Soldiers' Angels Mourns SPC Ryan Walker

From Cathy of the Soldiers' Angels Living Legends Team:

We have a fallen hero from Soldiers' Angels, Ryan Walker.

Spc Ryan Walker, 25, of Stayton, OR, was killed in action 01/05/06 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during convoy operations.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA.

Ryan is survived by his father, Randy.

Thank you for supporting our troops.

Angel Hugs,
Cathy

The 3rd Infantry Division, which assumed responsibility in the Baghdad area in February of 2005, is in the process of ending its second tour in Iraq. The handover ceremonies to their successors of the 4th ID took place on Sunday.

After almost a year in Iraq, Maj. Gen. William Webster, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, said the day was bittersweet.

"It's mixed emotions today," he said in an interview after the ceremony. ( ... )

"We have achieved some great things in the last year. It has come at a cost," Webster said. "Our soldiers paid with their blood, and so have the Iraqi soldiers and policemen."
( ... )

The Georgia-based unit is the only Army division to have completed a second full tour in Iraq. The division led the charge into Baghdad during the 2003 U.S. invasion.

Part of SPC Walkers' work as a combat medic was to give lifesaver classes, and his is mentioned in this article U.S. Army medics teach Iraqi forces how to treat trauma (pdf).

Army Specialist Ryan D. Walker tribute at the Soldiers' Angels Fallen Heroes blog.