Sgt. 1st Class John David Randolph Hilty, U.S. Army
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. Sgt. 1st Class John David Randolph Hilty, 44, from Bowie, Maryland, died March 30, 2020 in Erbil, Iraq, of a non-combat related incident. The incident is under investigation. Hilty was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Sgt. 1st Class John David Randolph Hilty entered the Army in April 1999 as an Army combat engineer. His most recent military occupational specialty was petroleum supply specialist. Hilty’s deployments include three tours to Afghanistan from January 2009 to December 2009, January 2012 to December 2012, October 2016 to October 2017 and most recently to Iraq in October 2019.
Staff Sgt. Andrew St. John, Indiana Army National Guard (photo: ING)
Indiana Army National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Andrew St. John, 29, died in a military training accident at Fort Hood, Texas on August 15, 2019. According to media reports the incident was described as a tactical vehicle accident or a humvee rollover. Staff Sgt. St. John served in the Army National Guard for 10 years and was an infantryman with Company B, 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment. Staff Sgt. St. John’s obituary stated “during his service, he served in the Haiti Humanitarian Effort, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War. Most recently, he took a position as Observed Controller/Trainer (OCT) training fellow service members in an operation named Wolf. Additionally, Andrew had taken classes at Central Nine in Greenwood, receiving his state certification for EMT and Firefighter. When able, he volunteered at Nineveh Fire Department.”
At the time of reporting, the cause of death was under investigation but the outcome of the investigation is not available on-line. WTHR reported Staff Sgt. St. John grew up in Martinsville, Indiana and graduated from Martinsville High School in 2009. They said his senior year he was crowned as prom king; he was often referred to as the “life of the party.” And Andrew St. John enjoyed golfing, riding his motorcycle and spending time with loved ones; he was a proud father of two children and a husband. In a statement issued by the Indiana National Guard, Lt. Col. Chad Pittman, commander of the 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment said, “He continually sought ways to ensure the success of subordinates, better himself as a leader, and contribute to the achievements of the organization. My deepest sympathy for his family at this sad and difficult time.”
“It’s important for us to realize these young men and women are all volunteers, and every one of those people serves and protects 100 people in the United States, it’s a 1 in 100 deal, 1 percent serves to protect the other 99 and people need to realize that’s a big commitment on young shoulders.” -Bruce McKee, Indiana Spirit of ’45 (Fox 59)
Army paratrooper Pfc. Andrew Young, 21, was found dead in his barracks at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy on August 19, 2017. Pfc. Young joined the Army in 2015 and was assigned to the A Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy since January 2016. The incident is under investigation.
Fort Hood Army Spc. Deangelo Marquis Mathis, 22, was found unresponsive July 26, 2017 in Sly County, Georgia. Spc. Mathis’ home of record is listed as Mauk, Georgia; he entered active-duty military service in July 2012. Spc. Mathis was a Patriot missile launching station enhanced operator and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Hood in Texas since May 2014. The circumstances surrounding the incident were under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Criminal Investigation Command at the time of reporting. The official cause of death is unknown. Since January 1, 2016, Spc. Mathis was one of thirty-one soldiers who died of a death ruled suicide or the official cause of death was unknown while stationed at Fort Hood. He was the twelfth soldier to die stateside by death ruled suicide or official cause of death unknown in 2017. Spc. Mathis was honored in the Military Justice for All veteran’s presentation on the current status of the Armed Forces at Fort Hood to congressional members in Washington D.D. in December 2017.
Army Pfc. Hansen Kirkpatrick, 19, died from wounds received during an indirect fire attack on July 3, 2017 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Pfc. Kirkpatrick was supporting Operation Freedom Sentinel on behalf of the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division in Fort Bliss, Texas. According to the Department of Defense press release, the incident is under investigation.
Army Staff Sergeant Anthony Lovell, 40, died of injuries sustained in an apparent motorcycle accident along Nolan Creek in Killeen, Texas on July 3, 2017. According to witnesses, SSG Lovell’s body was found in a mysteriously different location then the motorcycle. But the Killeen Police Department determined SSG Lovell was traveling south on 8th Street and failed to make a turn into a mobile home park in the area. Investigators claim SSG Lovell left the road, hit an embankment, and went airborne. Therefore, this accounted for the separation of the body and the motorcycle. And as a result, the accident caused multiple blunt force injuries.
“The motorcycle accident was around 8 p.m. on July 3. Lovell was going southbound in the 300 block of Eighth Street. Police say he failed to negotiate a turn and left the roadway then went airborne and into Nolan Creek. The soldier suffered a fatal head injury and was pronounced dead at 8:38 p.m.” -Killeen PD
SSG Lovell was a resident of Killeen, Texas; he was stationed at Fort Hood in March 2015 as a cavalry scout assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. SSG Lovell joined the Army in September 1997 and deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from April 2007 to June 2008 and from September 2009 to August 2010. At the time of the Fort Hood press release, the circumstances surrounding the incident were under investigation by the Killeen Police Department.
Army Green Beret Warrant Officer 1 Shawn Thomas, 35, died February 2, 2017 in a vehicle roll-over accident that occurred during a routine administrative movement between partner force outposts in Niger, Africa. WO1 Thomas was conducting advising operations in Niger on behalf of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. WO1 Thomas had seven combined deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Shawn’s wife met his casket at the airport and the moments she had with him were captured on video.
Army Pfc. Kai Yancey, 26, died at Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas after complications from a short illness on January 1, 2017. Pfc. Yancey’s home of record was listed as El Paso, Texas; he entered active-duty military service in February 2015 as a motor transport operator. Pfc. Yancey was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood since 2016.
“He was a member of East Side Church of Christ, where he was a past member of the Youth Group and enjoyed watching movies, skate boarding, wrestling, boxing, water skiing, para-sailing and target shooting. He was a past member of the Warren Boxing Association, where he was the Undefeated Lightweight Champion and a 2009 graduate of Howland High School, where he excelled in wrestling. He married Janelle March 16, 2016.” –Obituary
Army Sgt. Jacqueline Anderson, 26, was found dead in her apartment in Seoul, South Korea on July 31, 2016. Sgt. Anderson’s husband, Sgt. Carl Anderson, found her unresponsive and asked neighbors to contact the police but she was dead upon their arrival. Sgt. Anderson was from Leesville, Louisiana and she joined the Army in January 2011. She was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 38th Field Artillery Regiment, 210th Field Artillery Brigade at Camp Casey, South Korea. She was stationed in Dongducheon with her husband who is also with the 210th Field Artillery Brigade. At the time of reporting, Jacqueline’s cause of death was under investigation by the Army Criminal Investigation Division. The outcome of the investigation and official cause of death is unknown.
Fort Hood Army Sgt. Marcus Nelson Sr., 45, died May 23, 2016 while in custody at the Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas. Nelson was being held in pretrial confinement on behalf of the 1st Cavalry Division. According to Army Times, Nelso was charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice with departing his appointed place of duty, disobeying a lawful order from a noncommissioned officer, dereliction of duty and disobeying lawful regulation, and communicating a threat. Sgt. Nelson was from Detroit, Michigan and joined the Army in April 2005 as a petroleum supply specialist. In June 2015, Nelson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. Sgt. Nelson deployed to Iraq twice and his awards and decorations include three Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, and the Iraq Campaign Medal with four campaign stars.
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 