Our Latest American Hero #68

jonathandcadavero
Originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Our latest American hero hits home. Jonathan D. Cadavero was last resident stateside of Takoma Park, Maryland, my city. He’s the fifth soldier from Maryland to die since New Years Day, placing my state in the company of 27 other states who YTD casualty totals in the war on terrorism have set them on a trajectory to surpass last year’s totals -- AND one of 19 in that group headed for all time annual totals, in several cases to surpass previous totals by double digit amounts. While far from a tight statistical analysis vis a vis particular states, it does say this much with confidence, 2007 has gotten off to a very deadly start. No wonder the Brits, Danes, Ukraines, Armenians, Italians, Poles, and Koreans are calling it quits.

And ironically, two days before his death, “The Army Times” published an article featuring Spc. Cadavero’s unit with quotes from the young man. Exerpts from that article appear after portions of the article published online from Spc. Cadavero’s alma mater, Columbia Union College’s online student newspaper.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Feb. 27 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. They were assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

One of those killed was Army Spc. Jonathan D. Cadavero, 24, of Takoma Park, Md. Along with Spc. Cadavero, Army Sgt. Richard A. Soukenka, 30, of Oceanside, Calif. and Army Cpl. Lorne E. Henry, Jr., 21, of Niagara Falls, N.Y. were also killed.

“Campus Mourns Loss Of Former Student”
Former CUC graduate Jonathan Cadevero died in Iraq

Sergeant Jonathan Cadavero, a 2004 graduate of Columbia Union College, died Tuesday, February 27, 2007, while serving as a medic in Iraq. He was killed by a roadside bomb while traveling with a convoy. He was 24. He is survived by sister Krista, a 2001 CUC graduate; mother Nadia; and father, David, who serves as the superintendent of schools for the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

The funeral service will be coordinated by the army and will be conducted in Monroe, NY. The burial service will be in Goshen, NY. The specific date of the service is to be determined as the Cadavero family has not yet been informed of any specific dates. Jonathan will be laid to rest in the military cemetery near the Cadavero's home.

CUC is providing free counseling for students, faculty, and staff. Students can make appointments to see school counselor Lauri Preston, Chaplain Otis Coutsoumpos, or professors Dr. Gladstone Gurubatham and Bogdan Scur.

The Columbia Union College family shares the Cadavero family's sorrow. Jonathan was a tremendous personality on CUC's campus. He was a cum laude graduate, a member of the Phi Eta Sigma academic honor society, Psi Chi psychology honor society, a member of the Dean's List every year, a favorite player on the basketball team, and a Who's Who nominee.

"There is no way to know the true depth of the family's grief, but our prayers for their strength and comfort ascend to God who does know, and who can bring healing," said Scott Steward, the school's spokesman. "Please keep the Cadavero family and Jonathan's friends and coworkers in your prayers."

Columbia Union College will hold a special remembrance service after students return from Spring Break. Further details will be made available as they are known.

Cadavero was recently featured in an Army Times article about his group's work in clearing IEDs (improvised explosive devices). [said article to follow.]

from “THE ARMY TIMES”:

“Platoon Hunts IEDs In Iraq”
‘We’re making a difference’
Posted : Sunday Feb 25, 2007 18:41:53 EST

BAGHDAD — Sgt. Robinson Paulino stared intently through the thick windshield and at the camera mounted on the dashboard.

“We’re looking for pressure plates,” the 24-year-old said to the other soldiers in the vehicle.

When the soldiers were satisfied that there were no IEDs in the area, they relaxed a little.

But they don’t let their guard down for long. For these soldiers, of 1st Platoon, A Company, 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, their job, every day, is to hunt for IEDs planted in the roads of southwest Baghdad. When they find one, they call an explosive ordnance disposal team to destroy the bomb.

“With IEDs, either we find them or they find us,” said Spc. Jonathan Cadavero, 24, the platoon medic. “By finding these IEDs, we take away [the enemy’s] primary means of killing soldiers.”

That objective is one of the most expensive and urgent coalition missions in Iraq. The homemade explosives, which range from crude to sophisticated, have accounted for 70 percent of the casualties suffered by U.S. forces. The Pentagon established the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Task Force in 2004, first established as an Army team, and gave it more than $1 billion to find solutions.

The soldiers of 1st Platoon, along with soldiers from a sister platoon, are the risk-takers in the campaign to defeat IEDs. They go out almost every day to scan and search an area spanning about 500 square miles in southwest Baghdad for roadside bombs and other explosives.

In six months, the soldiers, who belong to 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, have found 172 IEDs in their area of operations. Of those, 62 had the chance to explode, and none of the soldiers suffered serious injuries.

Depending on the day, missions can last anywhere from five hours to 20 or more.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Cadavero said. “Yesterday we went to the power plant [and] nothing happened, but on the way back we had RPG fire, small arms. It’s Iraq, so you’ve got to expect the unexpected. Every time you leave the base, anything could happen. Route clearance can be boring, but it’s Iraq. It doesn’t stay boring for long.”

The enemy’s preferred method of attacking soldiers with IEDs can be frustrating, Cadavero said.

“We rarely see the face of our enemy,” he said. “This is the only way they can defeat us. Head on, we’d annihilate them.”

Valdez agreed, saying that it’s rare for the soldiers to see a triggerman or catch someone in the act of planting an IED.

“It’s like chasing ghosts,” he said.

But the soldiers know the enemy is always watching them.

“They seem like they’re going about their daily activities, but they’re always watching us,” Cadavero said.

The soldiers didn’t find anything on Sunday’s patrol, but Valdez was satisfied with their progress.

“We like this job,” he said. “We feel like we’re making a difference. In our Buffalo Armored Vehicle, we’re protected, we’re fine, but you have guys in Humvees ... and we’re here to keep them safe and make sure they make it home in one piece back to the states.”