Iowa Soldiers Killed in Iraq and Afghanistan
As reported by the Defense Department, the Iowa National Guard and family members
Navy SEAL Petty Officer 1st Class Jon T. Tumilson’s dog, Hawkeye, lies before his master’s casket at Tumilson’s funeral services.
Tumilson was one of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment, which was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.
Seven Afghan soldiers, a civilian interpreter and a military working dog also were killed in the crash.
Last updated June 12, 2016
Iowans Killed in Iraq and Afghanistan
Slideshow compiled by Jody Ewing
See below for more information on each veteran.
Please click the names below to leave memorials for the fallen at CNN’s CASUALTIES.
NOTE: Though many online sites, including CNN, list various statistics about each of these fallen troops, I’d like to thank GOOGLE for using the “Details” sections from this page to build an interactive Google map linking each soldier to his or her respective Iowa city.
Jason Douglas Landphair
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa |
Lance Cpl. Adam Franklin Wolff
From: Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
Deric Rasmussen
From: Storm Lake, Iowa |
Staff Sgt. Steven BlassFrom: Estherville, Iowa |
Sgt. Joseph A. RichardsonFrom: Algona, Iowa (native) |
Pfc. Brandon Lucas ButtryFrom: Shenandoah, Iowa |
Sgt. Michael E. RistauFrom: Cascade, Iowa (native) |
Sgt. James Skalberg, Jr.From: Emerson, Iowa |
Master Sgt. Travis William RiddickFrom: Centerville, Iowa |
Cpl. Zachary Christopher ReiffFrom: Preston, Iowa |
Navy SEAL Petty Officer 1st Class Jon T. TumilsonFrom: Rockford, Iowa |
Sgt. 1st Class Terryl L. PaskerFrom: Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
Capt. Matthew Gunnar NielsonFrom: Jefferson, Iowa |
Sgt. Robert W. BriggsFrom: Hillsboro, Iowa |
Staff Sgt. Joseph J. HamskiFrom: Ottumwa, Iowa |
Staff Sgt. James Alan JusticeFrom: Grimes, Iowa |
Spc. Donald Lee NicholsFrom: Shell Rock, Iowa |
Sgt. Brent Matthew MaherAge: 31 |
Sgt. Adam D. CraigAge: 23 |
Spc. Shawn Andrew MuhrAge: 26 |
Capt. David Anthony WisniewskiAge: 31 |
Spc. Christopher Wesley OpatFrom: Spencer, Iowa |
Lance Corporal Joshua DavisAge: 19 Josh is the 75th person with Iowa ties to die in Afghanistan or Iraq since the war began in 2003. |
Command Sgt. Maj. John K. LabordeFrom: Waterloo, IA |
Capt. Daniel WhittenFrom: Grimes, IA |
Staff Sgt. Leroy Otis WebsterAge: 28 |
Cpl. Jason Graham Pautsch
From: Davenport, Iowa |
National Guard Sgt. Scott B. StreamFrom: Bloomfield, Iowa |
Army Staff Sgt. Nathan M. CoxFrom: Walcott, Iowa |
Maj. Stuart Adam WolferAge: 36 |
Marine Lance Cpl. Cody E. WankenFrom: Hampton, Iowa |
Cpl. Chad David GroepperFrom: Kingsley, Iowa |
Staff Sgt. Robert James MillerFrom: Iowa City, Iowa, and Oviedo, FL |
Army Sgt. Adrian Edward HikeFrom: Callender, Iowa |
Army Sgt. Joseph B. MilledgeFrom: Glenwood, Iowa, and Point Blank, Texas |
Army Sgt. Kevin Allan GilbertsonFrom: Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
Army Sgt. 1st Class Scott Michael CarneyFrom: Ankeny, Iowa |
Marine Sgt. Jon Edward Bonnell Jr.From: Fort Dodge, Iowa |
Army Pfc. Michael Patrick PittmanFrom: Davenport, IA |
Cpl. Llythaniele FenderFrom: Onawa, Iowa |
Army Spc. David W. BehrleFrom: Tipton, IA |
Army Pfc. Katie Marie SoenksenFrom: Davenport, IA |
