,” Lynott said.

Army Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Spino

Died December 29, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

45 year old Ronald Spino, of Waterbury, Conn.; assigned to the 274th Forward Surgical Team, 44th Medical Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Dec. 29 in Herat, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he was shot while unloading supplies.

Bragg medic killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A 45-year-old Fort Bragg soldier has been killed while unloading medical supplies in a village in northwestern Afghanistan.

Military officials say Staff Sgt. Ronald Jay Spino from Waterbury, Conn., died Dec. 29 in Bala Morghab, a village in Badghis province.

Spino was assigned to the 44th Medical Command at Fort Bragg. He returned from Iraq in February and deployed to Afghanistan in November.

Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell says Spino was expected to return from Afghanistan in about 30 days and ordered flags in the state lowered to half-staff.

Spino was remembered by friends in his unit as a quiet, hardworking soldier with a good sense of humor.

‘Blossomed’ after joining Army

The Associated Press

Ronald Spino was a hardworking but shy man who “blossomed” when he joined the military, his mother said.

“It was his true love,” Rita Spino said.

For a time he worked in the records room of Waterbury Hospital in Waterbury, Conn., where co-workers said he went out of his way to help others. The same held true in the military.

“For those who knew and worked with him, we will remember him as a dedicated non-commissioned officer,” said Col. Scott Putzier, one of Spino’s superiors. “He was quiet, so when he spoke, everyone listened and were often caught off guard by his sense of humor. … He was really funny.”

Spino, 45, of Fayetteville, N.C., died Dec. 29 in Bala Morghab, Afghanistan, when he was shot while unloading supplies. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., and lived in Waterbury before joining the military.

The combat nurse graduated from Holy Cross High School and Teikyo Post University, now known as Post University.

He joined the Army in 1993 at age 29, becoming a medic. He later trained as a nurse and then became a paratrooper, and was sometimes called upon to parachute into war-ravaged areas to treat wounded soldiers, his mother said.

Spino is survived by his wife, Betty, whom he met while he was in the military; a stepdaughter, Kandice, 24; his mother and father; two brothers; and a sister.

Army Staff Sgt. Todd D. Olson

Died December 27, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

36 year old Todd Olson, of Loyal, Wis.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment, Wisconsin Army National Guard, Neillsville, Wis.; died Dec. 27 in the 67th Combat Support Hospital in Tikrit, Iraq, of wounds sustained on Dec. 26 when an improvised explosive device detonated in Samarra, Iraq.

Wisconsin soldier killed in Iraq

Associated Press

LOYAL, Wis. — A Wisconsin National Guardsman who had four children, served on a school board and coached youth football was killed in Iraq, friends said Monday.

Staff Sgt. Todd Olson, 36, of Loyal, died of injuries he suffered in Samarra, said his best friend, Dan Gluch.

His vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb Sunday, Loyal Mayor Arthur Olsen said.

Department of Defense and Wisconsin National Guard officials released no official information Monday and didn’t return messages left by The Associated Press.

Olson’s family was told he was injured, but around noon on Dec.26, they learned he had died, the mayor said. The Clark County community of about 1,300 people lowered its flags to half-staff Monday.

The mayor told The Associated Press he had known Olson since he was a baby.

“It couldn’t be any worse than at Christmas time,” the mayor said. “I feel for them. I didn’t go to war when I could have in World War II just for fear of my own life. Maybe that’s being greedy, I don’t know. Fortunately, we’re lucky to have people who are willing to serve and give up their lives. That’s why we have the freedom we do have.”

Thirty-two Wisconsin soldiers have died in Iraq since the war started. Olson was one of 35 soldiers with Detachment 1, Company C of the Wisconsin National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry.

Gluch, of Eau Claire, was at Olson’s home Monday. No one else there wanted to talk, he said.

“He deserves press, that’s for sure,” he said. “I don’t know how to even explain a guy like that. He was deeply devoted to his wife and family … I’m a better man for having him as a lifelong friend.”

He had known Olson since grade school, he said. They were roommates at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where they both studied finance, he said.

Olson worked as a vice president and an agricultural loan officer at M&I Bank in Loyal. Bank president Al Nystrom described him as a leader who would volunteer to take on extra responsibilities. For example, Olson volunteered to serve as a temporary manager of the Neillsville branch and volunteered to become an agricultural lender.

He often worked with dairy farmers, Nystrom said.

“He was a leader,” Nystrom said. “He spread himself in a lot of directions. Lot of personal sacrifices to do what he did for the bank … he’ll be sorely missed.”

Olson was married and had three sons, ages 17, 16, and 14, as well as a 5-year-old daughter, Gluch said.

He served on the Loyal School Board and in the local Lions chapter. He also coached Pop Warner football. He loved to hunt and watch the Green Bay Packers, too, Gluch said.

Olson often told him how blessed he felt, Gluch said.

“We’re at peace knowing he’s in heaven,” he said.

Funeral held for Loyal soldier killed in Iraq

LOYAL, Wis. — Staff Sgt. Todd Olson, who was killed in Iraq last month, was the type of leader who watched out for his men, his former commander told more 1,000 mourners at the soldier’s funeral.

“It’s not normal for a commander to walk point, but knowing Todd, I know why he was walking point that night,” Lt. Col. Steven Bensend said Wednesday of when Olson was injured by a roadside bomb Dec. 26.

Bensend said during the gathering at the Loyal High School gymnasium that walking point on a foot patrol is “the most vulnerable and dangerous position. It’s the eyes and ears” of the squad.

Olson, 36, was serving in Detachment 1, Charley Company of the Wisconsin National Guard’s Eau Claire-based 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Brigade, when he led his squad on the patrol in Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad. He died the next day at a hospital in Tikrit.

He was the father of three boys — Trevor, 17, Jesse, 16, and Cody, 13 – and a 5-year-old daughter, Kasey.

Olson was an agriculture loans officer at M&I Bank in Neillsville and Loyal, and a member of the Loyal School Board.

A letter from his son Trevor read during the funeral recounted how his father was always there for his kids to coach their football teams, take them fishing and teach them how to find their way in the world.

“Dad was always my role model,” he said. “If I have half the qualities of him, I’ll be a good man,” the teenager said in the letter.

— Associated Press

Army Spc. Jason M. Johnston

Died December 26, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old Jason Johnston, of Albion, N.Y.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Dec. 26 in Arghandab, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

Family says he felt that he had to serve

The Associated Press

While serving in an explorers program at the volunteer fire department in Albion, N.Y., Jason Johnston earned a reputation as hardworking and responsible.

