HENNEPIN, MN, USA
U.S. Army
SFC, HQ, U S ARMY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND, FORT BRAGG, NC
MOSUL, IRAQ 01/28/2005
Sergeant First Class Mickey E. Zaun, 27, was a Chemical Operations Specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, at Fort Bragg N.C.
Zaun died Jan. 28, 2005, from injuries sustained during a collision between two armored vehicles in the vicinity of Mosul, Iraq.
A native of Brooklyn Park, Minn., Zaun entered the Army as a chemical operations specialist on Aug. 10, 1995, just four weeks after his eighteenth birthday.
After completing basic training and the Army’s Chemical Operations Specialist Course, he was assigned to the 21st Chemical Company, 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg. In October 1997, Zaun moved to the 82nd’s 307th Forward Support Battalion. There, he served as the company noncommissioned officer for Company B and later Company C. He was promoted to sergeant in March 1998.
Zaun’s first tour in Army special operations began in December 1999 when he moved to Fort Carson, Colo., for a two-year tour of duty with the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He was also promoted to staff sergeant that month. He initially served as the recon/decontamination team sergeant with the unit’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company before moving to the group’s 3rd Battalion to serve as the battalion’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical NCO.
In May 2002, was assigned to Korea to serve as an NBC Operations NCO with Division Chemical, 2nd Infantry Division. He returned to both Fort Bragg and the Army special operations community in March 2003 as an NBC Operations NCO with HHC, USASOC. He was promoted to sergeant first class in April 2004.
Zaun’s military education includes the Jumpmaster Course, the Basic Airborne Course, the Defense Hazardous Material Course, the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course and the Chemical Operations Specialist Course.
His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Master Parachutist Badge and the Driver and Mechanic Badge.
Zaun is survived by his mother, Cheryl Zaun of Eden Prairie, Minn.; his father, Kenneth Zaun of Buffalo, Minn.; and his sisters, Sabrina Mintz and Sharee Keolsch, also of Buffalo.
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