Cathcart, Michael Anthony

Sgt. 1st Class Michael Anthony Cathcart was a senior non-commissioned officer assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. A native of Bay City, Michigan, he was 31 years old at the time of his death. His military service included deployments to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.

According to U.S. Department of Defense statements, Cathcart died from wounds sustained by enemy small-arms fire during a dismounted operation in Kunduz province, northern Afghanistan, on November 14, 2014. He was part of a Special Forces team conducting a partnered mission with Afghan forces.

Cathcart's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By late 2014, the mission was in its final stages, transitioning to a smaller NATO-led training and advisory role named Resolute Support. Kunduz province remained an active combat zone where insurgent forces contested government control.

The U.S. Army posthumously awarded Cathcart the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Meritorious Service Medal. His body was returned to the United States, and he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The Army released a statement noting his multiple combat deployments and describing him as a 'valued member' of his unit.

Cathcart is memorialized on the Afghanistan War casualty lists and by veterans' organizations. His name is inscribed on the Michigan Afghanistan and Iraq Wars Memorial in Lansing.

Sgt. 1st Class Cathcart 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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