3 soldiers killed in Afghanistan honored

FORT DRUM — The post chapel held a ceremony Thursday to honor three soldiers who died Jan. 12 in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Omar Aceves, 30, Cpl. Jarrid L. King, 20, and Spc. Benjamin G. Moore, 23 — all members of the 693rd Sapper Company, 7th Engineer Battalion — were killed when they were hit by an improvised explosive device.

Capt. Charles W. Comfort Jr. commanded the company until December and got to know all three soldiers.

"They were natural leaders — leaders who led from the front and cleared the way for others," he said at the ceremony. "They did this on every mission, including their final one."

The company is responsible for clearing roads of dangerous obstacles, such as IEDs.

The soldiers are expected to return within the next two months. They already had suffered one casualty. On Nov. 5, the company lost Spc. Blake D. Whipple to an improvised explosive device.

A moment of silence was held for the three soldiers and Spc. Omar Soltero, a member of the 10th Mountain Division's 4th Brigade based out of Fort Polk, La. A ceremony will be held for him there.

Capt. Comfort remembered his three soldiers as having one thing in common.

"It's so hard to mourn them, because when I think of them, they make me smile," he said. "These three men had incredible smiles."

Sgt. Aceves's smile in particular resonated, Capt. Comfort said.

"It was something he brought out as he brought you into his extended family," he said. "It was a gesture that made me feel comfortable."

He remembered Cpl. King's smile for a different reason — his grin was one of confidence, Capt. Comfort said.

"It wasn't until you understood his smile that you actually understood how much knowledge he had," he said. "When you received a smile from Jarrid, everything was great. Everything was fine."

Spc. Moore was more traditional with his smile, Capt. Comfort said.

"Whether you wanted to or not, you were drawn to his voice and to his stories," he said.