Bennett, Kenneth Wade

Kenneth Wade Bennett was a 26-year-old staff sergeant from Glendora, California. He served as an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) specialist assigned to the 53rd Ordnance Company (EOD), 3rd Ordnance Battalion (EOD), part of the 71st Ordnance Group based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, Bennett died on November 10, 2012, in Sperwan Gar, Panjwa'i District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. The official cause was listed as hostile. Media reports from the time indicate he was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on a dismounted patrol.

Bennett's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military intervention in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. The Panjwa'i District, where Sperwan Gar is located, was a known insurgent stronghold and a frequent site of intense combat and IED emplacement throughout the conflict.

Following his death, Bennett was posthumously promoted from sergeant to staff sergeant. He was survived by his wife, parents, and siblings. A memorial service was held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and he was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Covina, California.

Staff Sergeant Bennett's name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the EOD Memorial at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, which honors EOD technicians who have died in the line of duty. His unit, the 53rd Ordnance Company, is tasked with the identification and neutralization of explosive threats.

Staff Sergeant Bennett 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.

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