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## In Memoriam

#### On January 20th, 2007, the Guard lost 10 Citizen-Soldiers when the helicopter they were traveling in was lost over Iraq. This page is dedicated to their memory and in gratitude for their service to our nation.

Home : Features : 2007 : In Memoriam

Obituaries and Guestbooks

The following links are for the online obituaries and guestbooks posted by The Washington Post for COL Kelly and CSM Haller:
                            - COL Kelly's obituary and guestbook
                            - CSM Haller's obituary and guestbook

## Guard mourns 10 Soldiers killed in helicopter crash in Iraq

By Master Sgt. Bob HaskellNational Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va. – Ten Army National Guard Soldiers, including a grandmother who was a senior noncommissioned officer and two men who were nicknamed "the Senator" and "Big Daddy," were among the 12 U.S. Soldiers killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq on Saturday, Jan. 20. They died during one of the deadliest weekends for U.S. forces engaged in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

It was the highest number of National Guard fatalities in a single combat incident during the five-year Global War on Terrorism. It was also the highest number killed in a single combat incident in more than 50 years, since at least the Korean War in 1950-53, National Guard Bureau officials said.

It was not, however, the National Guard’s single worst tragedy in recent memory. Twenty-one Air and Army Guard members were killed when their airplane crashed in Georgia on March 3, 2001.

The Jan. 20 casualties included three members of a liaison team from the National Guard Bureau. The 10 came from five states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. One of them, Col. Paul Kelly, 45, from Virginia, was the highest ranking National Guard member to be killed in a combat theater during the war against terrorism.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of these outstanding National Guard Soldiers and warriors. I cherish their service, honor their sacrifice, and mourn with their families," said LTG H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau.

"These National Guard Soldiers were bearers of the torch of freedom carried from one generation of Americans to the next since 1636. We will remember them in honor and in gratitude," Blum added.

Command Sgt. Maj. Roger Haller, 49, from Maryland and Sgt. 1st Class Floyd Lake, 43, from the Virgin Islands were the two other members of the NGB liaison officer team killed in the afternoon crash that occurred in the vicinity of Al Jadidah, northeast of Baghdad.

Six other Guard casualties listed by the Defense Department were Lt. Col. David Canegata III, 50, from the Virgin Islands; Maj. Michael Taylor, 40, 1st Sgt. William Warren, 48, and Sgt. 1st Class John Brown, 43, from Arkansas; Capt. Sean Lyerly, 31, from Texas; and Staff Sgt. Darryl Booker, 37, from Virginia.

The woman was Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn Gabbard, 46, of Iowa, who was also the national secretary for the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States and the Iowa Guard’s first female command sergeant major. She and her husband Edward, a retired sergeant major, had seven children and 11 grandchildren, the Iowa National Guard reported.

Two active Army Soldiers, Col. Brian Allgood, 46, and Cpl. Victor Langarica, 29, were killed in the crash. Allgood, from Oklahoma, was assigned to the 30th Medical Brigade in Heidelberg, Germany. Langarica, from Georgia, was assigned to the 86th Signal Battalion at Fort Huachuca, Ariz.

Governors, Guard leaders and other officials paid tribute to the Guard Soldiers who were called "Fallen Angels."

"CSM Gabbard will be remembered as a very patriotic Soldier who was dedicated, compassionate and professional in all that she pursued," stated A. Frank Lever, the enlisted association’s president.

"Col. Kelly and Staff Sgt. Booker understood the dangers facing our nation and were fully prepared to do whatever was necessary to protect this country and commonwealth," said Maj. Gen. Robert Newman Jr., adjutant general for the Virginia National Guard.

The Washington Post reported that Kelly was nicknamed "the Senator" because he was always shaking hands with Soldiers; and that Booker, who stood about 6-foot-5, was known in his unit as "Big Daddy."

"This tragedy underscores the debt of gratitude we owe our men and women in uniform and, in particular, their families," said Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley in his comments about Haller.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation on Jan. 24. The Soldiers were flying in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the Alabama Army Guard assigned to the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade with the Texas Army Guard. It was conducting a routine transit mission and flying in a formation when the crash occurred, Guard Bureau officials reported.

Taylor, Lyerly, Warren and Brown were crewmembers on the helicopter.

A quick reaction force arrived at the crash site within an hour of the crash, secured the area and reported no survivors.

