Emigdio E Elizarraras

Pico Rivera, California

February 28, 2006

Age

Military

Rank

Unit/Location

Army

MSgt

3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group

Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Killed in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan on Feb. 28, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during a reconnaissance mission.

DATE POSTED: MARCH 2, 2006

PRESS RELEASE: Special Forces Soldier killed in Afghanistan

U.S. Army Special Operations Command

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, Mar. 2, 2006) — An Army Special Forces Soldier died Feb. 28 north of Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated near his Ground Mobility Vehicle during a reconnaissance patrol.

Master Sgt. Emigdio E. Elizarraras, 37, a Special Forces Intelligence Sergeant assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C., was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Pico Rivera, Calif. native, Elizarraras enlisted in the Army in 1986 as an infantryman and attended Basic Combat Training and Infantry Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Ga.

His first assignment was with 1st Bn., 327th Infantry Regiment at Fort Campbell, Ky., where he served for four years, deploying to Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm during that time.

Elizarraras also served with 1st Bn., 14th Infantry Regiment at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and as an instructor at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation at Fort Benning, Ga.

In 1997, he volunteered for Special Forces training, and completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1998. He arrived at 7th SFG(A) in September 1998.

Elizarraras’ military education also includes the Ranger Course, Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, Advanced Special Operations Techniques Course, Individual Terrorism Awareness Course, Basic Military Mountaineer Winter Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, Basic and Advanced Airborne Courses, Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Courses and Air Assault Course.

His awards and decorations include four Army Commendation Medals, three Joint Service Achievement Medals, six Army Achievement Medals, the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait), Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Basic Marksmanship Qualification Badge, Ranger Tab and Special Forces Tab.

Elizarraras is survived by his wife, Kris, daughters, Sally and Olivia, and son, Andrew, of Fayetteville, N.C. His parents, Emigdio and Martha, of Pico Rivera, Calif., and sister Leticia of Peoria, Ariz., also survive him.