Marine Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ricky L. Richardson Jr.

Died June 10, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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33, of Franklin, Mo.; assigned to 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan; died June 10 while supporting combat operations in Delaram, Afghanistan.

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EOD warrant officer dies in Afghanistan

Staff report

An Okinawa-based warrant officer died June 10 in Afghanistan, Marine officials said.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ricky Richardson, 33, of the 9th Engineer Support Battalion, was killed in Farah province, according to a statement released by Marine officials in Japan. The cause of death was not immediately released, but relatives told FOX TV-2 in Missouri that he died “dismantling bombs.” He was in a region of western Afghanistan where Marines have faced a fierce insurgency for more than a year.

Richardson joined the Corps in 1996, officials said. He served as a machine gunner before becoming an explosive ordnance disposal technician, eventually reaching the rank of gunnery sergeant. He was appointed as a warrant officer in 2007 and had deployed to Afghanistan as an EOD officer in February, his sixth combat tour, officials said.

Richardson was a native of Sullivan, Mo., a town of about 6,000 where he maintains strong family ties, news reports said. He enlisted in Franklin, Mo., which is about 100 miles away.

His personal awards include the Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.