Military deaths

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel who died in Afghanistan, in Iraq and at sea:

John D. Blair, 38, of Calhoun, Ga.; first sergeant, Army National Guard. Blair was killed June 20 when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle near Mado Zayi in southeast Afghanistan’s Khost province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment in Lawrenceville, Ga.

Brian N. Bradshaw, 24, of Steilacoom, Wash.; first lieutenant, Army. Bradshaw was killed Thursday when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Kheyl, Afghanistan, south of Kabul. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Ft. Richardson, Alaska.

Jeffrey J. Garber, 43, of Hemingford, Neb.; command master chief, Navy. Garber was found dead of apparent natural causes June 20 in his stateroom on the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, which is deployed in the North Arabian Sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Joshua L. Hazlewood, 22, of Manvel, Texas; specialist, Army Reserve. Hazlewood died of noncombat-related injuries Thursday in Arifjan, Kuwait, where he was serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was assigned to the 614th Automated Cargo Documentation Detachment in Houston.

Casey L. Hills, 23, of Salem, Ill.; specialist, Army Reserve. Hills was killed Wednesday when his convoy vehicle overturned in a noncombat-related incident in southern Iraq while traveling from Kuwait to the Baghdad area. He was assigned to the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

Ricky D. Jones, 26, of Plantersville, Ala.; sergeant, Army. Jones was one of two soldiers killed June 21 in a rocket attack in Bagram, Afghanistan, north of Kabul. He was assigned to the 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade at Ft. Polk, La.

Chancellor A. Keesling, 25, of Indianapolis; specialist, Army Reserve. Keesling died of apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds June 19 in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 961st Engineer Company in Sharonville, Ohio.

Joshua A. Melton, 26, of Germantown, Ill.; staff sergeant, Army National Guard. Melton was one of two guardsmen killed June 19 when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Marion, Ill.

Rodrigo A. Munguia Rivas, 27, of Germantown, Md.; sergeant, Army. Rivas was one of two soldiers killed June 21 in a rocket attack in Bagram, Afghanistan, north of Kabul. He was assigned to the 710th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

Paul G. Smith, 43, of East Peoria, Ill.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Smith was one of two guardsmen killed June 19 when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora, Ill.

--

Sources: Department of Defense and the Associated Press

--

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

War casualties

TOTAL U.S. DEATHS*

In and around Iraq: 4,319

In and around Afghanistan: 640

Other locations: 68

* Includes military and Department of Defense-employed civilian personnel killed in action and in nonhostile circumstances as of Friday

--

Source: Department of Defense