Three Soldiers assigned to 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team (HBCT) were killed last Thursday morning in Baghdad.  One was a NC Army National Guard Soldier, and two others were not NC Army National Guard Soldiers but were assigned to the 30th HBCT for the deployment. One Soldier was from the Missouri Army National Guard and the other was from the Army Reserve. The Soldiers were attacked by enemy forces using improvise explosive devices while on dismounted patrol.

Killed were, Maj. Jason George 38, of Tehachapi California, 1st Lt. Leevi Barnard , 28 of Mount Airy North Carolina  and  Sgt. Paul Brooks  34 of Joplin Missouri.

"The National Guard is saddened by the loss of these brave men. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families at this very difficult time.” said Maj. Gen. William E. Ingram, Jr., Adjutant General of the North Carolina National Guard.  "Members of the NC National Guard, especially the Soldiers of the 30th HBCT, will prevail and continue to serve our nation and state with distinction wherever and whenever we are called to duty.”

A 1998 graduate of Patrick County High School in Virginia, 1st Lt. Barnard joined the NC Army National Guard August 13, 2004 as a Multiple Launch Rocket System Crewmember.  He graduated as the Distinguished Military Graduate with a GPA of 99% from his Advanced Individual Training Class at Ft. Sill OK, and took his first assignment at B Battery, 5th Battalion 113th Field Artillery Regiment, and then transferred to Detachment 1, A Battery 113th Field Artillery Regiment 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team. In 2007 he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from UNC-Charlotte and received his commission as an officer in the Field Artillery through the Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) at UNC Charlotte.  After serving in A Battery 1st Battalion 113th Field Artillery Regiment, he transferred to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company 252nd Combined Arms Battalion in Fayetteville NC of the 30th HBCT where he was currently assigned. This was his first deployment. He is survived by His parents, step-parents, three sisters and two brothers.

The 30th Heavy Brigade Combat team is made up of about 3200 Soldiers from NC, about 700 from WV and about 150 from CO. There are numerous other volunteers from other states that have come to the unit for this deployment. The 30th left North Carolina in late April and are expected to return from the deployment around February of 2010. When the brigade was deployed in 2004, they suffered five Killed in Action and about 120 wounded in action and most of them returning to duty.

This brings the total of NC National Guard Soldiers killed in action since September 11, 2001 to 11. However, NC Guard units have had soldiers from other states’ National Guard, and active duty and reserve Soldiers assigned to them that have been killed in action during combat operations while deployed.