U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq

As of Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010, at least 4,373 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, 31,620 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 Spc. David A. Croft Jr., 22, Plant City, Fla., died Jan. 5, 2010 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Army Pfc. Michael R. Jarrett, 20, North Platte, Neb., died Jan. 6, 2010 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Illesheim, Germany.

Army Sgt. Ryan J. Hopkins, 21, Livermore, Calif., died Jan. 8, 2010 at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, of injuries sustained in a motor pool accident in Baghdad on Oct. 4, 2008. At the time of the incident, he was assigned to the 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. At the time of his death, he was assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas.

U.S. Military Deaths in Afghanistan

As of Friday, Jan. 8, 2010, at least 868 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 Sgt. 1st Class Jason O. B. Hickman, 35, Kingsport, Tenn., died Jan. 7, 2010 at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered earlier that day at Combat Outpost Bowri Tana, when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire. He was assigned to the Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. 

Marine Lance Cpl. Mark D. Juarez, 23, San Antonio, Texas, died Jan. 9, 2010 when a roadside bomb blast hit his vehicle while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii [see clarification below]. [Also killed in the blast was Sunday Mirror reporter Rupert Hamer, the first British journalist to die in Afghanistan.]

Marine Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Meinert, 20, Fort Atkinson, Wis., died Jan. 10, 2010 from injuries sustained when he stepped on or near a land mine in Nawa district while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Marine Staff Sgt. Matthew N. Ingham, 25, Altoona, Pa., died Jan. 11, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Now Zad, Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan. [Staff Sgt. Ingham’s platoon commander said he died after saving about 12 fellow Marines by crawling, while wounded, to call in air support, exposing himself to additional fire.]

Marine Cpl. Jamie R. Lowe, 21, Johnsonville, Ill., died Jan. 11, 2010 in a firefight while supporting combat operations in Now Zad, Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.

Marine Cpl. Nicholas K. Uzenski, 21, Tomball, Texas., died Jan. 11, 2010 in a firefight while supporting combat operations in Now Zad, Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.

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Clarification: Pentagon Admits Mistake

California GI not killed; Texas Marine with near-identical name was real victim of Afghan battle

Video

Wrong Marine reported killed (NBC News, Jan. 12, 2010) — The Pentagon mixes up the identity of a Marine killed in Afghanistan with another Marine with a similar name, scaring his California family. KGET’s Jennifer Duck reports. (01:48)

Jan. 13, 2010

A Marine identified Monday as killed in action said he was pretty sure the Pentagon had made a mistake. A few hours later, the Pentagon agreed.

The Department of Defense announced Mark A. Juarez, 22, of Bakersfield, Calif., had been killed Saturday in Afghanistan. The news release named his battalion, regiment, division, assignment and his base, according to NBC News affiliates in his hometown and in Hawaii, where he is now based.

Lance Cpl. Mark A. Juarez had recently returned from Afghanistan and had visited family in California on his way back, Honolulu’s KHNL reported. …

The military had in fact made an in-person notification Sunday at the home of the Texas Marine who was the real victim of the Afghan firefight — Mark D. Juarez, 23, the station said.

The Department of Defense said the wrong file had accidentally been pulled. …

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Remember Their Sacrifice

Related links

Iraq Casualties

Afghanistan Casualties

Honor the Fallen

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 13, 2009

On Dec. 7, 2002, prior to the March 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein delivered a 11,800-page weapons disclosure to U. N. inspectors in Baghdad, which he said proved that Iraq had no illegal weapons programs.

Bush Rewriting History on Iraq?

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I responded to the final press conference of the Bush presidency, in which George W. Bush reflected on the run-up to the Iraq war, noting that in response to President Bush’s ultimatum to Iraq to disclose illegal weapons and disarm — or face serious consequences — Saddam Hussein on December 7, 2002 apologized for invading Kuwait in 1990 and delivered a 11,800-page weapons disclosure to U. N. inspectors in Baghdad, which he said proved that Iraq had no illegal weapons programs.