Military deaths

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

Ari D. Brown-Weeks, 23, of Abingdon, Md.; specialist, Army. Brown-Weeks was among seven paratroopers killed Monday when their truck veered off an overpass and plunged about 30 feet to the road below in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Lance M. Clark, 21, of Cookeville, Tenn.; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Clark died of non-combat-related injuries Sept. 7 in Iraq’s Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

Steven R. Elrod, 20, of Hope Mills, N.C.; specialist, Army. Elrod was among seven paratroopers killed Monday when their truck veered off an overpass and plunged about 30 feet to the road below in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Alexander U. Gagalac, 28, of Wahiawa, Hawaii; sergeant, Army. Gagalac was killed Sept. 9 when his Humvee was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in Hawija, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Carlos E. Gilorozco, 23, of San Jose; corporal, Marine Corps. Gilorozco was one of two Marines killed in combat Monday in Iraq’s Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Yance T. Gray, 26, of Ismay, Mont.; staff sergeant, Army. Gray was among seven paratroopers killed Monday when their truck veered off an overpass and plunged about 30 feet to the road below in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Michael C. Hardegree, 21, of Villa Rica, Ga.; sergeant, Army. Hardegree was among seven paratroopers killed Monday when their truck veered off an overpass and plunged about 30 feet to the road below in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Marisol Heredia, 19, of El Monte; specialist, Army. Heredia died Sept. 7 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio of injuries suffered in a non-combat-related incident July 18 in Baghdad. She was assigned to the 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Jon T. Hicks Jr., 20, of Atco, N.J.; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Hicks was one of two Marines killed in combat Monday in Iraq’s Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Courtney Hollinsworth, 26, of Yonkers, N.Y.; staff sergeant, Army. Hollinsworth was killed Sept. 9 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kan.

Drew N. Jensen, 27, of Clackamas, Ore.; captain, Army. Jensen died Sept. 7 at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Seattle, where he was being treated for injuries suffered May 7 in Baqubah, Iraq, northeast of Baghdad. He was paralyzed from the neck down and required a ventilator to breathe after he was shot in the neck by a sniper. Jensen died after life support was removed at his family’s request. He was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Omar L. Mora, 28, of Texas City, Texas; sergeant, Army. Mora was among seven paratroopers killed Monday when their truck veered off an overpass and plunged about 30 feet to the road below in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Javier G. Paredes, 24, of San Antonio; corporal, Army. Paredes was killed Sept. 5 when his Humvee was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Benning, Ga.

Nicholas J. Patterson, 24, of Rochester, Ind.; sergeant, Army. Patterson was among seven paratroopers killed Monday when their truck veered off an overpass and plunged about 30 feet to the road below in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Sammie E. Phillips, 19, of Cecilia, Ky.; private first class, Army National Guard. Phillips was killed Monday when his vehicle overturned in Rustamiya, Iraq, southeast of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery in Carlisle, Ky.

Christopher L. Poole Jr., 22, of Mount Dora, Fla.; corporal, Marine Corps. Poole was among four Marines killed Sept. 6 by a suicide bomber who drove a vehicle into a security checkpoint in Iraq’s Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

Gregory Rivera-Santiago, 26, of St. Croix, Virgin Islands; staff sergeant, Army. Rivera-Santiago was among seven paratroopers killed Monday when their truck veered off an overpass and plunged about 30 feet to the road below in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Bryan J. Scripsick, 22, of Wayne, Okla.; corporal, Marine Corps. Scripsick was among four Marines killed Sept. 6 by a suicide bomber who drove a vehicle into a security checkpoint in Iraq’s Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

John C. Stock, 26, of Longview, Texas; staff sergeant, Marine Corps. Stock was among four Marines killed Sept. 6 by a suicide bomber who drove a vehicle into a security checkpoint in Iraq’s Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

Travis M. Woods, 21, of Redding, Calif.; corporal, Marine Corps. Woods was killed in combat Sept. 9 in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

Ryan A. Woodward, 22, of Fort Wayne, Ind.; corporal, Army. Woodward died Sept. 8 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire near Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Michael J. Yarbrough, 24, of Malvern, Ark.; sergeant, Marine Corps. Yarbrough was among four Marines killed Sept. 6 by a suicide bomber who drove a vehicle into a security checkpoint in Iraq’s Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

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