An Honor Guard removes the remains of four Indiana National Guard Soldiers from the plane that returned them to America on January 8, 2012 at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware where they received dignified transfer honors with members of all their families and senior military leaders of the Department of Defense, U.S. Army, the Army National Guard, the Indiana National Guard, and other distinguished guests in attendance. Among those present to render honors were Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.
The fallen are members of the 713th Engineer Company headquartered in Valparaiso, Ind., and were conducting combat route clearance operations. Staff Sgt. Jonathan M. Metzger of Indianapolis, Indiana, Spc. Brian J. Leonhardt of Merrillville, Indiana, Spc. Christopher A. Patterson of Aurora, Illinois, and Spc. Robert J. Tauteris Jr. of Hamlet, Indiana.
