3 Ft. Lewis Stryker Brigade Soldiers Killed In Iraq

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By By KOMO Staff

Summary

One other was injured after an embankment collapsed on a road they were travelling, causing two vehicles to roll over into a canal.

Story Published: Dec 8, 2003 at 2:38 PM PDT

Story Updated: Jul 29, 2009 at 12:39 PM PDT

3 Ft. Lewis Stryker Brigade Soldiers Killed In Iraq
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - Three soldiers were killed and one was injured Monday when two Stryker vehicles they were riding in rolled into a canal, Army officials said.

The Stryker Infantry carrier vehicles were traveling on a rural road during combat patrol northeast of Ad Duluiyah, Iraq, when an embankment collapsed, causing the rollover, Lt. Col. William MacDonald said from Tikrit.

"The accident was not a result of hostile fire," MacDonald said.

The names of the soldiers were being withheld pending notification of relatives. The soldiers were from the Fort Lewis, Wash.-based 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat team, and part of Task Force Iron Horse.

The injured soldier was taken to a hospital in Balad, Iraq, MacDonald said. His condition was not available, he said.

Both vehicles were recovered and the accident was under investigation, MacDonald said.

The Stryker brigade moved into Iraq last Wednesday from Kuwait.

A duty officer at Fort Lewis referred all inquiries about the accident to Central Command.

Unit First Of Its Kind

The light-armored Stryker Brigade is the first of its kind in the military, designed to be mobile and get troops to the hot spots fast.

The brigade, composed of 3,300 soldiers, is fully computerized and connected to the Internet as they travel.

The Stryker resembles the light-armored vehicles used by the Marines for decades. But the Strykers have thicker armor. And before leaving Kuwait for Iraq last week, the Army installed what's called "slat" armor designed to detonate rocket-propelled grenades before they hit the vehicle.

Computers inside give soldiers a detailed map of enemy positions. A sophisticated gun system has optical and infrared cameras to target the enemy.

Although it's primarily a troop-mover, the Stryker can pack an offensive punch. It can be equipped with automatic grenade launchers, anti-tank missiles and 50-caliber machine guns.

The Stryker team will be deployed in Iraq for at least a year.