1st Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 2nd Battalion
ODA: 155
18 B
Date KIA: 1 July 2004
Location: Manila, Philippines
Action:
Sgt. 1st Class Robert K. McGee, 37, was assigned as a senior Special Forces weapons sergeant with Operational Detachment A 155, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
McGee died in Manila, Philippines on July 1, 2004. He was deployed to the Philippines as a member of an advance team for Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines. He was to assist in light-infantry tactics training at Cotabato.
McGee, a native of Antioch, Tenn., exemplified the spirit of the "Quiet Professional", American fighting man and professional Soldier. During 17 years of military service, he distinguished himself while serving in multiple organizations and various positions.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 1984. Upon completion of One Station Unit Training and the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Ga., McGee was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. He served as an infantryman, machine gunner, fire team leader and squad leader. While assigned to the 82nd, he participated in numerous field-training exercises throughout the United States and a rotation as part of the Multi-National Force and Observers in the Sinai.
McGee volunteered for Special Forces training in January 1988 and upon completion of the Special Forces Qualification Course, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st SFG (A) at Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan.
During McGee's tenure with 1st Battalion, he served as a junior and senior SF weapons sergeant on ODA 121 and 125. He participated in numerous Joint Combined Exchange Training exercises to Korea, Japan, Republic of the Philippines, Kingdom of Thailand, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
In October 1992 McGee was reassigned to the U. S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg where he taught Special Forces students. Three years later, he was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st SFG serving as the senior weapons sergeant on ODA 185.
After serving 10 years as a Special Forces Soldier, McGee chose to finish his military career and begin a new career in the computer industry in Nashville, Tenn. After Sept. 11, 2001, McGee volunteered for active service within the ranks of the Special Forces community and was assigned to the 1st SFG at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, Static Line Jumpmaster Course, Waterborne Infiltration Course, Combat Diver Qualification Course, Combat Diving Supervisor Course, Jungle Warfare Course, Jungle Survival Course, Winter Mountain Warfare Course, Special Forces Qualification Course, Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course and Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Course.
Awards: Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Multinational Force and Observers Medal, Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Expert Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Scuba Diver Badge, Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge, Malaysian Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Tab, and Royal Thai Army Airborne Wings.
His wife, Shannon and two sons, Michael and Zachary, survive him. His mother, Martha R. Goins, and a brother also survive him.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 1st Battalion
ODA:
18 Z
Date KIA: 13 July 2008
Location: Kajaki Sofla, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile
MSG. Young deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in May 2008 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan. This was his fourth deployment in support of the Global War on Terror and third deployment to Afghanistan. He was a Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha team sergeant.
A native of Jonesboro, Ga., Young volunteered for military service and entered the Army in January 1991 as an infantryman. After basic and advanced individual training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to Co. A, 3rd Bn., 27th Infantry Regiment at Fort Ord, Calif. In 1993 he became a squad leader when he moved to 3rd Bn., 502nd Inf. Regiment. at Fort Campbell, Ky.
In 1995 he moved to Germany and was assigned to Co. B, 1st Bn., 4th Inf. Regiment. Young began the Special Forces Qualification Course and he earned the coveted "Green Beret" in 1999 and was assigned to 2nd Bn., 3rd SFG(A) at Fort Bragg, N.C., as a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha communications sergeant. He left 3rd SFG(A) in 2004 to become a team sergeant at the United States Army Tactical Review Board, Fort Bragg, N.C. He was assigned to his current position at 1st Bn., 7th SFG(A) in October 2007.
Youngs' military education includes the Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Jumpmaster Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Basic Airborne Course, Air Assault Course, Warrior Leaders Course, and Special Forces Qualification Course.
MSG. Young is survived by his wife, Robyn, of Fayetteville, N.C., and his mother, Jane Young, of Jonesboro, Ga.
Awards: 3 Bronze Star Medals, Purple Heart Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, three Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, four Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medial, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
Young is survived by his wife, Robyn, of Fayetteville, N.C.; and his mother, Jane Young, of Jonesboro, Ga.
1st Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 D
Date KIA: 15 July 2011 OEF
Location: Helmand Province, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - IED
Sgt. 1st Class Wyatt A. Goldsmith, 28, of Colville, Wash., died July 15, 2011 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered after enemy forces engaged his unit.
Goldsmith was assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan. This was Goldsmith's 3rd deployment in support of Overseas Contingency Operations.
Born in Redmond, Wash. on September 21, 1982, Goldsmith entered the U.S. Army in June 2004 as a Special Forces recruit.
In October 2004, upon completion of basic training, advanced individual training and the basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Ga. he was assigned to the 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C. Goldsmith attended Special Forces Assessment and Selection in 2005 and was selected to continue his training as medical sergeant in the Special Forces Qualification Course.
After graduating from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2008, Staff Sgt. Goldsmith was assigned to 3rd Bn, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) Joint Base Lewis-McChord as a Special Forces medical sergeant.