It was the highest number of Guard casualties in a single incident during the war on terrorism. Seven Guard Soldiers were killed Jan. 6, 2005, when a roadside bomb destroyed their Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Those Soldiers were assigned to the Louisiana Army National Guard’s 256th Infantry Brigade.

The National Guard had suffered 436 casualties during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, in Afghanistan, as of Jan. 19, the Guard Bureau stated. Seven more Guard personnel died during the 9/11 terrorist attacks and while serving in the United States during Operation Noble Eagle, the domestic part of the Global War on Terrorism.

The three members of the liaison officer (LNO) team were conducting a liaison mission with National Guard Affairs, Multi-National Corps – Iraq.

National Guard liaison officers serve in Afghanistan and Iraq and are assigned to Operation Jump Start, the Guard’s support program for the U.S. Border Patrol along this country’s border with Mexico, among other places and operations.

Team members tell ground component commanders how the National Guard Bureau can support the war fight, and they tell the National Guard Bureau and the director of the Army National Guard, Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, about anticipated requirements.

Liaison officers also inform the Army Guard director about the needs, welfare, equipment issues, and morale of Citizen-Soldiers.

The position dates back at least to Alexander the Great, who used junior officers to serve as couriers between him and widely dispersed columns. Caesar, Napoleon and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had positions similar to LNOs on their staffs, and Winston Churchill credited Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery’s use of LNOs during World War II as being invaluable to allied success.

Casualty assistance teams have been designated to assist the families of the deceased Soldiers. Family Readiness Group members and teams of chaplains are also providing support for the families and co-workers.

Sgt. Jim Greenhill contributed to this report.

 

Collapse AllExpand All

Col. Kelly: Veteran pilot killed in helicopter crash

By Sgt. Jim GreenhillNational Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va. (1/29/2007) – Col. Paul M. Kelly died in Iraq onJan. 20.

Kelly, 45, of Stafford, Va., was among 10 National Guard and twoactive Army Soldiers killed in the crash of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopternear Al Jadidah, northeast of Baghdad.

He is the highest ranking Army National Guard Citizen-Soldier killedsince the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. A senior Army aviatorwith more than 1,500 flying hours, including Black Hawks, he wasnot flying the helicopter when it crashed.

"He loved two things," said Robert Godwin, the deputy chief of aviationsafety who had helped the National Guard Bureau lure the young captainfrom South Carolina. "He loved the Army, and he loved his family.He was a great husband and father. He spent a lot of time and effortwith his two sons."

  He was buried with full military honors on Feb. 1 at ArlingtonNational Cemetery following a funeral service at the Old Post Chapelat Fort Myer, Va.  

 A memorial service was also held Jan. 31 at St. William of YorkCatholic Church in Stafford, Va. That would have been Kelly's 46thbirthday.

"Paul Kelly was the finest gentleman, from top to toe," said BrianWest, who was a fellow Army National Guard officer when the two metin 1996 and is now a contractor in the Army Guard’s Operations Division."He was admired by everyone. He was one in 10 million."

The crash claimed the highest number of Guardmembers to die in asingle combat incident since at least the Korean War (1950-53), NationalGuard Bureau (NGB) officials said.

Nicknamed "the Senator" by colleagues in Iraq for habituallyshaking hands with servicemembers of all ranks – many of whom sawhim as a mentor – Kelly commanded an NGB liaison officer (LNO) team.Before the August deployment, he was NGB division chief for aviationand safety on assignment from the Joint Force Headquarters, VirginiaArmy National Guard.

Two other members of the LNO team also died in the crash. They wereCommand Sgt. Maj. Robert Haller, 49, from Maryland, and Sgt. 1stClass Floyd Lake, 43, from the Virgin Islands.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of these outstanding NationalGuard Soldiers and warriors," said LTG H Steven Blum, chief of theNational Guard Bureau. "I cherish their service, honor their sacrificeand mourn with their families. These National Guard Soldiers werebearers of the torch of freedom carried from one generation of Americansto the next since 1636. We will remember them in honor and gratitude."

The LNO team was conducting a liaison mission with National GuardAffairs, Multi-National Corps – Iraq. The Black Hawk was returningto Baghdad after site visits.

The Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington where Kellywas a fixture for a decade was a community ";buttressed between prideand grief," Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn, director of the Army NationalGuard, wrote in a Jan. 24 letter to the National Guard family.

"They were our family," Vaughn said. "They were the leaders thatguided us as a team, the mentors who grew us as Soldiers, the friendswe shared our lives with and the smiling faces we still see so clearlyin the halls."

