DOD Announces Casualties 15-Jan-10 & Army releases December suicide data

[IndianaGreen]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 033--10
January 15, 2010
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DOD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Spc. Kyle J. Wright, 22, of Romeoville, Ill., died Jan. 13 at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered earlier that day when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Kandahar province. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13240

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 034-10
January 15, 2010
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DOD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek, 25, of Westwood, N.J., died Jan. 14 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13239

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 035-10
January 15, 2010
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DOD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Lucas T. Beachnaw, 23, of Lowell, Mich., died Jan. 13 in Darya Ya, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Camp Ederle, Italy.

http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13241

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 036-10
January 15, 2010
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Army Releases December Suicide Data

The Army released suicide data today for the month of December. Among active-duty soldiers, there were ten potential suicides: one has been confirmed as suicide, and nine remain under investigation. For November, the Army reported 11 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, three have been confirmed as suicides, and eight remain under investigation.

There were 160 reported active-duty Army suicides during 2009. Of these, 114 have been confirmed, and 46 are pending determination of manner of death. During 2008, there were 140 suicides among active-duty soldiers.

During December 2009, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were six potential suicides. For the year 2009, among that same group, there were 78 total suicides. Of those, 49 were confirmed as suicides and 29 are pending determination of the manner of death. For 2008, there were 57 suicides among reserve soldiers who were not on active duty.

“There’s no question that 2009 was a painful year for the Army when it came to suicides. We took wide-ranging measures last year to confront the problem, from the service-wide stand-down and chain-teach program, to enhanced suicide prevention programs and guidance for our Army units, and the suicide prevention research through our partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health,” said Col. Christopher Philbrick, deputy director, Army Suicide Prevention Task Force.

In 2010, the Army will continue to update and conduct suicide prevention training and improve procedures to ensure soldiers and families receive the support they need when undergoing key transitions, such as moving to another duty station or separating from the Army.

As part of the ongoing Army Campaign Plan for Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention, the Army Suicide Prevention Task Force will complete a thorough analysis and assessment of each of the Army’s current suicide prevention programs to determine which are most effectively meeting the needs of the Army community.

“Our assessment will give us the data we need to make decisions about how our programs should be expanded or adjusted, while at the same time maintaining our focus on saving soldiers’ lives,” Philbrick added.

The Army's comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Program information is located at http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/default.asp.

Army leaders can access current health promotion guidance in newly revised Army Regulation 600-63 (Health Promotion) at: http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r600_63.pdf and Army Pamphlet 600-24 (Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention) at http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/p600_24.pdf.

Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact Military OneSource or the Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Outreach Center. Trained consultants are available from both organizations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

The Military OneSource toll-free number for those residing in the continental U.S. is 1-800-342-9647. Their website address is http://www.militaryonesource.com. Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource website for dialing instructions for their specific location.

The DCoE Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020, via electronic mail at [e-mail] and at http://www.dcoe.health.mil.

Information about the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program is located at http://www.army.mil/csf/.

http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13242

[IndianaGreen]

1. Local news coverage of Spc. Kyle J. Wright

Romeoville Soldier Killed in Afghanistan

Army Spc. Kyle J. Wright was a 2006 graduate of Romeoville High School

A Romeoville soldier serving in Afghanistan was killed Wednesday when his vehicle drove over an improvised explosive device.

Army Spc. Kyle J. Wright, 22, was a 2006 graduate of Romeoville High School and joined the Army after graduating. He was based at Fort Lewis, Wash.

Wright's father, Richard Wright, said his son died instantly when he drove over the IED.

Plans will be made for a full military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, as were Kyle's wishes.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/romeoville-wright-afghanistan-81567772.html

Romeoville soldier killed in Afghanistan

January 15, 2010

By CATHERINE ANN VELASCO STAFF WRITER

ROMEOVILLE — A Romeoville soldier who followed in the military footsteps of his father and grandfather, has been killed in Afghanistan.

Army Spc. Kyle J. Wright, 22, was killed Wednesday in the line of duty when the Stryker vehicle he was riding in hit an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. Kyle Wright, a 2006 graduate from Romeoville High School, was the only person who died in the incident, said his father, Rich Wright, of Romeoville.

“They were interdicting drugs and weapons on the main highway in Afghanistan,” he said.

