7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 1st Battalion
ODA:
18 C
Date KIA: 3 June 2005
Location: Orgun-e, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - IED
Staff Sgt. Leroy E. Alexander, 27, was a Special Forces engineer sergeant assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), at Fort Bragg N. C.
He was killed in action while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on June 3, 2005, when an enemy Improvised Explosive Device exploded near his Ground Mobility Vehicle during operations in the vicinity of Orgun-e, Afghanistan.
A native of Dale City, Va., Alexander entered the Army in August 1997 and completed One Station Unit Training, at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. After completing airborne training at Fort Benning, Ga., in April 1998, he was assigned to 27th Engineer Battalion, at Fort Bragg, in support of XVIII Airborne Corps.
Following completion of Special Forces Assessment and Selection, Alexander arrived at the 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) in October 2002 to begin the more than two years of intense training it would take for him to become a Special Forces engineer sergeant. He was assigned to the 7th SFG in June 2004.
Alexander's military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course, the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course, the Spanish Language Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Mountain Course.
Awards: Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
Alexander is survived by his wife, Marissa; and parents, Ronald and Felicia Alexander of Manassas, Va.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 1st Battalion
ODA:
18 A
Date KIA: 3 June 2005
Location: Orgun-e, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - IED
Capt. Charles D. Robinson, 29, was a Special Forces officer assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C.
He was killed in action while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on June 3, 2005, when an enemy improvised explosive device exploded near his Ground Mobility Vehicle during operations in the vicinity of Orgun-e, Afghanistan.
Robinson deployed to Afghanistan in January 2005 in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
A resident of Haddon Heights, N.J., Robinson was commissioned in the Army immediately following graduation from Cedarville College in Ohio May 1998, where he earned a bachelor's degree in foreign trade.
His first military assignment was with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Robinson graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course and was assigned to 7th SFG in December 2003.
Robinson's military education and schools include the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Mortar Platoon Officer Course, Ranger School, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Nuclear Biological Chemical Officer Course, Special Forces Qualification Course, Combined Armed Service Support School, Special Forces Assessment and Selection, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course and Airborne School.
Awards: Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Parachutist Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
Robinson is survived by his wife, Laura; and parents, Charles and Janet Robinson of Brown Mills, N.J.
19th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 B
Date KIA: 8 June 2006
Location: Iraq
Action: Hostile - IED
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel B. Crabtree, 31, was a Special Forces weapons sergeant assigned to the Ohio Army National Guard's Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Columbus, Ohio.
He died June 8, 2006, in Iraq after a roadside bomb exploded next to his vehicle during a combat patrol. He was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and attached to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula.
In civilian life, Crabtree worked as a police officer first in his native hometown of Hartville, and then as a member of the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics, or SWAT, unit.
After initially entering military service with the Army Reserve in 1992, Crabtree joined the Army National Guard in 1993 as an administrative specialist. He later retrained as a military policeman and served with the 135th Military Police Company in Brook Park, Ohio. He joined the 19th SFG in March 2002, and in 2003 he was selected to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, N.C. He earned the coveted green beret when he graduated from the course in May 2004.
In Iraq, the work of Crabtree and his Special Forces operational detachment focused primarily on training members of the Al Kut SWAT, an Iraqi police force. Crabtree himself developed and implemented a comprehensive training curriculum for the Iraqi SWAT volunteers, which included advanced marksmanship training, offensive and defensive driving instruction, and urban assault training. As the police force's lead trainer, Crabtree drew on his own experiences as a police officer and SWAT team member to prepare his Iraqi officers to counter both local criminal and insurgent forces. He also assisted the Al Kut SWAT in more than 35 real-world missions as a combat advisor - including six large-scale air assault operations - which resulted in the capture of over 100 known insurgents.
Crabtree's military education also includes the Basic Airborne Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course and the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course.
Awards: Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Parachutist Badge, and the Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge.
