Military Deaths

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq:

Jacques E. Brunson, 30, of Americus, Ga.; specialist, Army National Guard. Brunson was among four National Guard troops killed July 24 when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee while on patrol in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade, Army National Guard in Albany, Ga.

Carl R. Fuller, 44, of Covington, Ga.; staff sergeant, Army National Guard. Fuller was among four National Guard troops killed July 24 when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee while on patrol in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade, Army National Guard in Albany, Ga.

Ernesto R. Guerra, 20, of Long Beach; private, Army. Guerra died Friday of injuries suffered a day earlier when his Humvee was involved in an accident in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 43rd Brigade Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

Adam J. Harting, 21, of Portage, Ind.; specialist, Army. Harting was killed Monday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley fighting vehicle in Samarra, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 42nd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

Benjamin D. Jansky, 28, of Oshkosh, Wis.; captain, Army Reserve. Jansky was killed Wednesday when his Humvee was accidentally struck by another military vehicle in Taqaddum, Iraq, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 983rd Engineer Battalion, Army Reserve in Monclova, Ohio.

James O. Kinlow, 35, of Thomson, Ga.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Kinlow was among four National Guard troops killed July 24 when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee while on patrol in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade, Army National Guard in Albany, Ga.

Christopher P. Lyons, 24, of Shelby, Ohio; lance corporal, Marine Corps Reserve. Lyons was one of two Marine Corps reservists killed Thursday when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in Cykla, Iraq, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Corps Reserve in Columbus, Ohio. As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

Edward L. Myers, 21, of St. Joseph, Mo.; specialist, Army. Myers was killed Wednesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee while on patrol in Samarra, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

Bryan J. Opskar, 32, of Princeton, Minn.; sergeant, Marine Corps. Opskar was killed July 23 when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device near Rutbah in western Iraq. He was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Jason T. Palmerton, 25, of Auburn, Neb.; sergeant, Army. Palmerton was killed July 23 when he was attacked with small-arms fire while on foot patrol in Qal’eh-ye Gaz in central Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Michael W. Schafer, 25, of Spring Hill, Fla.; staff sergeant, Army. Schafer was killed by enemy gunfire Monday as he stepped through the door of a building that he had been ordered to clear in Oruzgan, Afghanistan, near Kandahar. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment in Vicenza, Italy.

Christopher J. Taylor, 22, of Opelika, Ala.; sergeant, Army. Taylor was killed July 24 when he was struck by mortar rounds while getting out of a bunker in Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

John F. Thomas, 33, of Valdosta, Ga.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Thomas was among four National Guard troops killed July 24 when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee while on patrol in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade, Army National Guard in Albany, Ga.

Andre L. Williams, 23, of Galloway, Ohio; corporal, Marine Corps Reserve. Williams was one of two Marine Corps reservists killed Thursday when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in Cykla, Iraq, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Corps Reserve in Columbus, Ohio. As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

*

Sources: Department of Defense, Times staff reports and Associated Press