Army Spc. Armer N. Burkart, 26, of Rockville, Md.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died May 11of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat patrol operations in Baghdad.
HE THOUGHT THE ODDS WERE ON HIS SIDE
Army Specialist Armer Burkart often told his father that despite the dangers in Iraq, the chances of becoming a casualty seemed low considering how many soldiers are stationed there.
Even so, he thought serving his country far outweighed the risks.
"He knew it was dangerous," said his father, John Burkart.... "He was proud to be there."
His father, John Burkart of Mount Dora, Florida, said Armer wanted to be in the Army since he joined the ROTC program at Magruder High School in Derwood in Montgomery County. While in high school, he played the saxophone with the marching band.
"Both of his grandfathers were in the Navy," Burkart recalled during a phone interview Monday. "He was familiar with service life."
Before serving in Iraq, Armer Burkart served in Afghanistan from August 2003 to April 2004, according to Fort Drum officials, who said he enlisted in July of 2000.
Regardless of the sacrifices, John said his son always loved the Army and was willing to give up everything, including a full ROTC scholarship to Lehigh University, to be in the Army.
"He was a great guy, he was proud to be in the Army," his father recalled. "He volunteered for combat ... he had a nice safe position which he chose to give up."
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