02 May 2006:
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 386-06
May 2, 2006
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DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
1st Sgt. Bobby Mendez, 38, of Brooklyn, N.Y., died of injuries sustained in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 27, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Mendez was assigned to the 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
For further information related to this release, contact Army Public Affairs at (703) 692-2000.
Celebration ends in grief
BY OREN YANIV
and CELESTE KATZ
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Bobby Mendez with son Quentin, 12. He was fighting a war on the other side of the world, but Army 1st Sgt. Bobby Mendez made sure to e-mail his son to wish him a happy 12th birthday.
At home in Arizona, his family celebrated the next day, Thursday, April 27, with a baseball game and dinner out. But after they got home, an Army chaplain and a major arrived with horrible news: Mendez, a 38-year-old career soldier who grew up in Brooklyn, had been killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his Humvee in Baghdad.
"We came home, and a half hour later, that's when they were at my door," said his wife, Jennifer Mendez, 34.
Bobby Mendez was born and raised in Brooklyn, one of four children of Puerto Rican parents. He graduated from Murry Bergtraum High School in Manhattan and joined the Army in October 1987.
He had been assigned to the 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, as an intelligence analyst since 2002. Among his many decorations were the Bronze Star.
"He will be missed, I know that much," said his older brother, 22-year NYPD Officer Richard Mendez. "It's a shame. He was doing what he liked to do, and pretty much, he gave everything for the country."
Sgt. Mendez met Jennifer in Germany - he was a young soldier, she a military brat - and they married a month after her 18th birthday. They had three children, Quentin, 12, Thyiena, 13, and Chyanne, 7.
Jennifer Mendez said she tried to be strong during her husband's deployments overseas. "I knew he loved his job and what he did," she said.
Yesterday, she was at home in Arizona, preparing for the funeral.
"His body flies in tomorrow. Reality is going to sink in," she said. "Right now, it's like, 'He can't be gone. This is all a lie.' "
20 Mar 2006
Sorry it has been so long since my last update. Glad to report that we are all doing well. We have changed commanders, so I have a new boss. We have slowly been integrating him into our daily operations. It is a good move for him, and for the company. CPT Prince brings alot of tactical experience to our company, and a fresh set of ideas and suggestions. The rest of the company is doing well. We have been receiving numerous packages from many people, and I would like to thank you all for your reponse and support. My Soldiers continue to ask for word search books, puzzle books, small hand held games (yahtzee, poker, etc.) and things of that nature.
Once again, thank you for your support and I look forward to hearing from you in the future.
1SG Mendez
26 Jan 2006
The Shadow Stalkers are continuing to support the 2nd Brigade Combat Team’s mission here in sunny, windy and recently rainy Iraq. As another month winds down, soldiers continue to eagerly and professionally conduct their duty performance. Mail pick up is always an exciting time in the company command post with 1SG Mendez posing as the “year round” Santa Claus delivering packages to anxious Stalker soldiers.
As the NFL season comes to an end, the Kalsu Morale Football League has just begun. First Platoon accounts for most of the A Co team to include such greats as PFC Stephan, SPC Moore, SPC Whippo, SSG Glassow, 1LT Aptaker, 1SG Mendez and our Company Commander CPT Carter. Currently, A Co is undefeated with a record of 0 and 0. Our first game is tomorrow, against 2-8 Infantry S3 section. Who will take it? Will it be brains or brawn—Military Intelligence or Infantry. We’ll keep you posted.
WE’RE FLYING!!!! Finally the TUAV platoon is successfully putting eyes in the sky. After much heartache and mud slinging, we have finally been able to get the Launch and Recovery site somewhat neat and tidy and fit for operations. Right now our only enemy is the weather, as it has prevented us from doing our job the past couple of days. PFC Gamiao turned 22 this month.
17 Jan 2006
Our living arrangements are adequate. We operate mostly with 220, but have 110 capability. Most of us live in two-Soldier rooms called "cans" that have electricity. Very few of us live in tents, but they also have eletrical power. We do have laundry service, but we are not allowed to cook anything in our rooms, or in the tents. I am a First Sergeant for an Army company. Most of my Soldiers desire things like beef jerky, personal hygiene items, Play station video games, computer games, x-box games, hard candy, game/puzzle books, and magazines. We are based out of Ft. Hood, Texas and have been here about two months. My unit is a military intelligence unit, and our mission is figuring out who the terrorists are, and where they are at, so our Soldiers can detain the bad guys. Ours is a vital mission and the Army has given us some of the best technology and equipment to do this mission. We have been training very hard for the last year in preparation for this mission, and we are extremely confident that we will make a difference and promote democracy in this area of the world. We are proud to serve and do so with honor, knowing that the American people are behind us, supporting us in our endeavors. Any support or assistance that you are able to provide is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for providing this service to us.