20th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company A, 2nd Battalion
ODA: 2092
18 D
Date KIA: 9 January 2004 OEF
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan
Action: Accident - Convoy
Sgt. Roy A. Wood, 47, a resident of Alva, Fla., was a member of 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He served as the medical sergeant on Operational Detachment-A 2092, Company C, 3rd Battalion. In civilian life, he worked as an emergency physician at Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers, Fla.
A 24-year Army Reservist and National Guardsman, he received a commission as a second lieutenant in 1979 and was assigned to the Army Reserve’s 421st Quartermaster Company in Fort Valley, Ga.
In January 1982, Wood joined the U.S. Army Special Forces. His first SF assignment was to the Army Reserve’s 11th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Meade, Md., where he served in the 3rd Battalion’s Company A as the detachment executive officer for Operational Detachment-A 1175. In May 1983, Wood became detachment commander for ODA 1175. Over the next 12 years he served in a variety of positions at the 11th SFG (A), to include, company logistics officer, operations officer and support company commander.
In 1996, after 2 years on inactive Individual Ready Reserve status, he was assigned as an individual mobilization augmentee to the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., where he worked as an area analyst. In 2000, he served with the Army Reserve’s 73rd Field Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., before switching to the National Guard in December 2001 and was assigned to 3rd Bn., 20th SFG. There, he served for a year as the battalion surgeon. In December 2002, Maj. Wood resigned his commission to become a medical sergeant on ODA 2092.
Wood's key military education includes the U.S. Army Ranger Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Special Forces Detachment Officer qualification course, Advanced Airborne Course, and Quartermaster Officer Basic Course.
His civilian education includes a bachelor’s degree in biology from Mercer University in Macon, Ga., and a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Fla. He also completed a medical internship at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital, a medical residency at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital and was board certified as an emergency medicine physician by the American Board of Emergency Physicians.
Awards: Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Achievement Medal with silver hourglass device, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Basic Parachutist Badge, the Parachute Rigger Badge, the Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab.
Wood is survived by his wife and two children.
10th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 Z
Date KIA: 18 January 2004 OIF
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Action: Hostile - IED
Master Sgt. Kelly L. Hornbeck, a Special Forces team sergeant assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colo., was a 36-year-old native of Fort Worth, Texas.
He died Jan. 18, 2004 in Iraq from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated during a combat patrol near Baghdad.
Hornbeck enlisted in the Army in 1987 and first trained as an infantryman at Fort Benning, Ga., where he would later serve as a drill sergeant. Hornbeck’s initial assignment was with the 3rd Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard,” at Fort Myer, Va.
Following his initial enlistment, he volunteered for duty with the U.S. Army Special Forces in 1990. After training as a Special Forces weapons sergeant, Hornbeck went on to serve in the 7th and 10th Special Forces groups. During his career as a special operations Soldier, he served as a combat diver, a military free fall parachutist and a jumpmaster, among many other duties. Hornbeck was also a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Drill Sergeant Identification Badge, the Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Combat Diver Badge, the Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab.
Hornbeck is survived by his daughters, Tyler Rae Hornbeck and Jaqueline McCall, and his parents, Jeffrey and Camille Hornbeck.
10th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company C, 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 Z
Date KIA: 30 March 2004 OIF
Location: Samarra, Iraq
Action: Accident
Master Sgt. Richard L. Ferguson, 45, was a Special Forces team sergeant assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colo.
He was a resident of Woodland Park, Colo., and began his 27-year career when he enlisted in the U.S. Army in March 1976. Ferguson served the Special Forces community for more than 25 years with the 10th SFG, both at Bad Tolz, Germany, and at Fort Carson.
Awards: Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the 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 Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Pathfinder Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
Ferguson is survived by his wife and four children.
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.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 1st Battalion
ODA: 313
180A
Date KIA: 15 May 2004
Location: Musa Qalay, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - Small Arms
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Bruce E. Price, 37, a Special Forces assistant detachment commander assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) here, was fatally wounded when his vehicle was struck by small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire during the patrol.
Price, a resident of Fayetteville, N.C., enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1986. After serving in a number of assignments, including an overseas tour in Germany, he volunteered for and completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1992 as a Special Forces weapons sergeant. After earning his green beret, Price furthered his military education by completing the Air Movement Operations Course, the Jumpmaster Course and the U.S. Army Ranger Course.
Price became a warrant officer in 1998 after graduating from Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Ala., and the Special Forces Warrant Officer Basic Course at Fort Bragg, N.C.
He was assigned to the 3rd SFG on Nov. 21, 1998. He continued his service there with the group's 1st Battalion until his death, participating in one deployment to Kuwait in 2000 and three deployments to Afghanistan beginning in 2002.
His civilian education includes two years of general studies at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C.
Awards: Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary 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 Overseas Service Ribbon, the United Nations Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Senior Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Ranger tab and the Special Forces tab.
Price is survived by his wife, Renate, and his son, Aidan.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company C, 1st Battalion
ODA:
18 A
Date KIA: 29 May 2004 OEF
Location: Kandahar, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - IED
Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, 28, was a Special Forces detachment commander assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C.
He was killed in Afghanistan on May 29, 2004 when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device near Kandahar.