That reputation followed him when he joined the Army in 2006.

“Johnston was the type of guy that did the job with little complaint, comment or fanfare — but always did the job well,” said the soldier’s commander, Capt. Adam Armstrong.

Johnston’s second deployment to Afghanistan was delayed, but the infantry paratrooper was eager to rejoin his unit.

“He fought to get over here with us this time just so he could fight for his country again and to be with his brother in arms,” friend and fellow soldier Spc. Joshua Leeson wrote from Afghanistan.

Johnston, 24, died Dec. 26 in Arghandab after his unit was bombed. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.

Johnston attended Albion High School but didn’t graduate. He earned his GED before joining the Army.

“Jason always wanted to be in the military,” his family said in a statement. “He said he felt a strong sense of duty to serve. He had been planning to apply to Syracuse University after his term in the Army.”

He leaves behind his parents, Bradley and Jeanine Johnston.

Army Staff Sgt. David H. Gutierrez

Died December 25, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

35 year old David Gutierrez, of San Francisco; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Dec. 25 at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his dismounted patrol with an improvised explosive device in Howz-e Madad.

* * * * *

Soldier died in Christmas Day ambush

The Associated Press

David Gutierrez tried to visit his wife, Patty, and three sons via webcam daily while in Afghanistan.

The last time the family connected online was Christmas Eve. The next day, Patty Gutierrez and her sons were eating Christmas breakfast when she learned her husband had been killed. Two Army chaplains knocked on her door.

“I woke up Christmas morning,” she said. “But when the knock came it wasn’t Christmas anymore.”

Gutierrez, 35, died Christmas Day at Kandahar Air Field of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his patrol with a bomb in Howz-e Madad. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash.

Gutierrez graduated from Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., and attended San Jose City College. He met his wife while working as a bouncer at a club in San Jose. He enlisted in 1998, two years after he married his wife.

Gutierrez served in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, and he was deployed to Afghanistan in July 2009.

“He had his life in the uniform,” Patty Gutierrez said. “But when he came home, he was the patient one, my go-to guy.”

Gutierrez is survived by his wife; and sons Gabriel, 4, Jeremiah, 6, and Andrew, 12.

Army Staff Sgt. Christopher G. Smith

Died December 24, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

28 year old Christopher Smith, of Grand Rapids, Mich.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Dec. 24 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover. Also killed were Spc. Stephen. M. Okray and Spc. Stephen G. Zapasnik.

2 soldiers from Michigan remembered for devotion

The Associated Press

Two soldiers from Michigan who were among three who died when their vehicle crashed on Christmas Eve in Baghdad are being remembered by relatives for their devotion to their families.

The Department of Defense on Friday identified the soldiers as Staff Sgt. Christopher G. Smith, 28, of Grand Rapids; Spc. Stephen M. Okray, 21, of St. Clair Shores; and Spc. Stephen G. Zapasnik, 19, of Broken Arrow, Okla.

Bobbi Jo Smith told The Detroit News that her husband was an entertainer who loved to hold parties and grill briskets and ribs.

“He really lived for his family. He was that kind of guy,” Bobbi Jo said of her husband, who leaves behind a 15-month-old son.

Smith’s parents are Pastor Virgil Glenn and Donna Smith of the Evangelife Assembly of God Church near Bad Axe, The Grand Rapids Press reported.

Okray’s aunt, Denise Okray, said her nephew loved to hunt and fish.

“When someone was worried or felt like there was a problem, he was like, ‘Shrug it off; it’s OK,”’ Denise Okray told The News. “He was always family-oriented.”

Zapasnik’s mother, Chris Zapasnik, said her son’s company commander told her that he and the two Michigan soldiers were riding in a Humvee when part of a road collapsed, sending the vehicle into a canal. All three were dead when they were pulled from the water several minutes after the crash, Chris Zapasnik told the Tulsa World.

The soldiers were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Staff sgt. remembered as outdoorsman, good cook

The Associated Press

Christopher G. Smith took two years of classes at Kellogg Community College, studying for a possible sports medicine career and playing soccer there, before enlisting in the Army in May 2001.

Virgil Smith knew his son was looking for “something big and exciting” to do with his life, but said he never anticipated him joining the Army.

“Chris was such his own man in that way,” Virgil Smith said. “He was very thoughtful in what he would do and once he made a decision, that was it.”

Smith, 28, of Grand Rapids, Mich., died Dec. 24 in Baghdad of injuries from a vehicle roll-over. He was a 1999 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Carson.

Smith, who was on his second tour in Iraq, was an outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish and was an avid University of Michigan fan. He enjoyed socializing and cooking for large groups. He even thought about going to culinary school at one point.

“He cooked literally for 30 to 40 people at a time. He just enjoyed that,” his father said.

He also is survived by his wife, Bobbi Jo, and their 15-month-old son, Adler.

Army 1st Lt. Christopher W. Barnett

Died December 23, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

32 year old Christopher Barnett, of Baton Rouge, La.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, Louisiana Army National Guard, Shreveport, La.; killed Dec. 23 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle in Baghdad.

Louisiana Guardsman killed in Iraq

Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. — A Baton Rouge area man, 2nd Lt. Christopher W. Barnett, was killed by a roadside bomb that exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad last week, the Department of Defense said.

Barnett, 32, of Denham Springs, was killed early Thursday. He was assigned to the Army National Guard’a 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat team, based out of Shreveport.

“He believed in what he was doing,” his older brother, Jim Barnett, of Mobile, Ala., told The (Baton Rouge) Advocate. “He died doing what he wanted to do.”

Barnett had planned to join an active-duty unit again once his tour in Iraq ended, his brother said. “He loved being a soldier,” Jim Barnett said. “He loved his troops. He lived by duty, honor, bravery and sacrifice.”

But, Barnett added, Christopher also had a great sense of humor: “He’s about the funniest person I’ve known in my life.”

Barnett, who attended Glen Oaks High School before his family moved to Jacksonville, Fla., lived in Baton Rouge from seventh grade to 10th grade, his brother said. He later came back to the state to attend LSU, graduating a year ago.

He is survived by his wife, Amanda, in Denham Springs, and his parents, Bob and Judy, who live in the town of Baker near Baton Rouge.

Barnett’s was the second of two deaths involving Louisiana military personnel in Iraq last week. Pfc. Lionel Ayro, 22, of Jeanerette, was killed Tuesday when an explosion ripped through a mess tent at a base in Mosul. He was assigned to the 73rd Engineer Company, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, out of Fort Lewis, Wash.