Kelly was a four-year letterman on the Carroll High School wrestlingteam in Ohio. He was in ROTC at the University of Dayton. He wascommissioned in the Army National Guard in 1982. Kelly earned twomasters degrees, from Catholic University of America and from theNational Defense University.

"Growing up, he was my idol," Patrick Kelly, one of histhree brothers, told the Fredericksburg, Va., *Freelance-Star*."; He was, without a doubt, the type of person one would look tonot only for advice but for friendship."

Commissioned as an engineer officer, Kelly served in numerous assignmentsin the Ohio Guard and the South Carolina Guard before joining theNGB in 1996. The years since included an 18-month Pentagon stint,command of the Virginia National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 224th AviationRegiment (Assault) and a rotation as the aviation task force commander,Stabilization Force-10 (SFOR-10) in Bosnia-Herzogovina.

He inspired the Soldiers he led, and he cherished them. He oncetold a monthly luncheon for senior citizens at his church that thestrength of today’s military comes from the sacrifice of generationsof veterans – a tradition he will now be remembered for continuing.

"Every time we communicated with him, he’d ask us to pray for allthe Soldiers doing a great job out there," his brother, John Kelly,told *The Washington Post*. ";He was extremely caring and dedicatedboth to the profession and his family and friends. He loved whathe did, and he loved his country."

He was due to come home in March, and his 10th wedding anniversarywould have been in July. His widow is the former Maria Binondo, aformer Air Force nurse who is a teacher’s aid and nurse. The couplemet after Kelly came to Virginia about 15 years ago. They had twoyoung sons, Paul David and John Joseph, nicknamed J.J.

Arlington Hall colleagues recalled his enthusiasm, knowledge,willingnessto learn and ability to get things done.

"People do what their commanders do," Godwin said. "If the commander’schin is out and his shoulders are back and his chest is squared,that’s what they’re going to do. Col. Kelly always had a smile, evenwhen he was under great stress. He never had anyone that wasn’t notonly willing but also eager to work with him."

To inspire students, Kelly once brought a helicopter to the St.William of York Catholic School where his wife works, and he plannedto do that again after he returned from Iraq in March, *The Freelance-Star* reported.The school has established a college fund for his children.

"He wanted to see his sons attend the University of Notre Dame,"West said.

The two, who shared Irish heritage and faithfully celebrated St.Patrick’s Day together, made a promise: If anything happened to eitherofficer, the other would look out for his friend’s children. ";I wouldhave rather seen it the other way around," West said. ";I would tradeplaces in a heartbeat."

Kelly’s father, of Beavercreek, Ohio, is a retired Air Force pilotand a Vietnam veteran; three brothers and two sisters also survivehim.

On Jan. 23, members of the 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regimentgathered in a chapel at Al Asad, Iraq, west of Baghdad, to mournKelly and Staff Sgt. Darryl D. Booker, a 37-year-old Virginia manalso killed in the crash, *The Washington Post* reported.

"I can’t help but imagine they are viewing this ceremony, watchingover us and praying for our safe return," Lt. Col. Robert E. McMillinII told the nearly 200 Guardmembers.

It was the 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment who nicknamedKelly ";Senator." The deployment had become something of a reunionfor Kelly, who visited with men and women he had commanded in Bosniain the mess hall in Iraq, Citizen-Soldiers with whom he shared strongbonds.

National Guard LNOs serve in Afghanistan and Iraq and are assignedto Operation Jump Start, the Guard’s support for the U.S. BorderPatrol along this country’s border with Mexico, among other placesand operations.

Team members tell ground component commanders how the NGB cansupport the war fight, and they tell the NGB and Vaughn about anticipatedrequirements. Liaison officers also inform the Army Guard directorabout the needs, welfare, equipment issues and morale of Citizen-Soldiersand coordinate site visits.

"Every task this team handled, every mission they entered into wasto ensure our National Guard personnel could effectively fight fora fledgling freedom in a land few would dare to enter," Vaughn said.

CSM Haller: He volunteered to fight for freedom in Iraq

By Sgt. Jim GreenhillNational Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va. - Maryland Army National Guard Command Sgt. Maj.Roger Haller died in Iraq on Jan. 20.

Haller, 49, of Davidsonville, Md., was among 10 National Guard and twoactive Army Soldiers killed in the crash of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopternear Al Jadidah, northeast of Baghdad.

