CRANSTON - - A member of the Rhode Island National Guard was killed
yesterday in Iraq, the Rhode Island National Guard has announced.
Sgt. Christopher S. Potts, 38, a father of two from Tiverton, was killed
during an attack by insurgents in Taji, northwest of Baghdad in the
so-called Sunni Triangle, the Guard said.
Potts, who died on his birthday, was conducting traffic point operations
when an unknown number of insurgents engaged his unit with rifle and
machine gun fire, according to the Guard.
Potts served with A Battery, 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery of the
Rhode Island Army National Guard. He joined the Guard in 1990.
Potts is the fourth Rhode Island National Guard member to die in Iraq.
Sixty-eight Guard members have been wounded or injured in attacks in
Iraq, said Lt. Col. Michael McNamara.
Potts was deployed to Iraq in March for a one-year tour. It was his and
his unit's first assignment overseas, McNamara said. Potts' death was
the first in his unit, McNamara said.
Potts and his wife, Terri, have two children, Christopher Jr., 16, and
Jackson, 2.
At a press conference this morning at National Guard headquarters,
Governor Carcieri urged Rhode Islanders to pray for Potts' family and
the 471 Rhode Island National Guard members still in Iraq.
"This is a sad day for our state, for our Guard, and an enormously sad
day for Christopher's family," Carcieri said. The governor said he will
order that flags fly at half-staff in honor of Potts.
Maj. Gen. Reginald Centracchio, the Guard's commander, did not know
Potts personally.
"He was a United States soldier, certainly characteristic of the best
soldiers we have," Centracchio said.
As seven wives of Potts' comrades looked on, officials alluded to
increased anxiety among soldiers and their families with the continued
deployments and deaths. Centracchio said concerns about fraying morale
was "undoubtedly a consideration." Carcieri said the only thing that can
be done is to give grieving family members a hug.
"Our hearts go out to the Potts' family," said Amy Neary, from the
103rd's family support group.
McNamara said the number of deployed Rhode Island National Guard troops
will swell to 600 when the 1st Battalion, 126th Army Aviation, based at
Quonset Point in North Kingstown, leaves on Oct. 29.
In civilian life, Potts worked as a marine mechanic for New England
Boatworks in Portsmouth, which this year built the monument to Staten
Island victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
-- With reports from Journal staff writer Tom Mooney and the
Associated Press.
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