Army Sgt. Berry K. Meza

Died December 19, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

23 year old Berry Meza, assigned to the 180th Transportation Battalion, 13th Corps Support Command, Fort Hood, Texas; killed Dec. 19 when a vehicle struck him in Shuaybah, Kuwait. Also killed was Army Staff Sgt. Donald B. Farmer.

Texan dies in Kuwait

Associated Press

FORT HOOD, Texas — A 23-year-old soldier from League City was one of two Fort Hood soldiers to die Sunday in Shuaybah, Kuwait, when they were struck by a vehicle.

The Department of Defense identified the two as Sgt. Berry K. Meza of League City, and Staff Sgt. Donald B. Farmer, 33, of Zion, Ill.

They were assigned to the 180th Transportation Battalion, 13th Corps Support Command, at Fort Hood.

Meza was in his third tour of duty in the Middle East. Family members said he was struck by a car while changing a tire.

“He was a very outgoing person who enjoyed life and would always tell everyone, ‘Life is short. Live everyday like it is your last,”’ Meza’s aunt, Cyndi Meza, told the Galveston County Daily News. “He loved his country and he loved his family.”

Army Sgt. Albert D. Ware

Died December 18, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

27 year old Albert Ware, of Chicago; assigned to the 782nd Combat Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Dec. 18 in the Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Died during 2nd tour of Afghanistan

The Associated Press

Albert D. Ware was no stranger to war. As a scrawny 12-year-old, he came to the United States to escape violence in Liberia, which is why his father, Thomas, got upset when he joined the Army in 2006.

He had played sports — soccer, football and wrestling — as an honors student at Corliss High School near Chicago, and the military made him even more athletic and disciplined.

In time, his family grew proud.

“He was a respectable man,” said his stepmother, Anna. “He didn’t throw a mean word to anyone. He did something with himself.”

The 27-year-old died Dec. 18 in the Arghandab River Valley of Afghhanistan of wounds from an explosive during his second tour there. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.

He had attended Chicago State University and Kennedy-King College before joining the Army. A colleague, Sgt. Scott Wolfe, said Ware always put fellow soldiers first and worked extra night and weekend hours to make sure they were well equipped for missions.

At home, he enjoyed cooking fufu and other West African dishes.

He and his wife, Plichette, have three children, all younger than 6: T’John, Heaven and Musu. Ware is also survived by his mother and a sister, Ciatta.

Army Pfc. Juctin P. McDaniel

Died December 17, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

19 year old Juctin McDaniel, of Andover, N.H.; assigned to the 524th Combat Service Support Battalion, 45th Sustainment Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, Fort Shafter, Hawaii; died Dec. 17 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident in Taji, Iraq.

Hawaii-based soldier dies of non-combat-related injuries in Iraq

The Associated Press

HONOLULU — The Pentagon says a Hawaii-based soldier has died of non-combat injuries in Iraq.

Pfc. Juctin R. P. McDaniel of Andover, N.H., died Dec. 17 in Baghdad. He sustained the injuries in what the military is calling a non-combat related incident in Taji, Iraq.

The 19-year-old’s work specialty was repairing power generation equipment.

He deployed to Iraq last month.

The Pentagon says the circumstances of the incident are under investigation.

McDaniel was a member of the 524th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 45th Sustainment Brigade, at the 8th Theater Sustainment Command at Fort Shafter.

McDaniel joined the Army in November 2006 and was assigned to Schofield Barracks in April.

Andover soldier dies in Iraq, military cites non-combat incident

The Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. — A 19-year-old soldier from Andover has died in Iraq of non-combat related injuries, the Department of Defense said.

Pfc. Juctin McDaniel died Dec. 17 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a non-combat incident in Taji, Iraq, the Pentagon announced in a news release last week. It said the incident was under investigation.

McDaniel was a graduate of Merrimack Valley High School, the Concord Monitor reported. He served in 524th Combat Service Support Battalion, 45th Sustainment Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, based in Fort Shafter, Hawaii.

McDaniel was a generator mechanic and had deployed to Iraq last month, the Honolulu Advertiser reported. A neighbor told the newspaper that McDaniel joined the Army more than a year ago.

“I didn’t know him well, but I know that he was very, very proud of his military service, and I think that he found a lot of direction having joined the military,” the neighbor, Joy Langtry, said in a phone interview with the Advertiser.

Langtry remembers seeing McDaniel playing basketball with his siblings and helping his stepfather in the garden.

“He was a decent kid and I know that his family felt his going into the Army really, really helped him,” she said.

Army Sgt. Tina S. Time

Died December 13, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Tina Time, of Tucson, Ariz.; assigned to the 208th Transportation Company, Army Reserve, Tucson, Ariz.; killed Dec. 13 in a vehicle accident near Cedar, Iraq.

* * * * *

Army Reserve soldier killed in Iraq

Associated Press.

TUCSON, Ariz. — An Army reservist has been killed in Iraq, believed to be the first female American Samoan to die in the war.

Authorities said Sgt. Tina Safaira Time, 22, died Monday near Cedar, Iraq, when the supply truck she was driving during a dust storm collided with another military vehicle.

Time was assigned to the Army Reserve’s 208th Transportation Company based in Tucson, Ariz.

Time’s family said she was a top student and leader at Leone High School, where she graduated in 2000.

School officials were planning to honor her Thursday night with a candlelight service and Christmas program at the school campus in American Samoa.

Time was two months away from completing a 22-month tour in Iraq before returning home, according to her family.

Mary Time said her daughter was a proud soldier and a great role model who loved her family, which includes four siblings, three of whom are serving in the U.S. military.

Time was a mechanic and worked on medium trucks for the unit, which has more than 100 members. She was promoted to sergeant in January.

After being assigned to Tucson, Time began taking classes at Pima Community College in computer science and enjoyed fixing cars in her spare time.

She joined the Army Reserve to serve her country and help offset the cost of attending college, her mother said.

Born in Australia, Time grew up in Pago Pago in American Samoa — a group of islands in the southern Pacific Ocean northeast of Fiji. It is an unincorporated territory of the United States and has a population of about 60,000.

In high school, Time was an honor student and class president. She was also a member of a youth group and a choir, and was a Sunday school teacher in her church.

Army Spc. Jaiciae L. Pauley

Died December 11, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

29 year old Jaiciae Pauley, of Austell, Ga.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died Dec. 11 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd ID. As a line medic with one year of active service, Pfc. Pauley trained hard to bring essential skills to his team, said Brig. Gen. Phillips.

Friends say he had a warm and noble heart, he always had a smile, and he never complained.