Crabtree is survived by his wife, Kathy, and his daughter, Mallory, of the City of Green. He is also survived by his father, Ronald Crabtree and his mother, Judy Ann Crabtree.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 1st Battalion
ODA:
18 B
Date KIA: 10 June 2005
Location: Orgun-e, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile
Sgt. 1st Class Victor H. Cervantes, 27, was a Special Forces weapons sergeant assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), at Fort Bragg N.C.
He was killed in action while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on June 10, 2005 in the vicinity of Orgun-e, Afghanistan serving as a member of the Quick Reaction Force responding to enemy contact reports from another patrol.
A native of Stockton, Calif., Cervantes was born Nov. 13, 1977. He enlisted in the Army as a cavalry scout July 24, 1996 under the delayed entry program.
He arrived at Fort Bragg to the 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) in September 1999 to begin the intense training it would take for him to become a Special Forces weapons sergeant. Cervantes was assigned to 7th SFG in August 2000.
His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course, the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, the Ranger Course, the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course, the Spanish Language Course and the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course.
Awards: Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
His parents, Fidel and Nisla of Stockton, Calif., and sister, Elizabeth of California survive him.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company C, 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 D
Date KIA: 12 June 2002 OEF
Location: Gardez, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile
Sgt. 1st Class Peter Tycz was born in Cheektowaga, NY and graduated from Tonowanda High School in June 1988.
He began his career as a Fire Support Specialist when he enlisted in and served in the active-duty Army from 1988-1990. He transitioned to the Army Reserve, where he served three years before coming back on active duty in 1993. In 1997, he completed the Special Forces Qualification Course and was assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne).
SFC Tyzc' military education includes the Fire Support Specialist Course, Basic Airborne Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course, the Special Operations Medical Sergeant Course, Spanish and French Language School, Dive Medical Technician School, the Primary Leadership Development Course and the Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course. His civilian education includes the Emergency Medical Technician Course, the Basic Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support Course, and the Advanced Trauma Life Support Course.
Awards: Bronze Star for valor, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters), Good Conduct Medal (with 4th award), National Defense Service Medal (with star), Southwest Asia Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and the NATO Medal. He also earned the Combat Medical Badge, the Special Forces Tab, the Parachutist Badge and Dominican Republic Jump Wings.
SFC Peter Tycz is survived by his wife Tami and their five children: Felicia (10), Faith (7), Tiffany (5), Samantha (3) and Elizabeth (1).
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 Z
Date KIA: 15 June 2007 OEF
Location: Shkin, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - Small Arms
Master Sgt. Arthur L. Lilley, 35, a Special Forces team sergeant assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Ft. Bragg, N.C., died June 15 of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire during combat operations in the Paktika Province, near Shkin, Afghanistan.
Lilley, a native of Smithfield, Pa., enlisted as an infantryman in 1990. His first assignment was with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) where he served in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He then transferred to 1st Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry Regiment, 173rd Infantry Brigade, Camp Ederle, Italy in September 1992, where he served for just over two years. In 1995, he volunteered to become a Special Forces Soldier.
Lilley graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1996 and was assigned 1st Bn., 7th SFG, as a Special Forces engineer sergeant. In 2000, after serving four years in 7th SFG, he was assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion at Fort Bragg, N.C., where he served as an engineer sergeant and then first sergeant. In August 2005, Lilley was assigned to 2nd Bn., 7th SFG and served there as an Operational Detachment - Alpha team sergeant until his death.
His military education also includes the Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Courses, Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, Civil Affairs Qualification Course, Basic and Advanced Airborne Courses, Air Assault Course, Spanish Language Course, and the First Sergeants Course.
Awards: Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) , Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait), Expert Infantryman Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Special Forces Tab.
Lilley is survived by his wife, Christine, daughter, Mackenzie and son, Cole of Spring Lake, N.C.; parents Arthur and Elizabeth Lilley of Smithfield, Pa.; brother Michael Lilley and wife Katya half-brothers Bruce Sanford and wife Mary and James Sanford and wife Beth; halfsisters Sandra Horton and husband Rick and Jessica Barnett; grandmother Evelyn Barrett; grandparents Arthur and Edith Lilley, Ralph and Louise Barrett, and Jerry and Sondra Tate.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 1st Battalion
ODA:
18 E
Date KIA: 16 June 2005 OEF
Location: Orgun-e, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - IED
Staff Sgt. Christopher N. Piper, 43, was born Dec. 20, 1961. He was a Special Forces communications sergeant assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), at Fort Bragg N. C.
