Fallen Soldier: Shaun M. Mittler

Staff Sergeant Shaun M. Mittler, 32, of Austin, Texas, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky. On July 10, 2010, SSG. Mittler died of injuries sustained in an attack involving a rocket-propelled grenade and gunfire.

SSG Mittler attended Oak Park High School, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1998, spent time in the Kansas National Guard and returned to active duty after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Prior to his service in Afghanistan, SSG Mittler served two tours of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Additionally, he served at Camp Casey in South Korea, did jungle training in Panama and trained in Thailand with Taiwanese soldiers. He was promoted to Staff Sergeant and awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star medals posthumously.

SSG. Mittler loved sports, camping, spending time with his family and the outdoors. “My dad was a family first man,” his daughter said. “He loved to play baseball, hang out with my cousins, always kind and generous.”

Staff Sgt. Mittler’s daughter is a Folds of Honor Scholarship recipient.