A Marine from Stafford County, Virginia, was killed last week while on deployment in Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. David H. Stewart, 34, died Friday while supporting combat operations in the Helmand province of the country, the Department of Defense announced.
Lance Cpl. Brandon J. Garabrant, 19, of Peterborough, New Hampshire, and Lance Cpl. Adam R. Wolff, 25, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, were also killed as a result of the hostile incident.
All three were all assigned to the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion (Forward) in the 2nd Marine Division.
Stewart most recently deployed to Afghanistan in April, while Garabrant and Wolff deployed in March. It was his fifth deployment in 10 years, and his second in Afghanistan. He was serving as a platoon sergeant for the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
He also completed three tours of duty in Iraq after joining the Marines in June 2004. He was promoted to staff sergeant in 2010.
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Stewart graduated from North Stafford High School and still considered Stafford his home despite living near Camp Lejuene in North Carolina, said his father, Nelson Stewart.
Nelson, who also served in the Marines, told News4's David Culver that his son was a "warm, loving person."
David Stewart also left behind his wife, Kristine, and two young children.
"We've been together since we were teenagers and he's always been positive," Kristine Stewart said. "It didn't matter what was going on. All the joys in our life and then the hardships that come with five deployments; he just was my rock."
It's painful to think their two young children won't have their father with them as they grow up, she said. She wishes they would be able to see for themselves what a wonderful man he was.
"...David's probably up in heaven right now saying, 'I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I love you so much. And I'm so sorry,' because he always put us first," Kristine Stewart said.
