DoD Announces Change In Status Of Army Soldiers
July 11, 2008

The Department of Defense today announced the deaths of two soldiers previously listed as “Missing-Captured” while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

On July 10, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner positively identified human remains recovered in Iraq July 9 to be those of two soldiers who had been previously listed as “Missing-Captured.”

Killed were:

Staff Sgt.. Alex R. Jimenez, 25 at the time of his capture, of Lawrence, Mass.

Spc. Byron J. Fouty, 19 at the time of his capture, of Waterford, Mich.

Jimenez and Fouty were part of a patrol that was ambushed by enemy forces south of Baghdad on May 12, 2007. They were assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y. The Department of Defense previously announced the names of soldiers killed in the attack. They were Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack, Jr., 20, of Torrance, Calif.; Sgt. 1st Class James D. Connell, Jr., 40, of Lake City, Tenn.; Pfc. Daniel W. Courneya, 19, of Nashville, Mich.; Cpl. Christopher E. Murphy, 21, of Lynchburg, Va.; and Sgt. Anthony J. Schober, 23, of Reno, Nev.

The incident is under investigation.

If you have questions concerning the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), please contact Mr. R.D. Murphy at (315) 772-5461.

The Public Affairs Officer assisting the Jimenez family is Mr. Harry Sarles, Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, New York, at (646) 639-7496.

The Public Affairs Officer assisting the Fouty family is Maj. Dawn Dancer, Michigan National Guard, at (517) 896-0860.

If you have questions concerning the status change, please contact Shari Lawrence, Deputy Public Affairs Officer for the U.S. Army Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Va., at (703) 325-8856 or (703) 946-0791 (cell).