Goldsmith's military education includes the Special Forces Medical Sergeant Course, Military Freefall Parachutist Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Basic Airborne Course, Advanced Leaders Course, and the Warrior Leader Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal (2nd Award), Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal with one campaign star, Iraqi Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Parachutist Badge, Military Freefall Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Tab and Combat Infantryman Badge.
He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal. He was also posthumously promoted to Sergeant First Class
He is survived by his parents John and Lorie Goldsmith of Colville, Wash. and his sister Nicole.
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 C
Date KIA: 15 July 2004
Location: Mosul, Iraq
Action: Hostile
Staff Sgt. Paul C. Mardis, 25, was a Special Forces engineer sergeant assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky. Mardis, a native of Florida, was born on March 10, 1979.
He was wounded in action on May 20, 2004 near Mosul, Iraq when his convoy struck an improvised explosive device.
SSG Mardis died July 15, 2004 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., from complications sustained from his injuries.
He entered the Army in September of 1998 and completed indirect fire infantryman training at Ft. Benning, Ga. His first assignment in the Army was with 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Mardis went on to complete the Special Forces Qualifications Course and then Arabic language training at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, N.C. He was then assigned to the 5th SFG in December of 2002 where he participated in numerous combat operations in support of both Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.
Awards: Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Special Forces Tab, the Expert Infantry Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Air Assault Badge.
Mardis is survived by his wife, Kacey.
1st Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company A, 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 B
Date KIA: 15 July 2008
Location: Mosul, Iraq
Action: Non-Hostile
Staff Sgt. Textor deployed in support of Operation Iraq Freedom in May 2008 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula. This was his first deployment in support of the War on Terror.
Textor, a native of Jamestown, N.Y., attended Randolph Central High School where he competed in football, wrestling and track. He volunteered for military service in May 2002 as an infantryman.
Upon completion of his initial entry training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Textor began the Special Forces Qualification Course in May 2005, and he earned the coveted "Green Beret" in November 2006. He was then assigned to 3rd Bn., 1st SFG (A) at Fort Lewis, Wash., as a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha weapons sergeant.
Textor's military education includes the Warrior Leaders Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Survival Evasion Resistance Escape Course, Basic Airborne Course, Ranger School and Special Forces Qualification Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral "2" device, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab.
SSG. Textor was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal and Meritorious Service Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge (all are reflected in the in the awards and decoration section above).
Textor is survived by his wife, Colette, and their five children Caleb, McKenna, Ryan, Boden and Jadon of Olympia, Wash., his father Bill Textor, of Pine City, Minn., his mother and stepfather, Jennie and Kevin Lindberg of Roanoke, Va., and his five sisters, Laurie, Michelle, Terra, Karen and Kellie.
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 C
Date KIA: 18 July 2006
Location: Southern Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - Small Arms
Staff Sgt. Eric Caban was born on March 28, 1978 in Manhattan, N.Y. He joined the Army in September, 1997. After attending Infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment where he served as a sniper platoon member and team leader.
In October 2001, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and participated in a combat jump to overtake Kandahar Airfield. He then left active duty to attend college in February 2002. Due to his patriotism and undeniable calling to serve, Caban returned to active duty in September 2003 and was assigned as a Sniper Instructor at Company C, 2nd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.
In December 2004, he attended the Special Forces Qualification Course and graduated in March 2006 as a Special Forces Engineer Sergeant. He was subsequently assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N. C.
Caban was a graduate of the Special Forces Engineer Course, Sniper School, the Special Operations Interdiction Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Course, the U.S. Army Ranger School, the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course, and Airborne School.
Awards: Army Commendation Medal, three Army Achievement Medals, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Basic Parachutist Badge with a Service Bronze Star.
NOTEHe has been posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Caban is survived by his father Efren and mother Iris, and his brothers Efren Caban Jr. and Edwin Caban.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 4th Battalion
ODA: 18 E
Date KIA: 21 July 2012 OEF
Location: Ghazni Province, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile
Staff Sgt. Brandon Robert Pepper, 31, of Baltimore, M.D. died when insurgents attacked his patrol in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.
He was assigned to Company B, 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C., and was deployed in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. This was Pepper's second deployment in support of Overseas Contingency Operations.
He graduated from Kenwood High School in 1999 and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves in January 2000.
Upon completion of Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training, he was assigned to the 323rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Fort Meade, Md., where he served as an intelligence analyst and deployed in March 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pepper entered Active Duty in 2008 and attended Infantry Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Ga. He was then assigned to the 101st Airborne Division as an Infantry squad leader.
In October 2009, Pepper graduated from the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course at Fort Bragg, N.C. He then completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2011 and was assigned to 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg as an SF communications sergeant (18E).
His military education also includes the Basic Airborne Course, Advanced Leader's Course, Warrior Leader's Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, and the Special Forces Qualification Course.
Staff Sgt. Pepper’s awards and decorations include the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal with one oak-leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” device, Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral 2 device, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with numeral 2 device, Special Forces Tab, Expert
Pepper is survived by his spouse, brother and parents.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company A, 1st Battalion
ODA:
18 C
Date KIA: 23 July 2005
Location: Qal'eh-Ye Gaz, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - Small Arms
Sgt. Jason T. Palmerton was born on February 21, 1980 in Hamburg, Iowa. He was a detachment communications sergeant assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C.
