Belmontes, Jose Oscar
Male
Verified U.S. Army Private First Class Jose Oscar Belmontes, 28, of Los Angeles, California, was killed in a hostile incident in Meydan Shahr, Afghanistan, on July 28, 2012.
Their Story
Jose Oscar Belmontes was a 28-year-old soldier from Los Angeles, California. He served as a Private First Class with the 630th Engineer Company, 7th Engineer Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, based at Fort Drum, New York. His service included deployments to the Philippines and the Horn of Africa before his assignment to Afghanistan.
On July 28, 2012, Belmontes was killed in Meydan Shahr, the capital of Wardak province in eastern Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, he died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. The attack occurred in a district known for insurgent activity.
Belmontes was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In 2012, the war was in a period of intense counterinsurgency and transition, with U.S. and allied forces conducting operations while training Afghan national security forces to assume lead responsibility.
The Pentagon announced his death on July 30, 2012. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Private First Class. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Army Good Conduct Medal.
He is remembered on memorial walls at Fort Drum and by his family and fellow soldiers. His name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Los Angeles National Cemetery.
Explore Further
PFC Jose Oscar Belmontes 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.
