Pentagon Identifies Army Casualties (OEF)

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2009 -- The following news release made available Monday by the U.S. Department of Defense is the text of a statement identifying casualties:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died Nov. 5 in Jelewar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Killed were:

• Spc. Aaron S. Aamot, 22, of Custer, Wash.

• Spc. Gary L. Gooch Jr., 22, of Ocala, Fla.

(Report from a U.S. Defense Department news release.)