8 Heroes Who Died in Afghanistan February 23 to March 1, 2012 and in Iraq in 2006

February 23, 2012 - Died in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their unit came under small arms fire:
- Sgt. Joshua A. Born, 25, of Niceville, Fla., and
- Cpl. Timothy J. Conrad Jr., 22, of Roanoke, Va.

Febraury 25, 2012 - Lt. Col. John D. Loftis, 44, of Paducah, Ky., died Feb. 25 from wounds received during an attack at the Interior Ministry, Kabul, Afghanistan.

- Maj. Robert J. Marchanti II, 48, of Baltimore, Md., died Feb. 25, from wounds received during an attack at the Interior Ministry, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Death confirmed February 25, 2012 - The armed forces medical examiner at the Dover Port Mortuary in Dover, Del., positively identified the remains of Staff Sgt. Ahmed K. Altaie, of Ann Arbor, Mich. On Dec. 11, 2006, a casualty review board declared Altaie “missing – captured” after his disappearance in Baghdad, Iraq on Oct. 23, 2006. Altaie was the final missing soldier and casualty to be recovered from the Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn mission.

March 1, 2012 - Died in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from small arms fire during an attack on their base:
- Staff Sgt. Jordan L. Bear, 25, of Denver, Colo., and
- Pfc. Payton A. Jones, 19, of Marble Falls, Texas.

- Cpl. Conner T. Lowry, 24, of Chicago, Ill., died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.