The commandant of the noncommissioned officer academy at the 70th Regiment,Regional Training Institute, at Camp Fretterd, near Reisterstown, Md.,Haller served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He had more than 25 years ofmilitary service, 24 of them in the Maryland National Guard.

Haller had chosen between two different Middle East tours, deploying lastThanksgiving so he would be home for his youngest daughter's highschool graduation this summer.

"It is with an extremely heavy heart that I share the news of thedeath of one of Maryland's finest," Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malleysaid in an official statement. "This tragedy underscores the debtof gratitude we owe our men and women in uniform and in particular, theirfamilies."

He was accorded full military honors at his funeral at Sailwinds Parkin Cambridge, Md., on Jan. 31 at 1 p.m.

The crash claimed the largest number of Guardmembers to die in a singlecombat incident since at least the Korean War (1950-53), National GuardBureau (NGB) officials said.

"Words cannot adequately express the sadness that we in the MarylandNational Guard family feel today," said Maj. Gen. Bruce Tuxill, thestate's adjutant general. "Our thoughts and prayers are withthe sergeant major's family in their time of grief."

Haller was a member of an NGB liaison officer (LNO) team.

"Like any other American out there, he wanted to go over there," MorganHaller, his oldest daughter, told *The Washington Post*. "Yousign up for the military because it's your job. You're fightingfor freedom. He wanted to be a part of it."

Two other members of the LNO team also died in the crash. They were Col.Paul Kelly, 45, from Virginia, the team's commander, and Sgt. 1stClass Floyd Lake, 43, from the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of these outstanding NationalGuard Soldiers and warriors," said LTG H Steven Blum, chief of theNational Guard Bureau. "I cherish their service, honor their sacrificeand mourn with their families. These National Guard Soldiers were bearersof the torch of freedom carried from one generation of Americans to thenext since 1636. We will remember them in honor and gratitude."

The LNO team was conducting a liaison mission with National Guard Affairs,Multi-National Corps - Iraq. The Black Hawk was returning to Baghdadafter site visits.

The Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington, Va., was a community "buttressedbetween pride and grief," Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, director of theArmy National Guard, wrote in a Jan. 24 letter to the National Guard family.

"They were our family," Vaughn said. "They were theleaders that guided us as a team, the mentors who grew us as Soldiers,the friends we shared our lives with and the smiling faces we still seeso clearly in the halls."

Haller's survivors include his son, Sgt. Daniel Haller, who is alsoa veteran of both Afghanistan and Iraq, and daughters Morgan Haller andKathryn Haller, both of Cambridge, Md. His ex-wife and the mother of histhree children is Sandy Hockman, of Cambridge, Md. His mother and sisteralso survive him.

"He just thought it was important to have people fight for the freedomsthat we take for granted," Hockman told *The Baltimore Sun*. "Thereare some people who would say: "There's no way I can do that.' Rogerwas another kind of person. He would say: "Sign me up, I'mthe guy.' "

"I don't want him to be just another casualty statistic," retiredCommand Sgt. Maj. Kathleen Hurley, a longtime friend of Haller's,told *Newsweek*, which made the helicopter crash and the Soldierswho died the cover story for its Feb. 5 edition. "He was so muchmore."

*Newsweek* noted the sacrifice made by Army National Guard Citizen-Soldiersas part of U.S. efforts since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks - attacksthat inspired Haller to lobby to serve in theater. A former constructionworker and master plumber, Haller begged to be sent overseas for the Guard,one of his daughters told the *Baltimore Examiner*.

When the orders came to go to Afghanistan last Thanksgiving, "Hewas so excited," Morgan Haller said. "He still asked us ifit was OK. I said,   "It's something you love. I'm notgoing to tell you no. We knew what the consequences were. When you growup in a military life, you know those things can happen, and you'rebetter prepared for it than most people."

Haller rode Harley-Davidson motorcycles, loved traveling and taught hischildren to hunt and fish. He was their Little League coach.

National Guard LNO teams serve in Afghanistan and Iraq and are assignedto Operation Jump Start, the Guard's support for the U.S. BorderPatrol along this country's border with Mexico, among other placesand operations.

 Team members tell ground component commanders how the NGB can supportthe war fight, and they tell the NGB and Lt. Gen. Vaughn about anticipatedrequirements. Liaison officers also inform the Army National Guard directorabout the needs, welfare, equipment issues and morale of Citizen-Soldiersand coordinate site visits.

"Every task this team handled, every mission they entered into wasto ensure our National Guard personnel could effectively fight for a fledglingfreedom in a land few would dare to enter,"   Vaughn said.

