Operation Iraqi Freedom, Fallen Heroes, Iraq War 03/19/03

Ofren Arrechaga

Hialeah, Florida

March 29, 2011

Age Military Rank Unit/Location
28 Army SFC

2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

Fort Campbell, Kentucky

 Killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with small arms fire in Konar province, Afghanistan.

From The Fort Campbell Courier fortcampbellcourier.com 03/31/11:

Sergeant 1st Class Ofren Arrechaga
Posted: Thursday, March 31, 2011 3:22 pm | Updated: 10:10 am, Mon Apr 4, 2011.

Media Release

Six 101st Airborne Division Soldiers were killed Tuesday after receiving small arms fire in Kunar province, Afghanistan.

The Soldiers were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team.

Killed were:

Sergeant 1st Class Ofren Arrechaga, 28, of Hialeah, Fla., entered the Army in February 2001 and arrived at Fort Campbell in July 2001. He was an Infantryman assigned to Bravo Company.

His awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Valorous Unit Award; Meritorious Unit Citation; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; NATO Medal; Ranger Tab; Expert Infantryman Badge; Parachutist Badge; Air Assault Badge and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Arrechaga is survived by his wife, Seana Arrechaga and son, Alston Arrechaga of Clarksville; daughter, Tristian Arrechaga of Benton, Ky.; and parents Ofren and Marta Alvarez of Clarksville. 

Staff Sgt. Frank E. Adamski, 26, of Moosup, Conn., entered the Army in March 2005 and arrived at Fort Campbell in April 2009. He was an Infantryman assigned to Charlie Company.

His awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; NATO Medal; Parachutist Badge; Air Assault Badge and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Adamski is survived by his wife, Danielle Adamski and daughter, Victoria Adamski of Clarksville; father, Frank Adamski of Volutown, Conn.; and mother, Susan Adamski of Westbury, N.Y.

Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Burgess, 29, of Cleburne, Texas, entered the Army in March 2003 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2009. Burgess was an Infantryman assigned to Charlie Company.

His awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Burgess is survived by his wife, Tiffany R. Burgess; daughter, Makya Burgess and son, Zander Burgess, all of Fort Campbell, Ky. He is also survived by his mother, Linda Pearce of Keene, Texas; father, Terry A. Burgess and step-mother, Elisabeth Burgess, both of Fort Worth, Texas.

Specialist Jameson L. Lindskog, 23, of Pleasanton, Calif., entered the Army in August 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in April 2009. He was a Combat Medic, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company.

His awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon and NATO Medal.

Lindskog is survived by his father, Curtis Lindskog of Livermore, Calif. and mother, Donna Walker of Pleasanton, Calif.

Specialist Dustin J. Feldhaus, 20, of Glendale, Ariz., entered the Army in September 2009 and arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2010. Feldhaus was an Infantryman assigned to Charlie Company.

His awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; NATO Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Feldhaus is survived by his mother, Nichol Etchells of Glendale, Ariz. and father, Bernard Mahaljevic of Maricopa, Ariz.

The name of the sixth fallen Soldier is being withheld until next of kin notification is complete.

A memorial service will be held in Afghanistan. Fort Campbell holds a monthly Eagle Remembrance Ceremony. The next ceremony will be April 13 at 4 p.m.

4 soldiers belonged to same regiment

By Philip Grey

The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle

Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell, commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), has announced that six 1st Brigade Combat Team soldiers were killed in action March 29 during a battalion-sized operation in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

One Afghan Army soldier was also killed during the operation.

The names of two soldiers were released March 30: Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Burgess, 29, of Cleburne, Texas, and Spc. Dustin J. Feldhaus, 20, of Glendale, Ariz.

The Defense Department released the other names on March 31. All soldiers were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team:

* Sgt. 1st Class Ofren Arrechaga, 28, of Hialeah, Fla.: Arrechaga entered the Army in February 2001 and arrived at Fort Campbell in July 2001. He was an Infantryman, assigned to Bravo Company.

His awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Valorous Unit Award; Meritorious Unit Citation; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; NATO Medal; Ranger Tab; Expert Infantryman Badge; Parachutist Badge; Air Assault Badge and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Arrechaga is survived by his wife, Seana Arrechaga and son, Alston Arrechaga of Clarksville, Tenn. He is also survived by his daughter, Tristian Arrechaga of Benton, Ky.; mother, Marta Alvarez and father, Ofren Arrechaga of Clarksville, Tenn.

* Staff Sgt. Frank E. Adamski, 26, of Moosup, Conn.: Adamski entered the Army in March 2005 and arrived at Fort Campbell in April 2009. He was an Infantryman, assigned to Charlie Company.

His awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; NATO Medal, Parachutist Badge; Air Assault Badge and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Adamski is survived by his wife, Danielle Adamski and daughter, Victoria Adamski of Clarksville, He is also survived by his father, Frank Adamski of Volutown, Conn. and mother, Susan Adamski of Westbury, N.Y.

* Spc. Jameson L. Lindskog, 23, of Pleasanton, Calif.: Lindskog entered the Army in August 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in April 2009. He was a Combat Medic, assigned to Headquarters and headquarters Company.

His awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon and NATO Medal.

Lindskog is survived by his father, Curtis Lindskog of Livermore, Calif. and mother, Donna Walker of Pleasanton, Calif.

* Pfc. Jeremy P. Faulkner, 23, of Griffin, Ga., was the last casualty to be announced. More information about him was not immediately available.

Speaking from his headquarters at Bagram Army Airfield in Afghanistan, Campbell reported that a number of insurgents were killed during the operation, undertaken with the support of Afghan National Army forces, and that large caches of weapons and munitions were found. He said that the operation, called Operation Strong Eagle, was a planned operation and not part of an anticipated insurgent spring offensive.

?We knew we?d get a fight,? Campbell said. Over the winter, in order to make conditions as unfavorable as possible for anticipated ramped-up insurgent activity in the spring, the division has struck hard against insurgents who remained on the Afghanistan side of the border with Pakistan.

Despite the most recent losses, which bring the division?s total killed in action to 117, Campbell says that morale remains high, as evidenced by the over 100 percent reenlistment rate. Another mass reenlistment for the 1st Brigade Combat Team is scheduled for some time in April, with at least 101 more soldiers expected to retake the oath.

Campbell added that the soldiers are mostly re-enlisting for their present duty station, Fort Campbell.

At that point in the video teleconference, Campbell reached into his rucksack where he keeps cards with the photos and information of every soldier lost in this deployment. There are now 117 of them, and he keeps them with him wherever he goes, along with another stack of 78 cards representing the losses of Free Polish and French forces attached to the 101st. He said that he does not allow himself to forget the sacrifices of all of those soldiers and of their families.

Concluding the conference, Campbell said; ?We have a lot of work to continue to do. We appreciate your support. Air Assault.?

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