Soldier Dies In Afghanistan On Fifth Deployment ‎

When our men and women in uniform go to war, they know that their safe return can be a crapshoot and that multiple deployments to a combat zone can, to put it mildly, tempt fate to the limit.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was on his fifth deployment in the last 10 years.
         
Staff Sgt. Raul M. Guerra, 37, of Union City, N.J., died July 4, in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan.

He was assigned to the 502nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Guerra enlisted in 1999 and was initially trained as a mechanic. He deployed to Afghanistan three times with a unit from Fort Bragg, N.C. between 2002 and 2006.

He went to Iraq from October 2007 to December 2008 after changing his Army specialty and becoming  a human intelligence collector, which the Army defines as one who "is responsible for information collection operations" providing Army personnel "with information about the enemy force’s strengths, weaknesses and potential battle areas."

His fifth deployment, back to Afghanistan, began in May.

Guerra's awards and decorations include the Joint Service Commendation, the Army Commendation, the Army Good Conduct and National Defense Service medals.