Remains of missing Soldier recovered

82nd Abn. Div. PAO

	Islip

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The Army announced the death of an 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper Monday who had been listed as duty status whereabouts unknown since Nov. 4. Ongoing recovery operations resulted in the recovery of his remains on Sunday.

Sgt. Brandon Islip, 24, of Richmond, Va., was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Abn. Div.

He and a fellow trooper, Sgt. Benjamin Sherman, went missing after being swept into the current of a river while conducting a re-supply mission. Sherman’s remains were recovered Nov. 10 by a British Navy dive team.

Islip enlisted in the Army in January 2006 as an indirect fire infantryman. He attended One Station Unit Training and Basic Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga., and was subsequently assigned to 1st Bn., 508th PIR, 4th BCT, 82nd Abn. Div. Islip served a 15-month deployment to Afghanistan from 2007 to 2008, and was on his second deployment when he went missing.
“Sergeant Islip was a very focused individual when it came to work,” said Sgt. 1st Class Joe Armenta, Islip’s platoon sergeant. “He would be assigned a task, and complete it to standard. He was always focused on mission accomplishment, success of the platoon, and more importantly, the welfare of his Soldiers.”

Islip’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantry Badge, the basic Parachutists Badge and the Expert Marksmanship Badge.

He is survived by his wife, Sonja, and his parents, George Islip and Allison Chaney.

A memorial in honor of Islip and Sherman will be held in Afghanistan.