7 U.S. Troops Die In Afghanistan This Week

Posted Jan 14, 2012 by Howard Altman

Updated Jan 14, 2012 at 10:01 PM

Now that Command Post Tampa will appear in print on Mondays, I am moving the weekly list of those killed to Saturday nights.

Since my last casualty post last Sunday, seven U.S. service members were killed in Afghanistan.

Pfc. Neil I. Turner, 21, of Tacoma, Wash., died Jan. 11, in Logar province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Pfc. Michael W. Pyron, 30, of Hopewell, Va., died Jan. 10 in Parwan province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to the 25th Signal Battalion, 160th Signal Brigade, 335th Signal Command Theater, East Point, Ga.

Pfc. Dustin P. Napier, 20, of London, Ky., died Jan. 8 in Zabul province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from enemy small-arms fire.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Four Army National Guardsmen died Jan. 6 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enermy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

          Killed were:

          Staff Sgt. Jonathan M. Metzger, 32, of Indianapolis, Ind.
          Spc. Robert J. Tauteris Jr., 44, of Hamlet, Ind.
          Spc. Christopher A. Patterson, 20, of Aurora, Ill.
          Spc. Brian J. Leonhardt, 21, of Merrillville, Ind.

          They were assigned to the 81st Troop Command, Indiana National Guard, Indianapolis, Ind.

There have now been 1,856 casualties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.