U.S. Military Deaths in Afghanistan

As of Friday, May 31, 2013, at least 2,229 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, 17,674 U.S. service members have been wounded as of Sept. 30, 2012, according to iCasualties.org.

Latest identifications:

Army Green Beret Staff Sgt. Michael H. Simpson, 30, San Antonio, Texas, died May 1 in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit on April 27 with an improvised explosive device in Arian, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Army Pfc. Charles P. McClure, 21, Stratford, Okla., died May 2, 2013 in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Army Spc. Trinidad Santiago Jr., 25, San Diego, Calif., died May 2, 2013 in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Air Force Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III, 30, Bakersfield, Calif., died May 3, 2013 near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, in the crash of a KC-135 aircraft. He was assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.

Air Force Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney, 27, Palmdale, Calif., died May 3, 2013 near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, in the crash of a KC-135 aircraft. She was assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.

Air Force Capt. Mark T. Voss, 27, Colorado Springs, Colo., died May 3, 2013 near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, in the crash of a KC-135 aircraft. He was assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Eric D. Christian, 39, Warwick, N.Y., died May 4, 2013 [in an apparent “insider attack” by a soldier with the Afghan National Army] while conducting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Army Spc. Kevin Cardoza, 19, Mercedes, Texas, died May 4, 2013 in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army 1st Lt. Brandon J. Landrum, 26, Lawton, Okla., died May 4, 2013 in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Spc. Thomas P. Murach, 22, Meridian, Idaho, died May 4, 2013 in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Staff Sgt. Francis G. Phillips IV, 28, Meridian, N.Y., died May 4, 2013 in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Spc. Brandon J. Prescott, 24, Bend, Ore., died May 4, 2013 in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Marine Corps Cpl. David M. Sonka, 23, Parker, Colo., died May 4, 2013 [in an apparent “insider attack” by a soldier with the Afghan National Army] while conducting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey C. Baker, 29, Hesperia, Calif., died May 14, 2013 in Sanjaray, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 766th Ordnance Company, 63rd Ordnance Battalion, 52nd Ordnance Group, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Army Spc. Mitchell K. Daehling, 24, Dalton, Mass., died May 14, 2013 in Sanjaray, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Spc. William J. Gilbert, 24, Hacienda Heights, Calif., died May 14, 2013 in Sanjaray, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Pfc. Cody J. Towse, 21, Elk Ridge, Utah, died May 14, 2013 in Sanjaray, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Trenton L. Rhea, 33, Oakley, Kan., died May 15, 2013 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, after drowning while attempting to cross a body of water during combat operations. He was assigned to the 603rd Military Police Company, 530th Military Police Battalion, 300th Military Police Brigade, 200th Military Police Command, U.S. Army Reserve, Belton, Mo.

Army Sgt. Eugene M. Aguon, 23, Mangilao, Guam, died May 16, 2013 in Kabul, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Fort Juan Muna, Guam.

Army Spc. Dwayne W. Flores, 22, Sinajana, Guam, died May 16, 2013 in Kabul, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Fort Juan Muna, Guam.

Army National Guard Spc. Christopher R. Drake, 20, Tickfaw, La., died May 26, 2013, in Bagram, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade. He was assigned to the 1084th Transportation Company, 165th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, 139th Regional Support Group, Louisiana National Guard, Reserve, La.

Army Staff Sgt. Joe A. Nunezrodriguez, 29, Pasadena, Texas, died May 30, 2013 in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, from injuries sustained when his vehicle struck an Improvised Explosive Device. He was assigned to the 68th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Remember Their Sacrifice

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Related reports

Seven U.S. Troops Killed in Separate Afghan Attacks

Video

5 service members killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan (MSNBC, May 4, 2013) — MSNBC’s Craig Melvin reports that five U.S. service members were killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. (00:28)

By Kiko Itasaka, Jason White and Matthew DeLuca

May 4, 2013

Seven U.S. troops were killed Saturday in two separate incidents in Afghanistan – the second time in the past week that so many American lives were lost in a single day in the war-torn country.

