Update: 3:20 p.m.
The bodies of the four Indiana Guardsmen killed last week in Afghanistan are expected to arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware tonight at 6 p.m.
Indiana Adjutant General Martin Umbarger headed to Dover this afternoon to be on hand when the bodies arrive, said Guard spokesman Maj. Shawn Gardner.
"We have no more solemn obligation than rendering the proper respect, honor, and tribute to these faithful warriors and to provide the fullest possible support to their families during this difficult time," said Umbarger.
Families of the Indiana Guardsmen, who died when their armored vehicle hit a roadside bomb Thursday while clearing a supply convoy route, also are expected at the air base when the plane carrying the bodies arrives, Gardner said. He said military casualty assistance officers are helping the families.
Other Indiana military officials also will be at Dover Air Force Base tonight, Gardner said.
It may take anywhere from several days to three weeks for the bodies to be transported back to Indiana, Gardner said.
4 soldiers from Hoosier unit die in Afghanistan
In one of the bloodiest days in a decade for the Indiana National Guard in Afghanistan, four soldiers were killed and a fifth was seriously injured when their heavily armored vehicle hit a roadside bomb.
Umbarger said Saturday that the four members of the Valparaiso-based 713th Engineer Company -- including one soldier from Indianapolis -- died Thursday in southern Afghanistan on a day when at least eight NATO troops were killed in combat.
The four casualties from the Indiana Guard were identified as: Staff Sgt. Jonathan Metzger, 32, Indianapolis; Spc. Brian Leonhardt, 21, Merrillville; Spc. Robert Tauteris Jr., 44, Hamlet; and Spc. Christopher Patterson, 20, Aurora, Ill.
Their deaths bring to 190 the number of men and women from Indiana in all branches of the military killed in fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, Guard officials said. That includes 23 casualties from the Guard.
A fifth soldier injured in the latest blast, Pvt. Douglas Rachowicz, 29, Hammond, was airlifted to the U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, Umbarger said. Rachowicz suffered a broken pelvis and other internal injuries.
The blast occurred as their vehicle traveled along a road while the soldiers scouted for signs of roadside bombs and other potential problems convoys might encounter as they move supplies, Umbarger said.
"Their mission is to keep the major supply routes clear of all obstacles for the convoys. And what that means is they're the first ones to go out to make sure the route can be used, so it's a very important mission -- but it's also extremely dangerous," he said during a news conference Saturday at the Indiana War Memorial.
They were riding in a heavily protected personnel carrier that the general said is the safest possible. It is used by teams clearing roads of mines and bombs.
Retired Indianapolis Police Department Detective Patrick Lair, who is Metzger's father-in-law, said the Indianapolis family has received more information about the incident.
He said, "We were told that robots had been sent ahead of the convoy and they cleared the road. They didn't find anything. So, Jonathan took the lead. They rolled over it, and it blew up."
Today, Metzger's family will fly to Dover, Del., where fallen soldiers are returned to the U.S. "We expect it will be at least several more days before he is back home," Lair said.
Metzger, a native of Illinois, planned on a military career and was studying for the rank of master sergeant. He was on his second deployment, serving a year in Iraq and now just six weeks of a nine-month tour in Afghanistan.
And Metzger was deeply committed to the team of men he led, Lair said.
"Many times, I heard him say, 'I'm in charge of these men, and I'm going to bring them home safe.' "
Metzger was known to his family and friends as "Biggin," a nickname he picked up in high school when he was a national weightlifting champion.
Lair said the family is devastated by the loss.
"When I first met him, my daughter said, 'Dad, I want you to meet somebody. I think he'll be my soul mate.' Then I got to know him, and I found he was one of the finest men I have ever met. He called me 'Dad,' and I called him 'Son.' "
"He was humble, and he was a soldier. He loved his wife, he loved his family, he loved serving his country and he loved life," Lair said.
Meanwhile, other Hoosier families also mourned their loss.
Tauteris' uncle, Ed Tauteris, North Judson, said his nephew, who grew up in rural northwestern Indiana's Starke County and graduated from North Judson High School, was a loving, attentive father to his two sons, Matthew and Robert Tauteris III.
"He was a great father who loved his kids, took very good care of them. He was a great provider. He'd work seven days a week, come home and take his kids fishing, hunting, to baseball, stuff like that," he said.
Ed Tauteris, 69, said his nephew re-enlisted in the National Guard after his 21-year-old son, Robert III, joined up and was sent to Afghanistan. He said his nephew had hoped he might be able to keep his son safe during his deployment.
He said Robert Tauteris III, who was still in Afghanistan when his father was killed, accompanied his father's body back to the U.S.
"He flew home with his dad. That poor kid. I feel so bad for him," he said.
Local news reports in Aurora, Ill., said late Saturday that Patterson was a 2009 graduate of West Aurora High School and was studying music at Valparaiso University.
Umbarger said the incident was the deadliest for the Indiana National Guard since March 2005, when four members of the Indianapolis-based 76th Infantry Brigade were killed when a land mine exploded under their military vehicle about 30 miles south of the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Gov. Mitch Daniels said in a statement that Umbarger called him Saturday morning to tell him of the deaths. The governor said he's praying for the soldiers' families.
"I received from the adjutant general the news a person in my job dreads the most, that we have lost soldiers in combat. I had begun to hope that I had received the last such phone call and cannot convey the sadness which it instantly brought," Daniels said.
"My prayers are joined with those of millions of Hoosiers who will hear this terrible news with deep grief but also with gratitude for the courage of those we have lost and pride that we come from a state that produces men such as these," he said.
Umbarger said the four soldiers' families were informed Friday of the deaths. He said he's "humbled and honored" by the courage of the nation's service members and said the sacrifices of the four men won't be forgotten.
"I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of these brave citizen-soldiers," he said in a statement. "We will honor their sacrifice and always remember them."
The Associated Press contributed to this story. Star reporter Jeff Swiatek also contributed to this report. Call Star reporter Bruce C. Smith at (317) 444-6081.
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