Tuesday, November 6, 2012

R.I.P. - Pfc. Brandon L. Buttry

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

            The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            Pfc. Brandon L. Buttry, 19, of Shenandoah, Iowa, died Nov. 5, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. 

            Buttry was assigned to 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

            For more information pertaining to this release, media may contact the 7th Infantry Division public affairs office at 253-477-5746 or 253-477-0174.  If after duty hours, media may call 253-477-5543 and ask for the 7th Infantry Division public affairs officer.

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from wfcourier:

SHENANDOAH, Iowa  --- A U.S. Army soldier from Iowa was killed in Afghanistan, his family said Monday.

 Pfc. Brandon Buttry, 19, of Shenandoah, was killed while manning a watch tower, his uncle, Steve Buttry, of Hendon, Va., said. He said it's unclear when his nephew was killed and he did not have more details. His parents, Don and Pam Buttry, of Shenandoah, were notified early Monday, Steve Buttry said.

He said they were told there were "multiple casualties" but had no other information.

The Department of Defense had not confirmed Brandon Buttry's death.

Buttry was one of 14 children, his uncle said. Don and Pam Buttry, had three biological children (former Wartburg track star Missy Buttry Rock is his older sister), then 11 adopted. Brandon is second-oldest of the adopted kids, one of three 19-year-olds in the family, Steve Buttry said.

Steve Buttry is the former editor of the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

"He enlisted before he turned 19, but he couldn't actually join until his 19th birthday. I remember him counting down the days on Facebook," Steve Buttry said.

Brandon Buttry completed basic training in May at Fort Benning, Ga., and was transferred to Fort Lewis in Washington state with the 123rd Infantry Regiment, Steve Buttry said. He was deployed to Afghanistan in August.

"He wasn't allowed to tell his parents where he was stationed in Afghanistan. I presume we'll find that out shortly."

Steve Buttry said his nephew was outgoing and they chatted at family gatherings and on Facebook when he was in Afghanistan.

"I'd get a little `what's up' message on my Facebook and we'd chat. It would be a sentence or two back and forth and I'd tell him to stay safe. Obviously in Afghanistan, you can't do that."
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