Valrico 1st Lt. Among 15 U.S. Service Members Killed This Week In Afghanistan

Posted Oct 2, 2011 by Howard Altman

Updated Oct 2, 2011 at 09:11 PM

An Army 1st Lt. from Valrico was one of 15 U.S. service members killed this week in Afghanistan.

From my colleague Tom Brennan’s story about his death:

Ivan Lechowich was a dad for a week.

“That is so beautiful and sad,” said the Rev. William Swengros of St. Stephen Catholic Church in Riverview, who had performed the wedding ceremony in November for Lechowich and his wife Jen. He had been scheduled to soon christen their daughter.

Fourteen other military families mourned their loved ones last week too.

First Sgt. Billy J. Siercks, 32, of Velda Village, Mo., died Sept. 28 in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered Sept. 27 in Logar, Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Caleb A. Nelson, 26, of Omaha, Neb.,died after his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while conducting a combat patrol in Zabul province, Afghanistan on Oct.1.  Nelson was assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit, Norfolk, Va.

Spc. James A. Butz, 21, of Porter, Ind., died Sept. 28 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Spc. Adrian G. Mills, 23, of Newnan, Ga., died Sept. 29 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by insurgents using indirect fire.  He was assigned to the 272nd Military Police Company, 519th Military Police Battalion, Fort Polk, La.

Staff Sgt. Nicholas A. Sprovtsoff, 28, of Davison, Mich., and Sgt. Christopher Diaz, 27, of Albuquerque, N.M., died Sept. 28 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. 
         
Sprovtsoff was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Diaz was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Three soldiers died Sep 28, in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.  They were assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
       
Killed were:
       
        1st Lt. Ivan D. Lechowich, 27, of Valrico, Fla.,
        Spc. Steven E. Gutowski, 24, of Plymouth, Mass., and
        Pfc. David A. Drake, 21, of Lumberton, Texas

1st. Lt. Andres Zermeno, 26, of San Antonio, Texas, died Sep. 25 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with a rocket propelled grenade.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort. Polk, La.

Lance Cpl. John R. Wimpey Cagle, 19, of Tucker, Ga., died Sept. 28 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

1st Lt. Ryan K. Iannelli, 27, of Clarksboro, N.J., died Sept. 28 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, Marine Air Group 29, 2nd Marine Air Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C.

Spc. Garrett A. Fant, 21, of American Canyon, Calif., died Sept. 26 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with 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.

Lance Cpl. Franklin N. Watson, 21, of Vonore, Tenn., died Sept. 24 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Company D, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Knoxville, Tenn.

Spc. Francisco J. Briseno-Alvarez Jr., 27, of Oklahoma City, Okla., died Sept. 25 in Laghman province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Brigade Combat Team, Stillwater, Okla.

There have now been 1,778 casualties suffering in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.