Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Douglas M. Vose III

Died July 29, 2009 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom

38, of Concrete, Wash.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, Stuttgart, Germany; died July 29 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire.

‘He was a soldier first’

The Associated Press

Doug Vose was described as a courageous Green Beret who was both confident on the battlefield and relaxed while enjoying a glass of fine red wine.

“That’s what made Doug so unique,” said Dave Takaki, a retired master sergeant who served with Vose.

Vose, 38, of Concrete, Wash., was based in Stuttgart, Germany. He spoke fluent German.

He was killed July 29 after insurgents attacked his unit in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Vose is survived by his wife, Nicole, two sons, two daughters and mother, Paulette.

His late father was a Marine who instilled a strong work ethic in him, said Vicki Frank, the mother of one of Vose’s best friends.

“He was the best citizen and had the sweetest temperament,” she said.

As a youth, Vose would split wood each day with his brother. Then, he would work a shift at Red Apple, a local market, Frank said.

After graduating from high school in 1988, Vose joined the Army. A decade later, he joined the Special Forces, and began rising through the ranks.

“The whole family is military, and that’s all Doug wanted to do,” Frank said. “He was a soldier first.”