5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 D
Date KIA: 12 September 2003 OIF
Location: Ar-Ramadi, Iraq
Action: Hostile
Sgt. 1st Class William M. Bennett was a Special Forces medical sergeant assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, Ky. He was killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom on Sept. 12, 2003 near the town of Ar-Ramadi in Iraq.
A native of Tennessee, Bennett was born on March 18, 1968. He entered the Army in December 1986 and completed bridge crewmember training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. His first assignment in the Army was to the 11th Engineer Battalion, Fort Belvoir, Va.
Bennett completed Army diver training in 1989 at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center at Panama City, Fla., and was then assigned to the 7th Engineer Detachment, Fort Kobbe, Panama, where he participated in combat actions during Operation Just Cause.
After deploying to Saudi Arabia in 1991 to participate in Operation Desert Storm, Bennett volunteered for Special Forces training in 1992. In 1994, he graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, N.C. He went on to study Arabic at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, N.C.
He was assigned to the 5th SFG in July 1995, where he participated in numerous overseas deployments to include combat operations in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal with valor device, the Army Commendation Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Army Achievement Medal, the Combat Medical Badge, the Second Class Diver Badge, the Special Forces Tab, the Military Freefall Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, and the United Arab Emirates Parachute Badge.
Bennett is survived by his wife, Allison; his son, Seth; his aunt and uncle, Mike and Carolyn Wood; and his parents, Leonard and Kathleen Bennett.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 C
Date KIA: 17 April 2008 OIF
Location: Sama Village, Iraq
Action: Hostile - IED
Staff Sgt. Jason L. Brown, 29, was killed in action in the early morning hours on April 17 when he was struck by small-arms fire while conducting combat operations in Sama Village, Iraq. He was a Special Forces engineer sergeant assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
He was on his second combat tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the War on Terror with 3rd Bn., 5th SFG(A).
Brown was born in Texas and his military records list his home of record as Magnolia, Texas. He volunteered for military service and enlisted in the Army on March 25, 2003 as a Special Forces candidate. He would go on to earn the coveted "Green Beret" in 2004.
His military education includes the Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course, Jumpmaster Course, Free Fall Parachutist Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer's Course, Warrior Leaders Course, Basic Airborne Course, and Special Forces Qualification Course and Advanced Explosive Techniques Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global on War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Medal, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge, Master Parachutist Badge and Special Forces Tab.
Brown is survived by his daughter, Alyssa Gomez, of Cypress, Texas; mother, Rosemary, and father, James, of Cartwright, Okla.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company A, 3rd Battalion
ODA: 574
18 Z
Date KIA: 5 December 2001 OEF
Location: Kandahar, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile
MSG Jefferson D. Davis, 39, was the Team Sergeant of ODA-574, Company A, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He was killed in action during Operation Enduring Freedom.
JD, as he was known to his family and friends, was born in Tennessee on October 22, 1962. He graduated from Elizabeth High School in Tennessee in 1981. Dan enlisted as a Medical Specialist in August of 1984 and served in Korea for three years.
After graduating from the Special Forces Qualification Course, JD was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He served as a Medical Sergeant on both ODA 562 and ODA 564. After completing a tour as a Senior Instructor at the Special Warfare Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he returned to 5th Group where was selected to be a Team Sergeant in the 3rd Battalion.
During his tenure in military service, JD participated in Operation Desert Storm and numerous contingency operations throughout Southwest Asia.
His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, the Military Police Officer Basic Course, the Infantry Officer Advanced Course and the Special Forces Qualification Course.
Awards: Purple Heart Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, the Defense of Saudi Arabia Medal, the Liberation and Defense of Kuwait Medal, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantrymen's Badge, Combat Medical Badge, Master Parachutist Badge and the Military Freefall Parachutist Badge.
He is survived by his wife Mi Kyong, his daughter Christina, his son Jessie, and his parents William and Linda Davis.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 D
Date KIA: 9 October 2005
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Action: Hostile
Staff Sgt. Gary R. Harper, Jr., 29, a Special Forces medical sergeant, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), died when his reconnaissance mission was attacked by enemy forces near Baghdad, Iraq on 9 October 2005.
A native of Illinois, Harper entered the Army May 20, 1993 as an artilleryman.
Harper's first assignment was with 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery, located at Fort Sill, Okla. The unit worked with the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). This system provides the Army an all-weather, indirect, area fire weapon system to strike counter fire, air defense, armored formations and other high-payoff targets at all depths of the tactical battlefield. He served there until January 2001.
