Army Specialist Robert J. Cook - Wisconsin Miltary Casualty Compilation - Afghanistan/Iraq

13 September 2011

Army Specialist Robert J. Cook - Wisconsin Miltary Casualty Compilation - Afghanistan/Iraq

This entry was posted on 9/13/2011 1:30 AM and is filed under Wisconsin Military Casualties Afghanistan Iraq Compilation.

    Army Specialist Robert James Cook, 24, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, died on Thursday, January 29, 2004. He was killed in in an explosion in the village of Dege Hendu which is west of Ghazni, Afghanistan. The area is about 90 miles southwest of Kabul, the capital of the county. Specialist Cook was an Army Ranger and Scout Sniper assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, based out of Fort Drum, New York. He was one of eight soldiers killed in an accidental explosion of rifle ammunition and mortar rounds at a weapons cache.

    The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted Robert was a 1997 graduate of Sun Prairie High School. Cook loved to fish, play football, and golf. He is remembered as being a member of the1995 Divison I state football champion playing defensive tackle. Cook had worked for three years in construction and carpentry after graduating and then joined the Army in 2000. He was deployed to Afghanistan in August of 2003. The Journal Sentinel went on to mention Specialist Robert Cook was the first Wisconsin military service person to die in the war in Afghanistan. 

    The Web site afghanistan.pigstye.net quoting from an unnamed source said Cook was training to become a medic when he deployed to Afghanistan. He hoped to someday become a nurse when he got out of the service. 

    An obituary posted on findagrave.com noted Robert Cook was born on May 1, 1979. At the time of his death Army Specialist Robert Cook was survived by: Mother Sandra L. Selheim; step-father Robert M. Selheim; birth father Douglas Cook; sister Jennifer R. Cook; half-brothers Tristan and Kyle Cook; grandmother Wanda Barden Williams; grandfather James Williams; step-grandmother Chris Barden; aunts and uncles Judith Judd, Joan Prinzing, Richard Barden, and David Barden

Information for this short biography about Army Specialist Robert James Cook was pieced together from the following sources: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Mother's fears borne out in soldier's death," January 30, 2004; afghanistan.pigstye.net, "Robert Cook," October 11, 2004; findgrave.com, "Specialist Robert J. Cook," March 31, 2006; Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs "Fallen Heroes Page"; and, CNN.com "War Casualties Page." 

Note: This "Wisconsin Military Casualties Afghanistan Iraq Compilation" Daily Dadio blog Category is under construction. Go to the Cooldadiomedia Web site and the Wisconsin War Casualties Page for a list of names noted by date of death. 
[ If readers know of other military service persons with Wisconsin connections that are not on the Web site comprehensive list of fatal casualties, or notice errors, please email Bob Keith at keithrg13@cooldadiomedia.com ]