Soldier From Rockford Dies In Afghanistan
UPDATED 07/16/12 6:45 a.m.
ROCKFORD, Ill. (CBS) — Defense officials say a 25-year-old U.S. Army sergeant from Rockford has died in Afghanistan.
As WBBM Newsradio's Dave Marsett reports, the The U.S. Department of Defense announced Sunday that Michael Ristau died Friday in the Zabul province. He died of wounds sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an improvised explosive device.
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Ristau was assigned to 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Stryker Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in Washington state.
Ristau joined the Army in July 2004 and has been at Lewis-McChord since he completed his training.
The Army says he deployed to Afghanistan with his brigade in December 2011. It previously served in Iraq from June 2006 through August 2007.
The Army says Ristau was married and had one child.
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