Flags at half-staff on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 for Tacoma native

Washington State and United States flags at all Washington State agency facilities should be lowered to half-staff Tuesday, August 16, 2011, in memory of U. S. Army Sergeant Alexander J. Bennett of Tacoma, who died with 29 other service members August 6, in Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their helicopter crashed.

Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business Tuesday, or first thing Wednesday morning, August 17.

Other government entities, citizens and businesses are encouraged to join this recognition.

Alexander J. Bennett
AP Photo

(From the Associated Press), Spc. Alexander Bennett was from an Army reserve unit — Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment — based at New Century Air Center in Gardner, Kansas. 

Specialist Alexander Bennett, 23, couldn't wait to deploy again after returning from spending a year in Iraq in 2009. So the reservist moved on his own from the Tacoma, Wash., area to Overland Park, Kan., to join Bravo Company. 

"He wanted to be part of our unit when it deployed," said Lt. Col. Richard Sherman, former commander of Bennett's unit. "He was a typical young kid and liked to go out and have a good time with the guys."