Casualties

To honor the men and women in our armed forces and remind our readers of their sacrifices, this newspaper from time to time publishes the Department of Defense announcements from recent months identifying Americans killed in active military operations.

Army Pfc. Brian. P. Odiorne, 21, of Ware, Mass., died Feb. 20 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, from a noncombat-related incident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood,Texas.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert R. Boniface, 34, of San Luis Obispo, Calif., died March 19 in Logar Province, Afghanistan, from a noncombat-related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Alexandria Mae Morrow, 25, of Dansville, N.Y., died March 22 in Southwest Asia while performing maintenance duties in support of combat operations. She was assigned to the 366th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Austin Bieren, 25, of Umatilla, Ore., died March 28 in northern Syria in a noncombat-related incident while deployed in support of combat operations. He was assigned to the 21st Space Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

Army Staff Sgt. Mark R. De Alencar, 37, of Edgewood, Md., died April 8 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small-arms fire during combat operations. De Alencar was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Army Sgts. Joshua P. Rodgers, 22, of Bloomington, Ill., and Cameron H. Thomas, 23, of Kettering, Ohio, died April 27 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, as a result of small-arms fire while engaged in dismounted operations. Both soldiers were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.

Army 1st Lt. Weston C. Lee, 25, of Bluffton, Ga., died April 29 in Mosul, Iraq, from injuries while conducting security as part of advise and assist support to partnered forces. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Navy Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Kyle Milliken, 38, of Falmouth, Maine, was killed May 5 during an operation in support of a Somali National Army-led operation with U.S. Africa Command against al-Shabaab in a remote area approximately 40 miles west of Mogadishu. He was assigned to an East Coast-based special warfare unit.

Army Spc. Etienne J. Murphy, 22, of Loganville, Ga., died May 26 in Al-Hasakah, Syria, of injuries suffered during a vehicle rollover incident. Murphy was assigned to 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Army Sgt. Eric M. Houck, 25, of Baltimore, Md., Sgt. William M. Bays, 29, of Barstow, Calif., and Cpl. Dillon C. Baldridge, 22, of Youngsville, N.C., died June 10 in Peka Valley, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of gunshot wounds sustained in Peka Valley, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. The were assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Company D, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.