 The Citizen-Soldiers were flying in an Alabama Army NationalGuard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter assigned to the 36th Combat AviationBrigade with the Texas Army National Guard. The helicopter was returningto Camp Victory, Baghdad, after a site visit and flying in formation beforethe crash, NGB officials said.

A quick reaction force arrived at the crash site in three minutes, securedthe area and reported no survivors, the American Forces Information Servicereported. The lead helicopter landed after the crash to see if anyone couldbe saved, AFIS reported.

Haller graduated from Cambridge Senior High School in 1975 and held degreesin history and political science from Fairmont State College in West Virginia.An infantryman, he enlisted in the Virginia Army National Guard in 1981.He was also trained in other military occupational specialties.

He was the youngest of five children, and it was the World War II serviceof his father and his uncle in the Pacific Theater that inspired his militaryservice, the *Sun* reported.

Through Jan. 19, 443 National Guard Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen died inthe Global War on Terrorism. Almost 200,000 Army Guard Citizen-Soldierswear combat patches on their right sleeve designating service in Afghanistanor Iraq.

The crash remained under investigation Jan. 29.

*- Master Sgt. Bob Haskell contributed to this report.*

SFC Lake: 'Having him around was a charm'

By Sgt. Jim GreenhillNational Guard Bureau

 ARLINGTON, Va. - Sgt. 1st Class Floyd Lake died in Iraq on Jan.20.

 A father of five, Lake, 43, of Beltsville, Md., and St. Thomas, U.S.Virgin Islands, was among 10 Army National Guard and two active Army Soldierskilled in the crash of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Al Jadidah, northeastof Baghdad.

 "He was a wonderful individual,"  Sgt. Maj. Tony Davis toldCapital News Service. "Having him around was a charm."

 A memorial service is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 5 in St. Thomas,to be followed by a service with military honors at 1 p.m. at Hyle FuneralHome, 129 Peters Rest, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, withinternment immediately afterwards.

 The crash claimed the highest number of Guardmembers to die in a singlecombat incident since at least the Korean War (1950-53), National GuardBureau (NGB) officials said.

 Lake was the property book noncommissioned officer for an NGB liaisonofficer (LNO) team in Iraq. Before the August deployment - for whichhe volunteered - he was the Army National Guard logistics noncommissionedofficer for three NGB divisions, on assignment from the Virgin IslandsArmy National Guard since 2004. The position gave him responsibility formore than $3 million worth of equipment.

 Lake was one of two Virgin Island National Guard Soldiers killed in thecrash. The other was Lt. Col. David C. Canegata III of St. Croix. Brig.Gen. Eddy Charles, the territory"s adjutant general, called bothmen "heroes" and "warriors," the *St. ThomasSource* reported. Lake was scheduled to come home in March.

 "The death of these two Virgin Islands Soldiers is a reminder that ... ourmen and women who have served and are now serving in both Iraq and Afghanistanare putting their lives on the line for our country and for the freedomswe hold so dear," Virgin Islands" Gov. John deJongh Jr. said.

 "Words are not enough to express the sadness that I feel aboutthe passing of our brave heroes," Virgin Islands Congressional DelegateDonna Christian-Christensen said in a statement. "They were amongour best and served their country and our islands with honor. I would liketo extend my sympathies to their families, friends and to the NationalGuard family, for whom this loss is personal."

 Christian-Christensen"s husband is a retired Guardmember. "Youare the ones who have borne the brunt of this conflict, and we salute yourstrength and your fortitude," she said.

 "Virgin Islanders have again sacrificed two of our native sonsin demonstration of our commitment and loyalty to the interests of theUnited States of America," said Senate President Usie Richards ina statement for the Virgin Islands" 27th Legislature.

 Other Virgin Islands political and civic leaders also released statementsin a community deeply affected by both deaths. Though he was working fulltimeat NGB, Lake often told stories about his homeland and shared the VirginIslands" culture with coworkers.

 Two other members of the LNO team also died in the crash. They were Col.Paul Kelly, 45, from Virginia, the team"s commander, and CommandSgt. Maj. Robert Haller, 49, from Maryland.

 "I am deeply saddened by the loss of these outstanding NationalGuard Soldiers and warriors," said LTG H Steven Blum, chief of theNational Guard Bureau. "I cherish their service, honor their sacrificeand mourn with their families. These National Guard Soldiers were bearersof the torch of freedom carried from one generation of Americans to thenext since 1636. We will remember them in honor and gratitude."

