Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Three Servicemembers Killed in Iraq; Officials Identify Previous Casualties

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2006 – Three soldiers died in Iraq yesterday, and Defense officials have identified four earlier casualties.

A 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) soldier was killed in an accident when his M-1117 armored security vehicle rolled over north of Logistics Support Area Adder. Another soldier died in northeastern Baghdad when insurgents attacked a patrol. Five other soldiers were injured in the attack. A Task Force Lightning soldier assigned to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, died as a result of an explosion near his vehicle while conducting operations in Diyala province. A second soldier from this unit was wounded. The deceased and injured soldiers' names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

In other news, DoD officials have released the names of four servicemembers killed in Iraq.

Army Spcs. Bryan T. McDonough, 22, of Maplewood, Minn., and Corey J. Rystad, 20, of Red Lake Falls, Minn., died Dec. 2 in Fallujah of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee during security operations. They were assigned to the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry, Crookston, Minn.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jesse D. Tillery, 19, of Vesper, Wis., died Dec. 2 from wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in Anbar province. Tillery was assigned to 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Army Staff Sgt. John L. Hartman Jr., 39, of Tampa, Fla., died Nov. 30 in Baghdad of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Officials also identified a soldier missing in Iraq.

Army Spc. Dustin M. Adkins, 22, of Finger, Tenn., has been unaccounted for since Dec. 3 in Haditha, Iraq, when the Chinook helicopter he was in made an emergency landing. He is assigned to the Group Support Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Ky. Adkins is officially listed as "duty status: whereabouts unknown," a temporary designation used until more information is available. Search and recovery efforts are ongoing, and the incident is under investigation.

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