Military Deaths

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

Aaron S. Aamot, 22, of Custer, Wash.; specialist, Army. Aamot was one of two soldiers killed Nov. 5 when a roadside bomb exploded under their Stryker vehicle in Jelewar 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.

Tony Carrasco Jr., 25, of Berino, N.M.; specialist, Army. Carrasco was killed Nov. 4 when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Ad Dawr, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kan.

Charles I. Cartwright, 26, of Union Bridge, Md.; sergeant, Marine Corps. Cartwright was killed in combat Nov. 7 in western Afghanistan’s Farah province, on the Iranian border. He was assigned to the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Corps Special Operations Command at Camp Pendleton.

Gary L. Gooch Jr., 22, of Ocala, Fla.; specialist, Army. Gooch was one of two soldiers killed Nov. 5 when a roadside bomb exploded under their Stryker vehicle in Jelewar 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.

Mathew C. Heffelfinger, 29, of Kimberly, Idaho; chief warrant officer, Army. Heffelfinger was one of two soldiers killed Nov. 8 when their OH-58 Kiowa reconnaissance helicopter crashed in Tikrit, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Earl R. Scott III, 24, of Jacksonville, Fla.; chief warrant officer, Army. Scott was one of two soldiers killed Nov. 8 when their OH-58 Kiowa reconnaissance helicopter crashed in Tikrit, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Justin J. Swanson, 21, of Anaheim; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Swanson was killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near him in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

--

Sources: Department of Defense and Times staff reports

--

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

War casualties

TOTAL U.S. DEATHS*

* In and around Iraq: 4,364

* In and around Afghanistan: 841

* Other locations: 72

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

Source: Department of Defense