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Debra A. Banaszak (1971 - 2006)
Police officer, military administrative

Army First Lieutenant Debra A. Banaszak (USAR) 35, of Bloomington, Illinois, died at Camp Victory, Kuwait from non-combat related injuries.

Banaszak was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1035th Maintenance Company, Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, MO. She had originally enlisted in the Army Reserve in January 1989 after high school and stayed with the USAR for a year and a half, then joined the IL National Guard for five years. She switched to the MO Air National Guard for more than three years and had been with the MO Army National Guard for almost seven years.

While with the MONG she attended the Officer's Candidate School and graduated in September 2000. Her military position was handling administrative duties for the unit. The 1035th had been in Iraq since April and redeployed to Kuwait where they are expected to remain until returning home in April 2006. Banaszak had been a career police officer, who most recently had worked as a sheriffs deputy in St. Charles, Mo. She was hoping to get a full time job in the MONG when she completed her tour of duty.

Banaszak is survived by her son Mark, mother Barbara Butler and several other relatives and many friends in the military and police agencies.

Source: Polish-American Journal, Jan. 2006

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