US Army Sergeant 1st Class Ryan Savard

29-year-old US Army Sergeant 1st Class Ryan J. Savard, from Arizona, died on 13th October 2012, after being shot during a patrol in Khanabad District, Konduz province, Afghanistan. 

He served with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. This was his fifth deployment to Afghanistan. He had also served in Iraq. 

Sergeant 1st Class Savard joined the Army in 2001. On completion of his initial training, Savard was assigned to Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, 159th Aviation in Gieblstadt, Germany, where he served as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter mechanic for two years. 

In June 2004, he graduated from the US Army's Special Warfare Center to become a Special Forces weapons officer. 

He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal (third award), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Purple Heart. His awards and decorations also include the Army Commendation Medal (third award), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal (third award), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal (third award), National Defense Service Ribbon, Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star and Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 4 Bronze Service Stars. 

He leaves his wife, Kayla, and his parents, Garett and Marie Savard.