He was then assigned to the 38th Field Artillery, located near Uijongbu, Korea, where he served until January 2003. While serving overseas, Harper was promoted to the rank of sergeant.
In January 2003, he began the vigorous, intensive two-year training to become a member of the Army's most elite unit - the Green Berets. In July 2003, during his Special Forces training, Harper was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant.
Harper successfully completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2004 and was assigned to 2nd Bn., 5th SFG (A) at Fort Campbell, Ky. in February 2005. Harper deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in June 2005.
His military education included the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course, Basic Training, Advanced Individual Training for Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, the Basic Airborne Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course, the Motor Pool Operation Management Course and the Combat Life Savers Course.
Awards: Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Multinational Force and Observers and Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachute Badge, the Driver and Mechanic Badges and the Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Harper is survived by his mother and father, Linda Mae and Joe C. Morrison of Virden, Ill.; his wife, Danielle, sons, Tristen and Gabrian and daughter, Madison of Clarksville, Tenn.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company A, 2nd Battalion
ODA:
MOS:
Date KIA: 2 October 2012 OEF
Location: Helmand Province, Afghanistan
Action:Hostile - IED
Sgt.1st Class Aaron A. Henderson, 33, of Houlton, Maine, died Oct. 2 of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device attack on Sept. 30, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
He was assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky., and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Henderson enlisted as an administrative specialist in the U.S. Army in 2000. Upon completion of his initial training, he was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 24th Transportation Battalion at Fort Eustis, Va. His next assignment was with U.S. Army Garrison – Japan, Camp Zama, Japan, where he served as the Officer Management Branch NCOIC.
Henderson volunteered for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, and graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2006. Upon earning his Special Forces tab, he initially reported to HHC, 5th SFG (A) as the communications chief. He was then assigned to 2nd Bn., 5th SFG (A) as a Special Forces senior communications sergeant. He served on three deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan with 2nd Bn.
His military education includes: Special Operations Command Jumpmaster Course, Senior Leaders Course, U.S. Army Combatives Course Level 1, Advanced Special Operations Techniques Course, Combat Diver Qualification Course, U.S. Army Ranger School, Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape Course, Special Forces Qualification Course, Advance Leaders Course, U.S. Army Airborne School, Combat Life Savers Course, and Warrior Leaders Course.
Henderson's military awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, three Army Achievement Medals, four Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one Campaign Star, the Iraq Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Special Forces Tab, the Ranger Tab, the Special Operations Diver Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Master Parachutists Badge.
Henderson is survived by his mother and his brother.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 1st Battalion
ODA: 18 D
Date KIA: 30 August 2004
Location: Khutayiah, Iraq
Action: Hostile - IED
Staff Sgt. Aaron N. Holleyman, 26, was a Special Forces medical sergeant assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, Ky.
He was killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom on Aug. 30, 2004, near Khutayiah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device exploded near his vehicle.
A native of Glasgow, Mont., Holleyman enlisted in the Army in June 1996 as an infantryman. After completing infantry and airborne training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., in November 1996 as a platoon armorer in the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. After being selected for Special Forces training in 2000, Holleyman was assigned to Fort Bragg's 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) in January 2001.
Upon completion of his training as an SF medical sergeant, he was assigned to the 5th SFG in September 2003. Shortly after arriving at the unit, Holleyman deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He deployed in support of OIF for a second time in July 2004.
Holleyman's military education includes the Special Forces Qualification Course, the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, the Basic Airborne Course, the Combat Life Saver Course and the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Medical Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Driver and Mechanic Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
Holleyman is survived by two daughters and a son in Fayetteville, N.C.; his brother, Pfc. Daniel M. Holleyman of the Mississippi Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne); and his parents, Ross and Glenda Holleyman, of Carthage, Miss.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 C
Date KIA: 11 October 2005
Location: Muqdadiyah, Iraq
Action: Hostile
Staff Sgt. Matthew A. Kimmell, 30, a Special Forces engineer sergeant, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) died 11 October 2005 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated near his Humvee.
A native of Indiana, Kimmell entered the Indiana National Guard Jan. 11, 1994.
He completed Basic and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Ga., and then began his active duty Army career there as an infantryman in February 1995. Kimmell was promoted to the rank of sergeant Jan. 1, 2003 with weapons squad, 3rd Platoon, C Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.
