Valley Grad Dies In Roadway Bombing In Iraq
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Kentucky National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Brock Beery died from injuries received Thursday when a bomb exploded under the vehicle he was driving in Al Habbaniyah, Iraq.
Beery, 30, son of Roger and Pam Beery, Warsaw, was a resident of White House, Tenn. He was assigned to the Kentucky Army National Guard's headquarters and Headquarters Co., 2nd Battalion, 123rd Armor, based in Bowling Green, Ky.
The unit mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2005 and deployed to the Persian Gulf in July 2005.
At the time of the incident, Beery was driving a fully-armored light medium tactical vehicle, the Army's newest version of the 2-1Ú2- ton truck. He was on his third tour of duty in Iraq.
Beery is survived by his wife, Sara Ann, and a daughter, Elissa, 7.
In a statement about her husband, Sara Beery said, "Brock was a loving husband, and a very devoted dad. He enjoyed his family, off-road four-wheeling adventures, collecting guns and hunting."
She went on to say, "Brock was devoted in the business of taking care of his soldiers and meeting their needs. He was a father, husband, son, friend and a soldier. He was the type who would be first to volunteer for a mission."
The staff sergeant was expected to return home in May.
He joined the Indiana National Guard in 1993, while still in high school, and transferred to the Kentucky Army National Guard in 1997.
Beery's body will arrive in Tennessee in the next seven days. A funeral service will be held in Tennessee. Memorial services are being planned locally.
Beery completed basic training and advanced individualized training at Fort Benning, Ga. During his time with the Indiana Army National Guard, he was deployed to Sinai, Egypt, for a year.
In May 1997, he transferred to the Kentucky Army National Guard, joining the 123rd Armor in Bowling Green.
He left the Guard to join the individual ready reserve Feb. 22, 2000. He rejoined the Kentucky Army National Guard Feb. 13, 2001. He deployed with his unit in 2002 to 2003 for a rotation in Bosnia.
Promoted to staff sergeant Jan. 1, 2004, he was a full-time soldier in the Kentucky Army Guard at the Bowling Green Armory.
Beery will be posthumously presented the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge.
Beery is the ninth Kentucky Army National Guard soldier to lose his life in Iraq.
Beery is the second Kosciusko County-related soldier to die in the three-year-old war. The first was Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David Fribley, who died March 23, 2003.
Indiana Guardsman Capt. Todd Fiscus, Milford, died in Afghanistan March 26, 2005. [[In-content Ad]]
Kentucky National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Brock Beery died from injuries received Thursday when a bomb exploded under the vehicle he was driving in Al Habbaniyah, Iraq.
Beery, 30, son of Roger and Pam Beery, Warsaw, was a resident of White House, Tenn. He was assigned to the Kentucky Army National Guard's headquarters and Headquarters Co., 2nd Battalion, 123rd Armor, based in Bowling Green, Ky.
The unit mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2005 and deployed to the Persian Gulf in July 2005.
At the time of the incident, Beery was driving a fully-armored light medium tactical vehicle, the Army's newest version of the 2-1Ú2- ton truck. He was on his third tour of duty in Iraq.
Beery is survived by his wife, Sara Ann, and a daughter, Elissa, 7.
In a statement about her husband, Sara Beery said, "Brock was a loving husband, and a very devoted dad. He enjoyed his family, off-road four-wheeling adventures, collecting guns and hunting."
She went on to say, "Brock was devoted in the business of taking care of his soldiers and meeting their needs. He was a father, husband, son, friend and a soldier. He was the type who would be first to volunteer for a mission."
The staff sergeant was expected to return home in May.
He joined the Indiana National Guard in 1993, while still in high school, and transferred to the Kentucky Army National Guard in 1997.
Beery's body will arrive in Tennessee in the next seven days. A funeral service will be held in Tennessee. Memorial services are being planned locally.
Beery completed basic training and advanced individualized training at Fort Benning, Ga. During his time with the Indiana Army National Guard, he was deployed to Sinai, Egypt, for a year.
In May 1997, he transferred to the Kentucky Army National Guard, joining the 123rd Armor in Bowling Green.
He left the Guard to join the individual ready reserve Feb. 22, 2000. He rejoined the Kentucky Army National Guard Feb. 13, 2001. He deployed with his unit in 2002 to 2003 for a rotation in Bosnia.
Promoted to staff sergeant Jan. 1, 2004, he was a full-time soldier in the Kentucky Army Guard at the Bowling Green Armory.
Beery will be posthumously presented the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge.
Beery is the ninth Kentucky Army National Guard soldier to lose his life in Iraq.
Beery is the second Kosciusko County-related soldier to die in the three-year-old war. The first was Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David Fribley, who died March 23, 2003.
Indiana Guardsman Capt. Todd Fiscus, Milford, died in Afghanistan March 26, 2005. [[In-content Ad]]