Soldier spent time with brigade

Capt. Corry P. Tyler went to war with the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, but died in Iraq after transferring to another Fort Lewis-based unit.

“We’re counting him as ours,” said Maj. Jack Vantress, the brigade’s operations officer.

Tyler, 29, of Woodbine, Ga., deployed with the brigade as an aviation officer but returned home to take command of a company assigned to 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Air Cavalry Regiment. The squadron deployed to Iraq in May.

He and 13 other soldiers died Aug. 22 when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed 180 miles north of Baghdad of apparent mechanical failure.

Three other Fort Lewis soldiers died in the crash. The other 10 soldiers were assigned to an infantry unit based in Hawaii.