Military Deaths

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

Spencer C. Akers, 35, of Traverse City, Mich.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Akers died Dec. 8 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio of injuries suffered Nov. 21 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee in Habbaniya, Iraq, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, Army National Guard in Saginaw, Mich.

Julia V. Atkins, 22, of Bossier City, La.; sergeant, Army. Atkins was killed Dec. 10 when an improvised explosive device detonated near her Humvee in Baghdad. She was assigned to the 64th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Keith A. Bennett, 32, of Holtwood, Pa.; staff sergeant, Army National Guard. Bennett was killed Dec. 11 when a car packed with explosives blew up after he stopped it at a checkpoint for a military base near Ramadi, Iraq, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 28th Military Police Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Army National Guard in Johnstown, Pa.

Kenith Casica, 32, of Virginia Beach, Va.; sergeant, Army. Casica was one of two soldiers killed Dec. 10 by small-arms fire in a firefight at a traffic control point in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Clarence L. Floyd Jr., 28, of Newark, N.J.; sergeant, Army. Floyd was killed Dec. 10 when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Taji, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Brian C. Karim, 22, of Talcott, W.Va.; sergeant, Army. Karim was among four soldiers killed Tuesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee in Taji, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor, 3rd Brigade Combat Team at Ft. Riley, Kan.

James C. Kesinger, 32, of Pharr, Texas; specialist, Army. Kesinger was among four soldiers killed Tuesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee in Taji, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor, 3rd Brigade Combat Team at Ft. Riley, Kan.

Jared W. Kubasak, 25, of Rocky Mount, Va.; specialist, Army. Kubasak was killed Monday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley fighting vehicle in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Carson, Colo.

Joseph A. Lucas, 23, of Augusta, Ga.; specialist, Army. Lucas was killed Thursday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee in Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

Curtis A. Mitchell, 28, of McConnelsville, Ohio; staff sergeant, Army. Mitchell was killed Monday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Abrams tank in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

John D. Morton, 31, of Stanton, Ky.; sergeant first class, Army. Morton was killed Thursday when his patrol was attacked with small-arms fire by Taliban fighters in the mountainous area around Kandahar in the Shah Wali Kot district of southern Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 74th Infantry Detachment (Long Range Surveillance), 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy.

James S. Moudy, 37, of Newark, Del.; sergeant first class, Army. Moudy was killed Dec. 11 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

Peter J. Navarro, 20, of Wildwood, Mo.; specialist, Army. Navarro was among four soldiers killed Tuesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee in Taji, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor, 3rd Brigade Combat Team at Ft. Riley, Kan.

Lex S. Nelson, 21, of Salt Lake City; specialist, Army. Nelson was killed Monday when he fell from a guard tower in Tikrit, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

Travis L. Nelson, 41, of Anniston, Ala.; staff sergeant, Army. Nelson was one of two soldiers killed Dec. 10 by small-arms fire in a firefight at a traffic control point in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Adrian N. Orosco, 26, of Corcoran, Calif.; sergeant, Army. Orosco was killed Dec. 9 when a car bomb exploded near him in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Irwin, Calif.

Kenneth B. Pospisil, 35, of Andover, Minn.; staff sergeant, Marine Corps. Pospisil was killed Wednesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near him in Ramadi, Iraq, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Michael B. Presley, 21, of Batesville, Miss.; corporal, Marine Corps. Presley died Wednesday at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany after being injured Monday by a suicide car bomber in Fallouja, Iraq, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Milton Rivera-Vargas, 55, of Boqueron, Puerto Rico; staff sergeant, Army National Guard. Rivera-Vargas died of a heart attack Dec. 8 while on guard duty in Kalsu, Iraq, south of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 296th Infantry Regiment, Army National Guard in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico.

Michael S. Zyla, 32, of Elgin, Ore.; staff sergeant, Army. Zyla was among four soldiers killed Tuesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee in Taji, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor, 3rd Brigade Combat Team at Ft. Riley, Kan.

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