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SGT BRANDON T. ISLIP

Brandon T. Islip was born and raised in the Richmond area, and graduated from Monacan High School.

He enlisted in the Army in January of 2006 as an indirect fire infantryman, who supervises or is a member of a mortar squad, section or platoon.

He attended One Station Unit Training and Basic Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia and was subsequently assigned to 1-508th at Fort Bragg.

He was on his second deployment to Afghanistan, having previously served a 15-month deployment in 2007-2008.

"Sgt. Islip was a very focused individual when it came to work," Sgt. 1st Class Joe Armenta, Islip's platoon sergeant said in a statement.  "He would be assigned a task, and complete it to standard. He was always focused on mission accomplishment, success of the platoon, and more importantly, the welfare of his soldiers."

On November 4, Sgt. Islip was on an airdrop resupply mission in the Bala Murghab area of Badghis province, Afghanistan.  With him was Benjamin W. Sherman of Plymouth, Massachusetts.  The two soldiers were retrieving airdropped supplies when one of the bundles fell in the river, according to Maj. Brian Fickel, an Army spokesman.  "We believe they were trying to retrieve that bundle, and in the process of that, they were both swept away," Fickel said.

Sherman’s relatives believe Sherman died after jumping into the river to try to save Islip.  Another account says that Islip jumped in to save Sherman.  The event is still under investigation and the truth may be impossible to know.  But their widows say that Islip and Sherman were very close friends in life.  These battle buddies who served together as brothers in arms were carried away to their deaths together on the same fast moving river current.

Maj. Fickel said that British divers recovered Sherman’s body on Nov. 10.  But Islip was listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown while efforts to recover his body continued.  During the period while Islip was listed as DUSTWUN, more than 2000 people became members of the "Pray for Brandon Islip" Facebook page.

It took many days of searching in icy, fast-flowing waters, but a team of divers out of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story successfully recovered Islip's body from the Murghab River after a local Afghan citizen provided information on his whereabouts.  The divers, from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit  2, Company 2-3, spent days searching the Murghab River in water as cold as 42 degrees and flowing as fast as 12 knots.  The entire MDSU team took the job to heart and considered finding the lost Soldier to be their most important mission of their Navy careers.

[Navy Diver 2nd Class Zachery Dojaquez comes to the surface of the water during a dive.] BADGHIS PROVINCE, Afghanistan Nov. 28, 2009 Navy Diver 2nd Class Zachery Dojaquez comes to the surface of the water during a dive to search for a missing 82nd Airborne Soldier in the Bala Murgahab River in Afghanistan. Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2, along with members of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne, Coalition Forces and Afghan National Security Forces, are participating in Operation Hero Recovery, attempting to recover the body of U.S. Army Sgt Brandon Islip in the Bala Murgahab River. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Matthew Bash/Released) 091128-N-4154B-063 .

"We expected very challenging dive conditions, but everyone was prepared mentally, and we were determined to complete the mission successfully,"  Chief Warrant Officer James Dertilis said.  Visibility in the river  was "at  6 inches or less," said Petty Officer  1st Class William Stetson, who added the river bottom was "rough and uneven."  "The team laid everything on the line for mission success," said Billy Gilbert, master diver. "The personnel applied all their expeditionary and salvage experience performing dives in a hostile environment."  

"The recovery of Sergeant Islip and Sergeant Sherman would not have been possible without the untiring support and efforts of our fellow international forces, the Afghan National Security Forces and the local people of Bala Murghab," said Col. Brian M. Drinkwine, commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team.  "We owe a great debt of gratitude to our fellow warriors of the Marines, Air Force, Navy, the Italian and Spanish forces of Regional Command-West, Regional Command-South, the Afghan National Security Forces and the leaders of Bala Murghab." 

"We never leave a fallen comrade behind," Colonel Drinkwine added. "We can only hope the families of Sergeant Islip and Sergeant Sherman will receive some peace knowing their loved ones have been recovered."

