Southern Washington soldier among three killed in Afghanistan



BRUSH PRAIRIE, Wash. -- An Army sergeant from Clark County is one of two soldiers and one airman who were killed by an IED in Afghanistan Tuesday.

According to the Department of Defense, Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Michael Emond, 39, was living in Brush Prairie, Washington.

The three military members were supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinal when they were hit.

The soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The airman was assigned to the 26th Special Tactics Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico.

The other two men who died were Army Capt. Andrew Patrick Ross, 29, of Lexington, Virginia, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan J. Elchin, 25, of Hookstown, Pennsylvania.

Emond is the second soldier from Washington state to be killed in Afghanistan this week.

According to the Department of Defense, Emond was a Boston native who served in the military for more than 21 years. This was his seventh overseas tour. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Sgt. Leandro A.S. Jasso, a 25-year-old from Leavenworth, died from wounds he sustained from small-arms fire while fighting in the Khash Rod District. U.S. Army officials said he was treated at the scene and transported to the nearest medical treatment facility, where he died.