7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 B
Date KIA: 13 February 2006 OIF
Location: Deh Rawod, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - IED
Sgt. 1st Class Chad A. Gonsalves, 31, a Special Forces weapons sergeant assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C., died Feb. 13, 2006, when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated near his Humvee north of Deh Rawod in central Afghanistan.
A native of Turlock, Calif., Gonsalves enlisted in July 1996 as an infantryman. His first assignment was with 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment at Conn Barracks near Schweinfurt, Germany where he served for four years.
Gonsalves attended the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2000 and was assigned in November 2001 to 3rd Battalion, 7th SFG (A), as a weapons sergeant, where he served until his death.
His military education included the Special Forces Qualification Course, Ranger Course, Combat Diver Qualification Course, Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Spanish Basic Military Language Course, Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, Basic and Advanced Airborne Courses, Jumpmaster Course, Basic Combat Training, Advanced Individual Training for Infantryman, Primary Leadership Development Course and Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course.
Awards: Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, NATO 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 Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Special Operations Diver Badge, the Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab. His posthumous awards include the Bronze Star Medal for valor, the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal.
He is survived by his wife, Julie, and three sons, Cody, Blake and Dylan of Spring Lake, N.C. His parents, Larry and Marsha Gonsalves, of Turlock, Calif, also survive him.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 F
Date KIA: 28 February 2006 OEF
Location: Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - IED
Master Sgt. Emigdio E. Elizarraras, 37, a Special Forces Intelligence Sergeant assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C. died Feb. 28 when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated while he was traveling in a Ground Mobility Vehicle north of Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan during a reconnaissance patrol.
Elizarraras, a native of Pico Rivera, Calif., enlisted as an infantryman in 1986. His first assignment was with 1st Bn., 327th Infantry Regiment at Fort Campbell, Ky., where he served for four years, deploying to Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm during that time.
Elizarraras then transferred to 1st Bn., 14th Infantry Regiment at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, where he served almost three years before becoming an instructor at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation at Fort Benning, Ga. After serving for three years as an instructor, he volunteered for Special Forces training.
He graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1998 and was assigned to 3rd Bn., 7th SFG (A), as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant. In 2003, he was assigned as an SF Intelligence Sergeant and served in that position until his death.
His military education also includes the Ranger Course, the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, the Advanced Special Operations Techniques Course, the Individual Terrorism Awareness Course, the Basic Military Mountaineer Winter Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, the Basic and Advanced Airborne Courses, the Static Line Jumpmaster Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course, the Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Courses and the Air Assault Course.
Awards: Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with silver oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait), Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Basic Marksmanship Qualification Badge, Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab.
Elizarraras is survived by his wife, Kris, daughters, Sally and Olivia, and son, Andrew, of Fayetteville, N.C. His parents, Emigdio and Martha, of Pico Rivera, Calif., and sister Leticia of Phoenix, Ariz., also survive him.
20th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 E
Date KIA: 25 March 2006
Location: Sangain District, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - Small Arms
Sgt. 1st Class Christopher L. Robinson, 36, a Special Forces Communications Sergeant assigned to 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) out of Elliott, Miss. died Mar. 25 when he was fatally struck by enemy small arms fire during a combat patrol.
Robinson, a resident of Brandon, Miss., enlisted in the Army in 1987 as a radio operator.
After his Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training, he attended the Basic Airborne Course and the Special Forces Qualification Course to become a Communications Sergeant.
Robinson served his entire career with 2nd Bn. 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), deploying to locations within Bolivia and Argentina, South America; Haiti; Kosovo; and Afghanistan.
He was also a member of the Mississippi National Guard Counter Drug Task Force from 1992 through 2005, where he served in various positions across the state in support of the war on drugs. Prior to this deployment with 20th SFG (Abn.), he served with the Task Force as the Jackson Operations Ground Team Leader Noncommissioned Officer-In-Charge.
His military education also includes the Primary Leadership Development Course, Spanish Language Course, Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Courses, Spanish Jumpmaster Course and Military Free Fall Course along with numerous tactical weapons courses.
Awards: Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, United Nations Medal, NATO Medal, Basic Parachutist Badge, Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge, Bolivian Jumpmaster Parachutist Badge, Argentinean Parachutist Badge, Italian Parachutist Badge, Paraguayan Parachutist Badge, Peruvian Parachutist Badge, Basic Marksmanship Qualification Badge and Special Forces Tab. Robinson was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Robinson is survived by his wife, Tamara, daughter, Savannah, and son, Patrick, of Brandon, Miss. His parents, George and Mary, of Madison, Miss., his sister, Denise Schimmel, her husband Jay Schimmel and nieces, Sullivan, Britton and Caroline all of Jackson, Miss. also survive him.