In June 2003, he began the vigorous, intensive two-year training to become a member of the Army's Special Forces.
Kimmell successfully completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in November 2004 and then was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th SFG (A) at Fort Campbell, Ky. He was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant March 1, 2005. He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in June 2005.
His military education included the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course, the Basic Combat Training Course, the Advanced Individual Training Course for Infantryman, the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, the Basic Airborne Course, the Jungle Course, the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, the Ranger Course and the Primary Leadership Development Course.
Awards: Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Basic Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Kimmell is survived by his wife, Mylissa, of Worthington, Ind.; his parents, Larry and Jeanne, his brother, Jeremy, and sister, Susanne, all of Paxton, Ind.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 C
Date KIA: 15 July 2004
Location: Mosul, Iraq
Action: Hostile
Staff Sgt. Paul C. Mardis, 25, was a Special Forces engineer sergeant assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky. Mardis, a native of Florida, was born on March 10, 1979.
He was wounded in action on May 20, 2004 near Mosul, Iraq when his convoy struck an improvised explosive device.
SSG Mardis died July 15, 2004 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., from complications sustained from his injuries.
He entered the Army in September of 1998 and completed indirect fire infantryman training at Ft. Benning, Ga. His first assignment in the Army was with 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Mardis went on to complete the Special Forces Qualifications Course and then Arabic language training at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, N.C. He was then assigned to the 5th SFG in December of 2002 where he participated in numerous combat operations in support of both Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.
Awards: Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Special Forces Tab, the Expert Infantry Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Air Assault Badge.
Mardis is survived by his wife, Kacey.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company D, 1st Battalion
ODA:
18
Date KIA: 2 January 2008 OEF
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Action: Non-Hostile
Staff Sgt. Ryan D. Maseth, 24, died as a result of a nonbattle death accident on Jan. 2, in Baghdad, Iraq, while serving with Company D, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operation Task Force Arabian Peninsula. This was his second deployment to Iraq in support of the Global War on Terror. Maseth, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, volunteered for military service and enlisted into the Army in June 2001 as an infantryman. In 2007 he earned the coveted "Green Beret."
Maseth's military education includes the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Warrior Leaders Course, Combat Life Savers Course, Unit Armor Training Course, Special Forces Qualification Course, Ranger Course, Air Assault Course, and the Basic Airborne Course.
Awards: Two Army Commendation Medals, three Army Achievement Medals, Army Superior Unit Award, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, two Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, and the Air Assault Badge
Maseth is survived by his mother Cheryl A. Harris, of Cranberry Township, father, Douglas, and brothers', Brandon and Adam, all of Allison Park, Pa.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company C, 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 Z
Date KIA: 12 September 2003
Location: Ar Ramadi, Iraq
Action: Hostile
Master Sgt. Kevin N. Morehead was a Special Forces team sergeant assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, Ky. A native of Arkansas, he graduated from Little Rock's Central High School in 1987. Morehead began his Army career in March 1989 and completed initial entry training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, as a combat medic.
After participating in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Morehead volunteered for Special Forces training and in 1994 completed the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, N.C.
After studying Arabic at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, N.C., Morehead was subsequently assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), where he participated in numerous overseas deployments to include combat operations in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Morehead's military education includes the Combat Medic Course, the Basic Airborne Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course, the Combat Diver Qualification Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course and the Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Courses.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal with valor device, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal, the Combat Medical Badge, the Expert Field Medical Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Scuba Diver Badge, the Driver Badge, the Kenyan Parachutist Badge, the Ranger tab and the Special Forces tab.
Morehead is survived by his wife, Theresa.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company A, 3rd Battalion
ODA: 574
18 E
Date KIA: 5 December 2001
Location: Kandahar, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile
SFC Daniel H. Petithory, 32, was a Communications Sergeant assigned to ODA 574, Company A, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He was killed in action during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Dan was born in Massachusetts on June 30, 1969. He graduated from Hoosac Valley High School in Massachusetts in 1987. After enlisting as a Military Policeman in September 1987, he served a tour at Fort McClellan, Alabama.
After completion of the Special Forces Qualification Course Dan was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Kentucky in 1992. While there Dan served as a Communications Sergeant on both ODA 572 and ODA 574.
During his tenure of military service, Dan participated in contingency operations in Kuwait, Haiti, Africa and throughout Southwest Asia.
