Benning soldier dies in Iraq

[Chiron]

As a member of the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Staff Sgt. Jeffery L. Hartley spent two tours of duty in Iraq and another in Afghanistan.

The Hempstead, Texas, native joined the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artilley Regiment, in the fall of 2004 and accompanied the unit to Iraq in 2005.

Along the way, the 25-year-old radio operator -- a 25-Charley in Army lingo -- earned a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and six Army Commendation Medals. In March, he made his second deployment with the 1-10, one of six battalions in the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat team.

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R.I.P. Ranger

[Chiron]

Article with his picture

[another damn texan]

R.I.P., Ranger.

[Invictus]

Godspeed Ranger

[Rugger]

RIP Ranger

[rgrjoe175]

Blue Skies

[dirty1]

RIP Brother

[smokn38]

RIP.

[289sotherhalf]

RIP.

[RTO]

R.I.P. Ranger

[EvilCouch]

Rest in peace, Ranger.

[Chiron]

A friend of mine passed this.

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FYI I ATTENDED SSG HARTLEY'S FUNERAL AND GRAVE SIDE SERVICES TODAY.

THE CHAPEL PROBABLY HELD 300 AND IT WAS STANDING ROOM ONLY! THE SENIOR MILITARY GUY WAS BG MAHON (DEPUTY CG OF FT. SAM HOUSTON). A LTC (CHAPLAIN) AS WELL AS THE HONOR GUARD WERE ALL FROM FT. SAM. THERE WAS ALSO A 1SGT FROM THE 3RD ID (HARTLEY'S UNIT) AND ANOTHER 1SG FROM THE HOUSTON RECRUITING COMMAND. I ALSO SAW A COUPLE OF E-7'S. THE FEMALE E-7 TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A REQUIREMENT FOR A GENERAL OFFICER TO ATTEND ALL FUNERALS FOR THOSE KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGANISTAN (I DID NOT KNOW THAT - BUT THINK IT IS A GREAT THING TO DO). I DID NOT SEE ANY RANGER UNIFORMS AND THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY BECAUSE I THINK HE HAS BEEN WITH THE 3RD ID FOR A YEAR. ALL THE MILITARY FOLKS ALSO ATTENDED THE GRAVE SIDE SERVICES, WITH (M-14 RIFLE SALUTE AND TAPS).

THERE WERE 70 PLUS VEHICLES THAT WENT TO THE GRAVESIDE SERVICES AND THAT DOES NOT COUNT THE POLICE; SHERIFF; STATE TROOPERS; FIRE AND AMBULANCE VEHICLES. I ALSO COUNTED 130 MOTORCYCLES FROM THE PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS GROUP THAT CAME TO THE SERVICES. THEY ALSO TOOK ALL THE US FLAGS OFF THEIR BIKES AND FORMED A LINE TO THE GRAVESITE AND THEN SURROUNDED THE GRAVESITE FOR THE SERVICE ITSELF. THE ENTRANCE TO THE CEMETARY HAD TWO QUINT FIRE TRUCKS (THAT IS THE FIRE TRUCK THAT HAS THE LONG EXTENSION LADDER ON IT) WITH THEIR LADDERS RAISED AND EXTENDED IN AN ARCH THAT EVERYONE HAD TO PASS UNDER TO ENTER THE CEMETARY AND A HUGE U S FLAG HUNG BETWEEN THE TWO EXTENDED LADDERS AT THE TOP OF THEIR ARCH.

IT WAS 15 PLUS MILES FROM THE FUNERAL HOME TO THE CEMETARY AND IT WAS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE HOW THE EMERGENCY FOLKS "SHUTDOWN" THE CROSS ROADS ALL THE WAY THERE. DRIVERS GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WERE STOPPED ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. ABOUT HALF OF THAT DISTANCE WAS 4 LANE HIGHWAY AND NOBODY WAS MOVING BUT THE FUNERAL POSSESION. EVERY LITTLE TOWN AND MANY CROSS ROADS WE PASSED THRU HAD FOLKS STANDING BESIDE THE ROAD WITH US FLAGS AND BANNERS SAYING SUPPORT THE TROOPS. REGULAR FOLKS AS WELL AS BOY AND GIRL SCOUTS, TOO. IF PEOPLE DID NOT HAVE A FLAG THEY WERE STANDING THERE WITH THEIR HANDS OVER THIER HEART AND OR WERE SALUTING AS WE PASSED BY (AND I AM PROBABLY 70 VEHICLES FROM THE FRONT OF THE PROCESSION).

I ALMOST FORGOT THERE WAS ALSO AN APACHE HELICOPTER THAT MADE ABOUT 4 SLOW AND LOW PASSES OVER THE FUNERAL HOME AS EVERYONE WAS GETTING IN THEIR VEHICLES AND THEN IT STAYED WITH THE PROCESSION ALL THE WAY TO THE CEMETARY AND CIRCLED AROUND UNTIL THE LAST VEHICLES PULLED IN BEFORE IT DEPARTED. BY MY WATCH AT LEAST 60 MINUTES IN THE AIR. PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.

I WAS VERY GLAD I WENT. I SIGNED THE GUEST REGISTER WITH US ARMY RANGER ASSOCIATION IN PARANTHESIS. THEY HAD SEVERAL PHOTOS OF HIM IN HIS BERET AND
A LARGE ONE WITH THE 3RD RANGER BATALLION SCROLL DISPLAYED. THEY PRESENTED THE FAMILY WITH A 2ND AWARD BRONZE STAR AND A PURPLE HEART AT THE FUNERAL HOME. AT GRAVESITE THEY GAVE TWO US FLAGS AND TWO DISPLAY CASES (RIBBONS AND BADGES) IN WHICH THEY PLACED THE FLAGS, TO THE FAMILY. I WAS ABOUT 30 FEET AWAY AND ONE FLAG CAME OFF THE CASKET BUT I DO NOT KNOW WHERE THE 2ND ONE CAME FROM. THEY PRESENTED ONE TO SOMEONE ON THE FRONT ROW NEAR THE HEAD OF THE CASKET AND THE OTHER TO SOMEONE NEAR THE FOOT OF THE CASKET. I HAD NOT SEEN THAT BEFORE AND I DID NOT BUTTONHOLE THE MILITARY AFTERWARDS TO FIND OUT WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT. THEY ALSO PLACED 3 SHELL CASINGS FROME THE SALUTE IN EACH FLAG, DESIGNATING THEM AS DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY, AS THEY PLACED EACH OF THEM INSIDE THE FOLDED FLAG. I HAD SEEN THE SHELL CASINGS PRESENTED TO THE FAMILY BEFORE, BUT ALWAYS SEPARATE FROM THE FLAG. I THOUGHT PLACING THEM INSIDE THE FLAG WAS BETTER.

RLTW
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C

[Ranger Ron]

RIP, Ranger!