Military deaths

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, or who died at a U.S. military hospital of their injuries:

Jason E. Burkholder, 27, of Elida, Ohio; staff sergeant, Army National Guard. Burkholder was one of two soldiers killed Feb. 8 when a roadside bomb exploded as they were trying to help local police defuse it in southwest Afghanistan’s Helmand province. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Marion, Ill.

Peter J. Courcy, 22, of Frisco, Texas; specialist, Army. Courcy was one of two soldiers killed Tuesday when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan’s Khowst province. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Garnet R. Derby, 44, of Missoula, Mont.; lieutenant colonel, Army. Derby was among four soldiers killed Monday in a suicide car bomb attack in Mosul, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

James M. Dorsey, 23, of Beardstown, Ill.; specialist, Army. Dorsey died Feb. 8 in the east Baghdad neighborhood of Kamaliya after he was found unresponsive by fellow troops and efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Albert R. Jex, 23, of Phoenix; private first class, Army. Jex was among four soldiers killed Monday in a suicide car bomb attack in Mosul, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Kevin T. Preach, 21, of Bridgewater, Mass.; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Preach died Feb. 7 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio of burns and other injuries suffered Jan. 24 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.

Jonathan R. Roberge, 22, of Leominster, Mass.; private first class, Army. Roberge was among four soldiers killed Monday in a suicide car bomb attack in Mosul, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Marc J. Small, 29, of Collegeville, Pa.; staff sergeant, Army. Small was killed Thursday when his unit was attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire near Faramuz in southern Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Jared W. Southworth, 26, of Oakland, Ill.; first lieutenant, Army National Guard. Southworth was one of two soldiers killed Feb. 8 when a roadside bomb exploded as they were trying to help local police defuse it in southwest Afghanistan’s Helmand province. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Marion, Ill.

Christopher P. Sweet, 28, of Kahului, Hawaii; specialist, Army. Sweet died Feb. 6 in a noncombat-related incident at a military training base in Kirkush, Iraq, northeast of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Separate Infantry Brigade in Grafenwoehr, Germany.

Joshua A. Ward, 30, of Scottsville, Ky.; sergeant, Army. Ward was among four soldiers killed Monday in a suicide car bomb attack in Mosul, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Jason R. Watson, 19, of Many, La.; private first class, Army. Watson was one of two soldiers killed Tuesday when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan’s Khowst province. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Sources: Department of Defense, Times staff reports and the Associated Press