Navy Chief Joel Egan Baldwin

Died December 21, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

37 year old Joel Baldwin, of Arlington, Va.; assigned to Navy Mobile Construction Battalion 77, Gulfport, Miss.; killed Dec. 21 when his base dining facility was attacked in Mosul, Iraq.

Gulfport chief killed in Iraq mess hall blast

By Christopher Munsey

Navy Times staff writer

A Navy Seabee chief killed in the suicide bombing of a Mosul, Iraq, mess hall on Dec. 21 was remembered for his skilled teaching, dedicated leadership and civic involvement.

Chief Builder (SCW) Joel E. Baldwin, 37, was one of 14 service members killed in the attack. The explosion, which killed 22 and wounded 69, occurred as service members, civilian contractors and Iraqi guardsmen sat down for lunch at Forward Operating Base Marez.

“At this point, it looks like it was an improvised explosive device worn by an attacker,” Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Dec. 22 at a Pentagon news conference.

Myers did not say whether authorities believe the bomber worked at the base or got into the mess tent some other way. Baldwin was a member of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 7 out of Gulfport, Miss., which deployed to Guam and Iraq in October. He joined the battalion in April.

“Just a very good human being, an exceptional Navy leader and a great Seabee,” said Capt. Will McKerall, commanding officer of Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport.

McKerall said Baldwin’s most recent civic project was organizing a group that built a playground at his daughter’s elementary school.

Seabees are spread all over Iraq, and McKerall said Baldwin was performing general engineering evaluation work.

Born in Panama, Baldwin joined the Navy in 1988, and his home of record was listed as Arlington, Va.

Before coming to NMCB 7, Baldwin taught quality control to sailors training in Seabee ratings at the Naval Construction Training Center in Gulfport.

“He was recognized for being an exceptional instructor, he was on his way to other things,” McKerall said.

He leaves behind a wife, Claudia, and their 9-year-old daughter, Cali.

Claudia Baldwin, who works as an intern at the local Veterans Affairs hospital, also served as one of the battalion’s ombudsmen, linking families to the command, McKerall said.

A memorial service is being planned at Gulfport, McKerall said.

Baldwin’s death is not the first time Seabees have suffered a combat casualty in Iraq.

Seven Seabees from NMCB 14, a Reserve battalion out of Jacksonville, Fla., died in two separate attacks in Anbar over a three-day period in late April and early May.

Baldwin’s awards include two Navy Achievement Medals, four Good Conduct Medals, an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, two Overseas Service Ribbons, two National Defense Service Medals, two Navy “E” ribbons, the M16 rifle expert marksman device, and Sea Service deployment ribbons.

The Mississippi-based Keesler Federal Credit Union set up a memorial fund in his name, to help his wife and daughter, said spokeswoman Michelle Manley.

Those who want to donate to the Baldwin Memorial Fund, account number 80100.12, can mail donations to: Keesler Federal Credit Union, attention Baldwin Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 7001, Biloxi, MS 39534.

Marine Cpl. Binh N. Le

Died December 3, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

20 year old Binh Le, of Alexandria, Va.; assigned to 5th Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 3 of injuries sustained in enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq.

Posthumous citizenship granted to Marine killed in Iraq

By Brett Zongker

Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Va. — He was born in Vietnam and came to America at age 6. After growing up in northern Virginia, he joined the Marines even though he was not a U.S. citizen.

Cpl. Binh Le became an American on Thursday, but he could not attend the citizenship ceremony held in the shadow of the Pentagon. Last month, he was buried nearby in Arlington National Cemetery, the victim of a truck bomb in Iraq during a voluntary second tour of duty there.

Le, 20, grabbed his rifle when the truck packed with explosives attacked his military post Dec. 3. He had run to a position to fire on the driver and hold back the vehicle when it exploded. His commanding officer recommended him for a Silver Star.

“His final act of bravery saved the lives of others,” Capt. Christopher J. Curtain wrote in a letter read at the ceremony. “I will be forever grateful for his heroism.”

An estimated 37,000 citizens of other countries serve in the U.S. armed forces. Since the Iraq war began, 54 have been awarded posthumous citizenship.

Le was raised by his aunt and uncle in Alexandria, Va. His parents, Lien Van Tran and Kim Hoan Thi Nguyen, traveled from Vietnam for his funeral. They are divorced but would like to remain in the United States to be close to their son’s grave, Nguyen said.

“There’s no way to describe the pain,” she said.

Rep. James P. Moran, D-Va., said he is working to offer citizenship to Le’s parents, which could require congressional action.

“I think this is a compelling enough case that we can get a single bill for citizenship for his parents,” Moran said. “They certainly deserve it.”

Tran said they didn’t have a problem with their son enlisting in the Marine Corps, but they wanted him to have time to attend college.

“His main concern was to join the military so that he could help protect the country he loved so much,” Tran 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. William L. Meredith

Died September 21, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

26 year old William Meredith, of Virginia Beach, Va.; assigned to the 569th Engineer Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Sept. 21 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Soldier’s enlistment surprised father

The Associated Press

Master Sgt. Lloyd Lee Meredith was a bit surprised when his son, William “Lee” Meredith, called to say he had joined the military.

