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From the Fayetteville Observer: 3rd BCT casualty SSG Bauer

Fort Bragg paratrooper killed in Iraq

By Drew Brooks

The wife of a Fort Bragg soldier who was killed in Baghdad said her husband had planned to start a family once he was done serving his country.

Staff Sgt. Justin Bauer, 24, of Berthoud, Colo., was killed by an explosion near his patrol Saturday, the Defense Department said.

Bauer was a section sergeant with the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

“He was a model husband, loving and compassionate, and a son who never gave his family any problems when he was growing up,” said his wife, Kari Bauer, in a statement issued by her and Bauer’s parents.

Bauer joined the Army in October 2004. He completed Infantry One Station Unit Training and the Basic Airborne Course in March 2005 at Fort Benning, Ga., the military said.

He reported to the 82nd Airborne Division in August 2005 and was assigned as an assistant gunner.

“Staff Sgt. Bauer was an exceptional leader, twice tested in combat deployments with the battalion over the last two years,” said Lt. Col. Louis Zeisman, commander of the battalion.

“While this loss will be long and deeply felt by all of us, his legacy will remain; measured by the high caliber of the soldiers he led and the tremendous respect he had earned from his peers and superiors alike,” Zeisman said in a statement.

A 2002 graduate of Berthoud High School north of Denver, Bauer planned to move back to Colorado to be with his family when he got out of the Army, his family said.

Bauer was a standout lineman while playing for the school’s football team and also wrestled.

Kari Bauer said her husband wanted to start a family and rejoin the local fire department.

She said her husband would be remembered for his humor, among other qualities.

“He always made people laugh and kept us all entertained,” she said. “Everyone enjoyed being around him.”

In addition to his wife and parents, Gregory Bauer, of LaSalle, Colo., and Connie Haddock, of Loveland, Colo., Bauer is survived by two younger brothers.

His unit will hold a memorial service in Iraq on Friday. A funeral will be held in Colorado at a later date.
Posted by Airborne dad at 8:48 AM 
Damn! Words aren't enough. Prayers for the family.


January 13, 2009 at 10:04 AM 

January 14, 2009 at 1:42 AM H.L. said...

Prayers are with Justin and his family. Christopher was in the same Regiment.
Thank you for bringing recognition to this story.

January 16, 2009 at 7:19 PM 

I was unaware that Christopher was in the 82nd Airborne. The Division has a long reach and you never know who is going to be touched by it.

Thanks for stopping by and your post over at your blog.

January 17, 2009 at 12:13 PM