Tonight we remember the lives and sacrifices of three American servicemen who lost their lives in the Middle East this week. Sgt. Aaron K. Kramer was killed while on patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Senior Airman Daniel R. Sanchez lost his life in a firefight in Afghanistan, and Sgt. John F. Burner III died in a non-combat-related incident in Iraq. Please follow me below the fold to read their stories.
On Friday, the Department of Defense announced that:
Sgt. Aaron K. Kramer, 22, of Salt Lake City, Utah, died Sept. 16 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Sgt. Kramer was a Utah native and a graduate of Skyline High School. While in high school, Aaron and his twin brother Brandon were members of Jr. ROTC, and both men enlisted in the Army shortly after graduation in 2006.
Aaron Kramer was an Army Ranger. He had been in Afghanistan for about three months at the time of his death, and he had previously served in Iraq. He had recently married his high school sweetheart, Jackie.
Aaron's sister, Jennifer Schroader notes that:
her brothers were deeply impacted by 9/11 and Aaron just wanted to help. “It changed his whole world, and what became important to him was that he could help somehow.” Brandon was on leave from Iraq when he learned of his brother’s death.
Schroader says Aaron as a loving, caring person who loved people and his country very much. “Aaron was outstanding. He was so proud of this country and just wanted to show his support.”
Sgt. Kramer was a highly decorated soldier. His awards and decorations include:
Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Air Assault Badge; Parachutists Badge and the Ranger Tab.
In addition to his wife and his brother and sister, Aaron Kramer is survived by his parents, Richard and Shannon L. Kramer of Salt Lake City. A memorial service will be held in his honor in Afghanistan.
Thank you, Sgt. Kramer, for your service to our country.
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On Friday, the Department of Defense also announced that:
Senior Airman Daniel R. Sanchez, 23, of El Paso, Texas, died Sept. 16 while conducting combat operations in Oruzgan province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
According to his relatives, Daniel Sanchez died after being shot in a firefight. Sanchez graduated from Montwood High School in 2005 and had recently celebrated his 23rd birthday. After qualifying as a combat controller, Sanchez was assigned to Hulbert Field in Florida in September of 2008. He had been in Afghanistan since June.
Major Chris Larkin, commander of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, said in a statement that:
This terrible loss is evidence of the ultimate sacrifice our men in the Air Force Special Operations Command make to protect our country and our way of life...Danny was a fine airman and a valuable member of our close community and he will be sorely missed. My deepest sympathies go out to the Sanchez family.
Sanchez is survived by his mother who has traveled to Dover Air Force Base to accompany his body home. A memorial service in his honor will take place next week.
Thank you, Senior Airman Daniel Sanchez, for your selfless service to our country.
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Finally, on Friday the Department of Defense also reported that:
Sgt. John F. Burner III, 32, of Baltimore, Md., died Sept. 16, in Iskandariya, Iraq, in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 63rd Signal Battalion (Expeditionary), 35th Signal Brigade, Fort Gordon, Ga.
The Army Times reports that Burner enlisted in the military in 1996 and that he was in charge of a satellite installation crew. He was deployed to Afghanistan on August 21st. His death was the result of a medical condition, but the exact cause of his death is unknown.
John Burner is survived by his wife and two daughters, ages 6 and 10. I will update this profile if more information becomes available.
Thank you Sgt. Burner for your service to our country. Our prayers are for your wife and children.
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May all three men rest in peace and may their families find solace and comfort. Poppies are the universal symbols of remembrance. May we never forget the sacrifices that these men made for our nation.
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The purpose of the I Got the News Today series is to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one.
Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is currently maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, CalNM, and Wide Awake in KY.
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.