US military deaths in Afghan region at 971

(AP) - As of Friday, May 7, 2010, at least 971 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count.

The AP count is two more than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Friday at 10 a.m. EDT.

At least 756 military personnel have died in the Afghan region as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.

Outside the Afghan region, the department reports at least 78 more members of the U.S. military died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those, eight were the result of hostile action. The military lists these other locations as Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Jordan; Kenya; Kyrgyzstan; Philippines; Seychelles; Sudan; Tajikistan; Turkey; and Yemen.

The Defense Department also counts two military civilian deaths.

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The latest identifications reported by the military:

- 1st Lt. Brandon A. Barrett, 27, of Marion, Ind.; died May 5 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

- Airman 1st Class Austin H. Gates Benson, 19, of Hellertown, Pa.; died May 3 of injuries suffered from a noncombat-related incident near Khyber, Afghanistan; assigned to the 54th Combat Communications Squadron at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

- Master Sgt. Mark W. Coleman, 40, of Centerville, Wash.; died May 2 at Khakrez, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

- Spc. Eric M. Finniginam, 26, of Colonia, Federated States of Micronesia; died May 1 at Forward Operating Base Blessing, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

- 1st Lt. Salvatore S. Corma, 24, of Wenonah, N.J.; died April 29 at Forward Operating Base Bullard, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using improvised explosive devices; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

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