Wednesday, July 25, 2012

R.I.P. - Pfc. Julian L. Colvin, Staff Sgt. Richard L. Berry

DOD Identifies Army Casualties
            The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            They died July 22 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an enemy improvised explosive device.  They were assigned to the 508th Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

            Killed were:

            Pfc. Julian L. Colvin, 21, of Birmingham, Ala.,

            Staff Sgt. Richard L. Berry, 27, of Scottsdale, Ariz.

            For more information the media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office at 910-432-0661 or 910-813-3891.

---
from al.com:
By Jon Anderson -- The Birmingham News 
Pfc. Julian L. Colvin
Published: Tuesday, July 24, 2012, 4:19 PM     Updated: Wednesday, July 25, 2012, 2:04 AM
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A 21-year-old U.S. Army soldier from Birmingham was one of two servicemen killed in Afghanistan on Sunday, the U.S. Department of Defense said Tuesday.

Army Pfc. Julian L. Colvin of Birmingham and Sgt. Richard L. Berry, 27, of Scottsdale, Ariz., died of wounds suffered from an enemy improvised explosive device while on a dismounted patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said.

Both were assigned to the 508th Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, N.C., and were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Colvin joined the Army on March 9, 2011 as a combat engineer. He attended training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., followed by the U.S. Army Airborne School and joined the 82nd Airborne Division in July 2011. This was his first deployment.

"Pfc. Colvin was a young, energetic Paratrooper and engineer," said Lt. Col. Peter Levola, commander of the 508th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, in a press release. "He is a shining example of the inspiration and promise of our young, remarkable Paratroopers -- a selfless hero who willingly took on one of the most difficult jobs in the Brigade by leading patrols with a mine detector."

Colvin's awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge and the Basic Parachutist Badge.


Staff Sgt. Richard L. Berry
Berry joined the Army on Feb. 23, 2006, as a combat engineer and joined the 82nd Airborne Division in May 2009. This was his third combat deployment, having previously served in Iraq from September 2006 to November 2007 and in Afghanistan from August 2009 to February 2010.

"Staff Sgt. Berry was an incredibly talented Paratrooper, engineer and husband," Levola said. Berry was injured on a mission during a previous deployment and worked his way back to health to rejoin his unit as a team leader, Levola said. "He is an unforgettable hero."

Berry's awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal with two knots, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal with Bronze Star, the Combat Action Badge and the Basic Parachutist Badge.
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