“He was a hell of a stand-up kid. ... He was a professional soldier. He took it very seriously. He had three Army achievement medals. Everything he did, he did to the full extent,” said Rich Wright who is an employee in Valley View School District with his wife and Kyle’s stepmom, Tiffany Wright.

A day before Kyle Wright was killed, he sent an e-mail to his father with a link from a CNN story about interdicting approximately $40 million in drugs.

“It was the third big bust that they had. They were doing a hell of a job as far as interdicting,” Rich Wright said. “They were interdicting the drug trafficking along that road and clearing the road of IEDs. Obviously, they didn’t clear them all.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/plainfieldsun/news/1991359,Romeoville-soldier-killed-Afghanistan-jo011410.article

22-year-old first Fort Lewis soldier killed this year

MATT MISTEREK; The News Tribune
Published: 01/15/10 3:12 am | Updated: 01/15/10 6:27 am

“Kyle was a better man than me when I was 22, and was well on his way to being a better man than I am today,” said his father, who was a combat medic with the 82nd Airborne Division. “He was the most honorable man I’ve ever known in my life.”

There was no official release of casualties Thursday from Fort Lewis nor the Department of Defense.

Wright is the 31st member of the brigade reported dead since it deployed to southern Afghanistan last summer. All but one have been killed in explosions.

Richard Wright said the bomb that killed his son went off under the driver’s seat and that Kyle was dead by the time soldiers pulled him from the wreckage.

A graduate of Romeoville High School, Kyle Wright reported to Fort Lewis in January 2007 when the 5th Brigade was first being built, his father said, and he went through intensive Arabic language training as the brigade originally prepared to deploy to Iraq.

“He was one of the smarter kids in the outfit, so they tagged him with learning Arabic,” Richard Wright said. “He wasn’t supposed to be driving; they just needed someone with nerves of steel at the wheel.”

In addition to his parents, Kyle Wright is survived by three sisters and a brother, and he had a serious girlfriend he met in the Tacoma area.

His body will be escorted home by his brother-in-law, who works as a 5th Brigade supply sergeant, Richard Wright said.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/1029612.html

[IndianaGreen]

2. Local news coverage of Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek

COURTESY OF THE HRBEK FAMILY

Westwood firefighter, marine killed in Afghanistan

Friday, January 15, 2010
Last updated: Friday January 15, 2010, 2:52 PM

BY DEENA YELLIN
The Record
STAFF WRITER

WESTWOOD - Sgt. Christopher Hrbek, a 2002 graduate of Westwood High School and a nine-year member of the Westwood Fire Department, was killed in action Thursday while serving with the Marine Corps in Afganistan.

<snip>

He was due to receive a bronze star with valor for saving the life of his sergeant major who stepped on an IED under enemy fire on Dec. 23.

The man’s legs were immediately blown off and Hrbek acted quickly along with a Navy corps (medic) who was with him at the time.

Together, they applied turnequets to stop the bleeding, removed him from enemy fire and got him to an airlift so that he could receive medical attention.

The five star general recommended Hrbek and the medic for awards for saving the man’s life. “That was just so humbling,” recalled Hodges.

“I told him, we are proud of you for doing the right thing. He didn’t think about it, he just did it. He loved being a Marine.”

Mark Fedorchak, chief of the Westwood Volunteer Fire Department, recalled a young man so devoted to helping other people he joined the fire department as a 16-year-old. “He joined as a cadet when he was a teenager and then worked his way up the ranks to firefighter. He was on military leave but still an active firefighter up until now,” he said.

Joining the U.S. military was something he wanted to do, Fedorchak said. “He was passionate about it. He has two step brothers who are NYC firefighters so he took 911 to heart. He decided to make the Marines his career goal.”

http://www.northjersey.com/news/011510_Westwood_firefighter_marine_killed_in_Afghanistan.html

Lejeune Marine is killed in Afghanistan

Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek, of Westwood, died Thursday during a combat operation in Helmand province. Family members say he was killed by an improvised explosive device.

Hrbek joined the Marines in 2002 shortly after graduating from Westwood High School.

He was a nine-year member of the Westwood Fire Department and came from a family of firefighters.

His stepfather, Jaymee Hodges, said Hrbek was due to receive a Bronze Star for valor for helping save the life of a wounded comrade in December.