“Private First Class Pauley was a quiet guy unless you knew him,” said fellow medic and comrade Spc. Andrew Servi, 1/30 Inf. “If you knew him, he’d open up to you. When we were at school together, you could always depend on him.”

“He was one of my best Soldiers I had in my squad,” he added.

Army Pvt. Jhanner A. Tello

Died December 10, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

29 year old Jhanner Tello, of Los Angeles; assigned to the 3rd Aviation Support Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Dec. 10 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident.

A helicopter mechanic, Tello was assigned to the 3rd Aviation Support Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Family members said he had aspirations to go back to college for a degree in aviation mechanics and dreamed of eventually owning his own shop.

“He was a very happy man,” said Lusin Mathews-Gezalyan, his ex-wife and the mother of his two children, Giovanny Tello-Gezalyan, 9, and Christian Tello-Gezalyan, 8.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Patrick D. Leach

Died December 9, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

39 year old Patrick Leach, of Rock Hill, S.C.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment, South Carolina Army National Guard, Columbia, S.C.; killed Dec. 9 in an Apache helicopter accident in Mosul, Iraq. Also killed was Army 1st Lt. Andrew C. Shields.

Federal Way native killed in Iraq

Associated Press

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — One of two soldiers killed when a pair of U.S. helicopters collided in Iraq was a commercial airline pilot who had served in Operation Desert Storm.

Warrant Officer Patrick Leach, 39, was one of the victims, said his parents, Bruce and Grace Leach of Tacoma.

“My son was doing what he had to do,” said Bruce Leach Sr. “He hated to leave his family. But he went because he was told to go. He did his duty.”

The Federal Way native, a member of the South Carolina National Guard, died Thursday when an AH-64 Apache struck an UH-60 Black Hawk on the ground in the city of Mosul.

Leach’s parents learned of his death Thursday night when they returned from a visit with his wife and children in Rock Hill, S.C.

Officials in South Carolina identified the other soldier who died as Lt. Andrew Shields, also a Guardsman from that state.

The four men wounded in the collision have returned to duty, said Lt. Col. Paul Hastings, a spokesman for Task Force Olympia, which includes the Fort Lewis-based Stryker Brigade.

The accident was under investigation.

Leach served in the active-duty Army from 1986 to 1992 and was deployed to Iraq in 1991 as part of Operation Desert Storm.

Before his guard unit was called up, Leach was an airline pilot and regional jet captain for six years at Mesa Airlines, which flies US Airways Express flights out of Charlotte.

“Pat’s life’s ambition was to be a pilot,” brother-in-law John Landstreet said. “He lived for that and his family. This is just devastating.”

Leach is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and their three children, a 4-year-old daughter and two boys, ages 2 years and 7 months. He also has 19- and 17-year-old sons from a previous marriage.

About two dozen Apaches and a half-dozen Black Hawks from the South Carolina National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment, are stationed in northern Iraq as part of Task Force Olympia. The unit was deployed in October with the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, based out of Fort Lewis.

S.C. town remembers pilot killed in Iraq

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Friends, family and fellow pilots gathered this week for a memorial service honoring a South Carolina National Guard pilot killed in Iraq.

Patrick Leach, 39, a father of five, died in a helicopter accident in Mosul on Thursday. The Apache helicopter he was piloting ran into a Black Hawk helicopter on the ground, his family said.

Lt. Andrew Shields of Campobello also died in the crash.

Civilian pilot Leo Friedwald said he flew with Leach whenever he could. Leach, a veteran of the first Gulf War, was a jet pilot for Mesa Airlines out of Charlotte, N.C., before he was activated to serve in Iraq.

“We lost one of our best,” Friedwald said Tuesday during the memorial service at First ARP Church. “Best friend. Best pilot. Best person. Best guy.”

There are only about 1,000 Apache pilots in the entire Army, said Col. Tony Barber of the Guard’s 151st Aviation Regiment, based out of Eastover.

“We all knew Pat,” Barber said. “We all train together. Apache pilots are a close brotherhood. This hurts us all.”

Leach, a native of Washington state, married a Rock Hill woman, Elizabeth Brice Leach, and has lived in Rock Hill for years.

Army spokeswoman Maj. Elizabeth Robbins in Washington had no other details, other than that the crash did not occur during hostilities. The cause of the crash could take four to six weeks to determine, said Lt. Col. Pete Brooks, a Guard spokesman in Columbia.

— Associated Press

Soldier killed in Iraq laid to rest

ROCK HILL, S.C. — A soldier killed in Iraq earlier this month has been buried with full military honors.

Chief Warrant Officer Patrick Leach was buried Monday during a graveside service attended by more than 150 people.

Leach, 39, was killed Dec. 9 in a helicopter accident in Mosul, Iraq.

Three Apache helicopters flew over Laurelwood Cemetery, two heading south and the third turning north alone, symbolizing a fallen soldier.

A member of the South Carolina Army National Guard, he was a veteran helicopter pilot of the first Gulf War. He was deployed in October and was a member of A Company, 1st Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment.

“He was a cheerful giver,” the Rev. Barry Dagenhart said. “He gave up his life in the service of his country and ultimately for you and me.”

The service included a 21-gun salute and the playing of ‘Taps’.

Leach’s wife, Elizabeth, his two older sons, his parents and his brother were among those at the service.

Among the crowd was the twin brother of Lt. Andrew Shields of Campobello, who was killed in the incident with Leach.

Lt. Philip Shields of the South Carolina Army National Guard had attended his 25-year-old brother’s funeral Saturday.

Elizabeth Leach attended that service, as well.

Philip Shields, an Apache pilot himself, recently returned from Kosovo. He said his family was holding up under the circumstances.

“People wait too late to think of them as heroes,” he said. “They were heroes when they left. There are a lot more out there.”

— Associated Press

Army Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Hansen

Died December 5, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

31 year old Dennis Hansen, of Panama City, Fla.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Dec. 5, at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit on Dec. 3 with an improvised explosive device in Logar province, Afghanistan.

Served with Corps before joining Army

The Associated Press

Dennis Hansen was determined to dunk a basketball when he was a boy, so he plotted the perfect strategy: Set up a ladder to slam that ball through the hoop.

He made the shot, but there was just one problem: He didn’t plan for what would happen after the dunk, so his landing was a bit rough, Pastor Barry Baughman recalled at Hansen’s funeral. But that desire to excel is something Hansen carried throughout life, Baughman said.

Hansen, 31, of Panama City, Fla., died Dec. 7 at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of wounds sustained from a roadside bomb four days earlier in Logar province, Afghanistan. He had served 8½ years in the Marine Corps before joining the Army and had previously served in Africa, Kosovo, Japan, Panama, Cuba and Iraq, as well as two tours in Afghanistan.

