Obituaries / MILITARY DEATHS

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel who were killed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait or who died at a military hospital of their injuries:

Derek R. Banks, 24, of Newport News, Va.; specialist, Army National Guard. Banks died Wednesday at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio of burn injuries suffered Oct. 25 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad. Another guardsman was killed in the explosion, and three others were injured. Banks was assigned to the 237th Engineer Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, 91st Troop Command in West Point, Va.

--

Phillip A. Bocks, 28, of Troy, Mich.; sergeant, Marine Corps. Bocks was among six troops who died when they were attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire in an ambush Nov. 9 while on foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. He was assigned to the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Calif.

--

David A. Boris, 30, of Pottsville, Pa.; captain, Army. Boris was one of two soldiers killed Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Bermel in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktika province. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Schweinfurt, Germany.

--

Matthew C. Ferrara, 24, of Torrance; first lieutenant, Army. Ferrara was among six troops who died when they were attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire in an ambush Nov. 9 while on foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Vicenza, Italy.

--

Jermaine D. Franklin, 22, of Arlington, Texas; specialist, Army. Franklin was killed Nov. 9 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Jisr Naft, Iraq, northeast of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

--

Adrian E. Hike, 26, of Callender, Iowa; specialist, Army. Hike was one of two soldiers killed Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Bermel in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktika province. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Schweinfurt, Germany.

--

Christopher R. Kruse, 23, of Emporia, Kan.; sergeant, Army. Kruse was one of two soldiers killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near them while they were on foot patrol in Mukhisa, Iraq, northeast of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

--

Patrick F. Kutschbach, 25, of McKees Rocks, Pa.; staff sergeant, Army. Kutschbach died Nov. 10 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when his Humvee was attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire in the Tagab Valley in eastern Afghanistan’s Kapisa province. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group in Stuttgart, Germany.

--

Joseph M. Lancour, 21, of Swartz Creek, Mich.; private first class, Army. Lancour died Nov. 10 of injuries suffered a day earlier when his unit was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire in an ambush while on foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. Five other troops were also killed. Lancour was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Vicenza, Italy.

--

Sean K. A. Langevin, 23, of Walnut Creek, Calif.; specialist, Army. Langevin was among six troops who died when they were attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire in an ambush Nov. 9 while on foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Vicenza, Italy.

--

Stuart F. Liles, 26, of Hot Springs, Ark.; second lieutenant, Army. Liles died of noncombat-related injuries Tuesday in Bagram, Afghanistan, south of Kabul. He was assigned to the 122nd Aviation Support Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

--

Casey P. Mason, 22, of Lake, Mich.; private first class, Army. Mason was killed Tuesday when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Mosul, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 728th Military Police Battalion, 8th Military Police Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

--

Jeffery S. Mersman, 23, of Parker, Kan.; sergeant, Army. Mersman died Nov. 10 of injuries suffered a day earlier when his unit was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire in an ambush while on foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. Five other troops were also killed. Mersman was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Vicenza, Italy.

--

Lester G. Roque, 23, of Torrance; specialist, Army. Roque died Nov. 10 of injuries suffered a day earlier when his unit was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire in an ambush while on foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. Five other troops were also killed. Roque was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Vicenza, Italy.

--

Peter W. Schmidt, 30, of Eureka, Calif.; corporal, Army. Schmidt was one of two soldiers killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near them while they were on foot patrol in Mukhisa, Iraq, northeast of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

--

Ashley Sietsema, 20, of Melrose Park, Ill.; specialist, Army National Guard. Sietsema was killed in a traffic accident Monday when the ambulance she was driving overturned in Kuwait City, Kuwait. She was assigned to the 708th Medical Company, 108th Medical Battalion, 108th Sustainment Brigade in North Riverside, Ill.

--

Joseph M. Vanek, 22, of Elmhurst, Ill.; sergeant, Army. Vanek was killed Monday when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

--

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