Petty Officer Second Class Jaime S. Jaenke, U.S. Navy Reserve, was born in Iowa Falls, Iowa, where she later joined the Navy Reserve in 2002. As a civilian, Jaenke volunteered as an emergency medical technician and was planning to become a nurse. She was assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 25 at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.
On June 5, 2006, Jaenke had been serving as a Hospital Corpsman in Iraq for less than three months when her vehicle hit an improvised explosive device while on a convoy in Al Anbar Province. Two Seabees, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jaime S. Jaenke, and Petty Officer 1st Class Gary T. Rovinski were killed in the explosion.
Jaenke, 29, was the first servicewoman from Iowa to die in the Iraq conflict. She had a 9-year-old daughter.
Jaenke was awarded the Purple Heart and Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal with “V” for valor, Navy Reserve Meritorious Service Medal, Operation Iraqi Freedom Medal, and a combat action ribbon. Jaenke had completed 25 missions in Iraq, safely escorting 375 personnel.
Jaenke’s cousin, Tifani Eisentrager said, “Her dream was to be a nurse. She did what she loved doing, which is help others and serve her country.”
In 2022, Navy Medicine Training Support Center (NMTSC) Sailors hosted a commemoration ceremony honoring Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jaime S. Jaenke at Jaenke Hall.
Sources:
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/6822/seabees-gather-remember-two-their-fallen-iraq
https://thefallen.militarytimes.com/navy-hospital-corpsman-2nd-class-jaime-s-jaenke/1861359
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