Fort Lewis soldier killed in Iraq

The News Tribune • Published January 25, 2009

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Washington's first war casualty of 2009 is a Fort Lewis soldier was killed in Iraq on Saturday when he was struck by a forklift, his wife said.

Sgt. Kyle J. Harrington of Swansea, Mass., was serving at Joint Base Balad with a unit of the 593rd Sustainment Brigade. The 24-year-old was scheduled to return from his deployment in August.

“He was amazing,” said his wife, Faith. The two have two children, 5-year-old Joshua and 2-year-old Kaylee.

Two Army officials arrived at the Harringtons' on-post housing Saturday afternoon to inform Faith of her husband's death, she said. Neither Fort Lewis nor the Department of Defense has announced the death. Typically officials wait to contact family members before releasing identities of fatalities; the process can take several days.

Harrington is the 309th service member stationed at a Washington installation or who lists Washington as his or her home state to die while deployed since Sept. 11, 2001.

Harrington had previously deployed to Iraq in November 2005. He repaired Humvees and other lightweight vehicles.

Kyle and Faith met in high school and married shortly after graduating in 2002. Kyle enlisted to provide a better life for his family, his mother-in-law told The Standard-Times of New Bedford, Mass.

"He wanted to protect the country so his kids could live in a country that was free," Debra Ryan said.