Military deaths

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

Lucas T. Beachnaw, 23, of Lowell, Mich.; sergeant, Army. Beachnaw was killed Wednesday when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in the village of Darya Ya in eastern Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team at Camp Ederle, Italy.

Jason O.B. Hickman, 35, of Kingsport, Tenn.; sergeant first class, Army. Hickman died Jan. 7 at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered earlier that day when his unit was attacked with an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire at Combat Outpost Bowri Tana. He was assigned to Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Ft. Richardson, Alaska.

Christopher R. Hrbek, 25, of Westwood, N.J.; sergeant, Marine Corps. Hrbek was killed Thursday when he stepped on an improvised explosive device in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Matthew N. Ingham, 25, of Altoona, Pa.; staff sergeant, Marine Corps. Ingham was among three Marines killed in a firefight Monday after being ambushed in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan.

Michael R. Jarrett, 20, of North Platte, Neb.; private first class, Army. Jarrett died of noncombat-related injuries Jan. 6 in Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade in Illesheim, Germany.

Mark D. Juarez, 23, of San Antonio; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Juarez was killed Jan. 9 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Jamie R. Lowe, 21, of Johnsonville, Ill.; corporal, Marine Corps. Lowe was among three Marines killed in a firefight Monday after being ambushed in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan.

Jacob A. Meinert, 20, of Fort Atkinson, Wis.; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Meinert was killed Jan. 10 when he stepped on an improvised explosive device in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Daniel D. Merriweather, 25, of Collierville Tenn.; staff sergeant, Army. Merriweather was one of two soldiers killed Wednesday when their vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device at Combat Outpost McClain in central Afghanistan’s Logar province, south of Kabul. He was assigned to the 118th Military Police Company (Airborne), 503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne), 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Nicholas K. Uzenski, 21, of Tomball, Texas; corporal, Marine Corps. Uzenski was among three Marines killed in a firefight Monday after being ambushed in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan.

Geoffrey A. Whitsitt, 21, of Taylors, S.C.; private first class, Army. Whitsitt was one of two soldiers killed Wednesday when their vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device at Combat Outpost McClain in central Afghanistan’s Logar province, south of Kabul. He was assigned to the 118th Military Police Company (Airborne), 503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne), 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Kyle J. Wright, 22, of Romeoville, Ill.; specialist, Army. Wright died Wednesday at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered earlier that day when his vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device in southwest Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Sources: Department of Defense and the Associated Press