Stars and Stripes: Armor regiment having hard time dealing with four deaths, including Joplin native

The soldiers in Company C, 4th Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment are having a hard time dealing with the deaths Saturday in Afghanistan of four soldiers, including Sgt. Ed Dixon, 37, a Joplin native, according to an article in Stars and Stripes:

Spouses from the company were holding a Family Readiness Group meeting Tuesday night. Chaplains and mental health professionals would offer their services there, said Capt. Bradford Dooley, rear detachment commander for 4-70th Armor Regiment.


“Charlie Company is a very tight-knit unit,” he said. “I know a lot of spouses are taking this hard.”

The soldiers were killed Saturday when their vehicle rolled over while patrolling the Deh Rawud area of Uruzgan province, according to military officials. The crash was not combat-related. Because an investigation is under way, no further details about the incident can be released, said Lt. Col. Steven Fandrich, rear detachment commander for the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

The brigade, which deployed to Afghanistan in February for a 12-month tour, has now seen eight deaths.

“Any death for a unit is hard,” Fandrich said. “But when you multiply that by four, it’s that much more difficult, especially for a small community like Baumholder,” where the unit is based.