Dustin R. Donica slain by sniper

David Donica said he learned his son's death was the 3,000th for the U.S. military in Iraq after logging on to the Internet, not long after declining to be interviewed by reporters who had come to the family's home.

"We had no idea why we were getting, within an hour almost, eight or nine people at the door," he said later Sunday. "That was a surprise to us because none of them mentioned why they were there. Perhaps, they were embarrassed. One guy was standing there shaking like a leaf."

Dustin Donica's unit was conducting counter-insurgency operations in Karmah, in Iraq's al-Anbar province, when he was fatally struck by small-arms fire from enemy forces, an Army spokesman said.

"They are trying to create a safe and secure environment for the people of Iraq (and are) working with Iraqi security forces to get them able to take over the security mission," said Maj. Kirk Gohlke.

Reached later by phone, Donica declined to talk about his son, saying, "That would be hard for me to do."

But in an e-mail sent to news organizations, he said, "Dustin had a tremendous sense of duty, both to his family, and his country. He will be missed by his family, and all those that knew him."

Born and raised in Houston, Dustin Donica was a 2002 graduate of Klein High School. He enlisted in 2003 after a stint at the University of Texas at Austin. He completed basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., where he received the coveted airborne wings of an Army paratrooper.

In April 2005, "Double D," as he was known to his friends, was sent to the brigade's home base at Fort Richardson, Alaska. On his MySpace.com Web site, Donica, 22, noted, tongue in cheek, the incongruity of the posting.

"The Army finds it prudent to condition me to the cold in preparation for my Iraq tour," he wrote.

On the Web site, he talked about his future plans, his likes and dislikes. "I like to play a lot of sports — soccer, basketball, racquetball and ultimate frisbee are my favorites," he wrote.

He liked rock music but wasn't a big fan of the techno-heavy rave scene. Donica's perfect pizza would be loaded with ham and pineapple, and Dr Pepper was his soft drink of choice. He looked forward to continuing his college education.

By Friday, friends were filling Donica's MySpace site with notes of condolence.

"Always in my prayers brother, see you at the gates," read a message from Chris Donaton, who said he served with Donica in Alaska. In an e-mail to the Houston Chronicle, he called Donica "a great guy."

By Sunday, news of Donica's death in Iraq had spread to his local friends.

"It's just so shocking. You hear these (combat death) statistics but once you put a human face on it, it completely changes the way you feel," said Texas A&M student Jon Baben, who was president of Donica's 2002 class at Klein High School.

"He was always so energetic and an unbreakable spirit," Baben said.

From the Houston Chronicle