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Suicide bomber kills three 3rd ID soldiers
SPC Nicholsweb
Spc. Rob L. Nichols, 24, of Colorado Springs, Colo - photo by U.S. Army photo

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three 3rd Infantry Division soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died Tuesday, in Soltan Kheyl, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. A Facebook post by one of the victims' wife said it was an attack by a suicide bomber.

The soldiers were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd ID.

They were:

1st Lt. Jonam Russell, 25, of Cornville, Ariz. A maneuver fires and effects officer, he joined the Army in January 2011 and arrived at the unit in January 2013. This was his first deployment.

Sgt. Stefan M. Smith, 24 of Glennville. An infantryman, he joined the Army in November 2009 and arrived at the unit in June 2012. This was his first deployment.

Spc. Rob L. Nichols, 24, of Colorado Springs, Colo. An infantryman, he joined the Army in September 2010 and arrived at the unit in Jan. 2011. This was his first deployment.

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Raiders welcome new commander,
Ashe takes over from Crider
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Third Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. John Murray congratulates incoming 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team commander Col. Robert Ashe on Aug. 28 after passing him the brigades guidon during a change of command ceremony on Cottrell Field. Ashe, a native of Albany, has spent many years in the 3rd ID. - photo by Photo by Sgt. Emily Knitter

During a sweltering morning ceremony, Col. James Crider bid farewell to 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team and passed off command to a new leader during a ceremony Aug. 28 on Cottrell Field.
After almost 31 months in command, Crider said he was sad to leave.
“The time in command goes by very quickly,” Crider said. “We seem to be very busy day-to-day, but suddenly you look up and somebody is telling you you have to go. You never feel like you’ve completed because the mission doesn’t ever really come to an end.”
Maj. Gen. John Murray, 3rd ID commander, was on-hand to pass the brigade colors from Crider to the new Raider Brigade commander, Col. Robert Ashe.
Ashe said he is looking forward to the future with the Raider Brigade. A native of Albany, he has spent the better part of a decade in the 3rd ID, and coming back to Fort Stewart was his first choice of assignments.
“I am glad to be here, and I am looking very forward to getting to know people within this organization,” Ashe said. “The detail of what missions are ahead is less important if we get the team right.”
During his speech, Crider relayed his faith in the new commander.
“Col. Ashe is the best choice the Army could have possibly made to serve as the commander of the Raider Brigade,” he said. “He has an Army-wide reputation of excellence that he has earned while serving in the toughest jobs a combat arms officer can have.”
Crider, his wife, Jill, and son, Jack, are headed to Fort Bliss, Texas. Before leaving, he had one final message for the soldiers and families of the brigade.
“I just want to thank everyone, starting with a lot of the people who are close to me by virtue of their position,” he said. “I appreciate all that they have done to help me so that I can make good decisions and keep this brigade going in the right direction. I am grateful to all the soldiers who really give it everything they have every day. Overall, I just want to say thank you and that I sincerely appreciate their service and their sacrifice. I know this is not an easy lifestyle.”

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