Hero Stories for September 2009

1st Lt. David T. Wright II, 26, of Moore, Oklahoma, died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device on September 14, 2009, in southern Afghanistan. 1st Lt. Wright was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington. </d

Sgt. Andrew H. McConnell, 24, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device on September 14, 2009, in southern Afghanistan. Sgt. McConnell was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington. </d

Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti would have done anything for his Soldiers, so after the initial shock, no one was surprised that he sacrificed his life to save another Soldier during an intense firefight with Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, June 21, 20

2/8 Marines “America’s Battalion” "Be ready for a fight, and fight to win!" OPERATION HOMECOMING! Dear Family and Friends of 2/8 Marines: This deployment is getting ready to come to a close. We, the families and friends of the 2/8 Marines, “America’s Battalion”, have been supporting their Marines while they have been deployed to Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom. This deployment has proven to be long, strenuous and very dangerous; nonetheless our Marine’s have done a marvelous job d...

Sgt. Tyler A. Juden, 23, of Winfield, Kansas, died September 12, 2009, in Turan, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fires. Sgt. Juden was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. </d

Tech Sgt. James R. Hornbarger, 33, of Castle Rock, Washington, died September 12, 2009, as a result of a non-hostile incident in the Mediterranean. Tech Sgt. Hornbarger was assigned to the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, California. </d

Spc. Daniel L. Cox, 23, of Parsons, Kansas, died September 12, 2009, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised-explosive device and small arms fire. Spc. Cox was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York. </d

Staff Sgt. Bryan D. Berky, 25, of Melrose, Florida, died September 12, 2009, near Bala Baluk, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from enemy fire while supporting combat operations. Staff Sgt. Berky was assigned to the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. </d

Staff Sgt. Nekl B. Allen, 29, of Rochester, New York, died September 12, 2009, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised-explosive device and small arms fire. Staff Sgt. Allen was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York. </d

Tech Sgt. James R. Hornbar