U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq

As of Tuesday, June 15, 2010, at least 4,406 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 31,860 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department’s weekly tally.

U.S. Troop Casualties in Iraq

Latest identifications:

Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Steve M. Theobald, 53, Goose Creek, S.C., died June 4, 2010 near Kuwait City, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a military vehicle rollover. He was assigned to the 287th Transportation Company, 143rd Sustainment Command, Livingston, Ala.

Army Sgt. Israel P. “Izzy” O’Bryan, 24, Newbern, Tenn., died June 11, 2010 in Jalula, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (suicide car bombing). He was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Army Cpl. William C. Yauch, 23, of Batesville, Ark., died June 11, 2010 in Jalula, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (suicide car bombing). He was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

U.S. Military Deaths in Afghanistan

As of Friday, June 11, 2010, at least 1,026 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department.

Latest identifications:

Army 2nd Lt. Michael E. McGahan, 23, Orlando, Fla., died June 6, 2010 in Khogyani district, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit using small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Army Spc. Brendan P. Neenan, 21, Enterprise, Ala., died June 7, 2010 at Jelawar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Marine Sgt. John K. Rankel, 23, Speedway, Ind., died June 7, 2010 [when he was hit by enemy fire] while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Army Sgt. Erick J. Klusacek, 22, Calcium, N.Y., died June 8, 2010 at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Gerda Serai, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat incident [vehicle incident]. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Marine Sgt. Derek L. Shanfield, 22, Hastings, Pa., died June 8, 2010 [reportedly when he stepped on an IED] while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Marine Sgt. Zachary J. Walters, 24, Palm Coast, Fla., died June 8, 2010 [reportedly when he stepped on an IED] while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Air Force Tech Sgt. Michael P. Flores, 31, San Antonio, Texas, died June 9, 2010 near Forward Operating Base Jackson, Afghanistan, when insurgents shot down his HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade during a medical-evacuation mission in Helmand province. He was assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

Air Force 1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, 25, Grass Lake, Mich., died June 9, 2010 near Forward Operating Base Jackson, Afghanistan, when insurgents shot down his HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade during a medical-evacuation mission in Helmand province. He was assigned to the 58th Rescue Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

Marine Lance Cpl. Michael G. Plank, 25, Cameron Mills, N.Y., died June 9, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Air Force Staff Sgt. David C. Smith, 26, Eight Mile, Ala., died June 9, 2010 near Forward Operating Base Jackson, Afghanistan, when insurgents shot down his HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade during a medical-evacuation mission in Helmand province. He was assigned to the 66th Rescue Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

Air Force Senior Airman Benjamin D. White, 24, Erwin, Tenn., died June 9, 2010 near Forward Operating Base Jackson, Afghanistan, when insurgents shot down his HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade during a medical-evacuation mission in Helmand province. He was assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

Marine Lance Cpl. Gavin R. Brummund, 22, Arnold, Calif., died June 10, 2010 at Camp Bastion while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Army Spc. Christian M. Adams, 26, Sierra Vista, Ariz., died June 11, 2010 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from a non-combat incident. He was assigned to the 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Fike, 38, Conneautville, Pa., died June 11, 2010 at Forward Operating Base Bullard, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard, Connellsville, Pa.

Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Bryan A. Hoover, 29, West Elizabeth, Pa., died June 11, 2010 at Forward Operating Base Bullard, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard, Connellsville, Pa.

Army Sgt. Mario Rodriguez, 24, Smithville, Texas, died June 11, 2010 in Powrak, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. He was assigned to the 264th Clearance Company, 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne), 20th Engineer Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C.

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Related report

Airmen Killed in Medevac Crash

By Scott Fontaine
Military Times

Excerpts

The Pentagon has named the four rescue airmen who were killed June 9 when insurgents shot down their HH-60G Pave Hawk in southern Afghanistan.

Three airmen also were injured in the Pave Hawk incident, which occurred on the deadliest day for Air Force personnel at war in more than five years.

[One of the three injured airmen, Capt. David A. Wisniewski, 31, of Moville, Iowa (the pilot of the helicopter), died July 2 at the National Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained in the crash. The remaining two injured airmen, Capt. Anthony Simone and Tech. Sgt. Christopher Aguilera, were recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas.]

The four killed are:

• 1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, 25, of Grass Lake, Mich.
• Staff Sgt. David C. Smith, 26, of Eight Mile, Ala.
• Tech. Sgt. Michael P. Flores, 31, of San Antonio.
• Senior Airman Benjamin D. White, 24, of Erwin, Tenn.

[…]

The helicopter crashed as the airmen, assigned to 563rd Rescue Group, were performing a medical-evacuation mission in turbulent Helmand province. …

The last time four or more airmen died in a single day was May 30, 2005, when a prop plane crashed in Diyala province, Iraq. A fifth passenger, Iraqi Air Force Capt. Ali Abass, also died in that crash.

It was the bloodiest day in Afghanistan for the Air Force since Nov. 23, 2003, when four airmen were killed in a helicopter crash in Parwan province, according to icasualties.org, a website that tracks coalition deaths overseas.

The helicopter was providing support to British troops at the time of the attack, according to The New York Times. The newspaper, quoting a Taliban spokesman, said insurgents shot down the helicopter over the Sangin district bazaar with a rocket-propelled grenade. …

Flores, a 32-year-old pararescueman, had earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and deployed eight times during his 12 years in the service. White, a 24-year-old pararescueman, had served in the Air Force since July 2006 and was on his first deployment.

Gentz, 25, a combat rescue officer, studied aerospace engineering at Purdue University and enrolled in ROTC because he wanted to be a pilot and perform combat recue, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Smith, 26, was a flight engineer who had deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan during his nine-year career.

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Remember Their Sacrifice

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — June 15, 2009

Protesters hold placards with the words ‘No Cover Up’ and ‘No More Lies’ as they demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament in London, June 15, 2009. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced an independent inquiry into the Iraq war Monday, six years after his predecessor Tony Blair controversially backed the U.S.-led invasion. Brown said the probe would not “apportion blame” but simply seek to learn lessons to “strengthen the health of our democracy,” while praising the role of British forces in Iraq. But David Cameron, leader of the main opposition Conservatives who are expected to win the next general election, accused him of deliberately delaying its publication until after the election to avoid any “inconvenient conclusions.” (Photo credit: Shaun Curry / AFP — Getty Images)

Britain Orders Iraq War Inquiry

One-year retrospective: One year ago today I reported that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown authorized an inquiry into the Iraq war, but defied requests from bereaved families and campaigners to hold sessions in public.