Five Marines, Two Soldiers Die in Iraq; DoD Identifies Previous Casualties

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2006 – Five Marines and two U.S. soldiers were killed
in Iraq as the result of enemy action over the past few days, military officials reported.

Three Marines assigned to Multinational Force West died Oct. 21 from enemy action while operating in Anbar province.

One Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 died Oct. 21 of injuries suffered from enemy action while operating in Anbar province.

A Task Force Lightning soldier assigned to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, was killed Oct. 21 as a result of enemy action while conducting operations in Salah and Din provinces. Three other soldiers from the same unit were wounded as a result of the action.

A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died at about 2:37 a.m. Oct. 20 when the vehicle he was riding in was struck by an improvised explosive device in southwestern Baghdad.

One Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 died Oct. 19 from enemy action while operating in Anbar province. The names of the deceased and wounded servicemembers are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Meanwhile, the Defense Department released the identities of 12 soldiers who were killed recently supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Army 2nd Lt. Christopher E. Loudon, 23, of Brockport, Pa., Army Cpl. David M. Unger, 21, of Leavenworth, Kan., Army Cpl. Russell G. Culbertson III, 22, of Amity, Pa., and Army Spc. Joseph C. Dumas Jr., 25, of New Orleans died Oct. 18 in Baghdad of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel A. Brozovich, 42, of Greenville, Pa., died Oct. 18 in Ashraf, Iraq, from injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his armored security vehicle while on combat patrol. Brozovich was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 213th Air Defense Artillery, Spring City, Pa.

Army Spc. Jose R. Perez, 21, of Ontario, Calif., died Oct. 18 in Ramadi, Iraq, from injuries suffered from enemy small arms fire. Perez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.

Army Staff Sgt. Ryan E. Haupt, 24, of Phoenix, Ariz., Army Sgt. Norman R. Taylor III, 21, of Blythe, Calif., and Army Pfc. Nathan J. Frigo, 23, of Kokomo, Ind., died Oct. 17 in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Army Spc. Daniel W. Winegeart, 23, of Kountze, Texas, died Oct. 17 in Baghdad from injuries sustained when his Light Medium Tactical Vehicle drove off an overpass. Winegeart was assigned to the 5th Group Support Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Ky. This incident is under investigation.

Army Sgt. Lester D. Baroncini Jr., 33, of Bakersfield, Calif., and Army Pfc. Stephen D. Bicknell, 19, of Prattville, Ala., died Oct. 15 in Samarra, Iraq, of injuries suffered when two land mines detonated near their Humvee. Both soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.