<p>U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY PUBLIC AFFAIRS, USAF ACADEMY, CO 80840</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.usafa.af.mil%5B/url%5D”>www.usafa.af.mil</a> <a href=“http://www.usafa.af.mil/”>http://www.usafa.af.mil/</a> (719) 333-7731</p>
<p>Release # 118</p>
<p>Sept. 14, 2007</p>
<p>Memorial services to be held at USAFA for fallen hero</p>
<p>U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. - A funeral service will be held Friday at the Academy’s Cadet Chapel for a U.S. Army soldier who grew up in Colorado Springs and was killed in Iraq earlier this month.</p>
<p>PFC Dane Balcon died on Sept. 5 of wounds sustained in an explosion of an improvised explosive device, commonly known as an IED. He was 19 years old.</p>
<p>At the time of his death, Balcon was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas.</p>
<p>Private Balcon had strong ties to Colorado Springs. His mother, Capt. Carla Sizer, is an instructor in the Academy’s Management Department. The soldier himself attended Sand Creek High School, where, among his other classes, he participated in the Junior ROTC program. He graduated in 2006.</p>
<p>After high school, he joined the Army and was send to Iraq in July 2007. He was killed along with another soldier in Balad.</p>
<p>The funeral service with full military honors will start at 10 a.m., Friday, Sept. 14, 2007, at the Cadet Protestant Chapel.</p>
<p>-30-</p>