After Islip's body was recovered from the river near the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan border on November 29, 2009, the Department of Defense changed his status to having died in a non-combat related incident, and condolences poured in to the "Pray for Brandon Islip" Facebook page.  One poster commented: "You gave all so we could live free in the greatest country in the world. Thank You's are not enough."  Another posted, "RIP Brandon. I am so thankful for your hard work and dedication to our country. Thank you for giving your all."  Brandon's stepmother wrote "Your father and I love you very much... Please know you're our hero and will always be. We're so proud of you"   Another message reads, "What a courageous soldier you're with the army's angels." 

Brandon is survived by his wife, Sonja Lynn Islip; his father, George W. Islip III; his stepmother, Rosemary Hampton; his mother, Allison Chaney; a younger sister, Scarlett Chaney; and many other members of an extremely large and loving family.  Memorial contributions can be made to Snowball Express, a charity for the children of fallen military heroes.

During a phone conversation, Islip's family members emphasized how much he loved the military and loved his wife.  In another interview, his widow Sonja said "He's always been a hero to me.  He was willing to put his life on the line for this country and that's all anybody really can ask for."

@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@


(courtesy of A Horan)

Grave marker for Sgt Brandon T. Islip in Section 60 Site 8541 of the Arlington National Cemetery Arlington (Arlington county). Virginia.

SGT BRANDON TAYLOR ISLIP

Missing soldier in Afgh. from Richmond

Updated: Friday, 20 Nov 2009, 1:53 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 18 Nov 2009, 12:49 PM EST

WASHINGTON - The military Wednesday identified a solider missing in Afghanistan since early November as Sgt. Brandon T. Islip, 23, of Richmond.

Islip, along with Spc. Benjamin Sherman of Plymouth, Mass, went missing Nov. 4 in the Bala Barghab area of Badghis during a routine resupply mission. Local police said the two were swept away by the river as they tried to recover airdropped supplies that had accidentally fallen into the water.

Badghis is located on Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan.

Both men were members of the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, out of Fort Bragg, N.C.

Sherman's body was found by military divers on Nov. 11.

Islip is listed by the military as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN).

Officials say search and recovery efforts are still ongoing, and the incident is under investigation.

November 18, 2009, 9:45pm

DoD Announces Change-In-Status of Army Soldier

The Department of Defense today announced the death of a soldier supporting Operation Enduring Freedom who was previously listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown.

Sgt. Brandon T. Islip, 23, of Richmond, Va., had been listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown.  His status was changed Nov. 29 to having died in a non-combat related incident.

He was a member of the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. and went missing, Nov. 4, while involved in a resupply mission in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan.

For further information these soldiers, contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661 or (910) 432-0662.

________________________________________________________________

Army IDs soldier swept away in Afghan river

Staff report
Posted : Friday Nov 20, 2009 6:14:12 EST

The soldier who remains unaccounted for after being swept away by a river in Afghanistan on Nov. 4, was identified Wednesday by the Defense Department as Sgt. Brandon T. Islip, 23, of Richmond, Va.

He and a fellow soldier, Spc. Benjamin Sherman, 21, of Plymouth, Mass., were on a resupply mission Nov. 4, in Bala Murghab when they were swept away by the river as they tried to recover airdropped supplies that had accidentally fallen into the water.

Military divers found Sherman’s body a week after the two disappeared.

The Army declared Islip as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown, or DUSTWUN.

Both soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

Sherman’s relatives said they believe he died after jumping into the river to try to save Islip.

Sherman’s wife, Patricia, said military officials told her that the circumstances of his death remain under investigation, but his family believes Sherman died trying to rescue his friend.

“I know that day he jumped into the river to try to save his comrade because he didn’t just see another soldier in the water, he saw his brother,” his sister Meredith said in a statement. “He didn’t jump in because he was trained to, but because that’s what his heart told him to do.”

Published: 07:22 PM, Wed Nov 18, 2009
Missing soldier identified

The Pentagon on Wednesday identified a Fort Bragg soldier missing in western Afghanistan as Sgt. Brandon T. Islip, 23, of Richmond, Va.

The search continues for the 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper, who has been unaccounted for since Nov. 4. He and another soldier reportedly were swept away in a river while trying to retrieve air-dropped supplies.

Sgt. Benjamin W. Sherman, 21, of Plymouth, Mass., died in the incident. His remains were discovered by a military dive team. Sherman was survived by a pregnant wife.

Islip's status is listed as whereabouts unknown. An investigation into the incident continues.

