Casillas, Justin Aaron
Male
Verified U.S. Army Private First Class Justin Aaron Casillas, 19, of Dunnigan, California, died on July 4, 2009, at Combat Outpost Zerok, Afghanistan, from hostile enemy action.
Their Story
Justin Aaron Casillas was a 19-year-old from Dunnigan, California, a small community in Yolo County. He served as a Private First Class with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, based out of Fort Richardson, Alaska.
On July 4, 2009, Casillas was killed by enemy small-arms fire during a firefight at Combat Outpost Zerok in Afghanistan's Paktika province. The Department of Defense stated the attack occurred while his unit was conducting a dismounted patrol. Another soldier, Specialist Robert L. Donevski, 19, of Sun City, Arizona, was killed in the same engagement.
Casillas's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In mid-2009, U.S. forces were engaged in intense counterinsurgency operations, particularly in eastern provinces like Paktika, which bordered Pakistan's tribal regions.
His body was returned to the United States, and a funeral service was held in Woodland, California. The Yolo County Board of Supervisors adjourned a meeting in his memory on July 14, 2009, according to local news reports.
He is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Yolo County Veterans Memorial in Davis, California. His name is also inscribed on Panel 50W, Line 31 of the Afghanistan Conflict Memorial Wall at the National Infantry Museum in Georgia.
Explore Further
Justin Casillas 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.