Hansen was assigned to Fort Drum, N.Y., and lived in Scottsville, N.Y., with his wife, Jennifer, and their infant son, Michael. Hansen had two other children who live in Texas: 10-year-old Alana and 7-year-old Gabriel.

His family said in his obituary that he enjoyed fishing, golfing, wrestling and woodworking, and noted he was an avoid Ohio State University football fan. He also loved animals, pumpkin pie and coffee, his family said.

“Michael says Hi Daddy!” his wife wrote on his MySpace page in July 2009. “… We think you’re the best and we cant [sic] wait to see your face again!”

Army Sgt. Cari Anne Gasiewicz

Died December 4, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

28 year old Cari Anne Gasiewicz, of Depew, N.Y.; assigned to the 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Gordon, Ga.; killed Dec. 4 when two improvised explosive devices detonated near her convoy in Baqubah, Iraq.

Military interpreter from upstate New York killed in Iraq

Associated Press

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — A military interpreter from western New York died Saturday in Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded on the convoy that was starting her on the journey home, church officials said Sunday.

Sgt. Cari Anne Gasiewicz, 28, of Cheektowaga, spoke fluent Arabic and served as an interpreter in a military intelligence unit of the Army. Military officials informed her family of her death Saturday, said her uncle, Marty Gasiewicz.

Gasiewicz died outside of Baghdad on Saturday afternoon while she was traveling to Kuwait, where she would have spent Christmas before being shipped home after the first of the year.

She graduated from Depew High School and attended Canisius College before enlisting in the Army eight years ago, according to Gwen Mysiak, a spokeswoman for the family’s church, St. Philip the Apostle in Depew. She was deployed to Iraq a year ago.

She is survived by her parents, Paul and Kathleen Gasiewicz of Cheektowaga, and her brother, Paul Gasiewicz Jr., 24.

“She loved the military, and she loved working as an interpreter,” said her uncle. “She thought she was making a difference over there. She thought she was helping people.”

Mourners remember soldier’s compassion

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — A military interpreter killed in Iraq was remembered Monday for the compassion she showed others, from stray pets to Iraqi children.

Sgt. Cari Anne Gasiewicz, 28, of Depew, died Dec. 4 when her convoy was struck outside Baghdad by two improvised explosive devices. The convoy was traveling to Kuwait, where Gasiewicz would have spent Christmas before being shipped back home in January after the yearlong assignment.

“No matter where Cari was, she always found time to help others,” the Rev. Joseph H. Penkaul told about 600 mourners Monday in St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church.

When she was stationed in Korea, Gasiewicz gave free English lessons and brought home a puppy named Sabre that she had rescued.

“It reminds us of Cari all the time,” said her father, Paul Gasiewicz. “That was her puppy, and she brought her home to us. She was always caring and looking out for everybody else.

“Cari wouldn’t want us to be mourning. She’s looking down on us and keeping an eye on all of us.”

Fluent in Arabic, Gasiewicz had been a soldier for more than eight years and hoped to work for the FBI or CIA after leaving the military. She was stationed at Fort Gordon, Ga., and was attached to the Army’s 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade in Iraq.

Her family said Gasiewicz would take lunch to Iraqi contractors and teach them English if they would teach her another Arabic dialect.

“We will try to think of this as your last deployment,” her aunt, Barbara Funk, said in a eulogy. “One more place you wish to serve, one more group of people you want to know, an additional foreign language you desire to learn. And Sgt. Cari Anne Gasiewicz, when you do master the language of the angels, and I know you will, remember to teach the rest of us.”

Her body was taken to Pine Lawn Chapel, where her ashes will be entombed. She is survived by her parents and a brother.

— Associated Press

Army Pfc. George D. Harrison

Died December 2, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old George Harrison, of Knoxville, Tenn.; assigned to the 293rd Military Police Company, 3rd Military Police Battalion (Provisional), 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; killed Dec. 2 when his Humvee was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire in Mosul, Iraq.

Fort Stewart honors Knoxville MP killed in Iraq

Associated Press

FORT STEWART, Ga. — Army Spc. George Daniel Harrison helped his fellow military policemen break the tension of constant danger in Iraq with infectious laughter, starting water gun fights and doing his grizzled veteran schtick.

Harrison, 22, of Knoxville, Tenn., was killed Dec. 2 during a firefight in Mosul. But fellow soldiers and family attending a memorial service Wednesday at Fort Stewart remembered the young soldier for his fearless sense of humor.

“He would talk about Vietnam like he was there, back in Nam,” said Spc. Joshua Curl, Harrison’s roommate. “He would buy water guns from the Iraqi kids and come in guns blazing. We acted like a bunch of kids on our downtime, but when it was time for business, everybody was on it.”

Harrison deployed in March with his unit, the 293rd Military Police Company, to help train and acclimate Iraqi police forces. It was hazardous duty, soldiers say, with troops under constant ambush from insurgents.

In Harrison’s honor, Fort Stewart officials planted an eastern redbud tree with a granite stone engraved with his name at its root at the Army post’s Warrior’s Walk memorial.

The lane of trees was begun in 2003 as a living memorial to 3rd Infantry Division soldiers killed in Iraq. Harrison’s tree marks him as the division’s 46th casualty since the invasion of Baghdad.

“I always told him, ‘You’re my hero,”’ said Doug Harrison, the soldier’s father, who attended the ceremony with his wife, Kim, and younger son, Joshua. “Even though we knew he was in harm’s way, you never, ever expect it to be your baby that’s taken away.”

Since the 3rd Infantry deployed 19,000 troops to Iraq for a second combat tour last month, it’s already clear the memorial at Fort Stewart will grow.

The Army announced late Tuesday that three soldiers of the division’s 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment died Sunday when their vehicle overturned in a canal near Balad.

They were identified as Spc. Dakotah L. Gooding, 21, of Des Moines, Iowa; Sgt. Rene Knox, Jr., 22, of New Orleans; and Sgt. Chad W. Lake, 26, of Ocala, Fla. Two other division soldiers were killed Feb. 5 when a roadside bomb exploded into their vehicle.

The night he was killed, Harrison was behind the machine gun of a Humvee when his convoy rushed to offer suppressing fire to U.S. troops under attack by insurgents.

Curl, who rode in another vehicle in the firefight, said an Iraqi bullet ricocheted off the front shield of Harrison’s machine gun and struck him in the chest.

For members of his unit, Harrison’s death hit especially hard because another soldier in his platoon, Spc. Andrew L. Tuazon, was killed in a firefight May 10.

