At least 1,026 US military deaths in Afghan region since 2001

US military deaths in Afghan region at 1,026

As of Friday, June 11, 2010, at least 1,026 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 11 more than the Defense Department’s tally, last updated Friday at 10 a.m. EDT.

At least 796 military personnel have died in the Afghan region as a result of hostile action, according to the military’s numbers.

Outside the Afghan region, the department reports at least 78 more members of the U.S. military died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those, eight 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:

— Two American service members died in an explosion in southern Afghanistan on Friday.

— An American was killed June 10 by a roadside bomb.

— Seven U.S. service members died in Afghanistan on June 7, including two identified below. The other five have not yet been identified.

The latest identifications reported by the military:

— Lance Cpl. Gavin R. Brummund, 22, of Arnold, Calif.; died June 10 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

— Lance Cpl. Michael G. Plank, 25, of Cameron Mills, N.Y.; died June 9 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. This incident is under investigation.

—Four airmen died June 9 in a helicopter crash near Forward Operating Base Jackson, Afghanistan. Killed were: Staff Sgt. Michael P. Flores, 31, of San Antonio, Texas, who was assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.; 1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz, 25, of Grass Lake, Mich., who was assigned to the 58th Rescue Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; Staff Sgt. David C. Smith, 26, of Eight Mile, Ala., who was assigned to the 66th Rescue Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; and Senior Airman Benjamin D. White, 24, of Erwin, Tenn., who assigned to the 48th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

— Sgt. Erick J. Klusacek, 22, of Calcium, N.Y.; died June 8 at Gerda Serai, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a noncombat related incident; assigned to the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

— Two Marines died June 8 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Killed were Sgt. Derek L. Shanfield, 22, of Hastings, Pa., and Sgt. Zachary J. Walters, 24, of Palm Coast, Fla. Both were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

—Spc. Brendan P. Neenan, 21, of Enterprise, Ala.; died June 7 in Afghanistan of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

—Sgt. John K. Rankel, 23, of Speedway, Ind.; died June 7 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

—2nd Lt. Michael E. McGahan, 23, of Orlando, Fla., died June 6 in Khogyani district, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire; assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troop Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

—Three Marines died June 6 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Killed were: Sgt. Brandon C. Bury, 26, of Kingwood, Texas; Lance Cpl. Derek Hernandez, 20, of Edinburg, Texas; and Cpl. Donald M. Marler, 22, of St. Louis. They were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. This incident is under investigation.

—1st Lt. Joseph J. Theinert, 24, of Sag Harbor, N.Y.; died June 4 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using a rocket propelled grenade and an improvised explosive device. He was a New York Army National Guardsman assigned to 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

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