Fallen Soldier: Dale A. Goetz

Army Capt. Dale A. Goetz, 43, of White, S.D., was assigned to 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. He was one of four soldiers killed on August 30th, 2010 in the Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

A native of Hood River, Oregon, Goetz developed his Christian faith and love for the military while attending a small private school in his hometown. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Air Force but also wanted to go to Bible College. In 1995, he graduated from Maranatha Baptist Bible College, where he met his wife, and went on to receive a Master of Divinity degree from Central Baptist Theological Seminary in 2006.

He worked as a pastor in White, South Dakota, but after a conversation with a Navy Chaplain, chose to answer another calling and became an Army Chaplain. Although Chaplains do not carry their own weapons, they travel into combat zones to reach soldiers on the battlefield, provide religious support and perform services or rites. He was the first Army Chaplain killed in action since 1970. He was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal, a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star Medal, and three Army Commendation Medals during this military career.