Left of the Dial

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq:

Florence B. Choe, 35, of El Cajon, Calif.; lieutenant, Navy. Choe was one of two military personnel killed Friday when an insurgent posing as an Afghan National Army soldier opened fire on U.S. military personnel. Choe was assigned to Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan at Camp Shaheen in Mazar-E-Sharif, Afghanistan.

Jose R. Escobedo Jr., 32, of Albuquerque; sergeant, Army. Escobedo died March 20 in Baghdad of noncombat-related injuries suffered a day earlier at Forward Operating Base Kalsu in Iskandariya, Iraq, southeast of the capital. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Raphael A. Futrell, 26, of Anderson, S.C.; staff sergeant, Army. Futrell died of noncombat-related injuries Wednesday in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 13th Military Police Detachment, 728th Military Police Battalion, 8th Military Police Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command at Ft. Shafter, Hawaii.

Daniel J. Geary, 22, of Rome, N.Y.; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Geary was killed March 20 when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee in southern Afghanistan's Farah province, on the Iranian border. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Adam J. Hardt, 19, of Avondale, Ariz.; private first class, Army. Hardt died of noncombat-related injuries March 22 at Forward Operating Base Airborne in Afghanistan's Wardak province, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

Michael W. Ouellette, 28, of Manchester, N.H.; corporal, Marine Corps. Ouellette was one of two Marines killed in combat March 22 in Afghanistan's Helmand province, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Francis L. Toner IV, 26, of Narragansett, R.I.; lieutenant junior grade, Navy. Toner was one of two military personnel killed Friday when an insurgent posing as an Afghan National Army soldier opened fire on U.S. military personnel. Toner was assigned to Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan at Camp Shaheen in Mazar-E-Sharif, Afghanistan.

Anthony L. Williams, 21, of Oxford, Pa.; corporal, Marine Corps. Williams was one of two Marines killed in combat March 22 in Afghanistan's Helmand province, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq:

Christopher P. Abeyta, 23, of Midlothian, Ill.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Abeyta was among four troops killed March 15 when their armored Humvee struck a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan. He died of his injuries at a military base in Jalalabad, east of Kabul. Abeyta was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Woodstock, Ill.

Timothy L. Bowles, 24, of Tucson; staff sergeant, Air Force. Bowles was among four troops killed March 15 when their armored Humvee struck a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan. He died at the scene. Bowles was assigned to the 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

Norman L. Cain III, 22, of Oregon, Ill.; specialist, Army National Guard. Cain was among four troops killed March 15 when their armored Humvee struck a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan. He died at the scene. Cain was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Woodstock, Ill.

Gary L. Moore, 25, of Del City, Okla.; specialist, Army. Moore was killed Monday when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 978th Military Police Company, 93rd Military Police Battalion at Ft. Bliss, Texas.

Archie A. Taylor, 37, of Tomball, Texas; staff sergeant, Marine Corps. Taylor died March 14 of noncombat-related injuries in Afghanistan's Kabul province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Intelligence Battalion, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Robert M. Weinger, 24, of Round Lake Beach, Ill.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Weinger was among four troops killed March 15 when their armored Humvee struck a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan. He died of his injuries at a military base in Jalalabad, east of Kabul. Weinger was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Woodstock, Ill.

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Gulf of Aden:

Theophilus K. Ansong, 34, of Bristow, Va.; petty officer first class, Navy. Ansong was lost at sea Feb. 4. He was assigned to the amphibious transport dock ship San Antonio as it conducted operations in the Gulf of Aden.

Patrick A. Devoe II, 27, of Auburn, N.Y.; private first class, Army. Devoe died March 8 in Kandau Kalay, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division at Ft. Richardson, Alaska.

Daniel B. Hyde, 24, of Modesto; first lieutenant, Army. Hyde died March 7 in Samarra, Iraq, of wounds sustained in Tikrit when an explosive device struck his vehicle. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Patrick A. Malone, 21, of Ocala, Fla.; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Malone died Tuesday as a result of a nonhostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq:

Jeffrey A. Reed, 23, of Chesterfield, Va.; sergeant, Army. Reed died Monday in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by a grenade in Taji, Iraq. He was assigned to the 411th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Simone A. Robinson, 21, of Dixmoor, Ill.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Robinson died March 1 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, of wounds sustained Jan. 17 when an improvised explosive device detonated near her security post in Kabul, Afghanistan. She was assigned to the 634th Brigade Support Battalion of the Illinois Army National Guard in Crestwood, Ill.

Jessica Y. Sarandrea, 22, of Miami, Fla.; private first class, Army. Sarandrea died Tuesday in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked her forward operating base with mortar fire. She was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Donte J. Whitworth, 21, of Noblesville, Ind.; corporal, Marine Corps. Whitworth died Feb. 28 as a result of a non-hostile vehicle accident in Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 15, 1st Marine Logistics Group, Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz. 

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq:

Micheal B. Alleman, 31, of Logan, Utah; corporal, Army. Alleman was among three soldiers killed Monday when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Ft. Wainwright, Alaska.

Mark C. Baum, 32, of Telford, Pa.; staff sergeant, Army National Guard. Baum died Feb. 21 in Baghdad of injuries suffered when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Mushada, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Pennsylvania.

Jeremy E. Bessa, 26, of Woodridge, Ill.; staff sergeant, Army. Bessa was one of two soldiers killed Feb. 20 when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb and their unit was then attacked with small-arms fire near the village of Khordi in southern Afghanistan's Oruzgan province. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Brian M. Bunting, 29, of Potomac, Md.; captain, Army National Guard. Bunting was among four soldiers killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. He was a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, assigned to the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Syracuse, N.Y.

Brian M. Connelly, 26, of Union Beach, N.J.; specialist, Army. Connelly was killed Thursday when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Adhamiya, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 40th Engineer Battalion, Task Force 1-6, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division in Baumholder, Germany.

William E. Emmert, 36, of Lincoln, Tenn.; first lieutenant, Army National Guard. Emmert was killed Tuesday when two men wearing Iraqi police uniforms opened fire during a U.S. military inspection visit to a police outpost in Mosul, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 269th Military Police Company, 117th Military Police Battalion in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

David L. Hurt, 36, of Tucson; master sergeant, Army. Hurt was one of two soldiers killed Feb. 20 when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb and their unit was then attacked with small-arms fire near the village of Khordi in southern Afghanistan's Oruzgan province. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Michael L. Mayne, 21, of Burlington Flats, N.Y.; corporal, Army. Mayne was among three soldiers killed Monday when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Ft. Wainwright, Alaska.

Zachary R. Nordmeyer, 21, of Indianapolis; corporal, Army. Nordmeyer was among three soldiers killed Monday when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Ft. Wainwright, Alaska.

Schuyler B. Patch, 25, of Owasso, Okla.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Patch was among four soldiers killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Kewanee, Ill.

Scott B. Stream, 39, of Mattoon, Ill.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Stream was among four soldiers killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Effingham, Ill.

Daniel J. Thompson, 24, of Madison, Wis.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Thompson was among four soldiers killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. He was a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, assigned to the 715th Military Police Company in Melbourne, Fla.