Hero Stories for May 2009

1st Sgt. Blue C. Rowe, 33, of Summers, Arkansas, died May 26, 2009, in Panjshir Province, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. 1st Sgt. Rowe was assigned to the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion, Upland, California. </d

Senior Airman Ashton L.M. Goodman, 21, of Indianapolis, Indiana, died May 26, 2009, near Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Senior Airman Goodman was assigned to the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. </d

TALLIL, Iraq - Coalition forces returned control of the ancient archaeological site Ur, the biblical birthplace of Abraham, back to Iraqi authorities here in a grand ceremony staged at the footstep of Ur's most famous artifact - the partially restored 4,100-year-old Ziggura

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. visited Afghanistan last month for the third time in a year and spoke on several issues affecting Soldie

Lt. Col. Mark E. Stratton

Senior Airman Ashton L. M. Good

Cmdr. Duane G. Wolfe, 54, of Port Hueneme, California, died May 25, 2009, from injuries suffered as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on his convoy southeast of Fallujah, Iraq. Cmdr. Wolfe was assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Gulf Region Division in Iraq. </d

Maged M. Hussein, 43, of Cairo, Egypt, died May 25, 2009, in Al Taqaddum, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy vehicle in Fallujah, Iraq. Mr. Hussein was a civilian employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, Jacksonville, Florida. </d

Sgt. 1st Class Brian Naseman, 36, of New Bremen, Ohio, died May 22, 2009, in Taji, Iraq, of a non-combat related incident. Sgt. 1st Class Naseman was assigned to the 108th Forward Support Company, attached to 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Sussex, Wisconsin. </d

Chief Warrant Officer Brent S. Cole, 38, of Reedsville, West Virginia, died May 22, 2009, when his helicopter went down in Tarin Kwot, Afghanistan. Chief Warrant Officer Cole was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. </d