At least 924 US military deaths in Afghan region since 2001

US military deaths in Afghan region at 924

As of Friday, Feb. 26, 2010, at least 924 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 three more than the Defense Department’s tally, last updated Friday at 10 a.m. EDT.

At least 717 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 76 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 identifications reported by the military:

—Lance Cpl. Matthias N. Hanson, 20, of Buffalo, Ky.; died Feb. 21 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

—Lance Cpl. Eric L. Ward, 19, of Redmond, Wash.; died Feb. 21 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.

—Pfc. JR Salvacion, 27, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii; died Feb. 21 at Senjaray, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

—Sgt. Marcos Gorra, 22, of North Bergen, N.J.; died Feb. 21 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

—Lance Cpl. Adam D. Peak, 25, of Florence, Ky.; died Feb. 21 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. Christopher W. Eckard, 30, of Hickory, N.C., died Feb. 20 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

—Staff Sgt. Michael David P. Cardenaz, 29, of Corona, Calif.; died Feb. 20 in Kunar, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenades; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

—Lance Cpl. Joshua H. Birchfield, 24, of Westville, Ind.; died Feb. 19 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

—Cpl. Gregory S. Stultz, 22, of Brazil, Ind.; died Feb. 19 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.

— Sgt. Jeremy R. McQueary, 27, of Columbus, Ind.; died Feb. 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

—Lance Cpl. Kielin T. Dunn, 19, of Chesapeake, Va., died Feb. 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

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