In Memoriam

[Grace]

15 January 2012

22-year-old US Marine Corporal Jon-Luke Bateman, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was one of two Marines killed in action on 15th January 2012 during combat operations in Helmand province.

Cpl. Bateman served with the California-based 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. He joined the Marine Corps in February 2008. This was his first combat deployment.

His personal service awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and NATO Medal for International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan.

[Grace]

Six US Marines were killed on 19th January 2012 when their helicopter crashed during an operation in Helmand province. The six, all serving with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, based at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii were identified as:


Capt. Daniel B. Bartle (27) from Washington.
Capt. Nathan R. McHone (29) from Illinois.
MSgt. Travis W. Riddick (40) from Iowa.
Cpl. Jesse W. Stites (23) from Maryland.
Cpl. Kevin J. Reinhard (25) from New Jersey.
Cpl. Joseph D. Logan (22) from Texas.

[Grace]

19 January 2012

US Marine Captain Daniel Bartle was among six Marines killed on 19th January 2012 when the helicopter he was in crashed while on operations in Helmand province.

He served with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, based at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

27-year-old Captain Bartle, a congressional page and a United States Naval Academy graduate, was one of the pilots of the aircraft. He grew up in Missoula, Montana and decided to serve his country while working as a congressional page in Washington, D.C.

Captain Bartle leaves his parents, John and Sandra, a brother and sister.

US Marine Master Sergeant Travis Riddick, 40, was killed in a helicopter crash in Helmand province on Thursday 19th January 2012. Five others were killed in the same incident.

He joined the Marines Corps in 1990 after graduating from Centerville High School in Iowa. He had previously served three tours of duty in Iraq and two in Afghanistan, prior to this deployment.

His father, John, told the Des Moines Register that Travis had been promoted to Master Sergeant on 1st January and that he had "just four or five weeks remaining on this tour of duty." He went on to say that his son had previously served on the president’s helicopter squadron. "He flew President Clinton and President Bush."

22-year-old US Marine Corporal Joseph D. Logan, from Texas, was one of six Marines killed on 19th January 2012 when their helicopter crashed in Helmand province.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps in November 2008 and joined the Hawaii-based Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363 in May as an aerial observer. This was his second deployment.

Cpl. Logan's awards include an Air Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and NATO ISAF Medal.

He leaves his wife, parents, siblings and other close relatives.

23-year-old US Marine Corporal Jesse W. Stites, was one of six Marines killed on 19th January 2012 when their helicopter crashed in Helmand province. He joined the Marine Corps in January 2008 and had served with the Hawaii-based Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363 since March 2009.

He deployed to Afghanistan (his second tour) in August 2011 and was due to return home in March this year.

25-year-old US Marine Corporal Kevin J. Reinhard was one of six Marines killed on 19th January 2012 when their helicopter crashed in Helmand province. He joined the Marine Corps in the spring of 2008, interrupting his college studies to do so.

"He felt he needed to do something more, something better with his life than what he felt he was doing," his sister told the Daily Record. "He wanted to serve his country, so he left school and enlisted."

He joined the Hawaii-based Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363 in September 2009 and deployed with the unit to Afghanistan in August last year. This was his second combat tour.

Corporal Reinhard's awards include Air Medal (3), Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and NATO ISAF Medal.

US Marine Captain Nathan R. McHone, 29, was killed in a helicopter crash in Helmand province on Thursday 19th January 2012. Five others were killed in the same incident.

Captain McHone, one of the helicopter's pilots, served with the Hawaii-based Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363. He joined the Marine Corps in 2005 and joined the squadron in October 2009. This was his second deployment to Afghanistan.

[Grace]

18 January 2012

US Marine Corporal Phillip D. McGeath, died on 18th January 2012 during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

25-year-old Cpl McGeath, from Glendale, Arizona, served with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

[Grace]

18 January 2012

US Army Specialist Keith D. Benson, aged 27, died on 18th January 2012 in Paktika province, Afghanistan. The circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

Spc. Benson, a combat medic, served with the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, based at Grafenwoehr, Germany.

[Grace]

France
20 January 2012

27-year-old French Army Sergeant Geoffrey Baumel was one of four French soldiers killed on 20th January 2012 by an Afghan National Army soldier in Kapisa. 15 other French soldiers were injured in the attack.

Sgt. Baumel joined the Army in September 2006 and served with the 93rd Regiment of Mountain Artillery (93e RAM) as a mechanic. He was born in Echirolles in November 1984. During his service, he deployed to Guyana in 2008 and was promoted to Brigadier (Sergeant) on 1st October 2010.

He deployed to Afghanistan in September 2011 as part of a Mentoring and Advisory team involved in training the Afghan Army. He and his colleagues were killed while they were participating in a physical training workout at Gwan Base in southern Kapisa.

He leaves his partner and one child.

34-year-old French Foreign Legion Staff Sergeant Svilen Simeonov was one of four French soldiers killed on 20th January 2012 by an Afghan National Army soldier. He and his colleagues were killed while they were participating in a physical training workout at Gwan Base in southern Kapisa. 15 other French soldiers were injured in the attack.

SSgt Simeonov, a Bulgarian national, joined the Foreign Legion in September 2001 and completed his intial training with the 4th Foreign Regiment at Castelnaudary. At the time of his death he was serving with the 2nd Foreign Engineers Regiment. He was trained as a Firefighter, a combat Engineer and Minesweeper.

Promoted to Corporal in 2004, he quickly rose through the ranks becoming a Sergeant in 2005 and Staff Sergeant in 2009. He served in French Guiana in 2004, Cote d'Ivoire and Afghanistan in 2007 and also served in Djibouti three times. He deployed to Afghanistan on this mission in September 2011.

He leaves his wife and one child.

45-year-old French Army Chief Warrant Officer Denis Estin was one of four French soldiers killed on 20th January 2012 by an Afghan National Army soldier. He and his colleagues were killed while they were participating in a physical training workout at Gwan Base in southern Kapisa. 15 other French soldiers were injured in the attack.

CWO Estin had served with the French Army for over 28 years. Born in December 1966, he joined the Parachute Artillery Regiment in November 1984. He quickly distinguished himself as a natural leader with highly professional qualities. he was promoted to Sergeant in May 1987. He attended the national school for non-commissioned officers and was appointed Sergeant 1st Class in July 1988.

In 1993 he was posted to 68 Artiller Regiment of Africa as a Warrant Officer.

August 2009 he joined the elite 93rd Mountain Artillery Regiment as a communications specialist. During his long career he served in Central African Republic in 1986 and 1994, Chad in 1996, Martinique in 1999, Bosnia in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2004 and 2009. He deployed on this mission to Afghanistan in September 2011.

He was married with two children.

43-year-old French Army Chief Warrant Officer Fabien Willm was one of four French soldiers killed on 20th January 2012 by an Afghan National Army soldier. He and his colleagues were killed while they were participating in a physical training workout at Gwan Base in southern Kapisa. 15 other French soldiers were injured in the attack.

CWO Willm joined the French Army in 1986 as a student NCO, he was assigned the following year at 93rd Mountain Artillery Regiment (93e RAM) where he began his career as a gunner.

Since August 2009, he served as Senior Technician in the same regiment. He was married with one child.

These men were killed by an Afghan soldier, someone we were trying to help. Why are we still fighting?

[Grace]

21 January 2012

23-year-old US Marine Corporal Christopher G. Singer, from California, was killed during combat operations in Helmand province on 21st January 2012.

Cpl. Singer, a combat engineer, served with the 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, based at Twentynine Palms, California. He joined the Marine Corps in September 2007. This was his first deployment to Afghanistan.

His personal awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.