10 Troops Killed in Afghanistan Since Last Week

Posted Aug 18, 2012 by Howard Altman

Updated Aug 18, 2012 at 07:07 PM

The Department of Defense announced the deaths of 10 troops in Afghanistan since I last posted about those killed.

Pfc. Michael R. Demarsico II, of North Adams, Mass., died Aug. 16 in Panjwa’l, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered an enemy improvised device.  Demarsico was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Staff Sgt. Eric S. Holman, 39, of Evans City, Penn., died Aug. 15, in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered an enemy improvised explosive device. Holman was assigned to 192nd Ordnance Battalion, 52nd Ordnance Group, 20th Support Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Pfc. Andrew J. Keller, 22, of Tigard, Ore., died Aug. 15, in Charkh, Afghanistan when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy. 

Staff Sgt. Scott E. Dickinson, 29, of San Diego, Calif., Cpl. Richard A. Rivera Jr., 20 of Ventura, Calif., and Lance Cpl. Gregory T. Buckley, 21, of Oceanside, N.Y. died Aug. 10 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  These Marines were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force. The Marines’ parent command was 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

This incident is under investigation.

Capt. Matthew P. Manoukian, 29, of Los Altos Hills, Calif., Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Jeschke, 31, of Herndon, Va., and Staff Sgt. Sky R. Mote, 27, of El Dorado, Calif., died Aug. 10 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  These Marines were assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

This incident is under investigation.

Master Sgt. Gregory R. Trent, 38, of Norton, Mass., died Aug. 8 in Bethesda, Md., from wounds suffered July 31 in Baktabad, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire. Trent was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.

There have now been 2,074 deaths in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, our nation’s longest war.