3 Troops From Florida Among 11 Deaths Announced By DOD This Week

Posted Jul 28, 2012 by Howard Altman

Updated Jul 28, 2012 at 07:44 PM

The Department of Defense this week announced the names of 11 troops who died supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Justin M. Hansen, 26, of Traverse City, Mich., died July 24 while conducting combat operations in Badghis province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Spc. Justin L. Horsley, 21, of Palm Bay, Fla., and Pfc. Brenden N. Salazar, 20, of Chuluota, Fla. died July 22 of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit in Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan, with an improvised explosive device.  They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Caserma Ederle, Italy.

Pfc. Adam C. Ross, 19, of Lyman, S.C., died July 24, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered small arms fire. Ross was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.

Sgt. Eric E. Williams, 27, of Murrieta, Calif., died July 23, in Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan. Williams was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Pfc. Julian L. Colvin, 21, of Birmingham, Ala., and Staff Sgt. Richard L. Berry, 27, of Scottsdale, Ariz. died July 22 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an enemy improvised explosive device.  They were assigned to the 508th Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael J. Brodsky, 33, of Tamarac, Fla., died July 21 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained July 7 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, related to a dismounted improvised explosive device blast.  He was assigned to Navy Region Southwest Security Detachment, San Diego.

Staff Sgt. Brandon R. Pepper, 31, of York, Pa., died July 21, in Ghazni province, Afghanistan. Pepper was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Spc. Darrion T. Hicks, 21, of Raleigh, N.C., died July 19 in Ghazni, Afghanistan, from injuries sustained from an enemy improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 18th Engineer Brigade, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, Bamberg, Germany.

Pfc. Jeffrey L. Rice, 24, of Troy, Ohio, died July 19, in Kandahar, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to the 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

There have now been 2,044 troops who died supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, the nation’s longest war.