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Brian K Naseman

Brian Naseman never explained to his wife exactly why he wanted to join the military. He just did. He was a born leader, Peggy Naseman said. When he moved from Ohio to Wisconsin, he transferred from the Ohio National Guard to the Wisconsin National Guard, with which he served two tours of duty, once in Kuwait and most recently in Iraq.

Brian would help a friend or neighbor at any time, day or night. “I can”t even tell you how many lives Brian has changed. If you needed something, he was there,” she said. Naseman, 36, of Racine, Wis., died May 22 in a noncombat-related in a rural region about 20 miles north of Baghdad.

He also is survived by two sons, Cole, 9, and Carter, 7. Naseman grew up in Ohio and met his future wife at a barn dance, where he taught her to line dance. The Naseman family was last together in April when Peggy and the boys traveled to Albuquerque, N.M., to say goodbye to Brian before he shipped off to Iraq. They spent one of their final days together on a hot air balloon. “We got as close to heaven as we wanted to be at the time,” Peggy Naseman said.

Sergeant First Class Brian K. Naseman was the son of Richard and Diane (Schmitmeyer) Naseman of New Bremen, Ohio. A 1990 graduate of New Bremen High School, he attended Wright State University and The Ohio State University pursuing a degree in Education. Afterwards Brian began his 20-year career with the Army National Guard, originally serving with the Ohio Army National Guard, before transferring to the Wisconsin Army National Guard.

At a barn dance in Ohio 13 years ago, he taught a young lady from Wisconsin named Peggy E. Chmielewski how to line dance. They became friends and traveled back and forth from Ohio to Wisconsin to see each other for three years before they married on March 20, 1999, and settled in Racine Wisconsin because Brian loved his wife’s family and friends so much, as they did him.

He worked as a laborer for Masonry Specialists and remained a full-time National Guard soldier in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 257th Brigade Support Battalion, 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. He had previously deployed to Kuwait from November 2005 to November 2006 with the 2nd Battalion, 128th Infantry. In February of 2009, he was mobilized assigned to the 108th Forward Support Company, attached to 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based at Sussex, Wisconsin.

He received training in Texas and Florida before being sent to Kuwait and then Iraq last month. He died May 22 in Taji, Iraq of a non-combat related incident.

Brian is survived by his wife; their sons; parents; sisters, many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends too numerous to mention by name. Brian was preceded in death by his grandparents, Lawrence and Marianna Schmitmeyer; Carl and Hazel Naseman; Frank and Catherine Chmielewski; and Eugene and Velma Krebs.

Sussex – A Racine soldier on active duty in Iraq has died from injuries he received in a noncombat-related incident, the Department of Defense announced Sunday.

Sgt. 1st Class Brian Naseman died Friday in Taji, Defense officials said in a statement. Naseman is a native of New Bremen, Ohio, and lived in Racine with his wife and children, officials said.

The Department of Defense said the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

Naseman was assigned to the 108th Forward Support Company, attached to the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team out of Sussex.

Naseman’s family requested privacy.

“At this time they want to grieve with each other,” said Wisconsin National Guard spokeswoman Maj. Jackie Guthrie.

Naseman had previously deployed to Kuwait from November 2005 to November 2006 with 2nd Battalion, 128th Infantry, the National Guard said in a statement. Prior to his recent mobilization with the 32nd Brigade, he was a full-time National Guard soldier.

“I salute his service to his community, state and nation; and I pray for the protection and safe return of all the soldiers and airmen of the Wisconsin National Guard now serving overseas in harm’s way,” National Guard Brig. Gen. Donald P. Dunbar said in a statement.

Dunbar said flags at all National Guard armories, air bases and other facilities would be lowered to half-staff on Tuesday and remain lowered until sunset on the day of Naseman’s funeral services.

36, of New Bremen, Ohio; assigned to the 108th Forward Support Company, attached to 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Sussex, Wis.; died May 22 in Taji, Iraq of a noncombat-related incident.

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Racine
05/22/2009
Age: 36
Incident Location: Taji, Iraq
Branch: Army
Rank: Sgt. 1st Class
Unit: 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Units Base: Sussex, Wisconsin