The Pentagon announced Friday the death of a 54th Engineer Battalion sergeant first class killed by a mortar attack in Iraq.

Sgt. 1st Class George Stanciel, of Greenwood, Miss., died Aug. 19 at Forward Operating Base Garry Owen, reports said.

A member of the battalion’s 370th Engineer Company, Stanciel is the second soldier the unit has lost since leaving on a 15-month tour in May. Part of the 18th Engineer Brigade, the 54th is based in Bamberg, Germany.

A memorial service for Stanciel has been tentatively scheduled for Thursday at the Warner Barracks chapel in Bamberg.

Further information on Stanciel was unavailable at the time of this report.

Airman found guilty of writing bad checksAVIANO AIR BASE, Italy — A senior airman assigned to the 31st Maintenance Squadron found guilty of writing bad checks was sentenced Thursday to 135 days of jail and other punishments in a special court-martial.

Jeffrey F. Targ Jr. pleaded guilty to charges of bad checks and failure to pay a debt and was also sentenced to 30 days of hard labor, 30 days restriction and the loss of one rank, according to information supplied by the 31st Fighter Wing public affairs office.

Americans can register to vote at festivalAmericans living in Germany who want to take part in the upcoming U.S. presidential election will be able to register to vote during this week’s Museumsuferfest in Frankfurt. The fest, held along the banks of the Main river, will take place Friday through Aug. 31. Anyone who registers to vote at that time will receive a free city tour, according to Jeffery Myers, a reverend at the Alte Nikolaikirche in Frankfurt, who organized the event.

The campaign’s purpose is to get some of the more than 250,000 Americans who live in Germany involved in the upcoming election, Myers said in a news release.

The campaign is a nonpartisan initiative, initiated by Myers, in corporation with Democrats Abroad and Republicans Abroad.