News from the Georgia National Guard

General Lucius D. Clay National Guard Center

1000 Halsey Avenue, Building 2

Marietta, Georgia 30060

(678) 569-6064

MEDIA RELEASE

GEORGIA GUARDSMAN KILLED IN ACTION IN AFGHANISTAN

The Department of the Army today announced the death of Sergeant David Alexander Holmes, a Georgia Army National Guard Soldier with the 810th Engineering Company (Sapper) in Swainsboro who was killed in action on June 26, 2010, while in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Sgt. Holmes, 34, from Tennille, Ga., died as the result of injuries sustained while on a route clearance patrol when the vehicle in which he was riding was struck by an IED (improvised explosive device) in Sayed Abad,Afghanistan.

Governor Sonny Perdue issued the following statement upon word of the death of Sgt. Holmes: "The loss of Sgt. David Holmes is a stern reminder of the dangers our military men and women face each and every day.  Our heartfelt prayers go out to David's wife, LaTonya, their 3 children, and the entire Holmes family. 

“As America prepares to celebrate its independence this weekend, we must never lose sight of the fact that we, as one nation, stand on the shoulders of the young men and women who have lost their lives in the line of duty and of those who are on the front lines today.  I ask that every Georgian take time this weekend to reflect and say a prayer for the thousands of Georgians fighting overseas so that we can be home with our families."

“The entire Georgia National Guard family grieves alongside the Holmes family on word of his tragic incident in Afghanistan,” said Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt, Georgia’s Adjutant General.  “Like all Guardsmen, Sgt. Holmes was a true citizen-Soldier, one Georgia’s best, who knew his job and was willing to perform it without personal reservation. From his sacrifice, each of us who wear the uniform is clearly reminded that the values of liberty and freedom are often safeguarded only at an exceptionally heavy price.”

Additional information can be found at http://www.defense.gov/releases.

Contact:

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Ken Baldowski

Media Relations Officer

(678) 569-6064

(404) 227-1830 BB

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