9 U.S. Service Members Die in Afghanistan, 1 From Florida Died In Iraq This Week

Posted Sep 25, 2011 by Howard Altman

Updated Sep 25, 2011 at 09:13 PM

Nine U.S. service members died in Afghanistan and one in Iraq in the past week.

Two soldiers died Sept. 23 in Wardak, province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked their unit using an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.

        Killed were:

        Sgt. Rafael E. Bigai Baez, 28, of San Juan, Puerto Rico and
        Pfc. Carlos A. Aparicio, 19, of San Bernadino, Calif.

        Sgt. Andy C. Morales, 32, of Longwood, Fla., died Sept. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq.  He was assigned to the 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Orlando, Fla.

Lance Cpl. Terry C. Wright, 21, of Scio, Ohio, died Sept. 21 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

        This incident is under investigation.

Two soldiers died Sep. 21, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with small arms fire.  They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

        Killed were:

        Spc. Jakob J. Roelli, 24, of Darlington, Wis.; and
        Spc. Robert E. Dyas, 21, of Nampa, Idaho

Sgt. Timothy D. Sayne, 31, of Reno, Nev., died Sept. 18 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Spc. Ryan J. Cook, 29, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., died Sept. 18 in Takhar province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Spc. Chazray C. Clark, 24, of Ecorse, Mich., died Sept. 18 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

Sgt. Garrick L. Eppinger Jr., 25, of Appleton, Wis., died Sept. 17 in Parwan province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to the 395th Ordnance Company, 687th Combat Sustainment Support Brigade, 646th Regional Support Group, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Wausau, Wis.

There have now been 1,763 casualties in Operation Enduring Freedom and 4,480 in Operations Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn