Military deaths

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

Gavin R. Brummund, 22, of the Sierra foothills community of Arnold; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Brummund was killed Thursday while supporting combat operations in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Brandon C. Bury, 26, of Kingwood, Texas; sergeant, Marine Corps. Bury was among three Marines killed June 6 while supporting combat operations in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

Michael P. Flores, 31, of San Antonio; staff sergeant, Air Force. Flores was among four troops killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday near Forward Operating Base Jackson in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

Joel C. Gentz, 25, of Grass Lake, Mich.; first lieutenant, Air Force. Gentz was among four troops killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday near Forward Operating Base Jackson in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 58th Rescue Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

Derek Hernandez, 20, of Edinburg, Texas; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Hernandez was among three Marines killed June 6 while supporting combat operations in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

Erick J. Klusacek, 22, of Calcium, N.Y.; sergeant, Army. Klusacek died of noncombat-related injuries Tuesday in Gerda Serai in southeast Afghanistan’s Paktika province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Donald M. Marler, 22, of St. Louis; corporal, Marine Corps. Marler was among three Marines killed June 6 while supporting combat operations in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

Michael E. McGahan, 23, of Orlando, Fla.; second lieutenant, Army. McGahan was killed June 6 when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in the Khogyani district of eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troop Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Brendan P. Neenan, 21, of Enterprise, Ala.; specialist, Army. Neenan was killed Monday when his unit was attacked with an improvised explosive device in Jelawar in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Michael G. Plank, 25, of Cameron Mills, N.Y.; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Plank was killed Wednesday while supporting combat operations in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

John K. Rankel, 23, of Speedway, Ind.; sergeant, Marine Corps. Rankel was killed Monday while supporting combat operations in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

Derek L. Shanfield, 22, of Hastings, Pa.; sergeant, Marine Corps. Shanfield was one of two Marines killed Tuesday while supporting combat operations in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

David C. Smith, 26, of Eight Mile, Ala.; staff sergeant, Air Force. Smith was among four troops killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday near Forward Operating Base Jackson in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 66th Rescue Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

Joseph J. Theinert, 24, of Sag Harbor, N.Y.; first lieutenant, Army National Guard. Theinert was killed June 4 when his unit was attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade and an improvised explosive device in Kandahar, Afghanistan, south of Kabul. He was a New York Army National Guardsman assigned to the 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

Steve M. Theobald, 53, of Goose Creek, S.C.; sergeant, Army Reserve. Theobald was killed June 4 when his military vehicle overturned near Kuwait City, Kuwait. He was assigned to the 287th Transportation Company in Livingston, Ala.

Zachary J. Walters, 24, of Palm Coast, Fla.; sergeant, Marine Corps. Walters was one of two Marines killed Tuesday while supporting combat operations in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Benjamin D. White, 24, of Erwin, Tenn.; senior airman, Air Force. Smith was among four troops killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday near Forward Operating Base Jackson in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

Sources: Department of Defense and the Associated Press