Floyd E. Lake – Sergeant First Class, United States Army

by

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 081-07

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of 12 soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 20, 2007, when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter they were in crashed.

Killed were:

Colonel Brian D. Allgood, 46, of Oklahoma, who was assigned to the 30th Medical Brigade, Europe Regional Medical Command, Heidelberg, Germany.

Staff Sergeant Darryl D. Booker, 37, of Midlothian, Virginia, who was assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, Virginia Army National Guard, Sandston, Virginia.

Sergeant First Class John G. Brown, 43, of Little Rock, Arkansas, who was assigned to the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment (Air Assault), 77th Aviation Brigade, Camp Robinson, Arkansas.

Lieuetnant Colonel David C. Canegata III, 50, of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, who was assigned to the Virgin Islands Army National Guard, Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Command Sergeant Major Marilyn L. Gabbard, 46, of Polk City, Iowa, who was assigned to Joint Forces Headquarters, Iowa Army National Guard, Camp Dodge, Johnston, Iowa.

Command Sergeant Major Roger W. Haller, 49, of Davidsonville, Maryland, who was assigned to the 70th Regiment, Regional Training Institute – Maryland, Maryland Army National Guard, Reisterstown, Maryland.

Colonel Paul M. Kelly, 45, of Stafford, Virginia, who was assigned to the Joint Force Headquarters of the Virginia Army National Guard in Blackstone, Virginia.

Sergeant First Class Floyd E. Lake, 43, of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, who was assigned to the Virgin Islands Army National Guard, Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Corporal Victor M. Langarica, 29, of Decatur, Georgia, who was assigned to the 86th Signal Battalion, Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

Captain Sean E. Lyerly, 31, of Pflugerville, Texas., who was assigned to the Texas Army National Guard’s 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, Austin, Texas.

Captain Michael V. Taylor, 40, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, who was assigned to the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment (Air Assault), 77th Aviation Brigade, Camp Robinson, Arkansas.

First Sergeant William T. Warren, 48, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, who was assigned to the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment (Air Assault), 77th Aviation Brigade, Camp Robinson, Arkansas.

The incident is under investigation.

Sergant First Class Class Floyd E. Lake, a logistics coordinator with the Army National Guard, was so good at what he did that, when he joined the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Virginia, three years ago, he filled the shoes of someone two ranks higher.

Lake, 43, a resident of Beltsville since December 2004, died Saturday, one of 12 soldiers killed in a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crash northeast of Baghdad, Department of Defense officials confirmed Wednesday.

He is survived by his wife, Linda, and five children, J’Nelle, Floyd Jr., Andre, Keeshawn and Tamile.

“He was a wonderful individual. Having him around was a charm,” said his commanding officer, Sergeant Major Tony Davis.

Colleagues remember Lake as a dedicated father who often could be found attending his children’s elementary school activities or running and exercising with his children, Andre and Tamile, who lived with him in Beltsville.

An outdoorsman and “fitness fanatic,” Lake took pride in his health and many physical fitness achievement medals. He repeatedly scored “master fitness” level in military physical training tests, said his civilian boss, Felicia Barrett, logistics support branch chief in the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington.

“He was always out in front, beating most of us in physical fitness tests,” said Davis.

A native of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Lake spoke often of his home, colleagues said, treating them to island food he prepared himself at home and stories of buying sweet apples at the open market.

Lake graduated from Ivana Eud Kean High School in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands in 1984, National Guard officials said.

A career soldier, he enlisted in the Army in 1988, and served two years as a stock record clerk at Fort Polk, Louisiana, before completing his tour of duty.

In 1990, Lake joined the Virgin Islands Army National Guard, and served as the material control and handling supervisor for the 662nd Field Service Co. on St. Thomas. In 1991, he moved to St. Croix, where he served as the warehouse foreman at the office of the U.S. Property and Fiscal Office.

In 2004, Lake transferred to the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, where he was the logistics non-commissioned officer at the Readiness Center, and was responsible for maintaining a $3 million purchasing budget and providing computers, supplies and automation equipment to over 250 soldiers in three divisions.

“He took care of everything here,” said Barrett. “He would do anything you asked him. He took care of his missions and was meticulous about his duties.”

Barrett remembers Lake as an easygoing, soft-spoken man, who was not a socialite, but very friendly, and always promised to bring her island jewelry. Lake deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in October, 2006.

Interment ceremony set for 12 killed in crash
4 October 2007

Twelve soldiers who were killed on January 20, 2007, when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Baghdad will be honored during a group interment at Arlington National Cemetery.

The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. October 12, 2007.

The soldiers, who belonged to a number of active Army and Army National Guard units, are: Colonel Brian D. Allgood, 46, of Okla. Colonel Paul M. Kelly, 45, of Stafford, Virginia, Lieuetnant Colonel David C. Canegata III, 50, of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Captain Michael V. Taylor, 40, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, Captain Sean E. Lyerly, 31, of Pflugerville, Texas, Command Sergeant Major Marilyn L. Gabbard, 46, of Polk City, Iowa, Command Sergeant Major Roger W. Haller, 49, of Davidsonville, Maryland, First Sergeant William T. Warren, 48, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, Sergeant First Class Floyd E. Lake Sr., 43, of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Sergeant First Class Class John G. Brown, 43, of Little Rock, Arkansas, Staff Sergeant Darryl D. Booker, 37, of Midlothian, Virginia, and Corporal Victor M. Langarica, 29, of Decatur, Georgia.

After the ceremony, Lieutenant General Clyde Vaughn, director of the Army National Guard, will host a reception for all 12 families at the Army Guard’s Readiness Center in Arlington, Virginia.

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