DoD Identifies Army Casualties
May 18, 2009

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died May 15 at Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire in Chak, Afghanistan.

The soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Esau I. De la Pena-Hernandez, 25, of La Puente, Calif.

Sgt. Carlie M. Lee, III, 23, of Birmingham, Ala.

For further information contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-8286.