Six Soldiers With Ties To San Diego Die

SAN DIEGO -- Six soldiers with ties to San Diego County have died in Iraq and Afghanistan in separate incidents less than two weeks apart, it was reported Tuesday.

Army Spc. Mary J. Jaenichen of Temecula died May 9 in Iskandariyah, Iraq, from a noncombat related injury, according to the Defense Department.

Jaenichen graduated from El Camino High School in Oceanside in 2006 and was part of the school's ROTC program for several years, The North County Times reported.

She used her mother's Temecula address while away with the Army, according to the newspaper.

Emily Ricci participated in the ROTC program with Jaenichen and told the newspaper that Jaenichen was the one who was always cheering everyone up.

"She was really small, but had the biggest spirit," Ricci told the Times.

Jaenichen was assigned to the Brigade Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division in Fort Stewart, Ga.

From Iraq on Monday, Army Lt. Col. Randy Martin told the Times that he could not comment on the cause of her death until an investigation was completed.

Jaenichen's death came one week after four Camp Pendleton Marine died while supporting combat operations in Iraq.

Lance Cpl. Casey L. Casanova, 22, of McComb, Miss.; Cpl. Miguel A. Guzman, 21, of Norwalk, Calif.; Lance Cpl. James F. Kimple, 21, of Carroll, Ohio; and Sgt. Glen E. Martinez, 31, of Boulder, Colo. died May 2 in Al Anbar province Iraq. They were assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 1, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force.

The Camp Pendleton four died just three days after Army Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell, 30, of Ramona, died in Bastion, Afghanistan.

McDowell died April 29 from wounds that he suffered when enemy forces attacked using small arms fire, according to the Pentagon. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Lewis, Wash. He graduated from Poway High School.