FORT HOOD, Texas, June 5 (UPI) — The Army released the names Saturday of eight of the nine soldiers killed June 2 after their Light Medium Tactical Vehicle flipped in a flood-ravaged creek.
The Fort Hood Public Affairs office released a statement saying the “circumstances of the accident are unknown at this time, pending an investigation by a team from the Army Combat Readiness Center, Fort Rucker, Alabama.”
Notification of next of kin is still pending for the one soldier yet to be publicly identified. Fort Hood officials said they will release that name once that notification is complete, ABC News reported.
The victims were listed as Staff Sgt. Miguel Angel Colonvazquez, Spc. Christine Faith Armstrong, Pfc. Brandon Austin Banner, Pfc. Zachery Nathaniel Fuller, Pvt. Isaac Lee Deleon, Pvt. Eddy Raelaurin Gates, Pvt. Tysheena Lynette James and Cadet Mitchell Alexander Winey,USA TODAY reported.
They were training aboard their 2 ½-ton truck when it overturned along Owl Creek, a 20-mile long river some 70 miles north of Austin. Three soldiers were rescued and treated at a hospital. The bodies of the remaining soldiers werelocated and recovered over the next two days.
Fort Hood, on its Facebook page, released some information about the soldiers who died:
Staff Sgt. Colonvazquez, 38, whose home of record is listed as Brooklyn, N.Y., entered active-duty military service in July 2003 as a motor transport operator and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, since May 2011.
He was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from September 2005 to September 2006 and in support of Operation New Dawn from May 2011 to November 2011. He also deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from March 2008 to May 2009 and from July 2013 to March 2014.
He earned decorations including five Army commendation medals.
Spc. Armstrong, 27, from Twentynine Palms, Calif., entered active-duty military service in February 2014 as a motor transport operator and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, since September 2014.
Her awards and decorations include a National Defense Service Medal and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Banner, 22, from Milton, Fla. entered active-duty military service in March 2014 as a motor transport operator and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, since July 2014.
Banner’s awards and decorations include National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Pfc. Fuller, 23, whose home was Palmetto, Fla. entered active-duty military service in November 2015 as a motor transport operator and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, since April 2016.
Fuller’s awards and decorations include a National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
De Leon, 19, from San Angelo, Texas, began serving in November 2015 as a motor transport operator and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, since April 2016.
Deleon’s awards and decorations include a National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
Pvt. Gates, 20, from Dunn, N.C., entered active-duty in December 2015 as a motor transport operator and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, since April 2016.
His awards and decorations include a National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
Pvt. James, 21, from Jersey City, N.J., entered active-duty in November 2015 as a motor transport operator and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, since April 2016.
James’s awards and decorations include a National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
Winey, 21, whose home of record is listed as Valparaiso, Ind., was a member of the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2018, assigned to Company B, First Regiment. He was a graduate of Chesterton High School in Chesterton, Ind. He reported to West Point on July 2, 2014.
