Monday, June 4, 2012



By Beth Ford Roth and U.S. Department of Defense











The Department of Defense has announced the deaths of four soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan at the end of last month.



Staff Sgt. Alexander G. Povilaitis, 47, of Dawsonville, Georgia, died May 31, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when the enemy attacked with an improvised explosive device. Povilaitis was assigned to 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord.



Two soldiers from Fort Bliss, Texas died May 27, in Chak-E Wardak District, Afghanistan, when their unit was attacked by enemy forces. Spc. Kedith L. Jacobs, 21, of Denver, Colorado was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.



Pfc. Leroy Deronde III, 22, Jersey City, New Jersey to F Company, 125th Brigade Support Battalion attached to 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.



And Cpl. Nicholas H. Olivas, 20, of Fairfield, Ohio, died May 30 in Zharay, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.