By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Three 3rd ID soldiers killed Thursday
Placeholder Image
An improvised explosive device took the lives of three 3rd Infantry Division soldiers last Thursday.
According to information released by the Department of Defense on Sunday, Sgt. William Howdeshell, Spc. Charles Bilbrey Jr. and Spc. Jaime Rodriguez Jr. died in Saqlawiyah, Iraq when an IED detonated near their vehicle on July 26.
The troops were assigned to the division's 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team and worked as cavalry scouts.
Howdeshell, 37, was a native of Norfolk, Va. He joined the Army in October 2006 and was assigned to Fort Stewart in May 2006.
Bilbrey joined the Army in July 2005 and arrived at the post in March 2006. The 21-year-old was a native of Owego, New York.
The youngest of the three, Rodriguez, was a native of Oxnard, Calif. He joined the Army in November 2005 and was assigned to the 3rd ID in July 2006.
Based on a July 31 DoD casualty report, the deaths of 3,647 U.S. soldiers supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom have been confirmed by officials.
According to icasualties.org, a Web site tracking U.S. troop deaths in Iraq, 74 soldiers died in the month of July, the lowest death toll in eight months.
Sign up for our e-newsletters