 The LNO team was conducting a liaison mission with National Guard Affairs,Multi-National Corps - Iraq. The Black Hawk was returning to Baghdadafter site visits.

 The Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington, Va. where Lakeworked was a community "buttressed between pride and grief," Lt.Gen. Clyde Vaughn, director of the Army National Guard, wrote in a Jan.24 letter to the National Guard family.

 "They were our family," Vaughn said. "They were theleaders that guided us as a team, the mentors who grew us as Soldiers,the friends we shared our lives with and the smiling faces we still seeso clearly in the halls."

 Lake enlisted in the regular Army in 1988, serving two years as a stock-recordclerk at Fort Polk, La., the *St. Thomas Source* reported. He joinedthe Virgin Islands Army Guard in 1990. He was the material control andhandling supervisor for the 662nd Field Service Company in St. Thomas beforehe moved to St. Croix in 1991 to become the warehouse foreman for the U.S.Property and Fiscal Office. Lake graduated from Ivanna Eudora Kean HighSchool , St. Thomas, in 1984.

 At NGB, Lake"s responsibilities included providing equipment formore than 250 personnel in three divisions. Officials cited his professionalism,dedication, leadership and care for colleagues, praising his contributionsto Army National Guard readiness.

 "He took care of his missions and was meticulous about his duties," FeliciaBarrett, logistics support branch chief, told Capital News Service. "Hewas one of our best Soldiers. No matter what mission we gave him, thisSoldier would move out."

 When he first came to NGB, Lake was a staff sergeant doing the work ofa master sergeant, Davis said.

 Lake is survived by his wife, Linda, and five children, J"Nelle,Floyd Jr., Andre, Keeshawn and Tamile. Other survivors include his motherof Jacksonville, Fla.

 Two of Lake"s children, Andre and Tamile, lived with him in Maryland.The other three, from an earlier marriage, live in the Virgin Islands andin Georgia. Lake ran and exercised with his children in Maryland and wentto their elementary school to join activities there, Capital News Servicereported.

 Lake was a consistent stellar performer on Army Physical Fitness Tests. "Hewas always out in front, beating most of us," Davis said.

 National Guard LNO teams serve in Afghanistan and Iraq and are assignedto Operation Jump Start, the Guard"s support for the U.S. BorderPatrol along this country"s border with Mexico, among other placesand operations.

 Team members tell ground component commanders how the NGB can supportthe war fight, and they tell the NGB and Lt. Gen. Vaughn about anticipatedrequirements. Liaison officers also inform the Army National Guard directorabout the needs, welfare, equipment issues and morale of Citizen-Soldiersand coordinate site visits.

 "Every task this team handled, every mission they entered intowas to ensure our National Guard personnel could effectively fight fora fledgling freedom in a land few would dare to enter," Vaughn said.

 The Citizen-Soldiers were flying in an Alabama Army National Guard UH-60Black Hawk helicopter assigned to the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade withthe Texas Army National Guard. The helicopter was returning to Camp Victory,Baghdad, after a site visit and flying in formation before the crash, NGBofficials said.

 A quick reaction force arrived at the crash site in three minutes, securedthe area and reported no survivors, the American Forces Information Servicereported. The lead helicopter landed after the crash to see if anyone couldbe saved, AFIS reported.

 Through Jan. 19, 443 National Guard Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen diedin the Global War on Terrorism. Almost 200,000 Army National Guard Citizen-Soldierswear combat patches on their right sleeve designating service in Afghanistanor Iraq.

 The crash remained under investigation Jan. 30.

*-- Master Sgt. Bob Haskell and The Washington Post contributed tothis report.*

                              -  Staff Sgt. Darryl Booker      Virginia, 29th Infantry Division
                              -  Sgt. 1st  Class John Brown      Arkansas, 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation
                              -  Lt. Col. David Canegata III      U.S. Virgin Islands, Joint Force Headquarters
                              -  Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn Gabbard      Iowa, Joint Forces Headquarters
                              -  Command Sgt. Maj. Roger Haller      Maryland, National Guard Bureau
                              -  Col. Paul Kelly      Virginia, National Guard Bureau
                              -  Sgt. 1st Class Floyd Lake      U.S. Virgin Islands, National Guard Bureau
                              -  Capt. Sean Lyerly      Texas, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade
                              -  Maj. Michael Taylor      Arkansas, 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation
                              -  1st Sgt. William Warren      Arkansas, 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation

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