Army Sergeant First Class David James Hartman, 27, of Merced, California (his mother lives in Pardeeville, Wisconsin) died on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, in Timagara, Pakistan. His convoy was attacked by insurgents using an improvised explosive device. Sergeant First Class Hartman was assigned to Team 622 in Company B, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was one of three soldiers killed in the explosion which occured in Timagara, Lower Dir district, North West Frontier province, Pakistan. They were traveling to attend a ceremony at a girls' school that had been renovated with U.S. assistance.
The Los Angeles Times quoted Hartman's mother Trea Bacon as explaining Sergeant Hartman had been originally trained in combat but retooled to civil affairs work. David was born in Merced, California in 1982 and lived with his father in Lathrop in the Modesto area until he was 12. He later lived with his mother and his stepfather who was serving in the Army and was stationed in Japan. Hartman enlisted at 17 years old after graduating from high school from Kadena High School in 2000 which he attended on a U.S. Air Force base in Okinawa. He had been a member of the ROTC program. David had been married to wife Cherise about four years, an old high school friend. They had one son Michael, one year old, and before his deployment his wife became pregnant with their second child.
The Lake County News of California noted Kelseyville and the Clear Lake Riviera as a point of reference for Hartman's father Greg and stepmother Kate. The County News sited The United Kingdom's Telegraph newspaper as reporting that the three American deaths were believed to be the first US military deaths to occur in Pakistan. Sergeant First Class Hartman had been deployed to Afghanistan previously in 2002, and also to Iraq in 2004. Previous positions held by Hartman were platoon sergeant with Company C, Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Division; electronic maintenance shop foreman, forced entry switch section team chief and sergeant, senior electronic maintenance technician and senior switch technician with the 50th Signal Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps.
Some of Sergeant First Class Hartman's military awards include: The Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terror Expeditionary and Service medals; NCO Professional Development Ribbon; Overseas Service Medal; the Bronze Star; and, the Purple Heart.
Wisconsin's televison station WMTV 15 via their Website nbc15.com discusses Hartman's connections with Pardeeville, Wisconsin. David would often visit his mother Mikail Bacon who lives there. The community put forward commemorations and the installation of a memorial in Hartman's honor. Information from the The Press Democrat found on the Internet notes that Hartman's father was a pastor as well as a contractor in California. The site quoted information from the New York Times that Hartman was among at least 60 to 100 members of a team that trains Pakistan’s paramilitary Frontier Corps in counter-insurgency techniques. The Times corroborates that the soldiers were on their way to attend a ceremony at a girls school that had been renovated with U.S. humanitarian assistance. Reports also have the soldiers wearing civilian cloths. The site mentioned Hartman's younger brother followed in his footsteps completing boot camp the day before Hartman’s death.
The Portage Daily Register and wiscnews.com out of Wisconsin noted the incident involved a suicide bomber ramming a car into Hartman's vehicle. Per information via the Associated Press, the description of the attack raising questions of whether the attacker had inside information. How the bomber knew the soldiers would be passing through Lower Dir and which vehicle to attack has raised concerns. Sergeant First Class Hartman was part of a little-publicized mission to train local Pakistani forces in the volatile northwest near the Afghan border. Along with Hartman and the two other soldiers the explosion killed three girls at a nearby school and a Pakistani paramilitary soldier traveling with the Americans. Two more U.S. soldiers were wounded, along with approximately 100 other people, many from the school. The Daily Register went on to note Hartman's military schooling as including the Civil Affairs Qualification Course; Basic Non-Commissioned Officers Course; Basic Airborne Course; Joint Network Node Operators Course; Unit Movement NCO Course; Equal Opportunity Leaders Course; Gryphon Group's Mobile Force Protection Course; and, Explosive Hazard Awareness Trainer's Course.
At the time of his death David Hartman was survived by his wife Cherise Sabio Hartman; son Michael; and another child on the way; his mother Mikail "Trea" Bacon; father Greg Hartman and stepmother Kate Hartman; three sisters sisters; both paternal grandparents; and a younger brother. Sergeant First Class David Hartman was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. He was the the 18th Wisconsin military service person killed in the Afghanistan war since October of 2001.
Information for this short biography about Army Sergeant First Class David James Hartman was pieced together from the following sources: Los Angeles Times, "Army Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman, 27, Merced; among 3 killed in blast," June 17, 2010; Lake County News, "Kelseyville family mourns son killed in roadside bombing in Pakistan," February 6, 2010; nbc15.com, "Pardeeville Mother Grieves Loss of Son; Killed in Pakistan,"June 13, 2010; The Press Democrat and the New York Times found on the Internet, "David J. Hartman," February 03 2010; Portage Daily Register via wiscnews.com, "Military service a focus of Pardeeville's July Fourth parade," July 1, 2010; Portage Daily Register via wiscnews.com, "Son of Pardeeville woman killed in Pakistan," February 5, 2010; Portage Daily Register, The Associated Press, "SHAHI KOTO, Pakistan - The deaths of three American special operations soldiers...," February 5, 2010; Portage Daily Register via wiscnews.com , "Fallen soldier to be honored in Pardeeville," May 23, 2010; 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 ]
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