Assignment: USASOC
ODA: 18 D
Date KIA: 25 April 2006 OIF
Location: Iraq
Action: Hostile
Sgt. 1st Class Richard J. Herrema was killed in combat during operations April 25, 2006, in Iraq against known enemies of the United States of America.
He was born March 28, 1979, in Grand Rapids, Mich., and graduated from Unity Christian High School in Hudsonville, Mich.
He first entered the U. S. Army as an infantryman on Jan. 11, 1999. After completion of initial Basic Entry Training, he was assigned to B Company, 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky., and then as a Squad Leader in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell. He graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in June 2003 as an 18D SF Medical Sergeant and was assigned as an instructor in G Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C. His last assignment was as a team member assigned to the U. S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
In addition to the Special Forces Qualification Course, he completed numerous military courses including the Air Assault Course, the Combat Lifesaver Course, the Ranger Course, the Basic Airborne Course, the Special Operations Medical Sergeant Course, the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Course, and the Military Freefall Course.
Awards: Two Army Commendation Medals, five Army Achievement Medals, two Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral two, and the Army Service Ribbon. During his career he had also earned, the Military Freefall Parachutist Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge and both the Special Forces and Ranger Tabs.
Herrema was posthumously promoted to Sgt. 1st Class. He was also posthumously awarded a Bronze Star Medal for valor, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
He is survived by his parents, Richard and Mary Herrema, and his sisters, Katie Lynn and Janie Lynn Herrema.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 B
Date KIA: 19 May 2006 OEF
Location: Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - Small Arms
Staff Sgt. Christian Longsworth, 26, a Special Forces weapons sergeant assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, died May 19, 2006, when he was fatally struck by enemy small arms fire during a combat patrol in the Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan.
Longsworth, a native of Newark, N.J., enlisted as an infantryman in 1998.
His first assignment was with the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment at Fort Drum, N.Y., where he served more than two years. In 2001, he transferred to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where he served for almost three years as a member of the 6th Ranger Training Battalion cadre team. He rose to the position of Ranger Instructor before volunteering to become a Special Forces Soldier.
Longsworth graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in February 2006 and was assigned 3rd Bn., 7th SFG, as a Special Forces weapons sergeant. He deployed in March to Afghanistan.
His military education also includes the Warrior Leader Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Basic Instructor Training Course, Ranger Course, Pathfinder Course, Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, Special Forces Qualification Course, Basic and Advanced Airborne Courses, and Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Course.
Awards: Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Expert Infantryman Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab and Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for Valor, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge.
He is survived by his mother, Cecilia and daughter, Jaylin Araya of Newark, N.J. He is also survived by his brother, Roy Longsworth of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
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: 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.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 C
Date KIA: 18 July 2006
Location: Southern Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - Small Arms
Staff Sgt. Eric Caban was born on March 28, 1978 in Manhattan, N.Y. He joined the Army in September, 1997. After attending Infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment where he served as a sniper platoon member and team leader.
In October 2001, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and participated in a combat jump to overtake Kandahar Airfield. He then left active duty to attend college in February 2002. Due to his patriotism and undeniable calling to serve, Caban returned to active duty in September 2003 and was assigned as a Sniper Instructor at Company C, 2nd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.
In December 2004, he attended the Special Forces Qualification Course and graduated in March 2006 as a Special Forces Engineer Sergeant. He was subsequently assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N. C.
Caban was a graduate of the Special Forces Engineer Course, Sniper School, the Special Operations Interdiction Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Course, the U.S. Army Ranger School, the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course, and Airborne School.
Awards: Army Commendation Medal, three Army Achievement Medals, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Basic Parachutist Badge with a Service Bronze Star.
NOTEHe has been posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Caban is survived by his father Efren and mother Iris, and his brothers Efren Caban Jr. and Edwin Caban.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 3rd Battalion
ODA:
180A
Date KIA: 11 October 2006
Location: Southern Afghanistan
Action: Hostile
Chief Warrant Officer Two Scott W. Dyer was born on September 2, 1968, in Alexandria, Va. He was an assistant detachment commander assigned to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C.
He died October 11, 2006, from injuries sustained during combat operations in southern Afghanistan.
