US Army Pfc. Barrett Austin

20-year-old US Army Pfc. Barrett L. Austin, serving with the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, died on 21st April 2013 at a hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.

Pfc. Austin, from Easley, South Carolina, had been severely injured on 17th April when his vehicle was hit by a homemade bomb in Wardak province.

He was based at Fort Stewart, Georgia, as part of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.

Pfc. Austin leaves his wife, Heather, his parents and a sister.

US Special Forces Captain Andrew Pedersen-Keel

US Army Captain Andrew M. Pedersen-Keel was one of two American soldiers killed on Monday 11th March by an Afghan policeman in Jalrez, Wardak province.

Capt. Pedersen-Keel and US Army Staff Sgt. Rex Schad were attending a joint-services meeting when an Afghan policeman opened fire on the group. Three Afghans were killed and several troops injured in the attack.

28-year-old Capt. Pedersen-Keel served with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He graduated from the US Military Academy in 2006. In 2008, he served in Afghanistan and, at the end of that 12-month deployment, he completed the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course and joined the 3rd Special Forces Group in 2012. He deployed to Afghanistan on this current tour late last year.

Capt. Pedersen-Keel's awards and decorations include two Bronze Star Medals, Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, among others.

He was repatriated to Dover Air Force Base on 12th March 2013.

US Army Staff Sergeant Rex Schad victim of 'insider attack'

US Army Staff Sgt. Rex Schad was one of the US service personnel killed on Monday 11th March by an Afghan policeman in Wardak province.

His grandfather, Mr. Harold Whipple told news reporters that two Chaplains and an Army Sergeant visited the family on Monday afternoon with the bad news.

25-year-old Sgt. Schad had been in Afghanistan since November. This was his second tour of duty to the country.

More information to follow.

Two American service personnel killed in insider attack, Wardak province

Two American service personnel were killed on Monday 11th March when an Afghan National Army soldier opened fire during a joint briefing at a Special Forces operating base in Wardak province. Several others were injured in the attack. Three Afghans were also killed.

The incident comes at a time when the US-Afghan relationship becomes more tense following allegations by Afghan President Karzai accusing US Special Forces of using torture in Wardak province; an allegation that the US strongly denies.

The victims in the latest insider attack are yet to be identified.

More information to follow.

Chinook helicopter crash 6th August 2011

We've created a separate list here of the troops on board the US Chinook helicopter that crashed while on mission in Wardak on 6th August 2011.

Date	Name	Rank	Age	Unit
AUG
06-Aug	Bennett, Alexander J.	Sergeant	24	US Army - 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment
06-Aug	Benson, Darrik C.	PO1	28	US Navy
06-Aug	Bill, Brian R.	CPO	31	US Navy
06-Aug	Brown, John W.	Tech. Sgt.	33	USAF 24th Special Tactics Squadron
06-Aug	Campbell, Christopher G.	PO1	36	US Navy
06-Aug	Carter, David R.	CWO	47	US Army 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment
06-Aug	Day, Jared W.	PO1	28	US Navy
06-Aug	Douangdara, Johnny	PO1	26	US Navy
06-Aug	Duncan, Spencer C.	Spc.	21	US Army - 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment
06-Aug	Faas, John W.	CPO	31	US Navy
06-Aug	Hamburger, Patrick D.	Sergeant	30	US Army 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment
06-Aug	Harvell, Andrew W.	Staff Sgt.	26	USAF 24th Special Tactics Squadron
06-Aug	Houston, Kevin A.	CPO	35	US Navy
06-Aug	Langlais, Louis J.	CPO	44	US Navy
06-Aug	Kelsall, Jonas	Lt. Cmdr	32	US Navy
06-Aug	Mason, Matthew D.	CPO	37	US Navy
06-Aug	Mills, Stephen M.	CPO	35	US Navy
06-Aug	Nichols, Bryan J.	CWO	31	US Army - 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment
06-Aug	Null, Nicholas H.	CPO	30	US Navy
06-Aug	Pittman, Jesse D.	PO1	27	US Navy
06-Aug	Ratzlaff, Thomas A.	CPO	34	US Navy
06-Aug	Reeves, Robert J.	CPO	32	US Navy
06-Aug	Robinson, Heath P.	CPO	34	US Navy
06-Aug	Spehar, Nicholas P.	PO2	24	US Navy
06-Aug	Strange, Michael	PO1	25	US Navy
06-Aug	Tumilson, Jon	PO1	35	US Navy
06-Aug	Vaughn, Aaron C.	PO1	30	US Navy
06-Aug	Vickers, Kraig M.	CPO	36	US Navy
06-Aug	Workman, Jason R.	PO1	33	US Navy
06-Aug	Zerbe, Daniel L.	Tech. Sgt.	28	USAF 24th Special Tactics Squadron

Czech Army Sergeant Robert Vyroubal

Czech Army Sergeant Robert Vyroubal, age 31, was killed and two others wounded on 31st May 2011 when a roadside bomb detonated against their patrol vehicle in Wardak province. The bomb, containing about 50kg of explosives had been hidden in a canal under the road.

Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra posthumously awarded Sgt. Vyroubal the State Defence Cross, the highest decoration of the ministry.

US Army Pfc. Jonathan Villanueva

On 28th April 2011, 19 year old US Army Private first class Jonathan M. Villanueva was killed in Wardak province, Afghanistan while serving with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division.

Pfc. Villanueva died while engaging enemy forces in a gun battle.

US Army Sgt. Matthew D. Hermanson

On 28th April 2011, 22 year old US Army Sergeant Matthew Hermanson was killed in Wardak province, Afghanistan while serving with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division. Sgt. Hermanson died while engaging enemy forces in a gun battle.

