Corvallis soldier killed in Iraq.

Byline: David Steves and Jim Murez The Register-Guard

A Cottage Grove-based Oregon National Guard unit lost its fourth soldier in little more than a week when two vehicles on patrol were blasted by roadside bombs near Baghdad on Sunday.

Spc. Eric McKinley, 24, of Corvallis, was killed and four others from the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, were injured in the attack on the Humvees, according to Maj. Arnold Strong of the Oregon National Guard.

Injured were Staff Sgt. Phillip Davis, 31, of Albany; Sgt. Matthew Zedwick, 33, of Bend; Cpl. Shane Ward, 23, of Corvallis; and Pvt. Richard Olsen, 23, of Independence.

According to reports, the attack was similar to the one that took place on June 4 and claimed the lives of Spc. Justin Linden, 23; Sgt. Justin Eyerly, 23; and Lt. Erik McCrae, 25, all also of the 162nd.

In Sunday's attack, the first Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb and when soldiers in a following Humvee rushed to help the first vehicle, a second explosive was detonated.

Davis and Zedwick were injured by the first blast. Davis suffered a broken arm and leg wounds. Zedwick was treated for shrapnel wounds and returned to duty.

Ward was hit by the second blast, which broke his shoulder blade.

It was unclear which vehicle McKinley was in and which explosion injured Olsen, who suffered shrapnel wounds and was treated and returned to duty.

The latest blow to the battalion, which entered Iraq the first week of April and is not due to rotate back stateside until April 2005, has rattled family members.

"These are the guys that are on the ground in one of the most dangerous parts of Iraq," Strong said, describing duties that include patrolling and law enforcement.

The 2nd Battallion of the 162nd is continually in operations between Sadr City, a Baghdad neighborhood where last weekend's attacks took place, and Taji, a suburb north of Baghdad.

News Sunday of the attacks brought in calls from families expressing concern and fear.

"We're a very tight community and we're a very tight family in the Oregon National Guard," Strong said. "And when one person is affected, it starts a chain reaction that I've said is like the Biscuit Fire: It starts phone tree after phone tree after phone tree, so that everyone knows what anyone knows."

Strong said the National Guard has heard a lot of "angst and concern" from families of the soldiers after the latest attack.

"It's an infantry battalion that is operationally deployed on a daily basis," Strong said. "It is a unit that is daily in a fight with the enemy ... They're in a hostile environment every day. They're overcoming a lot of that hostility."

The unit has been distributing food and supplies to people while also being shot at, Strong said. "So they will literally exit vehicles, run to a house, knock on the door, deliver food, throw the kids a bag of candy and run into their up-armored Humvee to move out because other people are taking potshots at them.

"It's terrible these two attacks have happened in the last week and a half, but it just underscores the type of environment they're in," Strong said.

McKinley was serving under the "stop-loss program," which is used to keep in place soldiers scheduled to leave the military to maintain troop strength.

He was scheduled to leave the military after six years on April 1. Although that did not anger McKinley's family, it was difficult news for them to accept.

"They're really hurt," Strong said. "The family is very upset with the loss of their son. Nothing can replace that."

McKinley worked at Alpine Bakery in Corvallis and attended Philomath High School.

The family said McKinley had big plans to put his "entrepreneurial side" to work to help kids back home.

He wanted to open a juice bar in Corvallis near a skate park, where kids could go after school for a safe place to hang out and where they weren't exposed to drugs and alcohol, Strong said.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski expressed his condolences to McKinley's family while commending McKinley and the other four soldiers for their service to their country.

Strong said the June 30 transfer of sovereignty won't change the battalion's role in Iraq.

"There is a change-over of sovereignty, but that doesn't change the tactical future on the ground, where we're still going to have these guys on the ground, doing their jobs."