Despite losing his older brother, Joshua Harrison, 20, cracked a smile while he told of a recent conversation with a friend. They were talking about his brother’s sacrifice, and the friend started laughing.

“She said, ‘I know what Dan would say in this situation — Ha, ha! I’m famous.”’

Army Sgt. Blair W. Emery

Died November 30, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

24 year old Blair Emery, of Lee, Maine; assigned to the 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Nov. 30 in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

Maine soldier’s body is being returned to home town

The Associated Press

LEE, Maine — A soldier who was killed last week in Iraq was remembered Dec. 7 as a simple man who asked for little and gave more than he received.

Hundreds of people filled the Lee Academy gymnasium to pay their respects to Sgt. Blair Emery, who was killed Nov. 30 after a roadside bomb exploded next to his Humvee in Baqubah.

Gov. John Baldacci and state military officials presented medals to Emery’s widow, Chu Emery, who told the crowd that her husband was an “angel.”

Emery, 24, was the second soldier from this small town to die this year in Iraq. In June, Sgt. Joel House, who was 22, was killed in a roadside bomb attack in Taji, 12 miles north of Baghdad.

Both attended Lee Academy, graduating one year apart.

“This is very devastating for this small community to have two fine individuals taken like this before their time,” Baldacci said.

Veterans groups lined the motorcade route and members snapped to attention as a hearse brought Emery’s body home Dec. 6. The motorcade, led by the local police chief, included state, local and county police, along with fire departments and ambulances.

Carl Thompson of Ketchikan, Alaska, one of Emery’s uncles, was moved to tears.

“This community can be proud of its people as well as the people that serve,” Thompson said. “I just know that everywhere we looked there were people waving flags, people standing with their hands over their hearts, or pulling their cars over to wave. It just shows what this community is made out of real Americans.”

Emery was originally scheduled to return to the U.S. at the end of October, but his deployment was extended by another three months, his family said.

Army Sgt. Brandon T. Islip

Died November 29, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

23 year old Brandon Islip, of Richmond, Va.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; went missing Nov. 4 while involved in a resupply mission in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan; he had been listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown. His status was changed Nov. 29 to having died in a noncombat-related incident.

Body of missing sergeant found in Afghanistan

By Rahim Faiez

The Associated Press

KABUL — Rescuers found the body of a second U.S. paratrooper missing after being swept away by a fast-moving current while on an airdrop resupply mission earlier this month in western Afghanistan, NATO said Monday.

Sgt. Brandon Islip, 24, was recovered Sunday from the Bala Murgahab River in Badghis province after a local Afghan citizen provided information on his whereabouts. British divers searching the river Nov. 10 found the body of 21-year-old Spc. Benjamin Sherman, who was promoted to sergeant posthumously.

A memorial service for the two paratroopers will be held in Afghanistan in the coming days.

The two, both from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, disappeared Nov. 4 in the Bala Barghab area of Badghis. Local police said they were swept away by the river as they tried to recover airdropped supplies that had accidentally fallen into the water.

During the first days of the search, intense fighting broke out with militants in the area. Eight Afghans — four soldiers, three policemen and an interpreter — were killed, while 17 Afghan troops and five American soldiers were wounded.

‘He made me the happiest I’ve ever been’

The Associated Press

Sonja Islip said her husband, Brandon, has “always been a hero to me.”

“He’s willing to put his life on the line for this country and that’s all anybody really can ask for,” Sonja Islip said.

Brandon Islip, 23, of Richmond, Va., died Nov. 4 in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan. He and another soldier were picking up supplies that had been dropped by aircraft. Military officials said he and the other soldier, Benjamin Sherman, tried to retrieve one that fell into a river and were swept away by the current.

The military did not announce his death until nearly a month later.

Islip graduated from Monacan High School and enlisted in the military in 2006. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.

“Sergeant Islip was a very focused individual when it came to work,” Sgt. 1st Class Joe Armenta, Islip’s platoon sergeant, said in a statement.

“He was always focused on mission accomplishment, success of the platoon, and more importantly, the welfare of his soldiers.”

Islip and his wife had been married for only seven months, but Sonja Islip said she was just relieved to know what happened to her husband.

“I had my short time with him and he made me the happiest I’ve ever been,” she said.

Army Pfc. Michael A. Rogers

Died November 27, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

23 year old Michael Rogers, of White Sulphur Springs, Mont.; assigned to the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Nov. 27, at Forward Operating Base Hammer, east of Baghdad of injuries sustained from a noncombat-related incident.

An adventurous son of Montana

The Associated Press

Michael Rogers and his older brother grew up going to the Missouri River near their Montana home and catching crawdads.

They would bring the critters back to their mom, who would use them to make homemade gumbo.

Rogers, of White Sulphur Springs, Mont., also loved snowball fights and building snow forts, said his brother, James Westcott, a sergeant in the Marines.

Rogers died Nov. 27 in a noncombat-related incident at Forward Operating Base Hammer, east of Baghdad. He was 23 and assigned to Fort Drum, N.Y.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Private First Class Rodgers,” Brig. Gen. John Walsh said. “There are countless others who are sharing in your loss.”

At a service in Townsend, Mont., Westcott spoke of growing up in the country with his younger brother. When Westcott broke down at one point in the service, an aunt took his written words and read them for Rogers’ family and friends.

“My little brother is on a new adventure now,” Westcott wrote.

Walsh presented Rogers’ family with commendation and good conduct medals during the ceremony.

Rogers is survived by his mother and brother.

Army Sgt. Jeannette T. Dunn

Died November 26, 2006 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

44 year old Jeannette Dunn, of Bronx, N.Y.; assigned to the 15th Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Nov. 26 of injuries sustained from a non-combat related injury in Taji, Iraq.

Jeannette is remembered by her fellow soldiers as a sweet person with a smile always on her face. Her decorations included the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terrorism (Service) Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, and Weapons Qualification Badge – Rifle – Expert.

Army Master Sgt. Anthony Davis

Died November 25, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

43 year old Anthony Davis, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; assigned to the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Nov. 25 in Baaj, Iraq, after being shot by an Iraqi Security Force soldier while he was conducting a dismounted humanitarian food drop.

Master sergeant worked to help poor Iraqis

The Associated Press

Anthony Davis trained and mentored Iraqi army members and delivered food and relief supplies to poor villages. He was part of a team that assessed schools and then planned renovations and organized supplies.

His daughter Diana, 18, also collected soccer balls to ship to her father, who distributed them to children on his missions.

