Army Sgt. 1st Class Ofren Arrechaga

Died March 29, 2011 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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28, of Hialeah, Fla., assigned to 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died March 29 in the Sarkani district of Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire.

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4 soldiers belonged to same regiment

By Philip Grey

The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle

Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell, commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), has announced that six 1st Brigade Combat Team soldiers were killed in action March 29 during a battalion-sized operation in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

One Afghan Army soldier was also killed during the operation.

The names of two soldiers were released March 30: Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Burgess, 29, of Cleburne, Texas, and Spc. Dustin J. Feldhaus, 20, of Glendale, Ariz.

The Defense Department released the other names on March 31. All soldiers were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team:

* Sgt. 1st Class Ofren Arrechaga, 28, of Hialeah, Fla.: Arrechaga entered the Army in February 2001 and arrived at Fort Campbell in July 2001. He was an Infantryman, assigned to Bravo Company.

His awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Valorous Unit Award; Meritorious Unit Citation; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; NATO Medal; Ranger Tab; Expert Infantryman Badge; Parachutist Badge; Air Assault Badge and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Arrechaga is survived by his wife, Seana Arrechaga and son, Alston Arrechaga of Clarksville, Tenn. He is also survived by his daughter, Tristian Arrechaga of Benton, Ky.; mother, Marta Alvarez and father, Ofren Arrechaga of Clarksville, Tenn.

* Staff Sgt. Frank E. Adamski, 26, of Moosup, Conn.: Adamski entered the Army in March 2005 and arrived at Fort Campbell in April 2009. He was an Infantryman, assigned to Charlie Company.

His awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; NATO Medal, Parachutist Badge; Air Assault Badge and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Adamski is survived by his wife, Danielle Adamski and daughter, Victoria Adamski of Clarksville, He is also survived by his father, Frank Adamski of Volutown, Conn. and mother, Susan Adamski of Westbury, N.Y.

* Spc. Jameson L. Lindskog, 23, of Pleasanton, Calif.: Lindskog entered the Army in August 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in April 2009. He was a Combat Medic, assigned to Headquarters and headquarters Company.

His awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon and NATO Medal.

Lindskog is survived by his father, Curtis Lindskog of Livermore, Calif. and mother, Donna Walker of Pleasanton, Calif.

* Pfc. Jeremy P. Faulkner, 23, of Griffin, Ga., was the last casualty to be announced. More information about him was not immediately available.

Speaking from his headquarters at Bagram Army Airfield in Afghanistan, Campbell reported that a number of insurgents were killed during the operation, undertaken with the support of Afghan National Army forces, and that large caches of weapons and munitions were found. He said that the operation, called Operation Strong Eagle, was a planned operation and not part of an anticipated insurgent spring offensive.

“We knew we’d get a fight,” Campbell said. Over the winter, in order to make conditions as unfavorable as possible for anticipated ramped-up insurgent activity in the spring, the division has struck hard against insurgents who remained on the Afghanistan side of the border with Pakistan.

Despite the most recent losses, which bring the division’s total killed in action to 117, Campbell says that morale remains high, as evidenced by the over 100 percent reenlistment rate. Another mass reenlistment for the 1st Brigade Combat Team is scheduled for some time in April, with at least 101 more soldiers expected to retake the oath.

Campbell added that the soldiers are mostly re-enlisting for their present duty station, Fort Campbell.

At that point in the video teleconference, Campbell reached into his rucksack where he keeps cards with the photos and information of every soldier lost in this deployment. There are now 117 of them, and he keeps them with him wherever he goes, along with another stack of 78 cards representing the losses of Free Polish and French forces attached to the 101st. He said that he does not allow himself to forget the sacrifices of all of those soldiers and of their families.

Concluding the conference, Campbell said; “We have a lot of work to continue to do. We appreciate your support. Air Assault.”