Schofield soldier
dies in Afghanistan

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A 21-year-old soldier from Schofield Barracks died during a firefight Monday in Afghanistan.

The Army withheld the name of the 25th Infantry Division soldier until his next of kin were notified. The infantryman, a vehicle gunner on a Humvee, died when his vehicle came under enemy fire in the Paktika province in the southeastern part of the country.

The Army said the soldier was married and a member of the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry "Wolfhounds," based out of a former Soviet airfield at Forward Operating Base Orgun-E, near the Pakistan border.

The Army said the area where the Schofield soldier and another soldier were killed has been a trouble spot harboring al-Qaida fighters since the Taliban was ousted in 2001.

The gunner is the fourth Schofield Barracks' soldier killed in Afghanistan since 5,500 of them left Wahiawa in March and April for a yearlong deployment.

Col. Gary Cheek, the 25th Division's artillery commander, who heads Task Force Thunder based at Forward Operating Base Salerno, said: "The loss of any soldier is a terrible tragedy. While it is hard on his friends and comrades here in Afghanistan, our loss is of no comparison to that of his wife and loved ones. We are deeply appreciative of our fallen comrade's service, his sacrifice to our nation, and the tremendous difference he made in this challenged land."

He is the 17th person with island ties to die in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Twelve soldiers and one civilian with Hawaii ties have been killed in Iraq since the war started in March 2003. Of the 13 deaths in Iraq, 12 were due to hostile action. Seven of the casualties were from the 25th Infantry Division. Four other 25th Division soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, including the gunner killed yesterday.

The other three 25th Infantry Division casualties in Afghanistan were:

» Spc. Phillip L. Witkowski, 24, of Fredonia, N.Y. He died May 1 in Homberg, Germany, after being accidentally shot on April 30 by a member of his unit, in Kandahar. Witkowski was assigned to the 7th Field Artillery.

» Cpl. David M. Fraise, 24, of New Orleans. He died June 7 in Kandahar when an improvised explosive device hit his patrol. Fraise was assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment.

» Sgt. Daniel Lee Galvan, 30 of Moore, Okla. He died Aug. 12 in Salerno. He was a crewmember of a Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter that crashed and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation.

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