Shields, Kevin Ryan

1983 - 2007  (24 years)

• Name	Shields, Kevin Ryan
  Birth	1 Dec 1983	Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Reference Number	SHIE.K002
  _FGRAVE	23217415
  Military Service	Operation Iraqi Freedom, Specialist, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division  [1]
  Death	1 Dec 2007	Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado   [1]
  	Spc. Kevin R. Shields of Colorado Springs and of Roscoe, Ill., was the son of Debra Shields. Kevin came to Rockford in 1989, at age 6, with his grandparents, Ivan and Madlyn Shields, who were his legal guardians. He attended Swan Hillman Grade School, Flynn Middle School and Jefferson High School. He was involved in baseball both in school and at Roy Gayle Baseball Park. He was also active in middle school basketball. He was on the high school golf team. He was an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers and an avid snowboarder. While in high school, he enlisted with the Illinois National Guard. He obtained his GED and completed his basic and advanced training at Fort Benning, Ga. He graduated that training as an Infantryman in August 2002. He enlisted full time with the U.S. Army on Nov. 26, 2002. He was then assigned to Charlie Co., 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment at Camp Greaves, South Korea. He deployed from South Korea to Camp Habbaniyah, Iraq, in August 2004. He redeployed to Fort Carson in Colorado in August 2005. While stationed at Fort Carson, he stayed with the battalion as it reflagged to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment. He deployed with the unit again in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from October 2006 to May 2006, at which time he returned to Fort Carson with injuries he received in action. His awards and decorations include the Army Good Conduct Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge. Kevin loved sports and was active in middle school and high school bowling. He was involved in baseball both in school and at Roy Gayle Baseball Park. He was also active in middle school basketball. He was on the high school golf team. He was an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers and an avid snowboarder. Kevin met and married his wife, Svetlana, of Russia, in South Korea. They were married at the American Embassy in South Korea. He has a son, age 3, and a child expected next July. He had survived more than 18 months of some of the toughest combat in Iraq. A member of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division, he had fought in Ramadi for a year, returning to Fort Carson in September 2005. Shields went to Baghdad with the brigade in October 2006. His unit has been patrolling east Baghdad neighborhoods and is credited with helping significantly reduce enemy attacks there during the past 14 months. He came home from Iraq in May, eight months before the rest of his unit is due to return for medical reasons. The four-year veteran infantryman, had earned the Army's Good Conduct Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge. He was 24.
  Burial	Sunset Memorial Gardens, Machesney Park, Winnebago County, Illinois   [1]
  Person ID	I61144	Carl Wayne Gray Research
  Last Modified	17 Oct 2026

  
  

  Mother	Shields, Debra L.,   b. 28 May 1965, Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois d. 29 Jul 2015, Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois (Age 50 years)
  Family ID	F21380	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	?, Svetlana
  Marriage	Y  [1]
  Family ID	F21381	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Oct 2026

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 1 Dec 1983 - Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana Death - 1 Dec 2007 - Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado Burial - - Sunset Memorial Gardens, Machesney Park, Winnebago County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S17212] https://www.findagrave.com, Obituary, Shields, Kevin R., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23217415/kevin_ryan-shields), none. (Reliability: 2).