At least 901 US military deaths in Afghan region since 2001

US military deaths in Afghan region at 901

As of Friday, Feb. 5, 2010, at least 901 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count.

The AP count is seven more than the Defense Department’s tally, last updated Friday at 10 a.m. EDT.

At least 692 military personnel died in the Afghan region as a result of hostile action, according to the military’s numbers.

Outside the Afghan region, the department reports 73 more members of the U.S. military died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those, five were the result of hostile action. The military lists these other locations as Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Jordan; Kenya; Kyrgyzstan; Philippines; Seychelles; Sudan; Tajikistan; Turkey; and Yemen.

The Defense Department also counts two military civilian deaths.

The latest deaths reported by the military:

—A U.S. service member was killed Friday by a bomb in western Afghanistan, according to NATO.

The latest identifications reported by the military:

—Three soldiers died Wednesday in northwest Pakistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. Killed were Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman, 27, of Okinawa, Japan; Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller, 35, of Callettsburg, Ky.; and Staff Sgt. Mark A. Stets, 39, of El Cajon, Calif. Both Hartman and Sluss-Tiller were assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C. Stets was assigned to the 8th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne), 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.

—Two soldiers died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device on Tuesday in Zabul province, Afghanistan. Killed were Capt. Daniel Whitten, 28, of Grimes, Iowa; and Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

—Lance Cpl. Michael L. Freeman Jr., 21, of Fayetteville, Pa., died Monday while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

—Staff Sgt. Rusty H. Christian, 24, of Greenville, Tenn., died Jan. 28 in Oruzgan province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

—Two soldiers died Jan. 29 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations. Killed was Capt. David J. Thompson, 39, of Hooker, Okla., who was assigned to the 3rd Battalion 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. Spc. Marc P. Decoteau, 19, of Waterville Valley, N.H., who was assigned to the 6th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne), 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.

— Sgt. David J. Smith, 25, of Frederick, Md., died Jan. 26 from wounds received Jan. 23 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

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