He enlisted in the army in 2007. He served in Iraq from 2007 to 2008 and deployed to Afghanistan last year.

Polish soldier, Pawel Staniaszek

Polish Army Private First Class, Pawel Staniaszek, aged 29, died on Wednesday 20th April 2011 at the Military Medical Institute in Warsaw from wounds he received in Afghanistan when a roadside bomb was detonated near his patrol.

Pfc. Staniaszek, serving with the 2nd Mazowiecka Sapper Brigade, was seriously injured during the incident on 9th October 2009. The attack took place in Wardak province, about 40km from Ghazni when the patrol stopped to check their vehicles. The explosion occurred when they returned to the vehicles.

U.S Army Pvt. Brandon T. Pickering

U.S Army Private, Brandon T. Pickering, aged 21, from Fort Thomas, Kentucky, died on 10th April 2011 in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, from wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire and a rocket propelled grenade in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on 8th April 2011. 

He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.

Pvt. Pickering enlisted in the U.S. Army in September 2009, and after completing training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was stationed at Fort Polk as a member of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, according to the Army.

His awards inclide a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the NATO Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

U.S Army Sergeant 1st Class, Daehan Park

Dae Han Park

U.S Army Sergeant 1st Class Dae Han Park, aged 36, from Watertown, Conn., was killed on 12th March 2011, in Wardak province. He died from injuries received when the vehicle he was in hit an improvised explosive device.  

He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group.

Sgt. Park joined the Army in 1998 as an infantryman and qualified as a ranger in 2000. In 2003 he served in Iraq as a rifle squad leader. In 2006, he completed the Army's Special Forces course and was assigned to 1st Special Forces Group. 

He served in numerous overseas regions and this was his first deployment in Afghanistan. Sgt. Park was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

Dannel P. Malloy, Governor of Connecticut, said that Sgt. Park "is a hero who died serving his country and he will be honored and remembered as such.” 

He is survived by his wife, Mi Kyong Park, and two daughters, Niya and Sadie.

U.S Army Spc. Christopher Stark

Spc. Christopher G. Stark

Army Specialist, Christopher G. Stark, aged 22, from Monett, Montana, was killed by the blast from an imporovised explosive devise (IED). He died 28th February 2011. The incident happened in Wardak province, Afghanistan.

He was assigned to the 63rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion, 20th Support Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

In the same incident, his colleague, Staff Sgt. Chauncy Mays also died.

U.S Army Staff Sgt. Chauncy Mays

Staff Sgt. Chauncy Mays

Staff Sgt. Chauncy R. Mays, aged 25, from Cookville, Texas, was killed on 28th February 2011, in Wardak province, Afghanistan. He died from wounds suffered from an enemy detonated bomb (IED).

He was assigned to the 63rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion, 20th Support Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

Staff Sgt. Mays leaves a wife and two children.

In the same incident, Spc. Christopher Stark also lost his life.

U.S Army Specialist Omar Soltero

Omar Soltero

U.S Army Specialist Omar Soltero, aged 28, died on 31st January 2011, in the Wardak province of eastern Afghanistan from the blast of a hidden roadside bomb.

He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.

Spc. Soltero was one of four children and had two young sons. He was due home on leave in May 2011 for his 29th birthday.

He had previously served two tours in Kosovo.

Polish soldier, Szymon Graczyk

Szymon Graczyk

Corporal Szymon Graczyk was killed along with his colleague, Corporal Radoslaw Szyszkiewicz when their MRAP vehicle hit a road mine (IED) while they were travelling in a convoy along Higway 1 in the Wardak province, Afghanistan, on 9th October 2009. 

Four other soldiers who were wounded in the incident were rushed by helicopter to a base in Ghazni province for medical treatment. 

The funeral ceremony took place on 14th October in his home-town Szczecin.

Both killed soldiers served in 5th Engineering Regiment in Szczecin.

Polish soldier, Radoslaw Szyszkiewicz

Radoslaw Szyszkiewicz

“A soldier does not die, a soldier goes away to stand on an eternal sentry”, said Polish Chief of GS Gen. Franciszek Gągor during th funeral ceremony of Corporal Radosław Szyszkiewicz on 15th October in Iwanowice, Wielkopolska province. 

Cpl Radoslaw Szyszkiewicz and Cpl Szymon Graczyk both died, 9th October 2009, when their MRAP vehicle ran into an IED road mine while they were travelling in a convoy along Higway 1 in the Wardak province, Afghanistan. 

Four other soldiers who were wounded in the incident were airlifted by helicopter to a base in Ghazni province for medical treatment. 

The funeral ceremony of Cpl Szymon Graczyk took place, the day earlier, on 14th October in his home-town Szczecin.

Both soldiers served in 5th Engineering Regiment in Szczecin.

French para, Pascal Correia, killed in RPG attack

On the night of July 24-25, 2007 Pascal Correia was supporting the Afghan National Army in Wardak province. He was fatally wounded when struck by shrapnel from rockets fired by insurgents.

Born on May 9, 1967 in Haute-Saone, Pascal entered the French Military, joining the 1st Parachute Regiment in December 1985 when he was 18 years old.

He made Master Corporal in 1986 and Sergeant the following year.

Pascal Correia

German engineer, Ruediger Diedrich

AID WORKER
Name:	Ruediger Diedrich
Age:	43
Nationality:	German
Employer:
Location:	Wardak province, Afghanistan
Date:	21 July 2007
Cause:	Kidnapped by Taliban and murdered