Awards: two Army Commendation Medals, one Army Achievement Medal, the United Nations Medal, the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Special Forces Tab, Expert Infantrymen's Badge, Air Assault Badge and the Senior Parachutist Badge.
He is survived by his parents, Louis and Barbara Petithory; a brother, Michael and a sister Nicole.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company C, 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18
Date KIA: 11 April 2004
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Action: Hostile - Small Arms
Sgt. Maj. Michael B. Stack, 48, was assigned as company sergeant major to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, Ky.
He was killed in Iraq on April 11, 2004 when his convoy was ambushed near Baghdad.
Stack was a native of Lake City, S.C. and enlisted in the Army in 1977. He served in a number of Special Forces assignments with the 3rd, 5th and 10th Special Forces Groups, as well as the 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Awards: Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
Stack is survived by his wife, Victoria Suzanne; his daughters, Jillian, Melissa and Virginia; and his sons, David, William and Bryan.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Assistant Operations Officer
ODA:
18
Date KIA: 16 June 2004
Location: Balad, Iraq
Action: Hostile
Maj. Paul R. Syverson III, 32, was assigned as the assistant operations officer for the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, Ky.
He was killed in Iraq on June 16, 2004, during a rocket attack on Logistical Support Area Anaconda, Balad, Iraq. The rocket landed near a group of Soldiers outside of the Post Exchange.
Syverson was a native of Arlington Heights, Ill., and entered the Army in 1993 following graduation from the Virginia Military Institute, where he earned a bachelor's degree in international relations.
His first assignment was with the 3rd Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, Fort Stewart, Ga. In 1998, he graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course and was assigned to the 5th SFG.
While assigned to the 5th SFG, he served in a variety of positions including: Operational Detachment-A commander, battalion staff officer and Group assistant operations officer. He also served as the commander of Headquarters Support Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th SFG.
Syverson's military education and schools include the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, Joint Deployment Officer Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Special Forces Qualification Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Jumpmaster Course and Pathfinder Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge and Special Forces Tab.
Syverson is survived by his wife, Jackie, a son, Paul, and a daughter, Amy Elizabeth.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company A, 1st Battalion
ODA:
18 A
Date KIA: 12 August 2004
Location: Najaf, Iraq
Action: Hostile
CPT. Michael Yury Tarlavsky, 30, was a Special Forces officer assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky. Tarlavsky, a native of New Jersey, was born on May 5th, 1974.
He was fatally wounded in action on Aug. 12, 2004 in Najaf, Iraq when his unit came under small arms fire and grenade attack.
He entered the Army in July of 1996 as an infantry officer and completed the Special Forces Qualifications Course at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, N.C., in 2001. He then moved to his first assignment as a detachment commander in Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th SFG. He has deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism to both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medals, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, National Defense Service Medals, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Overseas Ribbon. He also earned the Air Assault and Parachutist Badges, as well as the Ranger Tab.
Tarlavsky is survived by his wife Tricia and their 10 month-old son, Joseph Michael, both of Clarksville, Tennessee.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company C, 1st Battalion
ODA:
18 A
Date KIA: 7 November 2007 OIF
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Action: Hostile
Capt. Benjamin Tiffner, 31, was killed in action when his vehicle encountered an IED in the course of conducting a ground convoy in Baghdad. He was a Special Forces Operational Detachment - Alpha team leader assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula. This was his second deployment to Iraq in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
Tiffner, a native of Ohio, graduated from the United States Military Academy as an infantry officer in 2000. In 2006 he earned the coveted "Green Beret."
Tiffner's military education includes; Infantry Officers Basic Course; Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Course; Basic Airborne Course, Ranger Course, and the Special Forces Qualification Course.
Awards: Two Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, and the Special Forces Tab.
Tiffner is survived by his parents, Timothy and Judith of Soldotna, Alaska.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company C, 1st Battalion
ODA: 535
18 B
Date KIA: 5 August 2005
Location: Rabi'ah, Iraq
Action: Hostile
Sgt. 1st Class Brett E. Walden was killed in action on August 5, 2005 near Rabi'ah, Iraq, while serving with ODA 535, C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
Walden, 40, was a Special Forces weapons sergeant assigned to ODA 535, C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky. Walden, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla. enlisted as an infantryman in February 1987.
