Bonacasa, Louis Michael

Also known as: SSGT, 105TH SECURITY FORCES SQUADRON, STEWART ANGB, NEWBURGH, NY (ACC)

Combatant

Male Verified

DiedDecember 21, 2015

Age31 years old

Location of DeathBAJAWRI VILLAGE, AFGHANISTAN

Cause of DeathKilled by a suicide bomber's explosive vest detonation during a joint patrol.

Conflict Operation Freedom's Sentinel

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Louis Michael Bonacasa, 31, of Coram, New York, was killed on December 21, 2015, in a suicide bombing near Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

Their Story

Staff Sgt. Louis Michael Bonacasa was a member of the New York Air National Guard's 105th Security Forces Squadron, based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh. He was from Coram, a community on Long Island. Bonacasa, who was 31, had served for over a decade, including multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

On December 21, 2015, Bonacasa was part of a joint U.S.-Afghan foot patrol near the village of Bajawri, in the vicinity of Bagram Airfield, the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan. A suicide bomber on a motorcycle approached the patrol and detonated an explosive vest. The attack killed six U.S. service members, including Bonacasa, and wounded two others. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the bombing.

The attack occurred during Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S. mission that began in 2015 following the formal conclusion of the NATO-led combat mission. The period was marked by a continued Taliban insurgency, with frequent attacks targeting Afghan and international forces, particularly around major bases like Bagram.

Bonacasa's body was returned to the United States in a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base. He was posthumously promoted from Technical Sergeant to the rank of Master Sergeant. His funeral was held at St. Louis de Montfort Roman Catholic Church in Sound Beach, New York. He was survived by his wife and a young daughter.

Bonacasa's name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Long Island National Cemetery. The 105th Security Forces Squadron dedicated a memorial stone in his honor at Stewart Air National Guard Base. In 2016, he was among the fallen service members honored during a New York Mets game at Citi Field.