[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 118 (Thursday, August 5, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6857-S6858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 38 
servicemembers from California or based in California who have died 
while serving our country in Operation Enduring Freedom since March 24, 
2010. This brings to 185 the number of servicemembers either from 
California or based in California that have been killed while serving 
our country in Afghanistan. This represents 15 percent of all U.S. 
deaths in Afghanistan.
  LCpl Rick J. Centanni, 19, of Yorba Linda, CA, died March 24 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance 
Corporal Centanni was assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance 
Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of 
Camp Pendleton, CA.
  SgtMaj Robert J. Cottle, 45, of Whittier, CA, died March 24 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Sergeant 
Major Cottle was assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance 
Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of 
Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Sgt Kenneth B. May, Jr., 26, of Kilgore, TX, died May 11 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Sergeant 
May was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine 
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Cpl Jeffery W. Johnson, 21, of Tomball, TX, died May 11 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Corporal 
Johnson was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine 
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  PO Zarian Wood, 29, of Houston, TX, died May 16 in Helmand Province, 
Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device 
blast while on dismounted patrol. Petty Officer Wood was assigned as a 
hospital corpsman to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine 
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  SSgt Adam L. Perkins, 27, of Antelope, CA, died May 17 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Staff 
Sergeant Perkins was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st 
Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, 
CA.
  Cpl Jacob C. Leicht, 24, of College Station, TX, died May 27 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Corporal 
Leicht was assigned to the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 
1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, 
CA.
  PFC Jake W. Suter, 18, of Los Angeles, CA, died May 29 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Private 
First Class Suter was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 
3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, HI.
  Cpl Donald M. Marler, 22, of St. Louis, MO, died June 6 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Corporal 
Marler was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine 
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  LCpl Derek Hernandez, 20, of Edinburg, TX, died June 6 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance 
Corporal Hernandez was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 
1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Sgt Brandon C. Bury, 26, of Kingwood, TX, died June 6 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Sergeant 
Bury was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine 
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Sgt John K. Rankel, 23, of Speedway, IN, died June 7 while supporting 
combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Sergeant Rankel was 
assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I 
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  LCpl Michael G. Plank, 25, of Cameron Mills, NY, died June 9 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance 
Corporal Plank was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st 
Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, 
CA.
  LCpl Gavin R. Brummund, 22, of Arnold, CA, died June 10 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance 
Corporal Brummund was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 
2nd Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, NC.
  Cpl Jeffrey R. Standfest, 23, of St. Clair, MI, died June 16 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Corporal 
Standfest was assigned to 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine 
Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air 
Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, CA.
  LCpl Michael C. Bailey, 29, of Park Hills, MO, died June 16 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance 
Corporal Bailey was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st 
Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps 
Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, CA.
  SGT Nathan W. Cox, 27, of Fremont, CA, died June 16 at Landstuhl 
Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained June 
14 when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire at Near 
Forward Operating Base, Khogyani, Afghanistan. Sergeant Cox was 
assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Troops 
Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air 
Assault), Fort Campbell, KY.
  SN William Ortega, 23, of Miami, FL, died June 18 in HelmandProvince, 
Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device 
blast while conducting combat operations against enemy forces. Seaman 
Ortega was assigned as a hospital corpsman to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine 
Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp 
Pendleton, CA.
  Cpl Kevin A. Cueto, 23, of San Jose, CA, died June 22 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Corporal 
Cueto was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine 
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air 
Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, CA.
  Cpl Claudio Patino IV, 22, of Yorba Linda, CA, died June 22 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Corporal 
Patino was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine 
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air 
Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, CA.
  Cpl Daane A. Deboer, 24, of Ludington, MI, died June 25 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Corporal 
Deboer was assigned to 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine 
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Sgt Joseph D. Caskey, 24, of Pittsburgh, PA, died June 26 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Sergeant 
Caskey was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine 
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Cpl Larry D. Harris Jr., 24, of Thornton, CO, died July 1 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Corporal 
Harris was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine 
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  SPC Roger Lee, 26, of Monterey, CA, died July 6 at Qalat, 
Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle 
with an improvised explosive device. Specialist Lee was assigned to the 
1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, Hohenfels, Germany.
  SSG Marc A. Arizmendez, 30, of Anaheim, CA, died July 6 at Qalat, 
Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle 
with an improvised explosive device. Staff Sergeant Arizmendez was 
assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, Hohenfels, 
Germany.

[[Page S6858]]

  LCpl Tyler A. Roads, 20, of Burney, CA, died July 10 while supporting 
combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance Corporal 
Roads was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine 
Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, NC.
  SSgt Christopher J. Antonik, 29, of Crystal Lake, IL, died July 11 
while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. 
Staff Sergeant Antonik was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations 
Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp 
Pendleton, CA.
  SPC Chase Stanley, 21, of Napa, CA, died July 14 at Zabul Province, 
Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his military 
vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Specialist Stanley was 
assigned to the 618th Engineer Support Company, 27th Engineer Battalion 
(Combat Airborne), 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat), Fort Bragg, NC.
  GySgt Christopher L. Eastman, 28, of Moose Pass, AK, died July 18 
while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. 
Gunnery Sergeant Eastman was assigned to the 7th Engineer Support 
Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, 
Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Cpl Paul J. Miller, 22, of Traverse City, MI, died July 19 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Corporal 
Miller was assigned to 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine 
Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air 
Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA.
  SSG Brian F. Piercy, 27, of Clovis, CA, died July 19 in Arghandab 
River Valley, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents 
attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. Staff Sergeant 
Piercy was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry 
Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, 
NC.
  Cpl Julio Vargas, 23, of Sylmar, CA, died July 20 while supporting 
combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Corporal Vargas was 
assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I 
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Maj James M. Weis, 37, of Toms River, NJ, died July 22 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Major 
Weis was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft 
Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp Pendleton, CA.
  LtCol Mario D. Carazo, 41, of Springfield, OH, died July 22 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. 
Lieutenant Colonel Carazo was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd 
Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp 
Pendleton, CA.
  SGT Daniel Lim, 23, of Cypress, CA, died July 24, at Qalat, 
Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his 
military vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Sergeant Lim was 
assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires 
Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA.
  SSG Conrad A. Mora, 24, of San Diego, CA, died July 24, at Qalat, 
Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his 
military vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Staff Sergeant 
Mora was assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th 
Fires Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA.
  PO2 Justin McNeley, 30, of Wheatridge, CO, died from wounds sustained 
from an incident in Logar province, Afghanistan, on July 23. Coalition 
Forces recovered his remains July 25 after an extensive search. Petty 
Officer 2nd Class McNeley was assigned to Assault Craft Unit One (ACU-
1), San Diego, CA.
  LCpl Shane R. Martin, 23, of Spring, TX, died July 29 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance 
Corporal Martin was assigned to 1stLight Armored Reconnaissance 
Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp 
Pendleton, CA.

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