“Anthony volunteered for humanitarian assistance duty so he could devote himself to the soccer ball plan and really reach out to the surrounding Iraqi communities in need of assistance,” said Joe Albuquerque of the Kerril Woods Homeowner’s Association.

“That’s the Anthony we knew and loved.”

Davis, 43, reared in Baltimore and lately of Triangle, Va., died Nov. 24 in Baaj after being shot by an Iraqi soldier while on a relief mission. He was assigned to Fort Riley.

“We must remain vigilant and pray that we a getting through to the younger generation, who will one day inherit this nation, so that they remember us as peaceful and encouraging not intruders and invaders,” Davis wrote in an e-mail.

He is survived by his wife, Anna, and five children between the ages of 9 and 26 and a 4-year-old grandson.

Army Capt. William K. Jernigan

Died November 24, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

35 year old William Jernigan, of Doraville, Ga.; assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Nov. 24 in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident.

Third Stryker Brigade soldier dies

The Associated Press

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A Fort Wainwright soldier has died in Iraq.

Capt. William K. Jernigan, a 35-year-old Doralville, Ga., native, died of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident.

The Defense Department says the incident is under investigation.

Jernigan was assigned to the Headquarters Company, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry.

Gov. Sarah Palin on Wednesday said she will send an Alaska state flag and a letter of condolence to his family.

9/11 inspired 1st lt. to join Army at age 28

The Associated Press

William K. Jernigan joined the Army relatively late — at 28. It was soon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

He was living in a commune in British Columbia, Canada, but the attacks on the homeland strongly affected him, so he returned to the U.S. to join the Army.

“He saw the attacks and decided he needed to do something to serve like thousands of other people decided,” said Maj. Glenn Gambrell.

Jernigan, 35, of Doraville, Ga., died Nov. 24 in Baqouba of injuries suffered from a non-combat incident. He was assigned to Fort Wainwright.

Jernigan enlisted as a private and was quickly promoted to sergeant. After obtaining his associate degree, he enrolled in Officer Candidate School and made lieutenant, serving as a military intelligence officer.

The lieutenant sometimes came across as a rough-and-tumble character. Gambrell recounted one incident in which several soldiers were surprised to see Jernigan eating yogurt with a knife.

“He immediately struck me as the type who would much rather live in the woods than sit behind a desk all day,” Gambrell said of first meeting Jernigan.

Army Sgt. Jason A. McLeod

Died November 23, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

22 year old Jason McLeod, of Crystal Lake, Ill.; assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Nov. 23, west of FOB Wilson, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with mortar fire.

Was due to have leave in a month

The Associated Press

FORT CARSON, Colo. — A Fort Carson soldier from Illinois has died after an attack in Afghanistan.

The Defense Department said Nov. 24 that 22-year-old Spc. Jason A. McLeod of Crystal Lake died Nov. 23 west of Pashmul of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with mortar fire.

Family members say McLeod was deployed to Afghanistan in May and was due to come home on leave in less than a month. They say he was a mechanic who worked on Humvees.

He also served in Iraq in 2007 for about a year. He was a 2006 graduate of Crystal Lake Central High School.

He’s survived by his wife, Aimee Ghannam; a 15-month-old daughter, Jocelyn; his parents and two siblings.

He was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Thirty-two other soldiers from the post have been killed in Afghanistan, and 255 have been killed in Iraq.

Even in tough times, soldier remained upbeat

The Associated Press

Jason A. McLeod met his future bride, Aimee, when they were youngsters at day camp in Illinois, but they didn’t reconnect for about a decade. Then she was hooked.

He always kept a positive outlook and smiled even in tough times, she said, describing him as “the most wonderful man I ever met in my life.”

McLeod, 22, of Crystal Lake, Ill., died Nov. 23 west of Pashmul, Afghanistan, after his unit was attacked with mortar fire. He was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo., and had previously served in Iraq.

The 2006 graduate of Crystal Lake Central High School and his best friend, Brandon, enjoyed skateboarding, playing video games and camping, said Brandon’s mother, Robin Rogers. She said McLeod had hoped to go back to school.

“He joined the Army as a stepping stone to what he wanted to do,” said McLeod’s mother-in-law, Julie Ghannam. “He was trying to make himself a life. He was a great person, he grew up young.”

She said McLeod adored his 15-month-old daughter, Jocelyn Elizabeth, who saw him via a Web camera while he was deployed. McLeod is also survived by his mother, Barbara, and his father, Gregory; a brother, Justin; and a sister, Jacquee.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Miguel A. Wilson

Died November 21, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

36 year old Miguel Wilson, of Bonham, Texas; assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died Nov. 21 in Abu Sayf, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a rescue attempt of another soldier while their unit was conducting a dismounted reconnaissance mission.

Soldier died saving comrade from drowning

The Associated Press

When Miguel Anthony Wilson saw a fellow soldier drowning, he didn’t hesitate. He jumped into the water even though he was wearing heavy gear.

“Later on we found out he did save him,” said his mother, Wanda Wilson. “He just dived in and saved his fellow soldier and the weight of that backpack kept him under and then the current, they said, was strong and he drowned.”

Wilson, 36, of Bonham, Texas, died Nov. 21 in Abu Sayf. He was a 1990 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.

In high school, he played corner back and running back, stood out in soccer, played a little basketball and also ran track.

He’d been to Hawaii, Spain and Kuwait, to name a few of his stops. And this was his second tour in Iraq. “He said ‘If anything happens to me, know that I died for my country that I love,”’ said his mother.

“If you ever met him, you would never forget him,” said his aunt, Edna Wilson. “He was such a remarkable young man that he didn’t meet strangers.”

He also is survived by his wife, Carolyn, and three children from a previous relationship: Brice, 16, Jenae, 14, and Lexis, 12.

Army Pvt. Charles Y. Barnett

Died November 20, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

19 year old Charles Barnett, of Bel Air, Md.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died on Nov. 20 of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Tallil, Iraq.

Soldier ‘always had a smile on his face’

The Associated Press

One day, Charles Yi Barnett was sitting in a truck when his commanding officer walked up and asked him how he was doing.

“It seemed like he was waiting for me to ask that,” Lt. Col. Scott Kendrick recalled. “He said, ‘I’m on top of the world.”’

Barnett, 19, of Bel Air, Md., died Nov. 20 in a non-combat related incident in Tallil. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

In his free time, he sketched fantasy characters and portraits.

“He was just smarter than any of us,” said a brother, Jason. “And he always had a smile on his face.”

