ROCHESTER HILLS, MI, USA U.S. Army SGT, 303D MILITARY POLICE COMPANY, COMBAT SUPPORT, JACKSON, MI KIRKUK, IRAQ 08/28/2007
Army Sergeant James S. Collins Jr, began working full-time at the Jackson, Michigan Army Reserve Center as a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic in December 2005. Nine months later, he was one of 170 members of the 303rd Military Police Company called up for deployment to Iraq. Duties of the unit involve combat support. They provided convoy security and trained Iraqi police. Sergeant Collins was died on August 28, 2007 of wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in Kirkuk, Iraq. He was thirty-five years old.
James Collins Jr. was originally from Rochester Hills, Michigan. A yellow ribbon is tied to a tree outside the brick house in Summit Township where Army Sgt. James S. Collins lived before serving in Iraq. Friends and family were very proud of him and supported the men and women in service to their country. They recognized James did his duty as he saw it and was proud to be in the military service.
Sergeant Collins lived in Jackson with his wife and son. He was new to this neighborhood and neighbors were crushed when they learned of his death. They accepted and appreciated that he was over there fighting for them and knew that he had joined the 303rd in December 2005 and was deployed to Iraq with about 170 other soldiers from the company in September 2006. Their main mission was to provide security to convoys. Though redeployment details were not known, they looked forward to the unit’s return toward the end of 2008. Sergeant Collins is survived by his wife, Amy; a son, Dawson; his parents and a sister.
On September 5, 2007, Michigan Governor Granholm ordered United States flags throughout the state of Michigan and on Michigan waters lowered to half staff for one day to honor Army Sergeant James S. Collins Jr.
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