Military deaths

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel who died in Afghanistan:

George W. Cauley, 24, of Walker, Minn.; specialist, Army National Guard. Cauley died Oct. 10 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered Oct. 7 when insurgents attacked his vehicle with a homemade bomb in southwest Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 114th Truck Company in Duluth, Minn.

Alfonso Ochoa Jr., 20, of Armona, Calif.; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Ochoa was killed in combat Oct. 10 in western Afghanistan’s Farah province, on the Iranian border. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Christopher M. Rudzinski, 28, of Rantoul, Ill.; sergeant, Army. Rudzinski died Friday near Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces hit his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 293rd Military Police Company, 385th Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

Aaron J. Taylor, 27, of Bovey, Minn.; staff sergeant, Marine Corps. Taylor was killed Oct. 9 when he stepped on a buried bomb while checking a bridge for explosive devices in southwest Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

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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 (1)

* In and around Iraq: 4,352

* In and around Afghanistan: 797

* Other locations: 72

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

Source: Department of Defense