101st Airborne mourns 5th death in last 6 days

101st Airborne mourns fifth death in last six days
By JAKE LOWARY • The Leaf-Chronicle • May 14, 2008


For the fifth time in six days, Fort Campbell has announced the death of a 101st Airborne Division soldier.

According to Fort Campbell's Web site, Cpl. Jessica A. Ellis, 24, died Sunday in Baghdad, Iraq, when her vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.

According to the site, Ellis was a health care specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.

Ellis' death is the fifth from the 101st in the past six days and the first in Iraq in that time. The 101st's 4th Brigade Combat Team has lost four soldiers in Afghanistan since May 7.

Ellis is also the third woman to be killed in Iraq since the beginning of a 15-month deployment in September. Two of the deaths have been combat-related, according to Fort Campbell public affairs. A total of seven women have died in the war on terror, according to figures provided by Fort Campbell. Three of the deaths were combat related, and four were the result of non-combat operations.

Two other women have died in the current deployment to Iraq, which began in September.

Also killed were 2nd Lt. Tracy L. Alger, 30, of New Auburn, Wis., who was killed Nov. 1, 2007 by an IED in Shubayshen, Iraq, and Sgt. Tracy R. Birkman, 41, of New Castle, Va., who died Jan. 25 from non-combat related injuries in Owesat, Iraq.
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