The Department of Defense announced the combat deaths of three Airborne soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan:
Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook, 19, of Hungry Horse, Montana
Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson, 24, of Bald Knob, Arkansas
Pfc. Jason M. Kropat, 25, of White Lake, New York
Since 2001, there have been 1020 American troops killed in Afghanistan. Since 2003, there have been 4382 American troops killed in Iraq. They all had loved ones, families and friends, who just got the heart-wrenching news that their soldier will not be coming home.
Please take a moment to remember them and their sacrifice.
The Department of Defenseconfirmed that Army Pvt. Nicholas "Nick" Cook, 19, died March 7 in Konar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents ambushed his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Camp Ederle, Italy.
(photo source and video clip KECI Missoula)
A native of California, Pvt. Cook was raised by his grandparents in Hungry Horse, Montana, who received custody in 1993, reports Daily Inter Lake online. According to his grandmother, Cook spent many happy hours on his snowboard. He started as a 9 year old and snowboarded in the Alps when he was stationed in Italy.
Nick Cook was a popular and athletic student who graduated early from Columbia Falls High School in 2008. He joined the Army in April 2009 and loved his job jumping out of aircraft so much he planned to re-enlist and make a career of the military.
Pvt Cook had been in Afghanistan for two months when he was killed in action. He was due to return home in two weeks to visit his family and go snowboarding for a few days in Alaska.
(AP photo from The Billings Gazette)
The Missoulian reported that Pvt. Cook wrote in his my space page:
"Not many people can say they are as stoked about life in general and what they are doing right now," Cook wrote. "I sure as hell can. I'm doing more now and have seen more already than I ever thought I would."
Pvt. Cook is survived by his grandparents, mother, father, brother and two sisters.
Pvt. Nicholas Cook will be missed. REST IN PEACE
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For the second time in just over a week, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team from Fort Campbell has reported casualties in Afghanistan, according to The Defense Department:
US Army soldiers Sgt. Jonathan Richardson and Pfc. Jason Kropat died March 9 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked a US-Afghan base using a bomb, small-arms, indirect fire, and rocket-propelled grenades. They were assigned to the C Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky, known as the Rakkasans.
Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson was a 24 year old fire support specialist from Bald Knob, Arkansas. Richardson joined the Army in June 2006 after graduating from high school, and he arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2007. He spent a tour in Iraq before deploying to Afghanistan.
Richardson's grandmother remembered to the Baxter Bulletin, "He was unsure of what he wanted to do when he graduated high school. He could have gone to college and done anything he wanted. But he talked to a recruiter and joined." Richardson's grandfather added, "He made sergeant in less than four years."
According to 1st Lt. John Limauro, the company's executive officer, Sgt. Richardson, "set the standard for others to follow" and was the "kind of leader soldiers strive to emulate."
Last year Sgt. Richardson and his wife bought their first home together, near his grandparents house. Richardson's grandfather remarked about the marriage, "They loved each other so much. It was no puppy love. They were deeply, genuinely in love."
Sgt. Richardson is survived by his wife, mother, grandparents, and father, reports The Leaf Chronicle.
Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson will be missed. REST IN PEACE
Fort Campbell website
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Pfc. Jason M. Kropat, 25, was killed by enemy fire along with Sgt. Richardson in a March 9 attack on a US-Afghan base in Khost province, Afghanistan. He was also a member of C Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne (Air Assault).
The Times Herald Record reports that Jason Kropat lived most of his life in Smallwood with his family and three sisters, one older and two younger. He grew up in Sullivan County and attended Monticello High School where he graduated in 2008.
Pfc. Kropat joined the Army in October 2008, and had already served a tour in Afghanistan. He deployed on his second tour to Afghanistan in early January.
"He loved life," his mother said. "He loved his family. He loved his country." Jason had just visited his family and friends during the Christmas holidays.
Kropat's long-time girlfriend described him as an "all-American Boy Scout," who loved the outdoors and was an avid fisherman. Kropat joined the Army to provide for a more stable life for the couple. And to prove to himself he could survive the deployment despite being terribly homesick.
C Company's 1st Lt. John Limauro told the Leaf Chronicle that Pfc. Jason Kropat was "the battle buddy that everyone wanted" who was "quick with a joke when everyone was down."
Pfc. Kropat is survived by his parents, three sisters, and girlfriend.
Pfc. Jason M. Kropat will be missed. REST IN PEACE
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(photos by CalNM; Thanks to Timroff for our IGTNT logo.)
Helping our troops: If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or Fisher House. Sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com can provide letters or 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.
When our veterans come back home, they need jobs. Look at the programs of Veterans Green Jobs and Welcome Back Veterans. Encourage a Vet, and see if you can help out.
About the IGTNT series: I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect and remind. Its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. All of the U.S. casualties can be seen here. The DoD news releases are found here. Published photos of the returning fatalities are found on the Dover AFB page. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories. Since 2001, there have been 1020 American troops killed in Afghanistan. Since 2003, there have been 4382 American troops killed in Iraq.
Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries in the series which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, Sandy on Signal, and me, CalNM. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for our fallen brothers and sisters.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.