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. hospital of their injuries:

*

David R. Christoff Jr., 25, of Rossford, Ohio; sergeant, Marine Corps. Christoff was one of two Marines killed Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near them while on patrol in Iraq’s Al Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

*

Lee Hamilton Deal, 23, of West Monroe, La.; petty officer third class, Navy. Deal was killed in combat May 17 while serving with the Marine Corps’ Regimental Combat Team 5, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. He was permanently assigned to the 2nd Marine Division Fleet, Marine Force Atlantic at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

*

Steven W. Freund, 20, of Pittsburgh; private first class, Marine Corps. Freund was one of two Marines killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

*

Michael L. Hermanson, 21, of Fargo, N.D.; specialist, Army National Guard. Hermanson was killed Tuesday when his mine-protected vehicle was attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade and then came under small-arms fire while his unit was on patrol to clear roadside bombs near Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 164th Engineer Battalion, Army National Guard in Minot, N.D.

*

William J. Leusink, 21, of Maurice, Iowa; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Leusink was one of two Marines killed Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near them while on patrol in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

*

Christian Longsworth, 26, of Newark, N.J.; staff sergeant, Army. Longsworth was killed May 19 when his convoy was attacked with small-arms fire in central Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

*

Kevin A. Lucas, 20, of Greensboro, N.C.; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Lucas was killed in combat Friday in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

*

Caleb A. Lufkin, 24, of Knoxville, Ill.; private first class, Army. Lufkin died during surgery Thursday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., to treat injuries he suffered May 4 when a roadside bomb exploded near his mine-protected vehicle in Baghdad. Two other soldiers also were killed. He was assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo.

*

Robert G. Posivio III, 22, of Sherburn, Minn.; private first class, Marine Corps. Posivio was one of two Marines killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

*

Benito A. Ramirez, 21, of Edinburg, Texas; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Ramirez was killed May 21 when a roadside bomb exploded near him in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

**

War casualties

Total U.S. deaths* as of Friday:

* In and around Iraq: 2,465

* In and around Afghanistan: 235

* Other locations: 57

Source: Department of Defense

* Includes military and Department of Defense-employed civilian personnel killed in action and in nonhostile circumstances

Sources: Department of Defense and the Associated Press