Marine Killed in Anbar Province; DoD Identifies Previous Casualties

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2006 – A Marine serving with an Army unit in Iraq died yesterday from wounds suffered due to enemy action in Iraq's Anbar province, and Defense Department officials have identified previous casualties. The name of the Marine, who was serving with 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

DoD officials have identified the following previous casualties:

-- Army Staff Sgt. Jeffrey J. Hansen, 31, of Cairo, Neb., died Aug. 27 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of injuries suffered Aug. 21 from a vehicle accident in Balad, Iraq. Hansen was assigned to the Army National Guard 1st Squadron, 167th Cavalry Regiment, Lincoln, Neb.

-- Army Spc. Seth A. Hildreth, 26, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., died Aug. 27 in Baghdad of injuries suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. Hildreth was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

-- Marine Lance Cpl. Donald E. Champlin, 28, of Natchitoches, La., died Aug. 28 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center from wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in Anbar province Aug. 27. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

-- Army Sgt. David J. Almazan, 27, of Van Nuys, Calif., died Aug. 27 in Hit, Iraq, of injuries suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee during combat operations. Almazan was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany.

-- Army Sgt. Darry Benson, 46, of Winterville, N.C., died Aug. 27 at Camp Virginia, Kuwait, from a non-combat related cause. Benson was assigned the Army National Guard's 730th Quartermaster Battalion, Ahoskie, N.C.

-- Army Spc. Joshua D. Jones, 24, of Pomeroy, Ohio, died Aug. 27 in Baghdad of injuries suffered when his Humvee came in contact with enemy forces using small-arms fire during combat operations. Jones was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

-- Army Spc. Kenneth M. Cross, 21, of Superior, Wis., and Army Pfc. Daniel G. Dolan, 19, of Roy, Utah, died during combat operations Aug. 27 in Baghdad when their M1126 Stryker vehicle came in contact with enemy forces using an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire. Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.

-- Army Spc. Matthew E. Schneider, 23, of Gorham, N.H., died Aug. 28 in Ramadi, Iraq, from a non-combat related cause. Schneider was assigned to the 141st Signal Battalion, 1st Armored Division, Wiesbaden, Germany.