Montrel S. Mcarn killed in attack

A 21-year-old soldier from Raeford died Monday in Iraq after his unit came under attack, the military said.

Spc. Montrel Shante Mcarn was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, according to a statement from the Defense Department.

Another soldier, Sgt. Pedro J. Colon of Cicero, Ill., also died in the attack. He was 25.

Both soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. They had deployed to Iraq in November.

Their unit came under attack in Baghdad by “enemy forces using multiple weapons,” the statement said.

Mcarn joined the Army in February 2005 as an armor crewman, officials at Fort Hood said. His awards and decorations included the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

Word of Mcarn’s death spread quickly through Raeford by Tuesday evening. Relatives, described as distraught over his death, declined through a family friend to be interviewed.

From the Fayetteville Observer