In Memoriam

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

Conrad Alvarez, 22, of Big Spring, Texas; sergeant, Army. Alvarez was among three soldiers who died Wednesday of injuries suffered a day earlier when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Albert Bitton, 20, of Chicago; corporal, Army. Bitton was among three soldiers who died Wednesday of injuries suffered a day earlier when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Chad D. Groepper, 21, of Kingsley, Iowa; specialist, Army. Groepper was one of two soldiers killed Feb. 17 when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire while on foot patrol in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Bryant W. Mackey, 30, of Eureka, Kan.; staff sergeant, Army. Mackey was killed Wednesday when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle in Mosul, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Micheal B. Matlock Jr., 21, of Glen Burnie, Md.; specialist, Army. Matlock was among three soldiers who died Wednesday of injuries suffered a day earlier when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Nathan R. Raudenbush, 25, of Port Wentworth, Ga.; captain, Army. Raudenbush was killed Wednesday when his Humvee struck a roadside bomb in southern Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

Luke S. Runyan, 21, of Spring Grove, Pa.; specialist, Army. Runyan was one of two soldiers killed Feb. 17 when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire while on foot patrol in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.