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:

David L. Audo, 35, of Saint Joseph, Ill.; major, Army. Audo died of noncombat-related injuries Tuesday in Baghdad. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 22nd Military Police Battalion, 6th Military Police Group at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Brian R. Bates Jr., 20, of Gretna, La.; private first class, Army. Bates was killed Tuesday when insurgents attacked his vehicle with a makeshift bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.; staff sergeant, Army. Bishop was among seven special operations soldiers and three U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents killed Monday when their MH-47 Chinook transport helicopter crashed after a firefight with suspected Talban drug traffickers in Darreh-ye Bum in western Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Robert K. Charlton, 22, of Malden, Mo.; specialist, Army. Charlton died Tuesday at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered in a noncombat-related incident Oct. 23 in central Afghanistan’s Wardak province, west of Kabul. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno; sergeant, Army. Chavez was among seven special operations soldiers and three U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents killed Monday when their MH-47 Chinook transport helicopter crashed after a firefight with suspected Talban drug traffickers in Darreh-ye Bum in western Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne) at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Fernando De La Rosa, 24, of Alamo, Texas; sergeant, Army. De La Rosa was among seven soldiers killed Tuesday when insurgents attacked their vehicle with a makeshift bomb in the Arghandab Valley in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Gregory M.W. Fleury, 23, of Anchorage; corporal, Marine Corps. Fleury was among four Marines killed Monday in a midair collision between Cobra and Huey helicopters during a combat mission in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

Joseph L. Gallegos, 39, of Questa, N.M.; specialist, Army National Guard. Gallegos died of a heart attack Wednesday in Tallil, Iraq, south of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 720th Transportation Company in Las Vegas, N.M.

Luis M. Gonzalez, 27, of South Ozone Park, N.Y.; staff sergeant, Army. Gonzalez was among seven soldiers killed Tuesday when insurgents attacked their vehicle with a makeshift bomb in the Arghandab Valley in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Dale R. Griffin, 29, of Terre Haute, Ind.; sergeant, Army. Griffin was among seven soldiers killed Tuesday when insurgents attacked their vehicle with a makeshift bomb in the Arghandab Valley in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Kimble A. Han, 30, of Lehi, Utah; private first class, Army. Han was one of two soldiers killed Oct. 23 when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Kandahar, Afghanistan, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion at Ft. Carson, Colo.

Issac B. Jackson, 27, of Plattsburg, Mo.; sergeant, Army. Jackson was among seven soldiers killed Tuesday when insurgents attacked their vehicle with a makeshift bomb in the Arghandab Valley in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Eric A. Jones, 29, of Westchester, N.Y.; captain, Marine Corps. Jones was among four Marines killed Monday in a midair collision between Cobra and Huey helicopters during a combat mission in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

Eric N. Lembke, 25, of Tampa, Fla.; specialist, Army. Lembke was one of two soldiers killed Oct. 23 when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Kandahar, Afghanistan, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion at Ft. Carson, Colo.

Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, Wash.; chief warrant officer, Army. Lyons was among seven special operations soldiers and three U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents killed Monday when their MH-47 Chinook transport helicopter crashed after a firefight with suspected Talban drug traffickers in Darreh-ye Bum in western Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne) at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas; staff sergeant, Army. McNabb was among seven special operations soldiers and three U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents killed Monday when their MH-47 Chinook transport helicopter crashed after a firefight with suspected Talban drug traffickers in Darreh-ye Bum in western Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne) at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego; sergeant first class, Army. Metzger was among seven special operations soldiers and three U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents killed Monday when their MH-47 Chinook transport helicopter crashed after a firefight with suspected Talban drug traffickers in Darreh-ye Bum in western Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Devin J. Michel, 19, of Stockton, Ill.; private first class, Army. Michel was killed Oct. 24 when insurgents attacked his unit with a makeshift bomb in the Zhari district of southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson, Colo.

David S. Mitchell, 30, of Loveland, Ohio; captain, Marine Corps. Mitchell was among four Marines killed Monday in a midair collision between Cobra and Huey helicopters during a combat mission in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.; chief warrant officer, Army. Montgomery was among seven special operations soldiers and three U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents killed Monday when their MH-47 Chinook transport helicopter crashed after a firefight with suspected Talban drug traffickers in Darreh-ye Bum in western Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne) at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.; sergeant, Army. Mueller was among seven special operations soldiers and three U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents killed Monday when their MH-47 Chinook transport helicopter crashed after a firefight with suspected Talban drug traffickers in Darreh-ye Bum in western Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne) at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Jared D. Stanker, 22, of Evergreen Park, Ill.; specialist, Army. Stanker was among seven soldiers killed Tuesday when insurgents attacked their vehicle with a makeshift bomb in the Arghandab Valley in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Cody R. Stanley, 21, of Rosanky, Texas; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Stanley was killed Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded near him while he was on foot patrol while supporting combat operations in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Brandon K. Steffey, 23, of Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.; specialist, Army. Steffey was killed Oct. 25 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in eastern Afghanistan’s Laghman province, east of Kabul. He was assigned to the 178th Military Police Detachment, 89th Military Police Brigade, 3rd Corps at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Kyle R. Van De Giesen, 29, of North Attleboro, Mass.; captain, Marine Corps. Van de Giesen was among four Marines killed Monday in a midair collision between Cobra and Huey helicopters during a combat mission in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

Christopher I. Walz, 25, of Vancouver, Wash.; private first class, Army. Walz was among seven soldiers killed Tuesday when insurgents attacked their vehicle with a makeshift bomb in the Arghandab Valley in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Patrick O. Williamson, 24, of Broussard, La.; sergeant, Army. Williamson was among seven soldiers killed Tuesday when insurgents attacked their vehicle with a makeshift bomb in the Arghandab Valley in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Eduviges G. Wolf, 24, of Hawthorne; sergeant, Army. Wolf was killed Oct. 25 when her vehicle was attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province, on the Pakistani border. She was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson, Colo.

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

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War casualties

TOTAL U.S. DEATHS*

* In and around Iraq: 4,355

* In and around Afghanistan: 832

* Other locations: 71

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

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Source: Department of Defense