“Lee is the kindest, gentlest soul I have ever met in my life,” the elder Meredith said. “He never had a hard word for anybody. Would never fight anybody. He was not a fighter. He was very passive.”

It was even more surprising that Lee had chosen a combat specialty. Sandy Mahoney, the mother of Lee Meredith’s best friend Chris, said the timid boy had blossomed after the Army.

“I never saw him stand so tall and proud as in his uniform,” Mahoney said.

Meredith, 26, of Virginia Beach, Va., was killed Sept. 21 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, after enemy forces attacked the vehicle in which he was riding. He was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.

Mahoney fondly remembered all the times her son spent with Meredith, including the time Meredith lived with her and her son. Chris Mahoney had a bunk bed, and the two would argue over who would get the top bunk.

Now, Meredith was a guy who loved music and playing video games, and had hoped to propose soon to his longtime girlfriend.

“He took life day by day just trying to get by,” Chris Mahoney said of his friend.

Army 1st Lt. Todd W. Weaver

Died September 9, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

26 year old Todd Weaver, of Hampton, Va.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky; died Sept. 9 at COP Stout, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

Lt. leaves behind new wife, young daughter

The Associated Press

Todd Weaver’s idea of a romantic gift wasn’t jewelry. When his wife, Emma, celebrated her 21st birthday, he skipped the glittery stuff and took her skydiving.

“My husband was an amazing person who left this world too soon,” Emma said while eulogizing her husband. The couple’s daughter, Kiley, was born just nine months before Weaver left for his second deployment to Afghanistan.

He couldn’t see his daughter every day, but the Internet made it possible: His family sent video of the little girl walking around more than he’d ever seen.

Weaver, 26, of Hampton, Va., was killed Sept. 9 at COP Stout, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky. Weaver had attended the College of William and Mary, where he was a member of the ROTC. He had served in the National Guard, doing a tour in Iraq, before enrolling at the college.

Todd and Emma Weaver both attended Bruton High School in Virginia, but Emma told The Washington Post that she didn’t fall for the baseball and football star — who was always “the most popular guy” — right away.

Right before he left for Iraq, though, they were at a party together. It was raining. He ran outside in his socks, despite the rain, and gave her a kiss. When he came back, they were together every day.

Army Sgt. William R. Howdeshell

Died July 26, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

37 year old William Howdeshell, of Norfolk, Va.; assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died July 26 in Saqlawiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Spc. Charles E. Bilbrey Jr. and Spc. Jaime Rodriguez Jr.

From arlingtoncemetery.net:

They called him Sergeant Howdy, as in Howdy Doody, the 1950s television character with a perpetual smile. That was Sgt. William Howdeshell.

“They always come up with names for everyone,” Howdeshell’s wife Kimberly recalled. “He was a big joker. They did a lot of that over there. They keep their sanity by playing jokes.”

Howdeshell never graduated from high school, but he wasn’t just another kid from Illinois with an ear for Metallica and Slayer. He was sharp, smart enough to ace his ASVAB exams when he enlisted in the Navy two years before meeting his future bride. He was 26 when he signed up.

“He qualified for anything,” Kimberly said. “He had many, many choices when he joined.”

Back then, Howdeshell was living in Springfield, where he was born. He became an aviation electrician and set out to see the world. He’d always wanted to be a soldier, but an allergy to ants forced him to pick another branch.

Less than a month after the two met, Kimberly married Howdeshell in a simple civil ceremony in Virginia, while a hurricane brewed. They picked Aug. 26 — after all, her birthday is June 26, and he was born on Feb. 26.

“We were soul mates,” she said. “He just looked at me and said, ‘Let’s get married now.’ I said, ‘OK.’ “

Howdeshell was also married to the military. On Oct. 26, 2005, he realized his dream and joined the Army via a program that allows service members to transfer to different branches, allergies to ants notwithstanding.

“He loved the service, but he liked the Army a lot better,” Kimberly said. “He didn’t want a 9-to-5 job. He wanted to be out in the middle of everything. I was worried, but I supported him 110 percent.”

Howdeshell became a cavalry scout. The man who’d always loved shooting pretend guns on computers was soon riding in Humvees and shooting guns for real.
He went to Iraq in January 2007. Kimberly last saw him in June of that year, when he came home for a two-week leave.

“We were trying to see all of the family,” Kimberly said. “We spent a couple of days by ourselves. It was too fast.”

By month’s end, Howdeshell was back in harm’s way.

“I talked to him online the day before it happened,” Kimberly said. “He told me they were going on a dangerous mission. He wasn’t allowed to give me any more information.”

Army officials have filled in some blanks.

“His vehicle was first in line,” Kimberly said. “They hit an IED. I don’t know how to spell or pronounce the name of the town. He was killed immediately. He didn’t know anything. He felt nothing.”

Two other soldiers, Charles E. Bilbrey, 21, and Jaime Rodriguez, 19, died in the blast. Howdeshell, 37, was commanding the Humvee.