Piper died on June 16, 2005, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, from wounds sustained when an enemy Improvised Explosive Device exploded near his Ground Mobility Vehicle June 3, 2005, during operations in the vicinity of Orgun-e, Afghanistan.
A native of Marblehead, Mass., Piper graduated from Marblehead High School in 1980. Following graduation he entered the Marine Corps and attended training at Parris Island, S.C.
While serving with the Marine Corps, he deployed to Beirut, Lebanon as a scout sniper from February through October 1983, eventually becoming a regimental scout sniper. In 1983, he left active service with the Marine Corps and joined the Marine Corps Reserves.
He entered the Army, April 17, 1995. After numerous assignments, including service with 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and Headquarters, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, he arrived to 7th SFG (Airborne) in September 2004.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" Device, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Special Forces Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Parachutist Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
His wife, Connie, survives him. His two children, Deirdre Margret and Christopher Thomas and their mother, Colleen Egan-Piper of Marblehead, Mass. survive him as well.
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.
Assignment: USASOC
ODA: 18 B
Date KIA: 17 June 2005 OIF
Location: Western Iraq
Action: Hostile
Master Sgt. Robert M. Horrigan died June 17, 2005 in western Iraq while conducting combat operations against known enemies of the United States of America.
He was born Jan. 13, 1965 in Limestone, Maine.
Horrigan enlisted in the Army as an infantryman in May 1984. He served with various units to include the 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga. After a brief separation from active duty, he reenlisted and was assigned to the 5th Ranger Training Battalion serving as a team leader and Ranger instructor. In February 1991, he volunteered for Special Forces and graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in September 1991. Horrigan was then assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), where he served as a senior Special Forces weapons sergeant.
He completed several significant military courses while in the U. S. Army to include the Basic Airborne Course, the Ranger Course, the Jungle Warfare Training Course, the Instructor Training Course, the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course, the Spanish Language Course, the Jumpmaster Course, the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, the Scuba Course, the Special Forces Dive Supervisor Course, the Military Freefall Course, the Military Freefall Jumpmaster Course and the Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course.
Upon his graduation from Ranger School in 1985, Horrigan was awarded the Merrill’s Marauder Award. He competed in the 1987 Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning, Ga., where he placed second.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal (2), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal (2), the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (3), the Army Good Conduct Medal (6), the National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign 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 with numeral three, the Overseas Service Ribbon (2), the Presidential Unit Citation, the Army Superior Unit Award, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Military Freefall Jumpmaster Badge, the Scuba Diver Badge, the Ranger Tab, and the Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit Medal, the Bronze Star Medal for valor and the Purple Heart.
Horrigan is survived by his wife Denise, his daughter Courtney, his mother Mary, his sister Lisa Shine, his twin brother John and brother Daniel.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 Z
Date KIA: 24 June 2006
Location: Ghecko, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - Small Arms
Master Sgt. Thomas D. Maholic, 38, a Special Forces team sergeant assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), died June 24 in the Kandahar Province, near Ghecko, Afghanistan when he was fatally struck by enemy small arms fire during a cordon and search mission.
Maholic, a native of Bradford, Pa., enlisted as an infantryman in 1991. His first assignment was with the Pennsylvania National Guard where he was an infantryman for five years. In July of 1991, he transitioned to active duty and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Battalion at Fort Kobbe, Panama where he served for two years. In 1993, he volunteered to become a Special Forces Soldier.
Maholic graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1995 and was assigned 1st Bn., 7th SFG, as a Special Forces medical sergeant. In 2003, after serving more than seven years in 7th SFG, he was assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, N.C., where he served as an Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course instructor. In April 2005, Maholic was assigned to 2nd Bn., 7th SFG and served there as an Operational Detachment - Alpha team sergeant until his death.
