The U.S. military on Wednesday released the names of three Pennsylvania soldiers killed in Afghanistan, but declined to release the names of five soldiers who were wounded in the same attack.
Sgt. Edward Koehler, 47, of Lebanon; Sgt. Brian Mowery, 49, of Halifax, and Staff Sgt. Kenneth VanGiesen, 30, of Kane, were killed when the vehicle in which they were riding was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) near Bagram, Afghanistan, according to a release from the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
The soldiers were transporting supplies and equipment as part of a convoy.
The three men killed and the five injured were deployed with the 131st Transportation Company, 213th Area Support Group, based in Williamstown and Philadelphia.
It is military policy not to release the names of wounded soldiers, but Maj. Cory Angell, a public affairs officer for the Pennsylvania National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, said four of the wounded soldiers sustained non-serious injuries and may have already returned to duty, while the fifth soldier was seriously injured.
"That meant he had to be elevated to a higher level of care, but I can't say what that injury is," Angell said Wednesday.
None of the injuries are life-threatening, according to the press release.
The News-Item was unable to confirm a report that one of the wounded soldiers is from the Mount Carmel area.
Air Force Maj. Monica M. Matoush, a Pentagon spokesperson, said Wednesday the Privacy Act and HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) prohibit the military from releasing names of wounded personnel.
Caring for families
Maj. Gen. Wesley Craig, the adjutant general of Pennsylvania, commented on the loss on his official Twitter page Wednesday.
"We'll honor their service by caring for their families and by increasing our determination to accomplish the mission they set out to do," he said.