Army Staff Sgt. John J. Cleaver, 36, of Joplin, Missouri was assigned to the 782d Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. He died Nov. 19 in FOB Lagman, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when a suicide car-bomber attacked his unit. Also killed was Daniel A. Frazier. Staff Sgt. Cleaver was a member of South Joplin Christian Church. He attended Eastmorland Elementary, North Middle School and Galena High School. He also attended Henderson State University, and Crowder College. During this time he was a volunteer firefighter for Carl Junction, and was employed at Olive Garden as a waiter and bartender. He joined the Navy in 1995. He was stationed on the U.S.S. Inchon in Ingleside, Texas, and had the opportunity to see the world. After serving in the War in Kosovo, he was moved to Norfolk, Va., as a fire-fighting instructor. After a trip to Seattle, to help set up a fire training school, he decided to transfer there with his family and was stationed on the U.S.S. Rodney M. Davis. During his tour of duty, he was deployed to Iraq. He served ten years in the Navy and left with the rank of a petty officer. A list of his honors at the end of his Navy career include: Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star for 2nd award, Navy Battle "E" with silver wreath for four or more awards, Kosovo Liberation Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, NATO Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Navy Good Conduct Medal with two bronze stars for 2nd and 3rd award, Iraq Campaign Medal, Naval Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with bronze stars for 2nd, 3rd and 4th award, NATO Kosovo Medal, Navy Unit Commendation with bronze star for 2nd award, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Naval Reserve Sea Service Medal, Navy Pistol Medal with silver E for expert. He chose to enlist in the Army. After his basic training in White Sands, N.M., he was sent to Fort Hood, Texas, for his schooling as a convoy commander. His next duty station would be as staff sergeant at Fort Bragg, N.C. near Fayetteville, N.C. He was deployed for his first tour of duty to Kandahar, Afghanistan, shortly after arriving. He worked as a convoy commander and as a medic. When he returned he was able to complete his training as a paratrooper and received his wings. He subsequently had been working on his jumps to become a master jumper. He also completed all of the tests to have the job of medic listed on his DOS. In July, 2009, he was sent as part of the forward operating party to FOB Apache, Afghanistan. The rest of his unit deployed a month later. John was not planning to come home for the holidays because he felt he was needed there. Survivors include two sons, Collin and Aidan and their mother, Kim; his father and mother, Ronald and Teresa Cleaver; one brother, Ron; one sister, Rhonda; a great-uncle, Ben, and two aunts, Joan and Candy. He is also survived by five cousins, Travis Schuler, Cassandra, and Jason, Marie and Allison. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, John Harold and Margaret Poole and Leroy Cleaver; his great-aunt, Sylvia Kingfisher; and great uncle, Johnny Poole. Two cousins also preceded him in death, Duke Gust and Robert Wayne Gust.