[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Navy SEAL KIA in Iraq (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 12/23/2007 1:08:11 AM EDT
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SEAL chief killed in Iraq, Navy says Staff writer Posted : Friday Dec 14, 2007 12:03:13 EST A Virginia-based SEAL who received two Bronze Stars with “V” devices was killed Tuesday in Iraq, according to a Navy release. Chief Special Warfare Operator Mark Thomas Carter, 27, of Fallbrook, Calif., was killed in enemy action somewhere in Iraq. Carter was with Tactical Development and Evaluation Squadron 2, based in Virginia Beach, Va. Carter joined the Navy in 1998, according to Navy records, and graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL school the next year. He was assigned to SEAL Team 3, based at Naval Base Coronado, Calif., then SEAL Team 7. In April 2004, Carter was assigned to Naval Special Warfare Development Group at Dam Neck, Va., according to information provided by Navy Personnel Command. That group, formerly known as SEAL Team 6, is an ultra-secretive unit that reports to Joint Special Operations Command, which includes Delta Force. He received his current assignment in July 2006. Carter was selected for chief earlier this year. “I am honored to serve with and lead men and women like Chief Mark Carter. He was an outstanding SEAL, teammate, and great American,” Carter’s commanding officer, who was not named, said in a statement. “On behalf of my command, I extend my condolences and heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends. His ultimate sacrifice, the most noble act for any American warrior, is our tragic loss, and I urge those who knew him to honor his life, in the best way we know how.” In addition to his Bronze Star, Carter received a Joint Service Commendation Medal with “V” device, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Combat Action Ribbons, and an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, among other decorations. “Losing any of the warriors serving in Naval Special Warfare is a significant loss, but losing a chief petty officer makes that loss even tougher,” said Lt. David Luckett, Naval Special Warfare Group 2 spokesman. “Like so many of his brothers in the SEAL community, Chief Carter lived the SEAL Code, and his actions on and off the battlefield embodied everything noble about serving in the Navy and in Naval Special Warfare.” Carter is survived by his father, mother, three brothers and four sisters.  |
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From the L.A Times, this SEAL was a man that we should all admire; Navy Chief Petty Officer Mark T. Carter, 27, Fallbrook SEAL dies in combat on mission in Iraq By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 23, 2007 It is not unusual for young men to join the Navy in hopes of finding out what they want to do with their lives. But not Mark T. Carter. He knew exactly what he wanted to do when he joined the Navy after graduating from Fallbrook High School in 1998. He wanted to be a Navy SEAL. In high school, he had been active in the Mormon Church and Boy Scouts. A former teacher remembered him as polite, disciplined, a bit of a risk-taker. SEAL posters adorned his bedroom. The son of a doctor, Carter graduated from boot camp at Great Lakes, Ill., and then Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in Coronado, Calif. More than half of SEAL students drop out, but not Carter, a stocky 5-foot-5 and outdoor athlete who loved physical challenges. Once he was in the SEALs, his rise through the ranks was swift. He deployed during the U.S. campaign to topple the Taliban in Afghanistan and then during the early stages of the U.S. mission in Iraq. His fellow SEALs gave him the nickname Badger after the small but ferocious animal. The name was bestowed after Carter beat a 6-foot-5 opponent in a wrestling match. Two months ago, Carter got word that he had been promoted to chief petty officer. He e-mailed his friends about his excitement at getting promoted and being part of a SEAL team involved in missions aimed at thwarting the insurgency in Iraq. The same friends got an e-mail or phone call recently telling them that Carter, 27, had been killed in combat Dec. 11 on an undisclosed mission in Iraq. Although he had spent much of his career with West Coast SEAL teams, Carter was part of an East Coast team based at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Norfolk, Va., when he was killed. The facts behind his death and earlier service in Afghanistan and Iraq may never be fully known. Like other special forces units, the SEALs keep a tight hold on their identities and the facts behind their missions. His parents, Cindy and Dr. Thomas Carter, now of Council Bluffs, Iowa, have declined to speak to the media. Although SEALs do multiple tasks, one of Carter's specialties was keeping team members in radio contact during missions. When team members cannot communicate with each other, high-risk missions can go awry. "Without a good comm guy, you can't complete a mission," said Petty Officer 1st Class Steve Otten, who teaches at the SEALs school and will soon leave active duty. "Next to the officer in charge, the comm guy is probably the most important. Mark was one of the best." Carter's funeral last week at Arlington National Cemetery was heavily attended by Navy officers and enlisted sailors, many with the security clearance necessary to know the details about his death and prior deployments. At the service, Carter's family received his third Bronze Star for valor. Among the speakers was an ensign who went through boot camp and SEALs training with Carter. He praised Carter as the "embodiment of the warrior ethos." In an interview, the ensign remembered Carter's upbeat attitude. "You'd be in the ocean and very, very cold, and then look over at Mark," said the ensign, who began his career in the enlisted ranks. "He'd be grinning and laughing." Off-duty, Carter enjoyed rock climbing, mountaineering, diving and shooting. He was not married. "He dedicated his life to being the best SEAL he could be," the ensign said. SEAL teams from Coronado were in Afghanistan and then in Iraq before the assault by conventional troops. In Iraq, SEALs searched for biological weapon storehouses, helped direct airstrikes and mapped the routes used by Army and Marine convoys in their race to Baghdad. In Iraq, Carter was part of a sniper team. "He was the kind of guy who was determined to be the first to kick down a door," said a fellow sniper, a SEAL who asked to be identified only as Eddie. Another SEAL, a senior chief petty officer, said that when he had the chance to pick the members of his platoon, Carter was his first choice. "There were dozens and dozens of guys, but Mark was the best," the senior chief said. "He had a contagious personality. He always found the sunny skies in the grayest of days." Although the SEALs, like other military units, have suffered casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, the loss of Carter has been particularly painful, the SEALs said. "You hate to see the space Mark occupied go vacant," the senior chief said. [email protected] |
| This should be known to every citizen for which he died. Not in the typical- "another soldier dies in unjust war for oil" way the MSM reports, but in a "we should be grateful for their service" type of way. Very frustrating that those cowardly bastards that make up our media/government are protected by his sacrifice as they bash and undermine our Armed Forces every step of the way. |
No kidding! Makes me wish we were going back soon... The best part of my job was flying circles over the guys on the ground and doing everything I can to help them out... watching them storm houses from a few miles up was incredibly impressive! It saddens me to know that some terrorist shit-head got a luck shot. Matt |