Casualties as of today: 331
Wounded as of today: 1,831
the death of three soldiers who were supporting
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Kerry D. Scott, 21, of Mount Vernon,
Wash., was killed on Oct. 6 in Iskandariyah,
Iraq. While on a combat patrol, Scott's convoy
was hit by an improvised explosive device.
Scott was one of two soldiers killed in the blast.
Scott was assigned to 1st Battalion, 32nd
Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort
Drum, N.Y.
Staff Sgt. Christopher W. Swisher, 26, of
Lincoln, Neb., and Pvt. Sean A. Silva, 23, of
Roseville, Calif., were killed in an ambush on
Oct. 9 in Baghdad, Iraq. The soldiers were on
patrol when their unit was ambushed by
individuals using small arms fire and rocket
propelled grenades.
Both soldiers were assigned to 2nd Armored
Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, La.
DoD Identifies Army Casualty.
The Department of Defense announced today
the death of Spc. Joseph C. Norquist, 26, of
San Antonio, Texas, who was killed on Oct. 9
in Baqubah, Iraq, while supporting Operation
Iraqi Freedom. Norquist was in a convoy that
came under attack from rocket propelled
grenades and small arms fire. Norquist was
fatally injured in the incident.
Norquist was assigned to the 588th Engineer
Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas.
October 13, 2003
Pfc. Stephen E. Wyatt, 19, of Kilgore, Texas,
was killed on Oct. 13 in Balad, Iraq. Wyatt
was in a convoy that was hit by an improvised
explosive device and small arms fire. He died
as a result of his injuries. Wyatt was assigned
to C Battery, 1st Battalion, 17th Field Artillery
Regiment, Fort Sill, Okla.
Spc. Donald L. Wheeler, 22, of Concord,
Mich., was killed on Oct. 13 in Tikrit, Iraq.
Wheeler was searching for a possible
improvised explosive device when his unit came
under attack from a rocket propelled grenade.
He died as a result of his injuries. Wheeler was
assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd
Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas.
October 14, 2003
The Department of Defense announced today
that Spc. Douglas J. Weismantle, 28, of
Pittsburgh, Pa., died on Oct. 13 in Baghdad,
Iraq. Weismantle was driving a high mobility
multi-purpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV)
when an Iraqi dump truck swerved and rolled
over on top of his vehicle. Weismantle died as
a result of his injuries.
Weismantle was assigned to Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 325th
Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne,
Fort Bragg, N.C.
October 15, 2003
The Department of Defense announced today
the death of two soldiers who were supporting
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pvt. Benjamin L. Freeman, 19, of Valdosta,
Ga., drowned on Oct. 13 near Al Asad, Iraq.
Soldiers from his unit had been searching for
Freeman when they discovered him floating on
the surface of the water near Haditha dam.
Attempts made to resuscitate him were
unsuccessful.
Freeman was assigned to K Troop, 3rd
Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment,
based in Fort Carson, Colo.
Pfc. Jose Casanova, 23, of El Monte, Calif.,
died on Oct. 13 in Baghdad, Iraq. Casanova
was in a high mobility multi-purpose wheeled
vehicle (HMMWV) when an Iraqi dump truck
swerved and rolled over on top of his vehicle.
Casanova was one of two soldiers who were
killed in this incident.
Casanova was assigned to Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 325th
Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne
Division, based in Fort Bragg, N.C.
The Department of Defense announced today
the death of Spc. James E. Powell, 26, of
Radcliff, Ky., who was killed on October 12 in
Baji, Iraq. Powell was killed when his M2/A2
Bradley Fighting Vehicle struck an enemy
anti-tank mine. He died as a result of his
injuries.
Powell was assigned to B Company, 1st
Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry
Division, based in Fort Hood, Texas
October 17, 2003
The Department of Defense announced today
the death of three soldiers who were supporting
Operation Iraqi Freedom on Oct. 16 in
Karbala, Iraq. The soldiers were attempting to
negotiate with armed men who were
congregating on a road near a mosque after
curfew. The Iraqis opened fire killing three
soldiers and wounding seven others.. Killed
were:
Lt. Col. Kim S. Orlando, 43, of Tennessee.
Staff Sgt. Joseph P. Bellavia, 28, of
Wakefield, Mass.
Cpl. Sean R. Grilley, 24, of San Bernardino,
Calif.
The soldiers were assigned to the 716th
Military Police Battalion, 101st Airborne
Division (Air Assault), based in Fort Campbell,
Ky. Orlando was the commanding officer of
the 716th Military Police Battalion.
The Department of Defense announced today
that Spc. Michael L. Williams, 46, of Buffalo,
N.Y., was killed on October 17, 2003, along
MSR Jackson, near Baghdad, Iraq. Williams
was killed in action when his vehicle ran over an
improvised explosive device. He died as a
result of his injuries.
Williams was assigned to the 105th Military
Police Company, Army National Guard, based
in New York.
October 20, 2003
The Department of Defense announced today
the death of two soldiers who were supporting
Operation Iraqi Freedom. Both soldiers were
killed in action on Oct. 18 in Taza, Iraq, when
enemy forces ambushed their patrol using
rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire.
Killed were:
1st Lt. David R. Bernstein, 24, of
Phoenixville, Pa.
Pfc. John D. Hart, 20, of Bedford, Mass.
The soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion
(Airborne), 508th Infantry Regiment, 173rd
Infantry Brigade, Camp Ederle, Italy.
October 21, 2003
DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today
that Tech. Sgt. Bruce E. Brown, 32, of
Coatopa, Ala., was killed in a motor vehicle
accident on Sept. 4 near Al Udeid, Qatar.
Brown was a fuels supervisor assigned to the
78th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Robins Air
Force Base, Ga.
The Department of Defense announced today
that Staff Sgt. Paul J. Johnson, 29, of Calumet,
Mich., was killed on Oct. 20 in Al Fallujah,
Iraq. Johnson was on a mounted patrol when
the vehicle he was riding in hit an improvised
explosive device and later came under small
arms fire by enemy forces.
Johnson was assigned to 1st Battalion, 505th
Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
October 22, 2003
The Department of Defense announced today
that Pfc. Paul J. Bueche, 19, of Daphne, Ala.,
died on Oct. 21 in Balad, Iraq. Bueche was
changing a tire on a UH-60 Black Hawk
helicopter when the tire exploded.
Bueche was assigned to the 131st Aviation
Regiment, Army National Guard, Birmingham,
Ala.
UH-60 HELICOPTER HIT WITH RPG, DOWNED
BAGHDAD, Iraq - On 25 Oct, at approximately 4 p.m., one of two UH-60 “Black Hawk”
helicopters assigned to the 3-158th Aviation Regiment, 12th Aviation Brigade, while performing a
reconnaissance mission in the vicinity of Tikrit, was hit in one of its engines by a rocket propelled
grenade.
The crew was able to perform a controlled emergency landing. However, once on the ground the
helicopter caught fire and was destroyed. All five members of the crew were able to exit the aircraft
and move to safety. One of the crew suffered minor leg injuries due to shrapnel. The second UH-60
landed and picked up the crew and flew them to an aid station. The wounded soldier was treated and
returned to duty.
Two AH-64D Apache helicopters in the area were given the location where the engagement took
place. Upon their arrival, they observed two vehicles appearing to flee the area. The vehicles were
forced to stop, and 1-22d Infantry personnel took an unknown number of suspects into custody.
The remainder of the downed aircraft was removed by elements of the 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry
Division.
