Military deaths

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

Joshua C. Blaney, 25, of Matthews, N.C.; corporal, Army. Blaney was one of two soldiers killed Wednesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle at Forward Operating Base Curry, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade at Camp Ederle, Italy.

Mark T. Carter, 27, of Fallbrook, Calif.; chief petty officer, Navy. Carter was killed in combat Tuesday during a mission in an undisclosed area of Iraq. He was assigned as a Navy SEAL at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Norfolk, Va.

Gregory L. Elam, 39, of Columbus, Ga.; staff sergeant, Army. Elam died of a noncombat-related illness Tuesday in Kandahar, Afghanistan, south of Kabul. He was assigned to the 54th Quartermaster Company, 49th Quartermaster Group, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Ft. Lee, Va.

Michael J. Gabel, 30, of Crowley, La.; staff sergeant, Army. Gabel was one of two soldiers killed Wednesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle at Forward Operating Base Curry, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade at Camp Ederle, Italy.

Samuel E. Kelsey, 24, of Troup, Texas; sergeant, Army. Kelsey was killed Thursday when an improvised explosive device detonated near him in Tunnis, Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

Johnathan A. Lahmann, 21, of Richmond, Ind.; corporal, Army. Lahmann died Monday in Tikrit, Iraq, of injuries suffered that day when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baiji, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 59th Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Jonathan A. Lowery, 38, of

Houlton, Maine; sergeant, Army. Lowery died Friday in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit using small-arms fire. He

was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Corps at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Brynn J. Naylor, 21, of Roswell, N.M.; specialist, Army. Naylor was killed Thursday when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Carson, Colo.

Tanner J. O’Leary, 23, of Eagle Butte, S.D.; corporal, Army. O’Leary was killed Dec. 9 when a roadside bomb exploded near his patrol unit in Musa Qala in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Randy W. Pickering, 31, of Bovey, Minn.; specialist, Army. Pickering died of noncombat-related injuries Dec. 9 in Baghdad. He was assigned to the Regimental Support Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Vilseck, Germany.

Daren A. Smith, 19, of Helena, Mont.; private, Army. Smith died Thursday in Baghdad of wounds sustained from a noncombat-related incident. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Polk, La.

Sources: Department of Defense and the Associated Press