SPECIALIST MARK MELCHER A Pennsylvania National Guard soldier serving with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team was killed in action April 15. Spc. Mark Melcher, 34, Pittsburgh, was a loader on an M1A1 tank when he was fatally shot in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He immediately received combat lifesaver support from a fellow crew member while in transit to the Camp Taqaddum, where he later died. “I extend my prayers and heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of Spc. Mark Melcher,” said Lt. Col. Loris F. Lepri, commander, Task Force 1-110th Infantry. “This heroic young man serves as a reminder of the level of dedication and sacrifice that is made each day to ensure freedom and democracy prevail in this nation.” Melcher served in the regular Army from 1989 to 1993, and was an Operation Desert Storm veteran. He joined the Pennsylvania National Guard in August 2005. His awards included: Kuwait Liberation Medal; Southwest Asia Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon;and Army Overseas Service Ribbon. He will posthumously receive the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Badge. Melcher was an employee of Mellon Bank, Pittsburgh . His parents, John and Kathleen Melcher, survive him. Melcher is the 25th Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldier killed in Iraq.