Another Puerto Rican soldier dies at war in Afghanistan
|
| Published on Thursday, July 3, 2008 |
Email To Friend Print Version |
By MM Sierra
Caribbean Net News Puerto Rico Correspondent
Email: miranda@caribbeannetnews.com
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: Some 89 Puerto Rican soldiers have died at the war in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan after the United States invaded Afghanistan in late 2001.
The latest island soldier to die at the war was Army Sgt 1st Class Jeffrey Rada Morales who was killed in the line of duty along with two other members of his unit this past weekend. The other two soldiers killed from injuries sustained when their vehicle rolled into a canal in Khosrwo-E Sofla, Afghanistan were Master Sgt. Shawn Simmons and Sgt. James Treber.
Sgt. Rada Morales, a 32-year old Puerto Rican, born in the town of Naranjito, is survived by his wife, Amanda Rada Morales, his daughter, Jessica, a stepson, Andrew all living in Fayetteville, North Carolina; and his mother Virginia Morales who lives in Dorado, Puerto Rico.
Rada Morales was a medical sergeant in the Airborne unit; this was his second deployment to Afghanistan since joining the Army in 1995.
The Puerto Rican soldier and the two other comrades drowned in the disputed Kandahar province after their vehicle rolled into a canal.
According to the military, the tragic accident occurred while the troops were patrolling Argnhandab a valley in the Kandahar province. All three soldiers were assigned to the Army’s 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, an Airborne unit based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
In a press release issued Wednesday the Army said it’s investigating the deaths of the three soldiers.
The Green Berets were traveling in an RG-31 Mine Protected Vehicle and according to the Army Special Operations Command the incident was a non-battle accident.
The other two victims Sgt. Simmons, 39, was born in Ashland, Massachusetts and Sgt. Treber, 24, was a San Diego, California native.
According to BBC News and Associated Press reports, over 4,000 members of the United States military have died in the war. |
|