Hrbek, 25, was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, home based at Camp Lejeune.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local_state/story/287137.html

Marine awaiting Bronze Star killed by IED

Staff report
Posted : Friday Jan 15, 2010 16:24:30 EST

A North Carolina-based Marine in line to receive a medal for valor died in Afghanistan on Thursday, according to the Defense Department and media reports.

Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek, 25, a field artillery cannoneer with 3rd Battalion, 10th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, was killed in Helmand province, according to the Defense Department.

The New Jersey Bergen County Record reports that Hrbek was killed when he stepped on an improvised explosive device.

The Westwood, N.J., native was going to be awarded a Bronze Star with combat “V” for saving the life of his sergeant major, who stepped on an IED under enemy fire Dec. 23, the paper reported.

“I told him, we are proud of you for doing the right thing,” Hrbek’s step-father, Jaymee Hodges, told The Record. “He didn’t think about it, he just did it. He loved being a Marine.”

Hrbek was a local firefighter who joined the Corps in January 2003 in response to the Sept. 11 attacks. His two step-brothers are New York City firefighters, according to The Record.

He served two tours in Iraq between September 2007 and March 2009, according to a II Marine Expeditionary Force release.

He planned to become a drill instructor when he returned from deployment this spring, his step-father said.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2010/01/marine_kia_011510w/

[IndianaGreen]

3. Local news coverage of Sgt. Lucas T. Beachnaw

Lowell father on son Sgt. Lucas Beachnaw death in Afghanistan: 'I can't stop crying'

By John Tunison | The Grand Rapids Press
January 14, 2010, 10:32PM

LOWELL -- Kevin Beachnaw's heart sank as he opened the door Wednesday night to see two U.S. Army representative standing before him.

"Being from a military family, I knew ...," he said, choking up.

They told him his 23-year-old son, Sgt. Lucas Beachnaw with the 173rd Airborne Infantry, had been killed Wednesday in Afghanistan in small arms fire.

"I can't stop crying," the father said Thursday from his Charlotte area home. "I feel like my eyes are burning."

He had just chatted on the telephone Tuesday with his son about the daily rigors of Army training school, deer hunting and sending him a care package of venison summer sausage and jerky.

Now, he'll meet the plane carrying his son's remains Friday at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del., along with Lucas' roommate and Army comrade.

A 2004 Lowell High School graduate who joined the Army in 2006, Lucas was on his second tour in Afghanistan after being deployed in December. His earlier deployment was a 15-month stint in 2006 and 2007.

A squad leader, he was on patrol in eastern Afghanistan when a firefight erupted and he was killed, family members said.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/01/lowell_father_on_son_sgt_lucas.html

Lowell soldier killed in Afghanistan

Sgt. Lucas Beachnaw was 23 years old

Updated: Thursday, 14 Jan 2010, 11:38 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 14 Jan 2010, 4:40 PM EST

By Tony Tagliavia, Dani Carlson

LOWELL, Mich. (WOOD) - Army Sgt. Lucas Beachnaw, who graduated from Lowell High School in 2004, died Wednesday morning while serving in Afghanistan, his mother told 24 Hour News 8 on Thursday.

"I'm proud of him and I know he gave his life for our country so we can be here, but it doesn't make it any easier for me to lose my baby brother," said Jamie Beachnaw, his sister.

Jeanne Beachnaw -- Lucas' mother -- said she was told her 23-year-old son was involved in a shootout, but was not given much more detail. He was serving his second tour in Afghanistan, she said.

Jamie said she first knew something was wrong when Lucas didn't respond to her daily Facebook message, but she never thought she had lost her brother for good.

"I feel like it's not real -- it's gotta be some kind of mistake," Jamie told 24 Hour News 8. "You know that any minute they're gonna figure out it's not really him, because you never think it's going to happen to you or to your family. It couldn't be your brother or your son. And now it is."

Said Jeanne: "He always tried to make people happy," and she called her son a "good mediator."

Lucas loved the outdoors, his mother said. He loved snowboarding and fishing -- he was "just kind of an outdoor activity kind of kid."

A friend remembered Lucas as a man who "loved his mom, his sisters and just loved life in general."

"He got along with everybody," Ryan Moore recalled. He said had just spoken with Lucas on Facebook a few days before his death. The two chatted about how Lucas wanted to come home and see his family.

Jamie said she plans to keep her brother's memory alive with her own children.

VIDEO at link:

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/kent_county/Lowell-soldier-killed-in-Afghanistan