Fort Carson – The military said today that the deputy commander of Fort Carson’s 2nd Brigade Combat team has been killed in Iraq along with two other soldiers, becoming the Army post’s highest-ranking officer to die in the war.
Lt. Col. Eric J. Kruger, 40, of Garland, Texas, was killed last Thursday by a roadside bomb along with Lt. Col. Paul J. Finken, 40, of Mason City, Iowa, and Staff Sgt. Joseph A. Gage, 28, of Modesto, Calif.
All three men were riding in the same Humvee in eastern Baghdad, said Kelly Tyler, a spokeswoman for Fort Campbell.
Kruger was married but McNutt had no other information about his family. Post spokeswoman Dee McNutt said he is the 174th soldier from the Colorado Springs post to be killed in Iraq.
Kruger had won a Bronze Star and a Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters among other commendations. He previously served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bahrain. He joined the Army in January 1989. He held bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern Methodist University.
Fink and Gaage were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.
Finken received a Bronze Star, along with multiple other commendations during his time in the Army. He is survived by his wife, Jackie, and daughters Emilie, Caroline, and Julia of Clarksville, Tenn.
Finken headed a Military Transition Team, also known as a MiTT, which was training the Iraqi Army’s 2nd Battalion. Finken told USA Today in August that training Iraqis was a “Catch-22,” because they knew the neighborhoods well, but also were hesitant to fight with people they knew.
“You’re now putting tribal loyalties at odds with some military operations,” Finken said.
Finken’s family released a statement describing him as a “devoted husband, loving father and respected leader.” “He loved being a soldier, and respected the soldiers he worked with. He always set the example and would never ask his soldiers to do anything he wouldn’t do himself,” the statement said.
Finken was a 1989 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was an infantry officer assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 506th Infantry Regiment. He entered the Army in May 1989 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 2003.
Finken was the second-highest ranking officer from Fort Campbell to be killed in Iraq. Lt. Col. Kim Orlando, 43, the commander of the 716th Military Police Battalion, was killed in 2003.
Gage was an infantryman assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team. He was a 10-year military veteran.
Gage received an Army Good Conduct Medal, among several commendations. He is survived by his wife, Samantha, and son, Michael, of Fort Campbell.
A memorial service for the soldiers will be held in Iraq.