His military education also includes the Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Courses, Combat Diver Qualification Course, Combat Diver Supervisor Course, Advanced Special Operations Techniques Course, Basic Instructor Training Course, Air Assault Course, Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, Basic and Advanced Airborne Courses, Spanish Language Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Course and both the winter and summer mountain warfare schools.
Awards: Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Expert Field Medical Badge, Special Operations Dive Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor, Bronze Star Medal for service, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous Gallantry in Action in Afghanistan on 24 June 2006, his order was signed on 14 April 2007.
He is survived by his wife, Wendy, and son, Andrew of Ft. Bragg, N.C. He is also survived by his mother Dorothy Maholic of Bradford, sister, Ann Davis of Bradford, brothers David of Cleveland, Ohio, John and Michael of Bradford, and Robert of Bellefonte, Pa.
1st Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 D
Date KIA: 26 June 2007 OIF
Location: Diwaniyah, Iraq
Action: Hostile
Sgt. 1st Class Nathan L. Winder, 32, was a Special Forces medic assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Fort Lewis, Wash.
Winder died June 26, 2007, from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations outside of Diwaniyah, Iraq. He was killed by small arms fire while assisting another U.S. Army element as a member of a U.S. Special Forces Quick Reaction Force.
He was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, SFC Winder was raised in Utah. After entering military service in 1993, Winder was assigned as an Infantryman to 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment at Fort Riley, Kan. He later served as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle section leader with 1st Bn., 9th Infantry Regiment at Camp Hovey, Korea, and as a dismounted squad leader with 1st Bn., 5th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas.
In 2003, he was selected to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, N.C., to become a Special Forces medic. He earned the coveted Green Beret in 2006 and was assigned to the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Lewis.
Winder's military education also includes the Warrior Leader Course, the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, and the Basic Airborne Course.
Awards: Army Commendation Medal, 5 Army Achievement Medals, 4 Good Conduct Medals, 2 National Defense Service Medals, Korean Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Driver/Mechanics Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Winder is survived by his wife, Mechelle, of South Africa, and his son, Logan, of Herkimer, N.Y. He is also survived by his parents, Tom and Terri Winder of Blanding, Utah.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company C, 1st Battalion
ODA:
18
Date KIA: 27 June 2008 OEF
Location: Lamay, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - Small Arms
Staff Sgt. Travis K. Hunsberger, 24, was killed in action on June 27, while conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol in Lamay, Afghanistan. At the time of his death, he was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in May 2008 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan. This was his second deployment in support of the Global War on Terror and his second deployment to Afghanistan.
Hunsberger, a native of Goshen, Ind., volunteered for military service and entered the Army in June 2004 as a Special Forces candidate. In 2006 he earned the coveted "Green Beret" and was assigned to 1st Bn., 7th SFG(A) at Fort Bragg, N.C., in Sept. 2006.
Hunsberger's military education includes; the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Basic Airborne Course, Warrior Leaders Course, and Special Forces Qualification Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal (second award), Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal with "V" device, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, and the Special Forces Tab.
Hunsberger is survived by his wife, Hannah, of Fayetteville, N.C.; parents Steven and Ronda Hunsberger, of Goshen, Ind.; brother, Kyle Hunsberger; and sister, Kelsey Hunsberger, both also of Goshen, Ind.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company A, 1st Battalion
ODA:
18
Date KIA: 29 June 2008 OEF
Location: Khosrow-E Sofla, Afghanistan
Action: Non-Hostile
SFC. Rada Morales deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in May 2008 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan. This was his second deployment in support of the Global War on Terror and second deployment to Afghanistan.
The accident came just 2 weeks after an engagement with enemy insurgents in which Rada Morales charged an insurgent machine gun position under heavy fire. His actions eliminated several insurgents, keeping allied Afghan forces and his fellow Special Forces Soldiers safe.
Rada Morales' military education includes; the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Basic Airborne Course, Jumpmaster Course, Air Assault Course, Warrior Leaders Course, Basic Instructor Training Course and Special Forces Qualification Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal , Meritorious Service Medal (second award), Joint Service Commendation Medal, three Army Commendation Medals, seven Army Achievement Medals, four Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and the Special Forces Tab.