Dyer entered the Army in November 1987 from Titusville, Fla. as a cavalry scout. After an assignment to the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La., he moved to Fort Bragg, N.C., and graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1994 as a Special Forces Engineer. Dyer was then assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group located at Fort Bragg. While at 3rd SFG, he participated in numerous deployments to Africa, Caribbean Islands, Haiti, and the Balkans. In 2002, he was reassigned to 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) and participated in deployments to Hungary, Macedonia, Czech Republic and one tour in Afghanistan. He graduated from Warrant Officer Candidate School in 2003 and was reassigned to the 3rd SFG in February 2004. Dyer deployed with his unit to Afghanistan in August 2006.
Awards: Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Military Freefall Jumpmaster Badge, Military Freefall Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab.
Dyer is survived by his wife Jodi, son Casey, daughter Sidney, mother Sandra Miller and step-father Steve Miller of Tequesta, Fla., father Carl Dyer of Alexandria, Va., and sisters Tawnia Peterson of Orlando, Fla., and Dawn Hill of Rockledge, Fla.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 1st Battalion
ODA:
18 B
Date KIA: 6 November 2006
Location: Panjwayi, Kandahar
Action: Hostile - IED
Sgt. 1st Class William R. Brown, 30, a Special Forces weapons sergeant assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C., died Nov. 6, 2006, when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated near his Humvee in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar.
A native of White Settlement, Texas, Brown enlisted in June 1994 as an infantryman. His first assignment was with 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga., where he served for seven years. He held numerous positions there, to include squad leader and operations sergeant.
Brown then successfully completed a two-year tour in Dallas, Texas, as a recruiter. He attended the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2004 and was assigned in October 2005 to 1st Battalion, 3rd SFG (A), as a weapons sergeant, where he served until his death.
His military education included the Special Forces Qualification Course, Ranger Course, Combat Diver Qualification Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, Basic Airborne Course, Jumpmaster Course, Pathfinder Course, Jungle Warfare School, Recruiting Management Course, Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Advance Noncommissioned Officer Course Basic Combat Training, and Advanced Individual Training for Infantryman.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal with V (valor) device, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, U.S. Army Recruiter Badge (silver), Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab.
He is survived by his wife, Audra, stepson, Trenton and daughter Emily of Hope Mills, N.C. His mother, Anita Walton, of Boyd, Texas, also survives him.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 2nd Battalion
ODA:
18 E
Date KIA: 14 November 2006
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Action: Hostile
Sgt. 1st Class Tung M. Nguyen, 38, a Special Forces communications sergeant assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, died Nov. 14, 2006, as a result of a gunshot wound during combat operations in Baghdad.
Nguyen was born in Cantho, Vietnam, became a U.S. citizen, and was raised in Tracy, Calif. He enlisted as an infantryman in 1986.
His first assignment was with Company A, 4th Bn., 22d Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division (Light) at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii where he served for three years. He then left active duty and served with the Army Reserve in Sacramento, Calif.
In 1991, he reentered active duty, and served with 1st Bn., 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky., for one year before volunteering for Special Forces training.
Nguyen began his journey to become a Special Forces Soldier in 1992 and earned the coveted Green Beret when he graduated from the course in 1993. He was assigned to 1st Special Forces Group, Fort Lewis, Wash., that year and served in all three combat battalions during his tenure there, first as a communications sergeant and then as an intelligence sergeant.
In 2003, Nguyen was chosen to become an instructor at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. He served in both instructor and operations positions, preparing Special Forces Soldiers for the rigors of combat, until February 2006 when he was assigned 3rd SFG where he served until his death.
Nguyen’s military education also includes the Special Operations and Target Interdiction Course, Special Forces Advanced Reconnaissance, Target Analysis and Exploitation Techniques Course, Warrior Leaders Course, Nuclear Hazards Training Course, Basic Airborne Course, Air Assault Course, Basic and Anti-Terrorism Instructor Courses, Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Courses and Combat Lifesaver Course.
Awards: Two Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, six Army Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Overseas Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge, and the Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Iraq Campaign Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge. He also was the winner of the 2006 Small Arms Championship Sniper Class competition, and the 2006 Joint Special Operations Command Small Arms Championship Pistol Class competition.
Nguyen is survived by his wife, Marcia of Raeford, N.C. He is also survived by his parents, Nguyen Van Tuan and Phan Cong Duc of Alameda, Calif.
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