Georgia Guardsman killed in Afghanistan

By Mike Morris

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A Bibb County sheriff's deputy serving in the Georgia Army National Guard has been killed in Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Alex French, 31, of Milledgeville was a member of the National Guard's 48^th Brigade, which deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year.

French was killed Sept. 30 in Khost, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device, the Department of Defense said Thursday. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, out of Lawrenceville.

French had been with the Bibb County Sheriff's Office  for several years, according to the Macon Telegraph.

The Milledgeville Union-Recorder newspaper reported when French left for Afghanistan in March that he was the father of twin 4-year-old daughters and a 1-year-old son.

French was the eighth member of the 48^th Brigade to be killed in Afghanistan.

In early June, Maj. Kevin M. Jenrette, 37, of Lula, Staff Sgt. John C. Beale, 39, of Riverdale and Spc. Jeffrey W. Jordan, 21, of Cave Spring were killed when their convoy struck a roadside bomb and came under small-arms fire near Kapisa province.

Later that month, 1^st Sgt. John D. Blair, 38, of Calhoun died after a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.

In July, Sgt. Brock Henry Chavers Sr., 25, of Statesboro and Spc. Isaac Lee Johnson Jr., 24, of Columbus died of wounds from an improvised explosive device near Kunduz, Afghanistan.

Also in July, Raymundo P. Morales, 34, of Dalton died of injuries sustained in a vehicle rollover in Methar Lam, Afghanistan.

The DOD also on Thursday announced the death of a Georgia-based soldier killed Tuesday in Iraq.

Spc. Ross E. Vogel III, 27, of Red Lion, Pa., died in Kut, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a "non-combat related incident," the DOD said.

Vogel was assigned to the 67^th Signal Battalion, 35^th Signal Brigade at Fort Gordon.

Staff writer Larry Hartstein contributed to this article.