"Michael died from wounds sustained from that IED," Bleile said.Cincinnati Enquirer -- A soldier who graduated from the University of Cincinnati was killed Thursday night in Iraq, the military said.
Spc. Michael Frank, 36, of the HHC1-504 Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team 82nd Airborne, was killed when the Humvee he was riding in struck an improvised explosive device at about 10:22 p.m., Baghdad time, said Capt. John Bleile, casualty assistance officer for the Montana Guard.
"Michael died from wounds sustained from that IED," Bleile said.
Frank was active-duty Army, serving his second tour and first Iraq deployment. Two other soldiers were injured as a result of the explosion, Bleile said.
Frank earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from UC. His body is being returned to Cincinnati for funeral services. .
"He was extremely proud of what they were doing and what they were accomplishing over there," said Frank's father, Dr. Timothy Frank, a civilian dentist at Malmstrom Air Force Base, who has lived in Great Falls since 1991. The two last spoke by phone several weeks ago, he said.
MFrank is also survived by his mother, neonatal nurse practitioner Diane Frank of Portland, Ore., and his brother Brian Frank, who is a civilian computer specialist for a private company in Afghanistan. Brian Frank previously was in the Army.
As the child in a military family — his father was a Navy Pilot for 10 years, then a dentist in the Air Force prior to retiring — Michael Frank moved around the country. He was born in Texas and lived in Maine, Tennessee, Washington South Dakota, Ohio and Montana. He joined the military straight out of high school in 1989. Following basic training, he was stationed in Hawaii, his father said.
Michael Frank graduated from Stevens High School in Rapid City, S.D. After his first tour of duty, spanning four years, Michael Frank went to UC, where he earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Following graduation, he did some private investigation work but decided it wasn't for him, his father said. He then managed an Italian restaurant.
Timothy Frank said his son re-enlisted in the Army about a year ago.
"The country was at war and he said 'I've got this training. I want to go do my part,'" Timothy Frank said of Michael.
Services for Michael Frank have not been set but will take place in Cincinnati, Bleile said. Memorial donations may be sent to the Family Readiness Group, a support group for the families of deployed soldiers at: Family Readiness Group P.O. Box 4789 Helena, MT 59604.
Bleile said Michael Frank's body is en route to Cincinnati from Iraq.