Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell, 34, of Columbia, Mo.

SFC Sadell was assigned to 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Oct. 24, 2010 at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds suffered Oct. 5 at Arif Kala, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.

Flags on state offices will be at half-staff today for a 10th Mountain Division soldier who died Sunday, weeks after being hit by in improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.

On Oct. 5, Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell, 34, was hit by an IED near Arif Kala, Afghanistan. He was taken to National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where he died. The military intelligence analyst served with 1st Brigade Combat Team's 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment.

The Columbia, Mo., native joined the Army in 1995 and had deployed to Iraq, Kosovo and Saudi Arabia. When not deployed, he earned a parachutist and expert infantry badge. Among his awards is a Bronze Star.

"On behalf of all New Yorkers, I wish to extend our sympathy to friends, family and fellow soldiers of Sergeant First Class Sadell," Gov. Paterson said. "Though not a native New Yorker, we consider all those who serve at Fort Drum to be part of our New York family."

This is the squadron's sixth death in Afghanistan; all were attributed to IEDs. One of the squadron's duties is to act as the "eyes and ears" of the brigade by providing reconnaissance.

In late September, Col. Willard M. Burleson told WWNY-TV news that the squadron was in southern Afghanistan, near Kandahar, as part of Operation Dragon Strike, which was aimed at driving the Taliban from the area.

The 3,500-soldier brigade deployed to Afghanistan in February of this year and is expected to return in early 2011.

He was deployed to Afghanistan in the spring, according to a news release from Fort Drum. His previous deployments included a four-month tour in Saudi Arabia in 1997, a six-month tour in Kosovo in 2001 and a 12-month tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sadell first joined the Army in 1995. He was previously stationed in Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; Dexheim, Germany; and Fort Huachuca, Ariz.

Sadell received a number of awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Superior Unit Award and the Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, as well as other medals for service in Iraq, professional development and combat action, according to the release.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell died 10/24/10 from wounds received in action on 10/5/10.