A 25-year-old from Honolulu was among four soldiers killed in Afghanistan Sunday when they were attacked at a checkpoint by Afghan soldiers, the Pentagon reported Wednesday.
Sgt. Sapuro B. Nena died in Zabul province of injuries suffered when his position was attacked with small-arms fire.
Nena was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
The Army at Fort Lewis said Nena enlisted in the Army in May 2008. He deployed to Iraq in 2009 with a Fort Bliss, Texas, unit. This was his first deployment to Afghanistan, where he had been stationed since December.
Nena’s awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal (two awards), Army Achievement Medal (two awards), Meritorious Unit Citation (two awards), Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, Iraq Campaign Medal with campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Ribbon (two awards) and NATO Medal.
The Pacific Daily News reported that Nena’s wife was living on Guam and had left the island for Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where her husband’s body was being flown.
Also killed in the attack were Spc. Joshua N. Nelson, 22, of Greenville, N.C., assigned to 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, at Fort Gordon, Ga.; Pfc. Genaro Bedoy, 20, of Amarillo, Texas, assigned to 52nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord; and Pfc. Jon R. Townsend, 19, of Claremore, Okla., assigned to 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
A NATO spokesman said earlier that Afghan police turned on soldiers during an attack at a checkpoint.
