Lakeland Spc. 1 of 4 Soldiers To Die This Week From Wounds Suffered in Afghanistan

Posted Dec 11, 2011 by Howard Altman

Updated Dec 11, 2011 at 08:13 PM

The father of a 21-year old Army specialist from Lakeland killed this week in Afghanistan remembers his son as “a good kid.”

‘He was … just a good kid,” said Mike Lumley, father of Ryan Lumley, who was one of three soldiers killed by an improvised explosive device on Dec. 3 in Wardak province.

Lumley, who lives on Evergreen Park Drive in Lakeland, said his son “enjoyed helping others.”

Lumley said his son was born in Greensboro, N.C., and grew up in Cedar Key before moving to Lakeland a few years ago. He joined the Army in 2009, his father said.
Ryan Lumley recently married, and his wife lives in El Paso, Texas, near Fort Bliss, where he was stationed.

Lumley and the other soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, Fort Bliss, Texas.

        Killed with Lumley were:

        Sgt. 1st Class Clark A. Corley Jr., 35, of Oxnard, Calif., and
        Spc. Thomas J. Mayberry, 21, of Springville, Calif.

There was another soldier who died last week as well.

Sgt. Ryan D. Sharp, 28, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, died Dec. 3, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered Nov. 21 at Kandahar province, when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

There have now been 1,833 casualties in Operation Enduring Freedom.