Bitner, Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin Bitner was a Master Sergeant in the United States Army, assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was from Greencastle, Pennsylvania, and was 37 years old at the time of his death.

On April 23, 2011, Bitner was killed by indirect fire at Kandahar Air Field, a major NATO base in southern Afghanistan. According to U.S. Department of Defense statements, the base came under attack from insurgent rocket or mortar fire, a common tactic in the region. He was one of two U.S. service members reported killed in hostile incidents across Afghanistan that day.

Bitner's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. The mission initially focused on dismantling al-Qaeda and removing the Taliban from power, but evolved into a protracted counterinsurgency and nation-building effort. By 2011, the war was at its most intense, with Kandahar province being a primary battleground.

Following his death, the Department of Defense officially announced his loss. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and Purple Heart. His body was returned to the United States, and he was buried with full military honors.

Bitner is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Pennsylvania Military Museum and on online veterans' memorials. His name is listed on the 3rd Special Forces Group memorial at Fort Bragg, honoring fallen Green Berets from the unit.

MSG Bitner 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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