Adkins, Charles Lewis

Sergeant First Class Charles Lewis Adkins was a 36-year-old soldier from Sandusky, Ohio. He served with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, part of the 101st Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Adkins had deployed multiple times during his service, including to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.

On April 16, 2011, Adkins was killed at Forward Operating Base Gamberi in Laghman Province, Afghanistan. According to U.S. Department of Defense reports, the base came under attack by a man wearing an Afghan National Army uniform who opened fire. The incident, described as an insider attack, resulted in the deaths of Adkins and at least one other coalition soldier.

The attack occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2011, the conflict was in its tenth year, characterized by a counterinsurgency strategy and a surge of U.S. troops aimed at stabilizing the country. Insider attacks, known as 'green-on-blue' incidents, presented a significant and complex threat to coalition forces during this period.

The U.S. Army confirmed Adkins's death the following day. He was posthumously promoted from Staff Sergeant to Sergeant First Class. His awards included the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.

Adkins is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Ohio Statehouse and on the 101st Airborne Division memorial at Fort Campbell. His name is inscribed on Panel 30W, Row 105 of the Afghanistan Veterans Memorial Wall in Louisville, Kentucky.

SFC Charles Adkins was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001?2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.

← Return to the full memorial | Add a memorial record