Five were killed in an attack involving an improvised explosive device in the southern part of Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance Force said in a statement. Kandahar governor’s spokesperson Jawed Faizel said the device was a large roadside bomb.

Two other U.S. troops died after an Afghan National Army soldier turned his weapon on them in what is commonly referred to as a “green on blue” attack [link added], the ISAF said. In addition, the ISAF said another coalition service member died after an insurgent attack in northern Afghanistan, but the nationality was not released.

Nineteen American personnel have died over the past week, including a series of air crashes and the attacks on Saturday. Seven people died when a U.S. civilian cargo plane crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff from Bagram Airfield outside Kabul earlier in the week. …

Full report

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Six Americans, Afghan Children Among Dead in Kabul Suicide Attack

Video

At least 12 killed by suicide bomber in Afghanistan (NBC “Today,” May 16, 2013) — At least six Americans and six Afghan citizens were killed after a convoy carrying two American soldiers and four contractors was targeted by a suicide bomber. NBC’s Atia Abawi reports. (00:51)

By Atia Abawi and Fazal Ahad

May 16, 2013

KABUL, Afghanistan — Six Americans were among at least 15 people killed when a suicide bomber targeted a convoy carrying foreign troops in Kabul on Thursday, NATO sources and local officials said.

The American victims included two soldiers and four civilian contractors, the NATO source added.

Two children were among the Afghan victims, Afghan officials said.

About 40 people were injured in the powerful blast, which took place at around 8 a.m. local time. …

Full story

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Last Inspection: Precise Ritual of Dressing Nation’s War Dead

Staff Sgt. Miguel Deynes prepares a final uniform for Capt. Aaron R. Blanchard, 32, at the Dover Air Force Base mortuary. (Photo credit: Ashley Gilbertson for The New York Times)

By James Dao

May 26, 2013 (p. A1)

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. — The soldier bent to his work, careful as a diamond cutter. He carried no weapon or rucksack, just a small plastic ruler, which he used to align a name plate, just so, atop the breast pocket of an Army dress blue jacket, size 39R.

“Blanchard,” the plate read.

Capt. Aaron R. Blanchard, a 32-year-old Army pilot, had been in Afghanistan for only a few days when an enemy rocket killed him and another soldier last month as they dashed toward their helicopter. Now he was heading home.

But before he left the mortuary here, he would need to be properly dressed. And so Staff Sgt. Miguel Deynes labored meticulously, almost lovingly, over every crease and fold, every ribbon and badge, of the dress uniform that would clothe Captain Blanchard in his final resting place. …

Once the body is ready, the mortuary staff prepares dress uniforms for each, even if the coffin is closed at the funeral with the uniform laid on top of the remains, and even if the body is to be cremated. …

Sergeant Deynes began putting the final touches on Captain Blanchard’s uniform immediately after it returned from the base tailor, who had sewn captain’s bars onto the jacket shoulders and purple and gold aviator braids onto the sleeves — three inches above the bottom, to be exact. The sergeant starched and pressed a white shirt, ironed a crease into the pants, steamed wrinkles out of the jacket and then rolled a lint remover over all of it, twice.

Gently, he laid the pieces onto a padded table. Black socks protruded from the pants and white gloves from the sleeves. The funeral would be a closed coffin, but it all still had to look right.

“They are not going to see it,” he said. “I do it for myself.”

A week later, Captain Blanchard’s remains were flown to his home state, Washington, where he was buried in a military cemetery near Spokane.

His mother, Laura Schactler, said Captain Blanchard enlisted in the Marines after high school and served two tours in Iraq before marrying and returning home to attend college on an Army R.O.T.C. scholarship. After graduating, he learned to fly Apache attack helicopters, fulfilling a boyhood dream.

Before his funeral, Ms. Schactler spent time alone with her son but did not open his coffin. But later that night, she said, her husband and two other sons did, wanting to say one last farewell.

Inside, they saw a uniform, white gloves crossed, buttons gleaming, perfect in every detail.

Full story