He served as an infantryman in Hawaii from 1987 to 1992. He then served with 2nd Brigade, 327th Infantry Regiment at Fort Campbell, Ky. until 1997. After a year with 1st Brigade, 505th Infantry Regiment, Fort Bragg, N.C., Walden attended the Special Forces Qualification Course, graduating in October 2000.
He arrived at Fort Campbell November 20, 2000 and was assigned as a weapons sergeant with C Co, 1/5th SFG (A). While serving with C Co, 1/5th SFG (A), he spent one tour of duty in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and had recently begun his fourth tour of duty in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
Walden's schools include the Basic Airborne Course, the Air Assault Course, the Ranger Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course, the Basic Noncommissioned Officer's Course, the Combat Lifesaver Course, Special Forces Qualification Course, the Russian Language Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, the Military Free Fall Course and the Advanced Noncommissioned Officer's Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal with 5 bronze loops, the National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (3), the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Military Freefall Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab. His posthumous awards include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal.
He is survived by his wife, Autumn and daughter, Alexandria both of Dover, Pa.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 D
Date KIA: 19 January 2008
Location: Mosul, Iraq
Action: Hostile - IED
Staff Sgt. Justin R. Whiting, 27, was killed in action on Jan. 19 when his vehicle was struck by an IED while conducting combat operations 16 kilometers south of Mosul, Iraq. He was a Special Forces medical sergeant assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
He has had two previous combat tours to Iraq in 2004 and 2005 with 3rd Bn., 5th SFG(A), and was on his third combat tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.
Whiting was born in Texas and his military records list his home of record as Tennessee. He volunteered for military service and enlisted in the Army on Dec. 15, 1999. He would go on to earn the coveted "Green Beret" in 2000.
Whiting's military education includes the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer's Course, Warrior Leaders Course, Basic Airborne Course, and Special Forces Qualification Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, two Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global on War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, two Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Medical Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Special Forces Tab.
Whiting is survived by his mother, Estelline, of Colorado Springs, Colo., father, Randall, of Hancock, N.Y., sister, Amanda, of DuPont, Wash., and brother, Nathan, of Dover, Tenn.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 2nd Battalion
ODA: 18 D
Date KIA: 3 June 2013 OEF
Location: Ghur Ghuri, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - IED
Warrant Officer Sean W. Mullen, 39, of Rehobeth Beach, Del., died June 2, 2013, in Ghur Ghuri, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from an improvised explosive device.
Mullen was assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky., as an assistant detachment commander for a Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha (ODA), or A-team. He was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan. This was Mullen’s sixth deployment in support of an overseas contingency operation.
Mullen enlisted in the Army in November, 1995, as an Infantryman. Upon completion of basic training and advanced individual training, Mullen was assigned to 3rd Bn., 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). After successful completion of the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to 1st Bn., 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. In March 2001, Mullen was assigned to 1st Bn., 503rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Casey, Republic of Korea. In April 2002, Mullen was assigned to instruct at the Basic Airborne and Pathfinder courses at Fort Benning, Ga.
Mullen volunteered for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course and completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in April 2007.
He was assigned to Co. A, 2nd Bn., 5th SFG (A) as a medical sergeant and later became the senior medical sergeant for the company. Mullen spent two years on a Special Forces team until his selection as the company operations sergeant. After a successful deployment as the company operations sergeant in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Mullen was assigned as the senior medic for a Special Forces team in Company A. Mullen deployed again to in support of OIF. Mullen was a member of the first battalion within the U.S. Army Special Forces Command (A) qualified to conduct Unconventional Warfare. Mullen additionally deployed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in support of Special Operations Command - Central requirements.
Mullen was selected to attend the Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course; graduating as a Warrant Officer in November 2012.
Mullen’s military education includes the Special Forces Qualification Course, Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course, Advanced Special Operations Technical Course, Special Forces Medical Course, Special Operations Combat Medical Skills Sustainment Course, Total Army Instructor Training Course, Warrior Leader Course, Advanced Leader Course, Senior Leader Course, Combat Life Savers Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Course, Combatives Level 1, Pathfinder Course, Static-line Jumpmaster Course, Infantry Mortar Leaders Course, and the Airborne Course.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, the Good Conduct Medal with four knots, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, the Iraq Campaign Medal with three campaign stars, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korea Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral “2” device, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, the Joint Unit Meritorious Award, the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation Award with one oak leaf cluster, Special Forces Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge and the Parachutist Badge.
He is survived by his wife and parents.
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