Home of the Brave

March 8, 2010 Non-combat Deaths

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:22:49 GMT

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died March 8 north of Al Kut, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. They were assigned to the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, attached to the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

Killed were:

Sgt. Aaron M. Arthur, 25, of Lake City, S.C.

Spc. Lakeshia M. Bailey, 23, of Columbus, Ga.

For more information the media may contact the Fort Benning public affairs office at 706-545-6674.

February 21, 2010 Non-combat Deaths

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:43:37 GMT

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Feb. 21 in Qayyarah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when their OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter had a hard landing. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 230th Cavalry Regiment, Louisville, Tenn.

Killed were:

Capt. Marcus R. Alford, 28, of Knoxville, Tenn.

Chief Warrant Officer Billie J. Grinder, 25, of Gallatin, Tenn.

For more information, the media may contact the Tennessee National Guard public affairs office at 615-313-0662.

March 4, 2010 Non-combat Death

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:30:48 GMT

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Spc. Anthony A. Paci, 30, of Rockville, Md., died Mar. 4 at Gereshk, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered during a vehicle rollover. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry, 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

For more information the media may contact the Joint Base Lewis-McChord public affairs office at 253-967-0147/ 0152, or after duty hours at 253-967-0015.

February 19, 2010 Non-combat death

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:33:05 GMT

Lance Cpl. Joshua H. Birchfield, 24, of Westville, Ind., died Feb. 19 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

This incident is currently under investigation.

For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at 760-725-8766.

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Media releases say that Cpl. Birchfield was shot and killed by a civilian contractor.

March 2010 Non-combat Death

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:13:20 GMT

A Marine private from Connecticut has died at Cherry Point in what military officials say was a "non-combat" death.

Private Timothy Koundry Jr. died Sunday at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. He was 22.

Marine officials would not say how Koundry died. The military defines a non-combat death as being by accident, homicide, negligence, illness or suicide. They said Koundry's death is under investigation by his command and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Cherry Point said around 7:45 p.m. Koundry was found dead in his barracks room. Marines say emergency services were called and Koundry was pronounced dead at the scene.

Koundry served in the Marine Corps for one year and ten months as an Intermediate Aviation Ordnance Technician.

February 23, 2010 Non-combat Death

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:15:31 GMT

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cpl. Daniel T. O'Leary, 23, of Youngsville, N.C., died Feb. 23 in Fallujah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 307th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

For more information, media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at 910-432-0661, or 910-432-0662.

February 21, 2010 Non-combat Death

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:25:51 GMT

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Marcos Gorra, 22, of North Bergen, N.J., died Feb. 21 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

For more information the media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at 910- 432-0661, or 910-432-0662.

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According to Gorra's family, he was killed in a training incident.

Editor's note: the DOD is currently avoiding the term "noncombat" in its death announcements.

January 26, 2010 Non-comhat Death

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:40:15 GMT

Sgt. Carlos E. Gill, 25, of Fayetteville, N.C., died Jan. 26 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center of an illness. He was evacuated from Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, Dec. 19, 2009, where he was supporting combat operations. Gill was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

For more information media may contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at 253-967-0152 or 253-967-0147.

February 16, 2010 Non-combat Death

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:37:44 GMT

A Navy reservist from Fort Worth who deployed to Kuwait last summer died Tuesday in what the military described as a noncombat incident. Petty Officer 1st Class Sean L. Caughman, 43, was assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 22, a Seabee unit based at Naval Air Station Fort Worth. A Navy spokeswoman said his death is under investigation but declined to offer more details. Caughman was mobilized last June, according to Navy records. He enlisted in 2000 and had earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and three Meritorious Service Medals, according to records.

January 20, 2010 Non-combat Death

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 12:37:23 GMT

Pfc. Gifford E. Hurt, 19, of Yonkers, N.Y., died Jan. 20, in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related accident. He was assigned to the 1^st Battalion, 14^th Field Artillery Regiment, 214^th Fires Brigade, 4^th Infantry Division, Fort Sill, Okla.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.

For more information the media may contact the Fort Sill Public Affairs Office at 580-917-2663 or 580-917-7960.