Army Sgt. Jason A. McLeod

Died November 23, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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22, of Crystal Lake, Ill.; assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Nov. 23, west of FOB Wilson, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with mortar fire.

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Was due to have leave in a month

The Associated Press

FORT CARSON, Colo. — A Fort Carson soldier from Illinois has died after an attack in Afghanistan.

The Defense Department said Nov. 24 that 22-year-old Spc. Jason A. McLeod of Crystal Lake died Nov. 23 west of Pashmul of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with mortar fire.

Family members say McLeod was deployed to Afghanistan in May and was due to come home on leave in less than a month. They say he was a mechanic who worked on Humvees.

He also served in Iraq in 2007 for about a year. He was a 2006 graduate of Crystal Lake Central High School.

He’s survived by his wife, Aimee Ghannam; a 15-month-old daughter, Jocelyn; his parents and two siblings.

He was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Thirty-two other soldiers from the post have been killed in Afghanistan, and 255 have been killed in Iraq.

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Even in tough times, soldier remained upbeat

The Associated Press

Jason A. McLeod met his future bride, Aimee, when they were youngsters at day camp in Illinois, but they didn’t reconnect for about a decade. Then she was hooked.

He always kept a positive outlook and smiled even in tough times, she said, describing him as “the most wonderful man I ever met in my life.”

McLeod, 22, of Crystal Lake, Ill., died Nov. 23 west of Pashmul, Afghanistan, after his unit was attacked with mortar fire. He was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo., and had previously served in Iraq.

The 2006 graduate of Crystal Lake Central High School and his best friend, Brandon, enjoyed skateboarding, playing video games and camping, said Brandon’s mother, Robin Rogers. She said McLeod had hoped to go back to school.

“He joined the Army as a stepping stone to what he wanted to do,” said McLeod’s mother-in-law, Julie Ghannam. “He was trying to make himself a life. He was a great person, he grew up young.”

She said McLeod adored his 15-month-old daughter, Jocelyn Elizabeth, who saw him via a Web camera while he was deployed. McLeod is also survived by his mother, Barbara, and his father, Gregory; a brother, Justin; and a sister, Jacquee.