His mother, Ipun “Yvonne” Dashiell, didn’t want her baby boy joining the Army during war. “I said, ‘No, you’re not going anywhere. I want you to stay here so I can care for you and protectyou,”’ Dashiell said. “He told me, ‘Mom, I’m not a baby anymore.”’

He also is survived by his father, Kenneth, and stepfather, Walter “Mike” Dashiell Sr.

Barnett enlisted in the Army right out of high school to fulfill his adventurous dreams of becoming a SWAT team member.

“When he was 14, that’s all he talked about,” said Jason. “He just wanted to get his foot in the door and do something different with his life.”

Army Cpl. Jason T. Lee

Died November 18, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

26 year old Jason Lee, of Fruitport, Mich.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Nov. 18 in Balad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated during a mounted patrol in Baqubah. Also killed were Pfc. Marius L. Ferrero and Cpl. Christopher J. Nelson.

Fruitport soldier dies in Iraq

The Associated Press

FRUITPORT, Mich. — A soldier from west Michigan has been killed while serving in Iraq.

Army Cpl. Jason Lee, 26, of Fruitport died Nov. 18 after an improvised explosive device detonated during a mounted patrol in Baqubah, northeast of Baghdad. Two other soldiers also were killed by the roadside bomb.

Thomas Lee said he spoke Nov. 15 with his son, who told him he believed the U.S. military was succeeding in its mission in Iraq.

“He said, ‘Dad, I’m making a difference,’ ” Thomas Lee told The Grand Rapids Press.

Jason Lee entered the military in May 2004 intending to join an airborne unit, but transferred to the infantry after he was injured, his father said.

“I said, ‘I don’t have a problem with you joining the military. But why the airborne, the infantry?’ ” Thomas Lee said. “ ‘He said: ‘I am big. I am strong. It’s my calling, Dad. If it’s not me, who else is it going to be?’ ”

Lee was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, of Fort Lewis, Wash. Besides his parents, Thomas and Susan Lee, he is survived by his wife, Lisa.

Army Spc. Joseph M. Lewis

Died November 17, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

26 year old Joseph Lewis, of Terrell, Texas; assigned to the 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Nov. 17 in Ezqabad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Texas soldier dies in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

FORT LEWIS, Wash. — The Defense Department says a Fort Lewis soldier was killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Twenty-six-year-old Spc. Joseph M. Lewis of Terrell, Texas, was a member of the 5th Stryker brigade.

The News Tribune of Tacoma, Wash., reports he was the 29th member of the brigade to die since it deployed in July.

Lewis previously served a 12-month tour in Korea and was on his first deployment to Afghanistan.

Lewis leaves behind a wife, Theresa, and an infant daughter, Abigail, according to the Terrell Tribune.

Called Afghanistan experience ‘really awesome’

The Associated Press

In his elementary school days, Joseph M. Lewis was one of the restless kids battling in water gun fights on the streets of Bedford, Texas.

“I told a principal, I know he’s not going to be the next pope, but if he becomes a stand-up comedian or a senator, I’ll be happy,” said his mother, Pam.

Instead, young Joey lived up to his later nickname, “G.I. Joe,” and joined the Army in 2005 after graduating from L.D. Bell High School.

The 26-year-old from Terrell, Texas — where his family had moved when he was a teen — died Nov. 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds from an explosive. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash.

His mother said Lewis’ experiences in Afghanistan included sharing tea with village elders who gave him fruit and figs.

“He said it was really awesome,” she said.

Back home, his wife, Teresa, awaited his return with their infant daughter. It was for them, relatives said, that Lewis had traded in his sporty Pontiac Trans Am for a more practical Chevrolet Tahoe.

“He was fun-loving and would do anything to help others,” his family said.

Other survivors include his father, Mike; and a sister, Amanda.

Army Staff Sgt. Ryan L. Zorn

Died November 16, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

35 year old Ryan Zorn, of Upton, Wyo.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Nov.16 in Tal Afar, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover.

Soldier planned to be career serviceman

By Matt Joyce

The Associated Press

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Zorn, who died in a vehicle accident in Iraq, knew early in life that he wanted to join the military, and he planned to spend his career in the service, his mother said.

Zorn, who grew up in Upton, Wyo., died Nov. 16 in Tal Afar, Iraq, from injuries suffered in the roll-over crash, the Defense Department said. He was 35.

JoAnn Zorn, of Wright, Wyo., said her son was on his third tour in Iraq when he was killed. During a 15-year military career, he had been stationed across the United States and in Germany, Saudi Arabia and Korea, his mother said.

“He had always wanted to go into the service, as much as we tried to talk him out of it,” JoAnn Zorn said. “At high school, when they would have career day or anything like that, he said, ‘No I want to go into service,’ and that’s what he did.”

Zorn was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. He trained there to be part of a military transition team — a small group of soldiers that advises and teaches Iraqi soldiers — and deployed in March for a yearlong tour.

The military said it’s investigating the roll-over crash that killed Zorn. JoAnn Zorn said the family has not yet heard any details about the crash except that her son suffered traumatic head injuries.

“He loved his job,” JoAnn Zorn said. “He loved being a soldier and he loved serving his country.”

Connie Andersen, a Wright resident and family friend, remembered Zorn as a kindhearted person who enjoyed being around his family and helping others.

JoAnn Zorn said her son would volunteer for holiday work shifts so other soldiers with family members could spend the holiday with their families. Whenever he came home to visit, he was a “family man,” she said.

“He had a nephew and two nieces,” JoAnn Zorn said. “He didn’t drink, and when he came home on leave, he always just stayed at home with the family.”

Zorn liked playing cards with his mother and nieces during visits, Andersen said.

Zorn is survived by his parents, Myron and JoAnn of Wright, a brother, a grandmother and others. Funeral arrangements were pending.

Was in military for 15 years

The Associated Press

Ryan Zorn used to volunteer for holiday work shifts so other soldiers could spend time with their families, his mother said.

When he made it home, he played cards with his mother and two nieces.

“He didn’t drink, and when he came home on leave, he always just stayed at home with the family,” said the soldier’s mother, JoAnn Zorn, of Wright, Wyo.

Zorn, 35, of Upton, Wyo., died Nov. 16 in a vehicle rollover in Tal Afar, Iraq. He was based at Fort Riley, Kan.

He trained there to be part of a military transition team — a small group of soldiers that advises and teaches Iraqi soldiers — and deployed in March for a yearlong tour.

Zorn was on his third tour in Iraq when he was killed, and during a 15-year military career, he had been stationed across the United States and in Germany, Saudi Arabia and Korea, his mother said.

Zorn also is survived by his father, Myron; his brother; his grandmother; his nephew; and other relatives.