He died July 23, 2005, after he was fatally wounded while his patrol was ambushed in the vicinity of Qal'eh-Ye Gaz, Afghanistan.
Palmerton entered the Army in July 2002 as an infantryman. He graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2004 and was then assigned to the 3 rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) in February 2005. Palmerton then deployed to Afghanistan in June 2005.
Awards: Army Commendation Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Basic Parachutist Badge, and the Special Forces Tab.
NOTEHe was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Palmerton is survived by his mother Mrs. Denise K. Brown of Auburn, Neb., his father, Mr. Steve Palmerton and his sisters, Amanda and Beth.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company C, 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 A
Date KIA: 29 July 2010 OEF
Location: Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - IED
CPT. Jason E. Holbrook, 28, died of wounds sustained from an IED blast during a combat reconnaissance patrol. He was a Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha team leader assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in July 2010 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan. This was his second deployment.
Holbrook, a native of Burnet, Texas, was accepted to the United States Military Academy where he majored in Environmental Science. Capt. Holbrook's first assignment was as a Rifle Platoon Leader in Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 501st (Airborne) at Fort Richardson, Alaska. He served there for three years and deployed with the unit to Iraq between 2006 and 2007. Following his deployment he reported to Fort Benning, Ga.. to attend the Maneuver Captains Career Course and then Fort Bragg, N.C., to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course. Capt. Holbrook graduated the course on the 16th of April 2010 and reported to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group on the 27th of May.
Holbrook's military education includes the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course; Ranger Course; Basic Airborne Course; Infantry Officer Basic Course; Infantry Maneuver Captains Career Course and Special Forces Qualification Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Medal, Parachutist Badge, Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, NATO Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal.
CPT. Holbrook is survived by his wife Heather Holbrook of Fayetteville, N.C.; mother and father Joan and James Holbrook of Burnet, Texas.
10th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company A, 1st Battalion
ODA: 0114
180A
Date KIA: 29 July 2009 OEF
Location: Kabul Province, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Douglas M. Vose III, died from wounds received while conducting combat operations in the Kabul Province of Afghanistan July 29, 2009, while serving as the Special Forces Assistant Detachment Commander with Operational Detachment Alpha - 0114, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Stuttgart, Germany.
Vose, 38, was killed by intense direct small arms fire while deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as a member of the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) - Afghanistan.
Vose, born in Roseburg, Ore., enlisted in April 1989 as a 19D, Transportation Soldier. He later attended the Special Forces Qualification Course, graduating in 1999 as an 18E, Communications NCO and was assigned to 3rd Bn., 10th SFG (A). He was reassigned to 1st Bn. in March 2002 and in 2006, he completed the Warrant Officer Basic Course, returning to 1st Bn. in Germany.
Vose's military education includes the Warrior Leader Course, Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course, Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer Course, Special Forces Communications Sergeant Course, Special Forces Operations and Intelligence Course, Warrant Officer Basic Course, Special Forces Warrant Officer Basic Course, Basic Airborne Course, Military Free Fall Parachutist Course, and Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Parachutist Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal with Valor device and two oak leaf clusters in lieu of third award, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, South West Asia Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Ribbon, NATO Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait).
NOTE: Vose also earned the Airborne Badge, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Parachutist Badge, Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Badge, and the Special Forces Tab.
Vose is survived by his wife Nicole and sons, Aidan and Connor, who reside in Stuttgart, Germany. He is also survived by his daughters, Sharon and Noel, who reside in Germany; as well as his mother Paulette, sister Kellie and brother Jason of Oceanside, Calif.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company C, 1st Battalion
ODA:
18 D
Date KIA: 29 July 2010 OEF
Location: Kabul Province, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - IED
Staff Sgt. Kyle R. Warren, 28, died of wounds sustained from an IED blast during a combat reconnaissance patrol. He was a Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha team medical sergeant assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne).
He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in July 2010 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan. This was his second deployment.
Warren, a native of Huntington Beach, Calif., volunteered for military service and entered the Army in October 2004 as a Special Forces trainee.
After basic and advanced individual training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, N.C., in May 2005 for Special Forces training. His medical training was with John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at the Joint Special Operation Medical Training Center. He earned the coveted "Green Beret" in 2007 and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd SFG (A) at Fort Bragg, as a Special Forces medical sergeant.
Warren's military education includes the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course; Basic Airborne Course; Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course; Warrior Leaders Course; Special Forces Qualification Course; Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course and Military Freefall Course.
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Army Achievement Medal; Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Parachutist Badge, Military Freefall Parachutist badge, Combat Infantry Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
He was posthumously awarded a second Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, The NATO Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal.
Warren is survived by his wife Sandra Warren of Hope Mills, N.C.; mother Lynn Warren of Bedford, N.H. and father Del Warren of Long Beach, Calif.
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