Spring Break
Former Eastern student killed in Afghanistan
Bob Bajek / Student Government Editor
Issue date: 2/11/09 Section: News
During his time at Eastern and in Oakland, 1st Lt. Jared Southworth of the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment of Marion accomplished many things.
He was a cadet in the EIU Army ROTC program, graduated from college, served as a part-time police officer in Oakland and was a loving husband and father of four young children.
Southworth, 26, was killed Sunday while attempting to disarm a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, officials with the Illinois Army and Air National Guard in Springfield said Staff Sgt. Jason Burkholder of Champaign, an Afghan police official and a civilian also perished in the blast. The incident remains under investigation.
The Oakland native attended Oakland High School, Lake Land College and Eastern. He graduated from Eastern in May 2006 with a bachelor's degree in general studies.
Members of the university community are feeling the loss of Southworth.
Larry Coblentz, Jr., Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army and professor of military science, came to the university a month after Southworth graduated.
"We found out about it on Sunday with a phone call," Coblentz said. "Monday we put the announcement out to those who didn't know who were doing physical training. Right now, they are starting to come to grips with it and sitting down and having his death sink in."
Charles Titus, chair of the social science studies program at Eastern, had Southworth as a student in his Military History class in 2003.
"Obviously, he was — like so many others are — in harm's way and sometimes people don't feel the impact of the wars in Iraq or in Afghanistan, but it is felt by the people in the military and his family and friends," Titus said. "This is a great loss for his family and for all of us."
Titus believes this is the first student he has lost in combat. He said one of his students, Cpt. Jim Miller of the Army, is in Iraq and visited him last fall in Charleston.
Even though people have political qualms with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Titus hopes it would not cloud respecting Southworth's sacrifice.
"Some people may disagree with the wars that we're involved in, but I don't think anyone would disagree this is a tragic loss for his family," Titus said. "I think he should be honored and respected for his service just like everyone in the armed forces for what they do for us and our country."
Southworth began as a cadet for ROTC in December 2003. He spent a lot of time working in the battalion doing various activities.
"During that time, his impact on the program was being a leader in the Ranger Challenge Team and (participating in most) training events ROTC has," Coblentz said. "He was very involved in helping the cadets with tactics and in the special clubs and organizations that we have in the program."
Southworth came back in 2006 when he was commissioned as an active duty soldier and a gold bar recruiter as a second lieutenant.
Coblentz said Southworth worked with the recruits and told them about the advantages and benefits of Army ROTC and military service.
"He was a good liaison with the students and the Illinois National Guard," Coblentz said. "He had contacts and knew about the requirements.
"He was a very hard worker, tactically proficient individual, very engaging and personable. He was great to have around, worked well with others all the time."
Coblentz said the unit will honor Southworth.
"As far as we know this is the first one; so we have to find a way that would honor him without being too gratuitous," Coblentz said. "Typically in the real Army, we have honor walls and things of that nature. We are thinking about what is appropriate here at the university level."
Coblentz said ROTC will talk to its headquarters and the university to see what is appropriate and authorized for a memorial service. He said in a couple of weeks, ROTC will know how to honor its fallen comrade.
"My only fear is I don't want to overwhelm the spouse with attending too many memorial type things she has to go to," he said.
A funeral has not been announced yet. Coblentz said Southworth's Army unit and his wife are planning services. He said services could be next week.
"We will participate in the funeral services to some degree," he said.
Titus observed that many former ROTC students are currently serving abroad. However, the Office of Enrollment Management said it does not have records about alumni in the military service.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Bob Bajek can be reached at 581-7942 or at rtbajek@eiu.edu.
He was a cadet in the EIU Army ROTC program, graduated from college, served as a part-time police officer in Oakland and was a loving husband and father of four young children.
Southworth, 26, was killed Sunday while attempting to disarm a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, officials with the Illinois Army and Air National Guard in Springfield said Staff Sgt. Jason Burkholder of Champaign, an Afghan police official and a civilian also perished in the blast. The incident remains under investigation.
The Oakland native attended Oakland High School, Lake Land College and Eastern. He graduated from Eastern in May 2006 with a bachelor's degree in general studies.
Members of the university community are feeling the loss of Southworth.
Larry Coblentz, Jr., Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army and professor of military science, came to the university a month after Southworth graduated.
"We found out about it on Sunday with a phone call," Coblentz said. "Monday we put the announcement out to those who didn't know who were doing physical training. Right now, they are starting to come to grips with it and sitting down and having his death sink in."
Charles Titus, chair of the social science studies program at Eastern, had Southworth as a student in his Military History class in 2003.
"Obviously, he was — like so many others are — in harm's way and sometimes people don't feel the impact of the wars in Iraq or in Afghanistan, but it is felt by the people in the military and his family and friends," Titus said. "This is a great loss for his family and for all of us."
Titus believes this is the first student he has lost in combat. He said one of his students, Cpt. Jim Miller of the Army, is in Iraq and visited him last fall in Charleston.
Even though people have political qualms with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Titus hopes it would not cloud respecting Southworth's sacrifice.
"Some people may disagree with the wars that we're involved in, but I don't think anyone would disagree this is a tragic loss for his family," Titus said. "I think he should be honored and respected for his service just like everyone in the armed forces for what they do for us and our country."
Southworth began as a cadet for ROTC in December 2003. He spent a lot of time working in the battalion doing various activities.
"During that time, his impact on the program was being a leader in the Ranger Challenge Team and (participating in most) training events ROTC has," Coblentz said. "He was very involved in helping the cadets with tactics and in the special clubs and organizations that we have in the program."
Southworth came back in 2006 when he was commissioned as an active duty soldier and a gold bar recruiter as a second lieutenant.
Coblentz said Southworth worked with the recruits and told them about the advantages and benefits of Army ROTC and military service.
"He was a good liaison with the students and the Illinois National Guard," Coblentz said. "He had contacts and knew about the requirements.
"He was a very hard worker, tactically proficient individual, very engaging and personable. He was great to have around, worked well with others all the time."
Coblentz said the unit will honor Southworth.
"As far as we know this is the first one; so we have to find a way that would honor him without being too gratuitous," Coblentz said. "Typically in the real Army, we have honor walls and things of that nature. We are thinking about what is appropriate here at the university level."
Coblentz said ROTC will talk to its headquarters and the university to see what is appropriate and authorized for a memorial service. He said in a couple of weeks, ROTC will know how to honor its fallen comrade.
"My only fear is I don't want to overwhelm the spouse with attending too many memorial type things she has to go to," he said.
A funeral has not been announced yet. Coblentz said Southworth's Army unit and his wife are planning services. He said services could be next week.
"We will participate in the funeral services to some degree," he said.
Titus observed that many former ROTC students are currently serving abroad. However, the Office of Enrollment Management said it does not have records about alumni in the military service.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Bob Bajek can be reached at 581-7942 or at rtbajek@eiu.edu.
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