Bruner, Thomas Lee

Master Sergeant Thomas Lee Bruner was a 50-year-old soldier from Owensboro, Kentucky. He served with the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 2nd Brigade, 100th Division (Institutional Training), an Army Reserve unit based in his hometown. The division's mission was primarily to train other soldiers.

According to U.S. Department of Defense records, Bruner died on October 28, 2007, in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was killed when the vehicle he was riding in was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on patrol. Another soldier, Sergeant First Class Scott J. Brown, 33, was killed in the same attack.

Bruner's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2007, insurgent tactics had shifted significantly, with the use of IEDs becoming a primary cause of coalition casualties. The attack in Kabul highlighted the persistent threat even in the capital city.

The Department of Defense announced the deaths of Bruner and Brown on October 30, 2007. Bruner was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. His funeral was held in Owensboro, where he was remembered by his community and fellow soldiers.

Master Sergeant Bruner is memorialized on the Owensboro Veterans Memorial and the Kentucky Veterans Memorial. His unit, the 100th Division, continues its training mission, and his death is recorded among the more than 2,400 American service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Master Sergeant Thomas Lee Bruner 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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