Richland graduate dies in Afghanistan

Seven-year-old Douglas Slebodnik lost his idol when his uncle, Warrant Officer 4 Michael Slebodnik, an Army helicopter pilot, was killed in combat in Afghanistan.

"My son just idolized my brother. He let him into his chopper and that was just better than Superman and Spiderman combined," said Daniel Slebodnik of Richland.

Michael Slebodnik, 39, was shot during a firefight near Jalalabad, his mother Patricia Slebodnik of Richland said Saturday. The family was waiting for more details about his death, which occurred Thursday, the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 hijackings.

"9/11 -- that is really appropriate in a way," she said.

Slebodnik graduated from Richland High School in 1987 and joined the Army. He had been a helicopter pilot almost the entire time since his enlistment, his mother said.

He was assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky., and lived in Clarksville, Tenn., with his family.

The father of four children and stepfather of two, all of whom range in age from 3 to 18, Slebodnik had been in Afghanistan since January and was scheduled to return to the United States next month. He had served five tours in Iraq since 2003 and was a veteran of Operation Desert Storm.

"We still do not have that much information, said his mother, who was told of her son's death by his wife, Tanja. His mother was later visited at her Richland home by two military officers.

From an early age, Michael Slebodnik wanted to be a soldier.

"I think he was born that way. He loved the military. He wanted to fly. He loved being a soldier," his mother said.

Her older son generally was more reserved than his brother and sister.

"He did not talk that much. When he did, it was usually a witty remark," his mother said.

Dan Slebodnik of Richland says his brother was mesmerized by the military ever since he was a small child.

"He knew everything about every battle that was ever fought -- World War II, the Civil War, even the ancient battles," Dan Slebodnik said.

He was an avid fan of chess, Dungeons and Dragons and Risk.

Michael Slebodnik would have turned 40 in November and was planing to retire from the military. He wanted to get his college degree and be a math teacher. His hope was to return to Western Pennsylvania.

"He was getting too old to be a pilot. He would not have liked being a desk jockey," his mother said.

A man with a deep Christian faith, Michael Slebodnik believed his military service was making the world safer.

"He said, 'Mom, if I die here, that's part of my job,' " his mother said. "He felt he was protecting us. He's totally Army."

Still, the demands on him were not easy, his brother said.

"He was a family man, through and through. It used to bug him that he did not see his kids much. He would really miss them," Dan Slebodnik said. Michael Slebodnik is survived by his wife, Tanja, and children, Jake, Ginger, Spencer, Ben, Dylan and Michie; his parents, William and Patricia; a brother, Daniel; and a sister, Jody Deans of Richland. Funeral services are not complete.

In recent weeks, Michael Slebodnik informed his brother about deteriorating conditions in Afghanistan.

"He told me it was getting rough over there. He told me some stories and told me not to tell them to Mom," Dan Slebodnik said.

Some family members wonder if Michael Slebodnik was afraid before he died.

His mother does not wonder.

"I know he was not scared. He always told me that there was no time to be scared when he was busy," she said.