Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Illinois soldier, Okla. civilian killed in Afghan capital attack
FAIRVIEW, Ill. — A decorated soldier from Illinois and an Army civilian employee from Oklahoma who both had been deployed multiple times to support military operations in Afghanistan were killed in an attack this week in Kabul, the Defense Department said.
Army Sgt. Douglas Riney, 26, of Fairview, and Michael Sauro, 40, of McAlester, Okla., died of wounds received when they encountered enemy forces in the Afghan capital, the military said.
The Defense Department initially said the men died Thursday, but later confirmed the deaths were Wednesday.
NATO and an Afghan official said a man wearing an Afghan army uniform had killed a U.S. service member and a civilian Wednesday in Kabul. NATO said another U.S. service member and two U.S. civilians were wounded in the attack. The attacker was killed.
Riney entered activeduty service in July 2012 as a petroleum supply specialist. He had been assigned to the Support Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, since December 2012.
Riney was married and had young children, James and Elea, and was a volunteer firefighter, said U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos. His remains arrived Friday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Sauro was assigned to the Defense Ammunition Center, McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in McAlester, the Defense Department said. He traveled to Afghanistan last month for his third deployment and was scheduled to return to the U.S. in March.
The two U.S. civilians injured also were from the Defense Ammunition Center. Richard “Rick” Alford was in stable condition and Rodney Henderson suffered minor injuries.