George Laubhan, age 39, from Boise, Idaho.
Spouse: Married
Children: Two children
Service era: Afghanistan
Date of death: Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Death details: Among three soldiers killed after their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed south of Lucky Peak near Boise during a routine training flight.
Source: Idaho National Guard, Idaho Press
Matthew Peltzer, age 43, from Nampa, Idaho.
Spouse: Heidi (Leben)
Children: Luthien, 7; Iris, 4
Service era: Afghanistan
Date of death: Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Death details: Among three soldiers killed after their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed south of Lucky Peak near Boise during a routine training flight.
Tribute from Cloverdale Funeral Home:
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matthew David Peltzer was born and raised in Falmouth, Massachusetts. He studied computer science and mathematics at Seattle Pacific University, where he met and fell in love with Heidi Leben. They married on May 31, 2003, and have two daughters: Lúthien (7) and Iris (4).
Matt enlisted in the Idaho Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion of the 183rd Aviation Regiment as an officer candidate in July 2005. He attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, graduated from the Idaho Army National Guard’s Officer Candidate School in 2007, and graduated after 18 months of training as an AH-64 Apache pilot at Fort Rucker, Alabama, in 2010.
In 2015, Matt flew the AH-64D Apache in support of the Idaho Army National Guard’s rotation to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. After the battalion reorganized and transitioned from Apaches to Black Hawks in 2016, he returned to Fort Rucker to attend a UH-60 Black Hawk qualification course.
In 2019, he mobilized for two weeks to Huehuetenango, Guatemala, as a Black Hawk pilot in support of Operation Beyond the Horizon. He also flew rotations at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and the Air Assault Rappel School in Astoria, Oregon and transported numerous dignitaries in support of local and national Department of Defense initiatives.
Matt served as an AH-64 Apache pilot in command, a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot, an aviation mission survivability officer, an aviation safety officer, and a medevac helicopter pilot. He also served since 2018 as an information technology programmer for the Idaho Military Division.
His awards include the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, the Senior Aviator Badge, and the Idaho Adjutant General’s Outstanding Unit Award.
Source: Idaho National Guard, Cloverdale Funeral Homes
Michael T. Osorio, age 20, from Horseshoe Bend, Idaho.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado
Date of death: Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Death details: Died in Taji, Iraq in a non-combat related incident
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Stien P. Gearhart, age 50, from Meridian, Idaho.
Spouse: Jennifer
Children: Hunter, 17, Hannah, 12
Service era: Afghanistan
Schools: Boise State University graduate
Military history: 1-183rd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho
Date of death: Thursday, November 6, 2014
Death details: Killed when his Apache attack helicopter crashed during a training mission near the Boise Airport.
Source: New York Times; Idaho Statesman, Idaho Press
Jon L. Hartway, age 43, from Kuna, Idaho.
Parents: Adlyn Hartway and David Hartway (both preceded in death)
Spouse: Jennifer
Children: Hunter and Hannah
Service era: Afghanistan
Schools: Glenns Ferry High (1989); Boise State University (1989)
Military history: 1-183rd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho
Date of death: Thursday, November 6, 2014
Death details: Killed when his Apache attack helicopter crashed during a training mission near the Boise Airport.
Cemetery: Idaho Veteran’s Cemetery
Source: New York Times; Idaho Statesman, Bowman Funeral Home
David I. Lyon, age 28, from Sandpoint, Idaho.
Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 21st Logistics Readiness Squadron, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.
Date of death: Friday, December 27, 2013
Death details: Died from wounds suffered when his vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Octavio Herrera, age 26, from Caldwell, Idaho, Canyon county.
Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Date of death: Sunday, August 11, 2013
Death details: Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with indirect fire. Killed in the incident were Staff Sgt. Octavio Herrera, Sgt. Jamar A. Hicks, and Spc. Keith E. Grace Jr. Herrera and Grace died in Pakita Province, Afghanistan. Hick was evacuated to Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost, Afghanistan and later died.
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Thomas P. Murach, age 22, from Meridian, Idaho, Ada county.
Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry, 1st Brigade Comabt Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Date of death: Saturday, May 4, 2013
Death details: Died in Maiwand, Afghanistan of injuries sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. Killed were 1st Lt. Brandon J. Landrum, Staff Sgt. Francis G. Phillips IV, Spc. Kevin Cardoza, Spc. Thomas P. Murach, Spc Brandon J. Prescott.
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Shane G. Wilson, age 20, from Kuna, Idaho, Ada county.
Parents: Danielle DeMarco, Greg Wilson
Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Date of death: Thursday, October 18, 2012
Death details: Died in Khost, Afghanistan
Cemetery: Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, Boise
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times, findagrave.com
Ethan J. Martin, age 22, from Lewiston, Idaho, Nez Perce county.
Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Date of death: Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Death details: Died in Koragay, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when he encountered enemy small arms fire.
Cemetery: Paradise Valley Cemetery
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times