Erick was a born leader. No one pushed himself harder or cared for his teammates more.
Erick commissioned into the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant in May, 2000 after graduating from Duquesne University. His first deployment took him to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
Upon his return, Erick earned his Ranger Tab and was then assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC. With the 82nd, Erick was assigned to serve as the Troop Commander for A Troop, 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
On August 28, 2007, Erick was leading his soldiers on patrol in Muqdadiya, Iraq, when his unit was ambushed by insurgents. Struck by small arms fire, Erick was medevaced but ultimately succumbed to his wounds on August 29, 2007.
“He was one of the finest Armor officers the U.S. Army has produced as evident by his being one of the first Armor officers to be stationed at Fort Bragg,” said Army Captain John Hartsock, “… Foster was a respected and proven combat leader whose love for his men supplied him daily with motivation.’”
Born in Oil City, PA, Erick went to high school at North Allegheny. He was a cadet with the Panther Army ROTC Battalion (now known as the Three Rivers Battalion). Erick’s awards include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Parachutist Badge (Airborne) and Ranger Tab.
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