A Marine corporal from Colorado Springs, who volunteered for duty in Iraq, died last week in al-Anbar province during his third tour of duty, relatives and the military said Tuesday.
Kyle W. Powell, 21, died Saturday during combat operations, according to the military.
Powell was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
“We are proud of our son, who chose to serve his country and his fellow Marines during three tours of duty in Iraq. … God bless the United States Marines and God Bless America,” the Powell family said in a prepared statement.
Cpl. Jose A. Galvan, 22, of San Antonio, Texas, who was assigned to the same unit, was killed Sunday in combat in al-Anbar, the military said.
By enlisting, Powell followed his parents David and Nancy Powell, both retired Army officers, into service.
The family was still finalizing funeral arrangements Tuesday, Nancy Powell said.
Powell is at least the 38th Coloradan killed in the war – a figure that does not include soldiers stationed at Fort Carson. Fort Carson officials on Tuesday said 174 soldiers from the Mountain Post have died in Iraq.
Powell enlisted in September 2003, and thrived on the tough combat circumstances.
His awards include: Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal; Combat Action Ribbon; Sea Service Deployment Ribbon; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; and the National Defense Ribbon, according to a Camp Pendleton spokesperson.
He was a 2003 graduate of Cheyenne Mountain High School and active in the Eagle Scouts.
People who knew him described him as a “quiet leader, an all-around good kid.”
“He loved being a Marine,” said Don Fortenberry, a teacher at Cheyenne Mountain High who knew Kyle Powell when he was an assistant Scout leader for Powell’s troop. “Kyle found his niche in life. This was his third tour over there, he volunteered. He was doing what he wanted to do.”
Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-954-1537 or mgonzales@denverpost.com