SFC. Rada Morales is survived by his wife, Amanda, son, Andrew and daughter, Jessica, of Fayetteville, N.C.; and mother Virginia Morales, of Dorado, Puerto Rico.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company A, 1st Battalion
ODA:
18
Date KIA: 29 June 2008
Location: Khosrow-E Sofla, Afghanistan
Action: Non-Hostile
MSG. Simmons deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in May 2008 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan. This was his second deployment in support of the Global War on Terror and second deployment to Afghanistan.
Simmons' military education includes; the Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Military Freefall Jumpmaster Course, Ranger Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Military Freefall Parachutist Course, Basic Airborne Course, Jumpmaster Course, Air Assault Course, Warrior Leaders Course, Basic Instructor Training Course and Special Forces Qualification Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (second award), two Army Commendation Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal, three Army Achievement Medals, five Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medial, Combat Infantryman Badge, Military Freefall Parachutist BadgeJumpmaster, Military Freefall Parachutist Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, and the Special Forces Tab.
Simmons is survived by his wife, Tricia, daughter, Erin and son, Justin, of Hope Mills, N.C.; and mother Alberta Simmons, of Tallahassee, Fla.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company A, 1st Battalion
ODA:
18
Date KIA: 29 June 2008 OEF
Location: Khosrow-E Sofla, Afghanistan
Action: Non-Hostile
SGT Treber deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in May 2008 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan. This was his first deployment in support of the Global War on Terror.
Treber, a native of San Diego, Calif., volunteered for military service and entered the Army in October 2005 as a Special Forces candidate. In 2007 he earned the coveted "Green Beret" and was assigned to 1st Bn., 7th SFG (A) at Fort Bragg, N.C., in November 2007 as a Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha weapons sergeant.
In the final minutes of Sgt. James Treber's life, frigid water filling his armored truck, the 24-year-old freed a pinned comrade and shoved the man into the small air pocket he'd been using to breathe. Treber didn't make it out of the canal in Afghanistan alive, but he saved another Special Forces soldier. The Army presented his family with a Soldier's Medal - an award for heroism performed while not in combat.
"It is the beginning of the healing process," his father, Gordon Treber of Astoria, Ore., said Wednesday. He said earlier this week that he was proud of his son.
"What a tragic yet remarkable story of courage, selfless service and the willingness to give one's life for the sake of another," said Col. James Kraft, the 7th Special Forces Group commander, at the ceremony. "Sgt. Treber's character was in full display that heartbreaking evening, and we will forever remember and cherish his heroic actions."
SGT. Treber's military education includes; the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Basic Airborne Course, Warrior Leaders Course, and Special Forces Qualification Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, and the Special Forces Tab.
Treber is survived by his wife, Tamila, of Daytona Fla.; father, Gordon Treber, of Astoria, Ore.; mother, Laurie Treber, of Mohave, Ariz.; and brother, Gordon Treber, Jr., of National City, Calif.
10th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 C
Date KIA: 30 June 2007 OIF
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Action: Hostile
Staff Sgt. Robb L. Rolfing, died from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, June 30, 2007. He was a Special Forces engineer sergeant assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Fort Carson, Colo.
Rolfing, 29, was killed by small arms fire while deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula.
He was born Dec. 4, 1977, and was a native of Sioux Falls, S.D.
Three years after graduating from Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., with a degree in astronomy, Rolfing enlisted in the Army in January 2003 as an infantryman. Upon completing basic and advanced individual training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to Company B, 3rd Bn, 187th Infantry Regiment at Fort Campbell, Ky., and joined the "Rakkasans" in Iraq as an automatic rifleman on his first deployment.
In 2004, he was selected to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, N.C. He graduated from SFQC and earned the Special Forces tab in 2005 and was then assigned to 10th SFG(A).
Rolfing's military education includes the Warrior Leaders Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Basic Airborne Course and the Basic Air Assault Course.
Awards: Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
Rolfing is survived by his parents Rex and Margie Rolfing, his brother Todd Rolfing, and his sister Tiffany Rolfing of Sioux Falls, S.D.
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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