Other 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:

James C. Akin, 23, of Albuquerque; sergeant, Army. Akin was among four soldiers killed June 3 when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee in Thania, Iraq, northwest of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Christopher M. Allgaier, 33, of Middleton, Mo.; chief warrant officer, Army. Allgaier was among five paratroopers killed May 30 when their CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter apparently was shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade in southern Afghanistan’s Upper Sangin Valley. He was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Travis W. Atkins, 31, of Bozeman, Mont.; staff sergeant, Army. Atkins was killed June 1 when a suspicious man he had stopped near a mosque in Yousifiya, Iraq, south of Baghdad, detonated a suicide bomb attached to his vest. Atkins was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

Charlie L. Bagwell, 28, of Lake Toxaway, N.C.; staff sergeant, Army. Bagwell was among five paratroopers killed May 30 when their CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter apparently was shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade in southern Afghanistan’s Upper Sangin Valley. He was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Ryan A. Balmer, 33, of Mishawaka, Ind.; technical sergeant, Air Force. Balmer was one of two airmen killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near their convoy vehicle in Kirkuk, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was a special agent for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

Jesse A. Blamires, 25, of West Jordan, Utah; sergeant, Army. Blamires was among five paratroopers killed May 30 when their CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter apparently was shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade in southern Afghanistan’s Upper Sangin Valley. He was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Joshua D. Brown, 26, of Tampa, Fla.; private first class, Army. Brown died June 3 of injuries suffered a day earlier when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad. Another soldier was killed in the explosion. Brown was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Charles R. Browning, 31, of Tucson; sergeant, Army National Guard. Browning was killed June 1 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan, east of Kabul. He was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment in Gilbert, Ariz.

Juan F. Campos, 27, of McAllen, Texas; staff sergeant, Army. Campos died June 1 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio of burn injuries suffered May 14 when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Romel Catalan, 21, of Los Angeles; specialist, Army. Catalan was killed June 2 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Amiriya, Iraq, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Caleb P. Christopher, 25, of Chandler, Ariz.; sergeant, Army. Christopher was killed June 3 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Timothy B. Cole Jr., 28, of Missouri City, Texas; staff sergeant, Army. Cole was killed Wednesday when an improvised bomb exploded near him in Sadah, Iraq, near the Syrian border. He was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Jeremiah D. Costello, 22, of Carlinville, Ill.; specialist, Army. Costello was one of two soldiers killed June 2 when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle near Qayyarah, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Bliss, Texas.

William J. Crouch, 21, of Zachary, La.; specialist, Army. Crouch was killed June 2 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Al Hadid, Iraq, northeast of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Shawn E. Dressler, 22, of Santa Maria, Calif.; sergeant, Army. Dressler was killed June 2 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad. Another soldier died a day later of injuries suffered in the explosion. Dressler was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Greg P. Gagarin, 38, of Los Angeles; staff sergeant, Army. Gagarin was among four soldiers killed June 3 when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee in Thania, Iraq, northwest of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Shawn D. Gajdos, 25, of Grand Rapids, Mich.; private first class, Army. Gajdos was killed Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit and it then was attacked with small-arms fire in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kan.

Brandon E. Hadaway, 25, of Valley, Ala.; sergeant, Army. Hadaway was among five paratroopers killed May 30 when their CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter apparently was shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade in southern Afghanistan’s Upper Sangin Valley. He was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Andrews J. Higgins, 28, of Hayward, Calif.; sergeant, Army. Higgins was killed Tuesday when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Baqubah, Iraq, northeast of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Bruce E. Horner, 43, of Newport News, Va.; sergeant, Army. Horner was killed by a sniper June 1 in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 127th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, 21st Theater Support Command in Fliegerhorst, Germany.

Tyler J. Kritz, 21, of Eagle River, Wis.; sergeant, Army. Kritz was among four soldiers killed June 3 when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee in Thania, Iraq, northwest of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Matthew J. Kuglics, 25, of North Canton, Ohio; staff sergeant, Air Force. Kuglics was one of two airmen killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near their convoy vehicle in Kirkuk, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was a special agent for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

Jacob M. Lowell, 22, of New Lenox, Ill.; specialist, Army. Lowell was killed June 2 when his Humvee was attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire near Gowardesh in eastern Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Air Assault), 173rd Airborne Brigade at Camp Ederle, Italy.

Keith V. Nepsa, 21, of New Philadelphia, Ohio; specialist, Army. Nepsa was one of two soldiers killed June 2 when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle near Qayyarah, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Bliss, Texas.

William N. Newman, 23, of Kingston Springs, Tenn.; senior airman, Air Force. Newman, who specialized in defusing bombs, was killed Thursday when a roadside bomb exploded near Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 15th Civil Engineer Squadron’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

Michael A. Robinson, 42, of Sylacauga, Ala.; lieutenant colonel, Marine Corps. Robinson was killed in combat June 1 in Kabul, Afghanistan, where he was serving as liaison officer to the U.S. Embassy. He was assigned to the Mobilization Command, Deployment Processing Command, Marine Corps Installations East at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Joshua R. Rodgers, 29, of Carson City, Nev.; chief warrant officer, Army. Rodgers was among five paratroopers killed May 30 when their CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter apparently was shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade in southern Afghanistan’s Upper Sangin Valley. He was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Matthew Soper, 25, of Kalamazoo, Mich.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Soper was killed Wednesday when an improvised explosive detonated near him in Baiji, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1461st Transportation Company (Combat Heavy Equipment) in Jackson, Mich.

Robert A. Surber, 24, of Inverness, Fla.; sergeant, Army. Surber was among four soldiers killed June 3 when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee in Thania, Iraq, northwest of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Greg L. Sutton, 38, of Spring Lake, N.C.; sergeant, Army. Sutton was killed Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 212th Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kan.

Justin A. Verdeja, 20, of La Puente; private first class, Army. Verdeja was killed Tuesday 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.

Timothy R. Vimoto, 19, of Fort Campbell, Ky.; private first class, Army. Vimoto was killed Tuesday when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, east of Kabul. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team at Camp Ederle, Italy.

Kimel L. Watt, 21, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; sergeant, Army. Watt was killed June 3 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Doonewey White, 26, of Milpitas, Calif.; specialist, Army. White died May 29 in Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad, of wounds suffered a day earlier when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in the capital. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

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