MISSING SOLDIER DECLARED DEAD

November 01, 2002

The Department of Defense today announced that Sgt. Ryan D. Foraker, 31, of Logan, Ohio, has been declared dead. Foraker was reported missing from his unit in Guantanamo, Cuba, on Sep. 24. Exhaustive ground, sea, and air searches were conducted in an effort to locate him but were unsuccessful.Foraker’s clothes and personal effects were found near the water’s edge, leading the investigating officer, absent any evidence to the contrary, to determine that Foraker had died in the waters of Guantanamo Bay. An extensive criminal investigation uncovered no reason to suspect foul play.

Foraker was assigned to the 342nd Military Police Company, U.S. Army Reserve, Columbus, Ohio, which was deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom to support detainee operations in Guantanamo.