U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq

As of Friday, Jan. 21, 2011, at least 4,436 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to iCasualties.org.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, more than 32,000 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department’s latest available tally.

U.S. Troop Casualties in Iraq

Latest identifications:

Army Sgt. Michael P. Bartley, 23, Barnhill, Ill., died Jan. 15, 2011 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an Iraqi soldier from the unit with which he was training shot him with small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Army Spc. Martin J. “Mick” Lamar, 43, Sacramento, Calif., died Jan. 15, 2011 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an Iraqi soldier from the unit with which he was training shot him with small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Army Spc. Jose A. Torre Jr., 21, Garden Grove, Calif., died Jan.15, 2011 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a rocket-propelled grenade. He was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

Army Reserve Maj. Michael S. Evarts, 41, Concord, Ohio, died Jan. 17, in Tikrit, Iraq, in a noncombat-related incident. He was assigned to the 256th Combat Support Hospital, U.S. Army Reserve, Twinsburg, Ohio.

Navy Operations Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Dominique D. Cruz, 26, Panama City, Fla., died January 18, 2011 in the Gulf of Oman. She was reported missing Jan. 18 and found during search-and-rescue operations Jan. 19. She was assigned to the destroyer USS Halsey, homeported in San Diego, but currently deployed to the Fifth Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations.

U.S. Military Deaths in Afghanistan

As of Friday, Jan. 21, 2011, at least 1,466 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan as a result of the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to iCasualties.org.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, 9,256 U.S. service members have been wounded as of Nov. 30, 2010, according to iCasualties.org.

Latest identifications:

Army Sgt. Zainah C. Creamer, 28, Texarkana, Texas, died Jan. 12, 2011 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked her unit with an improvised explosive device. She was assigned to the 212th Military Police Detachment, Headquaters Battalion, Fort Belvoir, Va.

Army Maj. Evan J. Mooldyk, 47, Ranch Murieto, Calif., died Jan. 12, 2011 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, in a noncombat-related incident. He was assigned to the 19th Sustainment Command, 377th Theater Sustainment Command, Belle Chasse, La.

Army Pfc. Zachary S. Salmon, 21, Harrison, Ohio, died Jan. 12, 2011 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. [Pfc. Salmon, deployed as a gunner in an armored vehicle, was shot by a sniper. He had not yet completed a full year in the military, having joined in March 2010.]

Marine Cpl. Joseph C. Whitehead, 22, Axis, Ala., died Jan. 17, 2011 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Army Spc. Joshua T. Lancaster, 22, Millbrook, Ala., died Jan. 19, 2011in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked the Kandahar airfield with indirect fire. He was assigned to the 184th Ordnance Battalion, 52nd Ordnance Group, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Marine Sgt. Jason G. Amores, 29, Lehigh Acres, Fla., died Jan. 20, 2011 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Army Pfc. Amy R. Sinkler, 23, Chadbourn, N.C., died Jan. 20, 2011 in Baghlan province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked her unit with a rocket-propelled grenade. She was assigned to the 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

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Remember Their Sacrifice

Related links

Iraq Casualties

Afghanistan Casualties

Honor the Fallen

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Destroyer Halsey Sailor Who Went Overboard ID’d

By Sam Fellman

January 2011

The Navy has identified the destroyer Halsey sailor who went missing Tuesday [Jan. 18, 2011] in the Gulf of Oman.

The body of Operations Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Dominique Dionne Cruz, 26, was recovered by a helicopter on Wednesday, 18 hours after she failed to show up at watch, according to a 5th Fleet spokesman.

A helicopter spotted the body in the water and lowered a rescue swimmer, who recovered the body, Lt. Frederick Martin said. The body was found 75 miles east of Fujairah, a port city on the East Coast of the United Arab Emirates.

Helicopters from Halsey, supply oiler Rainier, Royal Navy frigate Cumberland and the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, as well as F/A-18 Hornets and P-3 Orion reconnaissance planes, carried out the search.

The Panama City, Fla. native enlisted June 6, 2006, and had served on Halsey for four years.

An investigation into her death is underway.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 21, 2010

Bachmann High on Year-End Lists

Rep. Michele Bachmann (Photo credit: The Washington Independent)

One year ago today, I reported that, for the second year running, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann figured prominently in 2009 year-end lists documenting outrageous political behavior.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: Two Years Ago — January 21, 2009

Obama’s Agenda . . . Day 1: Iraq

U.S. Army Sgt. James Bishop, center, and other soldiers from the 229th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, watch the inauguration of President Barack Obama at Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (Photo credit: Maya Alleruzzo / AP)

Two years ago today, on Jan. 21, 2009, I reported that in his inaugural address President Barack Obama promised to “begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people” and forge “a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan,” and that his promise to end the war in Iraq was on the agenda for the first full day of his presidency, January 21, 2009, when the new commander in chief was scheduled to meet with his top national security aides and senior commanders.