SABINSVILLE, PA, USA U.S. Army SFC, COMPANY D, 1ST BATTALION, 505TH INFANTRY, 3 BCT, FORT BRAGG, NC BAYJI, IRAQ 10/21/2006
Tony Knier was born in Sabinsville, Pennsylvania on 20 March 1975. He enlisted into the United States Army on 9 July 1995. He attended One Station Unit Training at Ft Benning Georgia were he was awarded the MOS of 11H, Anti-Armor Crew member.
During his 11 years in the Army he has held every position in his MOS, driver, gunner, squad and section leader and Platoon Sergeant. He also spent three years as a Drill Instructor teaching new recruits at Ft Benning, GA. His awards consist of, 1 meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, with one oak leaf, the Army Achievement Medal, with Silver oak leaf, the Good Conduct Medal, with three knots, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terror Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, with roman numeral 3. the Army Service Ribbon, the Drill Sergeant Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Senior Parachutist Badge, and the Ranger tab.
His schools include, the Combat Life Savers course, the Air Assault Course, the Warrior Leaders Course, Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic Non-Commissioned Officer course, Advanced Non-Commissioned Officers course, Airborne School, Air Assault School, Jumpmaster School, Air Movement Operations, Drill Sergeant School, and Ranger School.
In Tony L. Knier’s yearbook, he wrote that he hoped to join the military and become a drill instructor so he could get payback to those who made him miserable during his own basic training.
Well, he did both of those things, said Kasey Dunham, a close friend. So I guess he accomplished a couple of his goals.
Knier, 31, of Sabinsville, Pa., was killed by a roadside bomb Oct. 21 in Beiji. He was a 1994 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Bragg.
In high school, Knier joined the wrestling team during his sophomore year to fill a vacancy in the 98-pound class, despite having no experience.The kids really had respect for him because he had never wrestled before but he came out and became part of the team, said George Way, his former wrestling coach. The kids looked at him for inspiration.
Knier loved to hunt. Being in the woods was what he loved, said John Kline, his father-in-law. He hunted just about everything. I was convinced for a while there that he was going to raise those three kids on nothing but wild meat.
He is survived by his wife, Bobbi, and three children: Marcus, 9; Dakoda, 8, and Kayli, 2.
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