  OIF &#151; Command Sgt. Maj. James D. Blankenbecler, 40, of Alexandria, Virginia, was killed on Oct. 1, 2003, in Samarra, Iraq. Blankenbecler was in a convoy that was hit by an improvised explosive device and rocket propelled grenades. Blankenbecler was assigned to 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas. 
