Four U.S. Soldiers Killed, 3 Wounded in Iraq Operations

American Forces Press Service

Feb. 23, 2007 – Four U.S. soldiers were killed and three wounded during operations in Iraq yesterday. Three of the soldiers were killed while conducting combat operations in Anbar province. One soldier was killed and three wounded when they were attacked near Diwaniyah. The names of the deceased and wounded are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Meanwhile, the Defense Department released the identities of 12 servicemembers who died recently in Iraq.

--Army Staff Sgt. David R. Berry, 37, of Wichita, Kan., died Feb. 22 in Qasim when the vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device. Berry was assigned to 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, Kansas Army National Guard, Dodge City, Kansas.

--Marine Sgt. Clinton W. Ahlquist, 23, of Creede, Colo., died Feb. 20 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
--Army Sgt. Richard L. Ford, 40, of East Hartford, Conn., died Feb. 20 in Baghdad of wounds suffered during combat operations. Ford was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

--Army Sgt. Shawn M. Dunkin, 25, of Columbia, S.C., died Feb. 19 of wounds suffered when the vehicle he was in was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

--Army Pfc. Matthew C. Bowe, 19, of Coraopolis, Pa., died Feb. 19 of wounds suffered when the vehicle he was in was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum.

--Army Pfc. Adare W. Cleveland, 19, of Anchorage, Ala., died Feb. 19 of wounds suffered when the vehicle he was in was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum.

--Army Pvt. Kelly D. Youngblood, 19, of Mesa, Ariz., died Feb. 18 in Ramadi of wounds suffered during combat operations. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

--Marine Pfc. Brett A. Witteveen, 20, of Shelby, Mich., died Feb. 19 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Grand Rapids, Mich.

--Marine Lance Cpl. Blake H. Howey, 20, of Glendora, Calif., died Feb. 18 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

--Marine Lance Cpl. Brian A. Escalante, 25, of Dodge City, Kan., died Feb. 17 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms.

--Army Spc. Christopher K. Boone, 34, of Augusta, Ga., died Feb. 17 in Balad of a non-combat related injury. Boone was assigned to the 121st Infantry (Long Range Surveillance), Georgia Army National Guard, Fort Gillem, Ga.

--Marine Capt. Todd M. Siebert, 34, of Baden, Pa., died Feb. 16 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The Defense Department also released the identities of two other servicemembers who died recently supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

--Army Pfc. Jason D. Johns, 19, of Frankton, Ind., died Feb. 21 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of a non-combat related injury. His death is under investigation. Johns was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

--Marine Cpl. Timothy D. Lewis, 20, of Lawrenceburg, Ky., died Feb. 15 as a result of non-hostile action in Jolo, Republic of the Philippines. His death is under investigation. Lewis was assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.