Brostrom, Jonathan Paul
Male
Verified First Lieutenant Jonathan Paul Brostrom, 24, of Aiea, Hawaii, was killed on July 13, 2008, in a battle at a remote outpost in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Jonathan Paul Brostrom was born in 1984 and grew up in Aiea, Hawaii. He graduated from the University of Hawaii's Army ROTC program and was commissioned as an infantry officer in 2006. He was assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, based at Camp Ederle, Italy.
On July 13, 2008, 1st Lt. Brostrom was killed during a complex, coordinated attack on Vehicle Patrol Base Kahler, a remote outpost near the village of Wanat in Kunar Province. According to U.S. military accounts, an estimated 200 Taliban fighters assaulted the small base with rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns, and small arms fire. Brostrom and eight other U.S. soldiers died in the intense, close-quarters fighting, which also wounded 27 more. The battle is often referred to as the Battle of Wanat.
Brostrom'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 conflict involved coalition forces, the Afghan National Army, and insurgent groups including the Taliban and al-Qaeda. The Battle of Wanat was part of a wider insurgent effort to challenge coalition positions in the country's eastern provinces.
In the aftermath, the U.S. Army conducted a formal investigation. A subsequent review by the Department of Defense found that while the soldiers fought bravely, the outpost was undermanned and its construction was incomplete, leaving it vulnerable. The battle prompted significant debate within the military about troop levels and forward operating base security in remote areas.
Brostrom was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action. His father, retired Army Colonel David Brostrom, became a vocal advocate for military families and for reforms in how the Army investigates combat deaths. The Wanat battle remains a subject of military study.
Explore Further
Jonathan Brostrom 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.
