2nd Abn. Div. PAO and USASOC PAO

Six Soldiers were killed recently during operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Capt. Daniel Whitten, a 28-year-old native of Iowa, and Pfc. Zachary Lovejoy, a 20-year-old native of Albuquerque, N.M., died when the vehicle they were driving struck an improvised explosive device in Zabul province, Afghanistan Feb. 2. Both paratroopers were assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

“Captain Whitten and Private First Class Lovejoy were beloved members of the task force,” said Lt. Col. David I. Oclander, commander of the 1st Bn., 508th PIR. “They lived their lives to the fullest extent possible in everything they did. Their lives inspired us and their memories will drive us to honor them.”

Whitten was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry in May 2004 and subsequently attended Infantry Officers Basic Course, Basic Airborne School and Ranger School at Fort Benning, Ga. Upon completion of his training, Whitten reported to Fort Bragg in March 2005, and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. While with 3rd Bn., 504th PIR he served a four-month deployment in Iraq.

Upon returning from Iraq, 3rd Bn., 504th PIR was re-designated as 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment and in January 2007, Whitten deployed with the unit for a 15-month deployment in Afghanistan. In August 2009, Whitten became the commander of Company C, 1st Bn., 508th PIR and deployed for his third time.

Whitten is survived by his wife, Starr Whitten, and his parents, Dan and Jill.

Lovejoy enlisted in the Army as an infantryman in August 2008, attending One Station Unit Training and Basic Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga. Upon completion of his training, he reported to Fort Bragg. and was assigned to 1st Bn., 508th PIR where he served as an assistant machine gunner. He deployed in August 2009, with the unit for a year-long deployment in Afghanistan.

“Dan and Zachary will be missed by all of C Company,” said 1st Lt. Scott Haran, a platoon leader in Co. C. “We will all dedicate ourselves fully to their memory and to their legacy.”

Lovejoy is survived by his parents, Mike and Terry, and his sister, Ashley.

A memorial in their honor will be held in Afghanistan.

Sergeant 1st Class David J. Hartman and Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller, 96th Civil Affairs Bn., 95th Civil Affairs Brigade, and Staff Sgt. Mark A. Stets Jr., from 8th Psychological Operations Bn., 4th Psychological Operations Group, died of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device in the Lower Dir district of Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier province, Feb. 3.
The three Soldiers were deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

They were among the U.S. military personnel in Pakistan conducting training at the invitation of the Pakistan Frontier Corps, according to a U.S. Central Command press release. They were in Lower Dir to attend the inauguration ceremony of a girls’ school that had recently been renovated with U.S. humanitarian assistance.

“Both Matthew and David are heroes in my mind — they volunteered to come to Army Special Operations and the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade, they both believed in what they were doing and they were committed to helping people in a place where violence against innocent populations was too often commonplace,” said Col. Michael J. Warmack, commander, 95th Civil Affairs Bde. “In the pursuit of what they believed, they made the ultimate sacrifice. 

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mrs. Melissa Sluss-Tiller and her daughter Hannah, and to Mrs. Cherise Hartman and her son Michael,” he said.

Hartman, 27, was a native of Merced, Calif. He is survived by his pregnant wife Cherise of Rosamond, Calif., and their son Michael. He is also survived by his parents, Greg and Mikail of Merced.

Sluss-Tiller, 35, was from Ashland, Ky. He is survived by his wife, Melissa and daughter Hannah of Sanford, N.C., father Edward Tiller of Sevierville, Tenn., and mother and stepfather, Jane and Forest Blankenship also of Sanford.

Both Soldiers were civil affairs senior non-commissioned officers and had previously deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the war on terror.

Stets, 39, is survived by his wife, Nina, and daughters, Jessica, December and Rachael, of Fayetteville. He was a native of California.

This was his second deployment in support of OEF. He also served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stets was a senior psychological operations sergeant. 

The incident is under investigation.

Sgt. Dillon Foxx, a forward observer with 1st Bn., 508th PIR, 4th BCT, died when an improvised explosive device detonated while his unit was patrolling the Afghanistan’s Murghab district Friday. 

“He will be missed by everyone that knew him,” said Staff Sgt. Matthew Fitzgerald, Foxx’s squad leader.

“He was always the first person I would come to for help to get things done. He made my job easy knowing that I could count on him to get the job done. I know that he made a difference in my life and I will try to live my life to the fullest for him.”

Foxx, a 22-year-old from Traverse City, Mich., enlisted in the Army in May 2006 at the age of 18. He attended One Station Unit Training at Fort Sill, Okla., and Basic Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga. Upon completion of his training, Foxx reported to Fort Bragg, where he was assigned to the 1st Bn., 508th PIR.

In January 2007, Foxx deployed with the unit for a 15-month deployment to Afghanistan, returning in April 2008. Foxx was promoted to sergeant in January 2009, and deployed to Afghanistan in August 2009, where he was serving his second deployment.

“Sergeant Foxx was the type of paratrooper that makes commanding a company easy,” said Capt. Aaron White, Foxx’s company commander. “He was a self-starter and always got the job done. I am blessed to have served with heroes like Sergeant Foxx. He will be missed by the entire company, and we pray for his son, Levi, and his Family.”

Foxx is survived by his son Kaiden Levi of Carrolton, Ohio; his mother Trina Pfua of Traverse, Mich., and his father, Robert Lentz.