Three more young soldiers from the US Army have been lost in Afghanistan. They leave behind loved ones who will grieve for them forever. Those we honor tonight are:
- Specialist Joshua R. Campbell who was from Colorado
- Specialist Shawn A. Muhr who was from Iowa
- Specialist Omar Soltero who was from Texas
Specialist Joshua R. Campbell
Joshua R. Campbell was from Bennett, Colorado. He entered the Army in February of 2008 and was assigned to his brigade in December of 2008.
Specialist Campbell was assigned as a heavy wheel vehicle driver to the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 82nd Sustainment Brigade, which is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He started this, his first deployment to Afghanistan, in October of 2010.
On January 29th, Campbell was riding in a convoy in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. His vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED). Specialist Joshua R. Campbell died from his wounds. He was 22 years old. Also killed in the explosion was Specialist Shawn A. Muhr.
Specialist Joshua R. Campbell has been posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for service to his country.
Memorial services for Specialist Campbell have yet to be announced.
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Specialist Shawn A. Muhr
Shawn A. Muhr was from the small western Iowa community of Coon Rapids. As a teen, he excelled in wrestling and played football. Shawn graduated from Coon Rapids-Bayard High School in 2003.
The Muhr family has a tradition of military service. Shawn’s father, David, is a veteran of the Vietnam War and a leader of an American Legion post. His brother, Aaron, served in the Iowa National Guard. Shawn enlisted in the Army in 2005. He was assigned to the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 82nd Sustainment Brigade, which is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Muhr was serving his first tour in Afghanistan after having served earlier in Iraq. According to theDes Moines Register site:
"He had found his niche in the military. He was really happy about being in the military and serving his country," said Bill Orlano, a guidance counselor at Coon Rapids-Bayard High School.
Family members recalled Muhr today as a warm, friendly young man who was generous to a fault. He had returned home on leave from Afghanistan just after Christmas and returned to the combat zone on Jan. 12.
Muhr’s sister, Erica Muhr-Burris, of Scranton, who is 30, described the fallen soldier as "My biggest little brother....He was the happiest kid you will ever meet. He was my protector."
Specialist Shawn A. Muhr had returned home on leave just after Christmas and returned to Afghanistan on January 12th.
On January 29th, Muhr, the driver of a Heavy Equipment Transporter System (HET), was part of a convoy in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. His vehicle struck a roadside bomb. Specialist Shawn A. Muhr died in the explosion. He was 26 years old. Specialist Joshua R. Campbell was also killed in the attack.
Specialist Shawn A. Muhr is survived by his wife, Winifred V. Olchawa, and stepson, Devin M. Olchawa; his father, David Muhr, and brother, Aaron Muhr, both of Coon Rapids; sisters Dee Scheuermann of Mount Carmel, Vennessa Warneka of Carroll and Erica Muhr-Burris of Scranton.
Funeral services are pending at Annunciation Catholic Church in Coon Rapids. Johnson-Woodhouse Funeral Home in Coon Rapids is handling arrangements.
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Specialist Omar Soltero
Omar Soltero was from San Antonio, Texas. He had a younger brother and two older brothers. Omar loved track and cross country in high school and made friends easily.
Soltero enlisted in the US Army and, as an Army Specialist, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, which is based at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Omar had served two tours in Kosovo before being assigned to Afghanistan.
Specialist Omar Soltero died on January 31th in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device (IED). He was 28 years old.
The soldier leaves behind two young sons. His family spoke toKSAT News and said:
"I guess they didn't understand it yet," said Omar's brother Adrian Soltero. "Their mom tried to tell them, he's in heaven now, he's in heaven, but I guess they felt like he was in another country or another city."
Maria Soltero, Omar's mother, said she knew her son's job was dangerous, but supported his career in the Army. She added she respected God's decision and her son's decision as well.
As the family moves forward, they said they will hold on to their memories of Omar, remembering him as a man who gave so much love and his life.
Specialist Soltero was planning to come home on leave in May for his 29th birthday.
The dignified transfer of remains ceremony for Specialist Soltero was performed at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware on February 2nd. No funeral arrangements have been announced yet.
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Helping our troops:
If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider contributing to Fisher House. Donating to Netroots for the Troops provides care packages that make a real difference in a military person's life. To assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available here. Also, you could visit:
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About the IGTNT series:
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo, Mediaprof, TrueBlueMajority, JanosNation, Proud Mom and Grandma, Ministry of Truth, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Ms Wings, maggiejean, racheltracks, JaxDem, and kestrel9000. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.