Brett D. Swank
Profile
Age: 21
From: Northumberland, Pa.
Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, Fort Polk, La.
Incident: Army Sgt. Brett D. Swank was killed Jan. 24 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his position in Baghdad.
Died: January 24, 2005
Soldier from Northumberland killed in Iraq
Associated Press
NORTHUMBERLAND, Pa. — A soldier from central Pennsylvania was killed by an improvised explosive device while on a foot patrol in western Baghdad on Monday, his father said.
Sgt. Brett Swank, 21, of Northumberland, was stationed at Fort Polk, La., and went to Iraq in July. A graduate of Shikellamy High School, Swank was accepted to Colorado State University but deferred going because he wanted to complete his four years in the Army, Daniel J. Swank said.
An Army Ranger, he was nearing the end of his four years of service and hoped to join ROTC at Colorado State and leave the program as a lieutenant.
“He was a great role model for his younger brother. He was very upbeat and very positive,” said Daniel Swank, 46, who communicated with his son several times a week over the Internet. “He was always positive. The guys with him were always positive.”
Sgt....
Occupation
Incident
Prayers & Messages
A fellow Pennsylvanian....thank you for your service to our country and the world and to your community as well. It is heartbreaking to have lost you to this war. May you rest in peace and may God comfort your family and friends in their premature loss of you. You were doing what you believed in.
Sincerely,
Mary