Sgt. First Class Brett Eugene Walden

Walden’s awards and decorations include the Combat Infantry Badge, the Expert Infantry
Badge, the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the
Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal,
the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon 3rd award, The Army Service
Ribbon, the Overseas Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Ranger Tab,
the Special Forces Tab, the Parachutist Badge, and the Air Assault Badge. His posthumous awards
include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Purple Heart.

He is survived by his wife, Autumn, and daughter Alexandria,12, both of Dover, Penn.

Sgt. 1st Class Brett Eugene Walden died Aug. 5, 2005 near Rabi’ah, Iraq when an Humvee and a fuel truck collided. Walden, 40, was a Special Forces weapons sergeant assigned 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Walden, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., enlisted as an Infantryman in February, 1987. He served as an infantryman in Hawaii from 1987 to 1992. He then served with 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky., until 1997. After a year with 1st Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.,

He arrived at Fort Campbell November, 2000, and has served as a weapons sergeant with 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) since May, 2001. With 5th SFG(A) Walden spent one tour of duty in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom and had recently begun his fourth tour of duty in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

His military schools include Airborne, Air Assault, U.S. Army Ranger Course, Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer’s Course, Combat Lifesaver’s Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course, the Russian Language Course, the Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape Course, High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) Parachutist School, and the Advanced Noncommissioned Officer’s Course.