Wednesday, July 18, 2012

R.I.P. - Staff Sgt. Carl E. Hammar

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

            Staff Sgt. Carl E. Hammar, 24, of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., died July 14, in Khost province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from enemy small arms fire.

            Hammar was assigned to 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

            For more information pertaining to this release, media may contact the U.S. Army Alaska public affairs office at 907-384-2072.

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Statement by Governor Jan Brewer
Mourning the Loss of Staff Sgt. Carl E. Hammar
 
             
              “Please join me today in honoring the sacrifice of a brave Arizona serviceman. United States Army Staff Sgt. Carl E. Hammar, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, died July 14, 2012, due to injuries sustained when his dismounted patrol came under enemy small arms fire. Staff Sgt. Hammar, 24, was deployed to the Khost province of Afghanistan, where he was serving our Nation in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
 
              “Staff Sgt. Hammar was a member of the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, and assigned to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, located near Anchorage, Alaska.
 
              “This is a day to offer our condolences, prayers and due respect for Staff Sgt. Hammar and the family he leaves behind. Please also pray for his fellow soldiers, as well as for all of the men and women who nobly serve our country as part of the United States Military.
 
              “The depth of their sacrifice is too often taken for granted until we learn of a tragedy such as this. Today is a stark reminder to honor their service and never stop praying for their safety.
 
              “In honor of Staff Sgt. Carl E. Hammar, I have ordered that flags at all State buildings be lowered to half-staff until sunset today, July 17, 2012. I also will request that flags be lowered from sunrise until sunset on the day of his interment, for which services are pending.”
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from azfamily,
by Catherine Holland
Posted on July 17, 2012 at 7:42 AM
Updated today at 12:15 PM


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

Staff Sgt. Carl Eric Hammar of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., died July 14, in Khost province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from enemy small arms fire. He was on a dismounted patrol at the time of the attack.

Hammar was assigned to 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

According to Hammar's Facebook page, the 24-year-old graduated from Lake Havasu High School in 2005. He joined the Army that December and went on to graduate from basic training, advanced individual training and the basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Ga.

Hammar, a paratrooper, then served as an infantryman at Fort Bragg, N.C.

He had been at JBER since September. He and his 3,500-soldier brigade deployed to Afghanistan in December.

Prior to his arrival at JBER, where he served as a squad leader, Hammer served two tours of duty in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His first tour was January 2007 to March 2008. He returned August 2009 to July 2010.

Hammar's next of kind have been notified. A memorial for Hammar will be held at JBER, but the date has not been set.

Armed forces from the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001, less than a month after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.

According to iCasualties.org, nearly 2,000 servicemen from all branches of the military have been killed in and around Afghanistan since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom. More than 40 of those were from Arizona. Another 268 Arizonans have been wounded while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lake Havasu City is about 200 miles (about 3.5 hours by car) northwest of Phoenix, along the Arizona-California border.
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