Army Pfc. Brian Anthony BotelloFrom: Alta, IA |
Army Spc. Travis Ryan VaughnFrom: Reinbeck, Iowa |
Army Reserve Spc. Stephen Daniel ShannonFrom: Guttenberg, IA |
Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn L. GabbardFrom: Polk City, IA |
Army Cpl. Jonathan E. SchillerFrom: Ottumwa, IA |
Sgt. Michael D. SmithAge: 41 |
Marine Lance Cpl. Clinton Jon “C.J.” MillerFrom: Greenfield, Iowa |
Army Sgt. James Paul MusackFrom: Riverside, Iowa |
Lt. Col. Paul John FinkenFrom: Earling, IA |
Staff Sgt. Scott Evan NiselyFrom: Marshalltown, IA |
Spc. Kampha Butch SourivongFrom: Iowa City, Iowa |
Army Pfc. William Edgerton ThorneFrom: Hospers, Iowa |
Petty Officer 1st Class Jerry Allen TharpFrom: Muscatine, Iowa |
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jamie Suzanne JaenkeFrom: Bay City, Wis., formerly of Iowa Falls, Iowa |
Marine Lance Cpl. William Jay LeusinkFrom: Maurice, IA |
Army Staff Sgt. Mark Adam WallFrom: Alden, IA |
Iowa Army National Guard Sgt. Daniel SeskerFrom: Ogden, IA |
Army Cpl. Antoine Jay McKinzieFrom: Indianapolis, Ind., Des Moines native |
Maj. Stuart Marlin AndersonFrom: Peosta, IA |
Sgt. Nathan Robert FieldFrom: Lehigh, IA |
Army Reserve 1st Sgt. Tobias Corbin MeisterFrom: Tulsa, OK; native of Remsen, IA |
Iowa National Guard Spc. Gregory L. TullFrom: Pocahontas, IA |
Pvt. Enlisted Grade 2 Dustin Allan YanceyFrom: Goose Creek, S.C., formerly Cedar Rapids, IA |
Keven Kim DagitFrom: Jefferson, IA |
Army Pfc. Eric P. WoodsFrom: Omaha, NE; grew up/graduated from Urbandale, IA |
Spc. Casey ByersFrom: Schleswig, IA |
Army Spc. David Lee RiceFrom: Sioux City, IA |
Robert J. “Jason” GoreFrom: Nevada, IA |
Spc. John W. MillerFrom: West Burlington, IA |
Army Staff Sgt. Shane Marion KoeleFrom: Wayne, NE; native of Hartley, IA |
Staff Sgt. Donald Delbert Griffith Jr.From: Mechanicsville, IA |
Sgt. Seth K. GarceauFrom: Oelwein, Iowa |
2nd Lt. Richard “Brian” GienauFrom: Peoria, Ill., formerly of Burlington, IA |
Army Sgt. Eric Matthew SteffeneyFrom: Waterloo, IA |
Army Spc. Dakotah Lee GoodingFrom: Des Moines, IA |
Marine Cpl. Nathan SchubertFrom: Cherokee, IA |
Sgt. Thomas Eugene HouserFrom: Council Bluffs, IA |
Spc. Daryl Anthony DavisFrom: Orlando, Fl; formerly of Spencer, IA |
Cpl. Jarrod L. MaherFrom: Imogene, IA |
Sgt. James Charles Kearney IIIFrom: Emerson, Iowa |
Spc. Dustin Scot ColbyAge: 20 |
Marine Pfc. Nicholas Maloy SkinnerFrom: Davenport, IA |
Marine Pfc. Brandon Chauncy SturdyFrom: Urbandale, Iowa |
Petty Officer 2nd Class Trace W. DossettFrom: Orlando, FL; Wapello (IA) native |
Cpl. Michael Raymond SpeerFrom: Davenport, IA |
Lance Cpl. Benjamin CarmanFrom: Jefferson, IA |
Army Spc. Joshua Lincoln KnowlesFrom: Sheffield, IA |
Army Sgt. Aaron SisselFrom: Tipton, Iowa |
Pvt. Enlisted Grade 2 Kurt Russell FrosheiserFrom: Des Moines, IA |
Army Sgt. Paul F. FisherFrom: Cedar Rapids, IA |
Army Chief Warrant Officer Bruce Alan SmithFrom: West Liberty, IA |
Army Pfc. David Michael KirchhoffFrom: Anamosa, IA |
Army Pvt. Michael J. DeutschFrom: Dubuque, IA |
Army Pvt. Enlisted Grade 2 Kenneth Allen NalleyFrom: Hamburg, IA |
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeffrey Edward Bohr Jr.From: Ossian, IA |
Marine Sgt. Bradley S. KorthausFrom: Davenport, IA |
Spc. James Michael KiehlFrom: Des Moines, Iowa |