Eggers was a native of Cape Coral, Fla., and was commissioned in May 1997 after graduation from The Citadel Military College of South Carolina where he majored in history. Following a deployment to Afghanistan in March 2003 with the 3rd SFG, he was assigned to Company A as a detachment commander.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, the 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 Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
Eggers is survived by his wife, Rebecca, and their children John, 6, and William, 3. His parents, William and Margaret Eggers of Cape Coral, Fla., also survive him.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company A, 1st Battalion
ODA:
18 B
Date KIA: 29 May 2004
Location: Qalat, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - IED
Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Mogensen was born on Feb. 17, 1978 in New York. He was a senior Special Forces weapons sergeant assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C.
He was killed in Afghanistan on May 29, 2004 when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device near Kandahar.
Mogensen was a native of Leesville, La., and joined the Army in 1995. He completed basic infantry training and airborne training at Fort Benning, Ga., before being assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. After completing Special Forces training and French language training, he was assigned to 1st Bn., 3rd SFG in October 2000.
After completion of the Special Forces Qualification Course, Lane served in several assignments with the 3rd SFG.
Awards: Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab.
Mogenson is survived by his wife, Tanya, and their children Joshua, 10, Vanessa, 6 and Leilani, 8 weeks. His mother, Roxanne Mogensen, and his father, William Mogensen, also survive him.
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.
1st Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 2nd Battalion
ODA: 155
18 B
Date KIA: 1 July 2004
Location: Manila, Philippines
Action:
Sgt. 1st Class Robert K. McGee, 37, was assigned as a senior Special Forces weapons sergeant with Operational Detachment A 155, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
McGee died in Manila, Philippines on July 1, 2004. He was deployed to the Philippines as a member of an advance team for Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines. He was to assist in light-infantry tactics training at Cotabato.
McGee, a native of Antioch, Tenn., exemplified the spirit of the “Quiet Professional,” American fighting man and professional Soldier. During 17 years of military service, he distinguished himself while serving in multiple organizations and various positions.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 1984. Upon completion of One Station Unit Training and the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Ga., McGee was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. He served as an infantryman, machine gunner, fire team leader and squad leader. While assigned to the 82nd, he participated in numerous field-training exercises throughout the United States and a rotation as part of the Multi-National Force and Observers in the Sinai.
McGee volunteered for Special Forces training in January 1988 and upon completion of the Special Forces Qualification Course, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st SFG (A) at Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan.
During McGee’s tenure with 1st Battalion, he served as a junior and senior SF weapons sergeant on ODA 121 and 125. He participated in numerous Joint Combined Exchange Training exercises to Korea, Japan, Republic of the Philippines, Kingdom of Thailand, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
In October 1992 McGee was reassigned to the U. S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg where he taught Special Forces students. Three years later, he was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st SFG serving as the senior weapons sergeant on ODA 185.
After serving 10 years as a Special Forces Soldier, McGee chose to finish his military career and begin a new career in the computer industry in Nashville, Tenn. After Sept. 11, 2001, McGee volunteered for active service within the ranks of the Special Forces community and was assigned to the 1st SFG at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, Static Line Jumpmaster Course, Waterborne Infiltration Course, Combat Diver Qualification Course, Combat Diving Supervisor Course, Jungle Warfare Course, Jungle Survival Course, Winter Mountain Warfare Course, Special Forces Qualification Course, Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course and Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Course.
Awards: Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Multinational Force and Observers Medal, Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Expert Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Scuba Diver Badge, Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge, Malaysian Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Tab, and Royal Thai Army Airborne Wings.
His wife, Shannon and two sons, Michael and Zachary, survive him. His mother, Martha R. Goins, and a brother also survive him.
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 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: 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.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 B
Date KIA: 20 September 2004
Location: Shkin, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - Small Arms
Staff Sgt. Robert S. Goodwin, 35, was a Special Forces weapons sergeant assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C.
He was killed in action while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on Sept. 20, 2004, during a combat patrol near the town of Shkin in Afghanistan’s Paktika province when his vehicle came under fire from enemy forces.
A native of Albany, Ga., Goodwin enlisted in the Army in March 1989 as a medical specialist. After completing medical and airborne training, he was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., with assignment to the 44th Medical Brigade’s 36th Medical Company, and later the 261st Area Support Medical Battalion. After deploying in support of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Goodwin later served in Alaska and retrained as an infantryman prior to being selected in 2001 to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Goodwin’s military education includes the Special Forces Qualification Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, Jumpmaster Course and the Emergency Medical Technician Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Kuwaiti Liberation Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Expert Field Medical Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
Goodwin is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and his son, Mathew.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 D
Date KIA: 20 September 2004
Location: Shkin, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - Small Arms
Staff Sgt. Tony B. Olaes, 30, was a Special Forces medical sergeant assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C.
He was killed in action while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on Sept. 20, 2004, during a combat patrol near the town of Shkin in Afghanistan’s Paktika province when his vehicle came under fire from enemy forces.
A native of Walhalla, S.C., Olaes enlisted in the South Carolina Army National Guard in 1992 and trained to be a man-portable air-defense system crewmember. He left the military in May 1998 and in 1999 he re-entered the Army on active duty. Olaes trained at Fort Jackson, S.C., to be a multi-channel transmissions system operator-maintainer as was assigned to the 35th Signal Brigade (Airborne) at Fort Bragg.
He graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2001 and was then assigned to the 3rd SFG.
Olaes’ military education includes the Special Forces Qualification Course, Advanced Special Operations Techniques Course, Jumpmaster Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course and the Basic Airborne Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Medical Badge, Parachutist Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
Olaes is survived by his wife, Tammy, and their children, Maverick, McKenzie and Alec.
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