May 6, 2013: Five Fort Bliss soldiers killed in Afghanistan

*Editor’s note: This article was first published on May 6, 2013.

A Fort Bliss official confirmed that an IED blast in Afghanistan killed five Fort Bliss soldiers on May 4, 2013.

Maj. Joe Buccino identified the five soldiers as 1st Lt. Brandon J. Landrum, Staff Sgt. Francis Gene Phillips IV, Spc. Kevin Cardoza, Spc. Brandon Joseph Prescott and Spc. Thomas Paige Murach.

According to Maj. Buccino, the soldiers were in the Maiwand District in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province working a mounted patrol when their vehicle was struck with an improvised explosive device.

All Soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry, 1st Brigade, 1st
Armored Division, which deployed from Fort Bliss in December 2012.

Families left behind:

Landrum Left Behind a wife, son, and daughter

Murach is survived by his three brothers and his parents

Phillips IV left behind a wife and daughter

Prescott is survived by his parents and three brothers

Cardoza left behind two daughters