Patricia Sherman, the widow of Sgt. Sherman, said Nov. 11 that she was told by military officials that her husband was one of two soldiers carried away in the river in the remote, Taliban-infested province of Badghis.

The soldiers were members of the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team. Both were on their second tour of duty in Afghanistan.

"We continue to aggressively search for Sgt. Islip," said Lt. Col. Guy Jones, operations officer of the 4th Brigade. "The support from our coalition and Afghan partners has been remarkable."

Islip joined the Army as an infantryman and attended Basic Airborne School in 2006. He served for 15 months in Afghanistan from January 2007 to April 2008.

"He is a focused individual and always the first to jump at accomplishing any task," said Sgt. 1st Class Joe Armenta, his platoon sergeant. "More importantly, he always places the welfare of his soldiers first. He is sorely missed in the platoon and we continue to keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers."

During the first days of the search, intense fighting broke out with militants in the area. Eight Afghans - four soldiers, three policemen and an interpreter - were killed, while 17 Afghan troops and five U.S. soldiers were wounded.

Afghanistan's Defense Ministry said at the time that the deaths and injuries had been caused by "an air attack by NATO forces" during the fighting. NATO has said authorities are investigating whether some of the casualties were caused by a friendly fire airstrike.

Sherman's funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at the Second Church of Plymouth in Manomet, Mass. Burial will follow at the Manomet Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Benjamin W. Sherman Memorial Foundation, which offers financial assistance to military families with unexpected hardships. Donations can mailed to Rockland Trust, 288 Union St., Rockland, MA 02370.

Military editor Henry Cuningham can be reached at cuninghamh@fayobserver.com or 486-3585.

Read the JOINT SENATE RESOLUTION regarding the loss of Sgt Islip

Sgt. Brandon T. Islip, 23, of Richmond, Va    Nov 30, 2009
 

 http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13158                                                                

Remains of U.S. Paratrooper Found in Afghanistan 
American Forces Press Service 

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2009 - The remains of a U.S. paratrooper reported missing since early this month in western Afghanistan was recovered
yesterday, military officials said.  

The body of Army Sgt. Brandon Islip was recovered from the Bala
Murgahab River in Badghis province after a local Afghan resident
provided information on his whereabouts, officials said. 

Islip, a paratrooper with the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, went
missing with another paratrooper Nov. 4 after being swept away by a
fast-moving current while on an airdrop re-supply mission in western
Afghanistan. 

The recovery comes weeks after British divers found the body of
Islip's fellow soldier, Spc. Benjamin Sherman, who was posthumously
promoted to the rank of sergeant. 

"The recovery of Sergeant Islip and Sergeant Sherman would not have
been possible without the untiring support and efforts of our fellow
international forces, the Afghan national security forces and the
local people of Bala Murghab," said Col. Brian M. Drinkwine, commander
of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, to which the two soldiers were
assigned. 

A memorial service for the two paratroopers will be held in
Afghanistan in the coming days, officials said.

Sunday, November 29 2009 @ 12:28 AM MST
Contributed by: James Van Thach
Views:: 95
Brandon T. Islip
The Virginian-Pilot -- It took four days of searching in icy, fast-flowing waters, but a team of divers out of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story successfully recovered the body of a Richmond Army sergeant from the Murghab River in northern Afghanistan last month.

Sgt. Brandon Islip, 24, was swept away by a fast-moving current while on an airdrop resupply mission last month.

The divers, from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit  2, Company 2-3, spent four days searching the Murghab River, in water as cold as 42 degrees and flowing as fast as 12 knots.

“We expected very challenging dive conditions, but everyone was prepared mentally, and we were determined to complete the mission successfully,”  Chief Warrant Officer James Dertilis said.

Islip and Spc.  Benjamin Sherman, 21, were swept away by the river early last month when they tried to recover airdropped supplies that had fallen into the water. Sherman’s body was recovered by British divers on Nov. 10.

Visibility in the river  was “at  6 inches or less,” said Petty Officer  1st Class William Stetson. He said the bottom was “rough and uneven.”

“We worked through it and by the second day we were able to crawl along the bottom searching and covering large areas,” he said. Islip’s body was located on Nov. 29.

Islip’s body    arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Saturday afternoon.