Tulsa soldier killed in Iraq

Thursday, October 2nd 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A Tulsa high school graduate becomes the latest casualty of the war in Iraq. The US Army confirmed Thursday afternoon, Specialist Dustin McGaugh died of a "non-combat gunshot wound" at a base camp outside of Balad.

News on 6 anchor Tami Marler has been talking with people in Tulsa who knew McGaugh.

Dusty McGaugh was assigned to the 17th Field Artillery Brigade out of Fort Sill, but his military career actually started here in Tulsa, at Hale High School. McGaugh was a member of the Junior ROTC Ranger battalion, a program that teaches high school students to be responsible citizens.

Major Mike Maguffee says Dusty paid the ultimate price of citizenship, as a soldier in the US Army, serving his nation in war.

Master Sergeant Richard Frost says they knew many of their JROTC graduates were serving in Iraq, but they weren't prepared for news of Dusty's death. "We have a lot of our students that are over there currently, and we hear from 'em through the grapevine but we never heard about Dusty; and I was just really shocked to hear that he was killed. Dusty was a good student."

I spoke with the Army's Public Affairs Department Thursday afternoon. They say McGaugh died on Tuesday. They won't give specifics about the incident until their investigation is complete.