A U.S. Army combat medic from Warner Robins was killed in Afghanistan Friday when insurgents attacked his unit with a rocket propelled grenade.
Spc. Mark J. Downer, 23, died in Kandahar province and is survived by his child, mother and father.
The attack on Downer’s unit was separate from an insurgent attack on a Chinook transport helicopter that killed 30 American troops Saturday, including some Navy Seal commandos from the unit that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
Downer was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat team, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y. He joined the Army in December of 2009 and trained at Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Sam Houston, Texas, before moving to Fort Drum in June of last year.
Downer's awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, and the Combat Medic Badge.
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