Army Sgt. Tristan M. Wade, 23, died March 22 in Qarah Bagh District, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device, according to the Department of Defense.
Wade was assigned to the 573rd Clearance Company, 2nd Engineer Battalion at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Monte Marlin, White Sands chief of public affairs, told the El Paso Times:
"Our hearts are collectively broken because we lost one of our own. Our job right now is to support this soldier's family, other soldiers and families at White Sands."
Marlin said the roughly 130 soldiers who make up 573rd Clearance Company deployed to Afghanistan in July. I've posted video, courtesy of DVIDS, of the Company with their family members as they prepared to deploy last summer:
