Spc Kevin Cardoza
Born: August 26, 1993 in Hidalgo County, Texas
Died: May 4, 2013 in Maiwand, Afghanistan
Spc. Kevin Cardoza of Mercedes, Texas died at age 19 in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. He graduated from Edinburg High School in June 2011. Specialist Cardoza enlisted in the Army on 12 July 2011. He attended the fourteen-week long Infantry Training Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Specialist Cardoza’s first duty assignment was Fort Bliss, Texas where he was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment. One month later he was selected to be a member of the Reconnaissance Platoon. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as the driver for his Platoon Leader. Specialist Cardoza’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star, the NATO Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery in Mission, Texas
Born: June 20, 1989 in Dallas, Texas
Staff Sgt. Nelson D. Trent, 37, of Austin, Texas, died Dec. 13 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, Fort Worth, Texas. “Nelson’s distinguished military career began when he enlisted in the United States Army on March 23, 1999 as a Signal Support Systems Specialist. His first duty assignment was in Ft. Hood, Texas. During his time there, he deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and 2005 serving as the Communication Sergeant and Information Management Officer. On June 1, 2006, Nelson moved to Tyler and enlisted into the Texas Army National Guard to continue his service with 3-144 Infantry. Shortly thereafter, Nelson transferred to the 136th Military Police Battalion to serve as an observation patrol in support of the Texas Border Security Mission through 2008. Following this homeland security mission, Nelson was promoted to Staff Sergeant and transferred to the 2-136th Regimen as the Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course Senior Group leader as a result of his outstanding leadership skills.
Born: February 22, 1978 in Hereford, Texas
Staff Sgt. Kashif M. Memon, 31, of Houston, Texas died of wounds suffered Oct. 25 when their unit was attacked by small arms fire in Khas Uruzgan, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C. He joined the military in 2001 with an enlistment in the Marines. In the Marines, he had several overseas deployments, including Afghanistan. In 2007, SSgt Memon enlisted in the Army as an infantryman. He volunteered to work in Civil Affairs and was a civil affairs engineer at Fort Bragg. He was on his first combat deployment to Afghanistan as a civil affairs soldier, in the role of a liaison between the military unit and the war zone’s civilian residents. In 2010 he volunteered for and completed civil affairs training at Fort Bragg and was assigned the next year to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion as a civil affairs engineer. SSgt Memon served two previous combat deployments as an infantryman, first with the Marine Corps as an infantry squad leader in Afghanistan and later with the Army in Iraq. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2001 in Houston and was stationed in Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay Marine base on Oahu while deploying to Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Afghanistan. In 2007, he enlisted in the Army as an infantryman and was stationed at Fort Hood and, more recently, at Fort Bragg. Among his numerous awards were the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon, three God Conduct Medals, and the Army Parachutist Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and the Combat Action Badge. Houston National Cemetery
Sgt. 1st Class Riley G. Stephens, 39, of Tolar, Texas, died Sept. 28, in Wardak, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire. Stephens was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C. Riley was a 1991 graduate of Tolar High School. He had once been Tolar’s hometown hero during a parade. Stephens enlisted as an infantryman in the U.S. Army in 1993. Upon completion of his initial training, he was assigned to 1st Bn., 327th Infantry Regiment, 101 st Airborne Division, at Fort Campbell, Ky. There he served as a squad automatic weapon gunner, radio-telephone operator and team leader with Company B. His next assignment was with the 1st Bn., 17 th Inf. Reg., Fort Wainwright, Alaska, where he served as a Scout Section Leader. Stephens volunteered for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, and would graduate from the Special Forces Qualification Course in March 2005. Upon earning his Special Forces tab, he reported to the 1st Bn., 3rd SFG (A) as a Special Forces medical sergeant. He would serve on five separate deployments to Afghanistan with the 1st Bn. His military education includes U.S. Army Air Assault School, U.S. Army Airborne School, Warrior Leader’s Course, Advanced Leader’s Course, Senior Leader’s Course, Hostage Negotiation Course, Advanced Cardiac Life Support Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course, Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, U.S. Army Ranger School and the Special Forces Qualification Course. Stephens’ military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, the Bronze Star Medal (2), the Purple Heart, the Army Achievement Medal with Valor Device, the Army Commendation Medal (4), the Army Achievement Medal (4), the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three Campaign Stars, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon Military, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon (2), the NATO Medal, Air Assault Badge, the Basic Parachutist Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab. SFC Stephens is reportedly the 2,000 U.S. military casualty in Afghanistan.
Pfc. Genaro Bedoy, 20, of Amarillo, Texas, assigned to 52nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., died Sept. 16 in Zabul province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered when his position was attacked with small arms fire. Bedoy joined the Army in November 2010 and trained in Fort Benning, Ga. He was deployed to Afghanistan nearly one year later. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Ribbon, NATO Medal. He was serving his first deployment. Memory Gardens
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Thalia S. Ramirez, 28, of San Antonio, Texas died Sept. 5, in Logar Province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when her aircraft crashed. She was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. Thalia grew up in Kenya where she attended Braeburn school. Soon after arriving in the US, she enlisted in the Army in 2003 as a water purification specialist. She was currently serving as an Army Pilot. Originally of Nairobi, Kenya, Ramirez became a pilot in 2008. She was serving her second deployment. Ramirez had flown more than 270 missions and 650 hours during her latest tour of duty and had recently escaped an insurgent attack. Her tour of Afghanistan was nearly over, and she was expected back in the states from deployment in about a week. ANC – Sec 60 Site 10213
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jose L. Montenegro Jr., 31, of Houston, Texas, died Sept. 5, in Logar Province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when his aircraft crashed. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. He graduated from Clear Lake High School in Houston. He enlisted in 2001 as an infantryman and was on his third deployment. Montenegro served in Iraq in 2004 and Afghanistan in 2010. Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery.