Soldiers had ties to Bragg

Daza ChaconGonsalvesMontrondNewman

A militant attack that killed four special operations soldiers — three of them from Fort Bragg — was the deadliest in Afghanistan this year.

The attack Monday on a Special Forces patrol killed Staff Sgt. Edwin DazaChacon, 38; Sgt. 1st Class Chad Gonsalves, 31; Sgt. Alberto Montrond, 27; and Staff Sgt. Clinton T. Newman, 26.

The four were patrolling with Afghan soldiers along a valley road north of Deh Rawod in the Uruzgan province when their vehicle was hit by a bomb, the Associated Press reported earlier this week. Insurgent fighters opened fire with rifles and rocket propelled grenades after the blast, said military officials in Afghanistan. Fighters planes and attack helicopters were called in.

DazaChacon and Gonsalves were assigned to the 3rd Battalion of Fort Bragg’s 7th Special Forces Group. Montrond was part of the 7th Special Forces Group Support Battalion. Newman was assigned to the 321st Civil Affairs Brigade, which is based in San Antonio.

Deh Rawod is known to Special Forces soldiers as a hotbed of insurgent activity. It has been the site of repeated clashes between fighters from the former Taliban regime and U.S. forces.

A Special Forces soldier who served in the area said the terrain is rugged and the valleys only have two entry points, which are often mined.

Fighters will often set ambushes at both ends when they know American forces are in the area.

“It is hard to sneak up on anybody,” said the soldier, who requested his name not be used for security reasons.

The area is the birthplace of the Taliban. Many of the movement’s leaders and fighters have tribal bonds to Uruzgan and are hiding out on their home ground, where they can get supplies and shelter.

“This is where it all started, so it has always been popular there,” he said.
Soldiers’ backgrounds

DazaChachon, a native of Diamondbar, Calif, was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group in April. This was his second stint in the Army. He previously served in the 82nd Airborne Division during Desert Storm. He left the Army and re-enlisted in 2005.

DazaChachon’s family said in a statement released by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg that he was committed to his country.

“He was a soldier who unwaveringly placed our country before himself; He was honored to serve with his fellow soldiers, proud to serve in the United States Army, and grateful to be an American,” the family said.

All of the soldiers’ families declined to speak to reporters, instead releasing written statements through the Special Operations Command.

DazaChachon is survived by his mother and two sisters in California and his father, who lives in Colombia.

Gonsalves, DazaChachon’s teammate, was also a native of California. He joined the Army in July 1996 and served in Germany before volunteering for the Special Forces in 2000. Gonsalves completed training and was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group in 2001 as a weapons sergeant.

Gonsalves is survived by his wife, Julie Gonsalves, his parents and two children. His wife and children live in Spring Lake. His parents, Larry and Marsha Gonsalves, live in Turlock, Calif.

Julie Gonsalves said in a statement that Chad Gonsalves was a proud soldier who loved his family and fellow soldiers.

“We will all miss him and think of him every day,” she said.

Montrond, a Fayetteville native, was also remembered by his family as a selfless soldier.

“He gave his life for this country — protecting our freedoms, our families and America’s way of life. Those with whom he served are willing to do the same,” the family said in a statement.

He is survived by his parents and his wife, Christl, and two children.

Montrond started his Army career in 1998 with the 82nd Airborne Division’s 307th Forward Support Battalion. A supply specialist, Montrond was assigned to the 528th Special Operations Support Battalion in 2002 and the 7th Group Support Battalion in 2004.

Newman, the youngest of the three, was deployed for the first time as a civil affairs soldier. He graduated from the Army Civil Affairs Course at Fort Bragg in 2001 and received orders in 2005 to deploy to Afghanistan with the 321st Civil Affairs Brigade.

“Clint always expressed the utmost respect and pride for his fellow brothers-in-arms,” his family said. “May God bless the troops who serve to keep us safe.”

Newman started his career in Germany in 1997 as a infantryman. He completed his active-duty service in 1999 with the 1st Armor Division in Bad Kruetznach, Germany, but elected to stay in the Army Reserve.

Newman is survived by his mother and stepfather, Deborah and Bill Agnew of Pleasanton, Texas, and his father and stepmother, Fred and Deborah Newman of Big Spring, Texas.

Funerals for the four soldiers will be held at Fort Bragg next week, followed by private services later in the week, the Associated Press reported.

More than 200 soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since U.S. forces helped topple the Taliban in 2001. Included in those are 22 Fort Bragg-based special operations soldiers, 10 of them from the 7th Special Forces Group.