Kimberly says she and her husband knew his military career could end in tragedy. Nonetheless, he had just re-enlisted for six years, she said.

“He was in complete support of … the war and what we’re doing,” Kimberly said. “He loved what we were doing. The military was his life.”

Howdeshell was cremated and interred at Arlington National Cemetery after a funeral in St. Petersburg, Fla., where his wife and son live.

Army Spc. Herbeth A. Berrios-Campos

Died July 24, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

21 year old Herbeth Berrios-Campos, of Bealton, Va., assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died July 24 in Salman Pak, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident.

Quiet, confident described Berrios-Campos

The Associated Press

Herberth Berrios-Campos was an energetic and determined soldier before he even formally joined the military.

“He told me that he was going to join the program and be my highest-ranked cadet, and he was a man of his word, because that next term, he joined up and he stayed,” said Warren Fountain, who was Berrios-Campos’ Junior ROTC instructor in high school.

“If you asked him a question, he said he could do it. He never doubted himself. That’s one thing about Campos.”

Berrios-Campos, 21, of Bealeton, Va., died July 24 in Salman Park, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a noncombat incident. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.

Fountain remembered Berrios-Campos as a quiet but confident young man who enjoyed playing soccer and running cross-country. He said as a teen, Berrios-Campos often wore his uniform on days it wasn’t necessary so he could represent the military.

Capt. Joel Graves, his company commander, remembered Berrios-Campos for his “energetic youthfulness and humorous personality.”

Berrios-Campos is survived by his mother, Armida Carballos, and his father, Jose Campos.

Marine Master Sgt. Jerome D. Hatfield

Died July 11, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

36 year old Jerome Hatfield, of Axton, Va.; assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died July 11 while supporting combat operations in Khan Neshin, Afghanistan. Also killed was Cpl. Pedro A. Barboza Flores.

2 staff NCOs among latest Marine casualties

Staff report

Four Marines killed in Afghanistan’s Helmand province since Saturday have been identified by the Pentagon.

They are:

* Staff Sgt. David S. Spicer, 33, of Zanesfield, Ohio.

* Sgt. Michael W. Heede Jr., 22, of Delta, Pa.

* Master Sgt. Jerome D. Hatfield, 36, of Axton, Va.

* Lance Cpl. Pedro A. Barbozaflores, 27, of Glendale, Calif.

Spicer, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with 8th Engineer Support Battalion at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and Heede, a combat engineer with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion at Camp Pendleton, Calif., died Monday, officials said. The circumstances were not immediately known.

Hatfield, operations chief for Delta Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and Barbozaflores, a light armored vehicle crewman with 2nd LAR, died in a bomb blast Saturday, according to reports. Both were based at Lejeune.

Spicer joined the Corps in October 1994 and had been selected for promotion to gunnery sergeant, officials said. He is survived by a wife and a daughter. Heede enlisted in September 2005.

Hatfield, a former drill instructor, joined the Corps in June 1991, officials said. He is survived by his wife and three children. Barbozaflores joined the Corps in March 2008.

All four were part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, which earlier this month launched a major offensive to expel Taliban fighters from the Helmand River vall

Army Spc. Adam M. Kuligowski

Died April 6, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

21 year old Adam Kuligowski, of Arlington, Va.; assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Apr. 6 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.

Soldier was interested in exploring the world

The Associated Press

DERRY, N.H. — A soldier from Derry, N.H., who died in Afghanistan is being remembered by his teachers as an intelligent student who was interested in exploring the world.

Twenty-one-year-old Adam Kuligowski died Monday in Bagram in a non-combat incident. The case remains under investigation.

Kuligowski was a signals intelligence analyst assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. He entered the Army in October 2006 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2007.

In New Hampshire he attended Pinkerton Academy, where the flag was flown at half-staff Wednesday. The New Hampshire Union Leader reports he was involved with a student-run TV station and went to China as a member of the school’s first exchange program.

Among his family members is an older brother, Stefan, who is also in the Army, stationed in Thailand.

‘Spirit of adventure’ guided Kuligowski

The Associated Press

In high school, Adam M. Kuligowski made his mark on a 2004 trip to China when he climbed on a camel’s back and was photographed wearing his signature cowboy hat.

“Adam was a unique individual,” said John Barry, one of his former teachers. “He wasn’t one for formality or going by the rules. He had a spirit of adventure, for sure. He was the only kid who dared to get up on the camel in China.”

Kuligowski, 21, of Arlington, Va., died April 6 in Bagram of injuries from a noncombat incident. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.

The son of a foreign service officer, he grew up living in U.S. embassies in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

He was born weighing nearly 11 pounds and was a curious child who didn’t speak until after his first birthday, but then always spoke in complete sentences.

At his funeral, Kalia Kuligowski read excerpts from an essay her brother wrote. “Adam always saw things deeper than just face value,” she said. “Adam wrote, ‘I may not be a grade-A student or a star athlete, but I always thought I understood the big picture better than most.”

He also is survived by his parents, Michael and Tracie.