Checo, Steven

Steven Checo was a 22-year-old paratrooper from the Bronx, New York. He served as a sergeant with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

On December 21, 2002, Sergeant Checo was part of a patrol near the Forward Operating Base in Salerno, Khost Province, Afghanistan. According to U.S. military reports, the patrol came under small arms fire during a night operation. Checo was wounded in the engagement and died from his injuries.

His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In late 2002, operations were focused on rooting out Taliban and al-Qaeda remnants in the country's eastern provinces, including Khost, near the border with Pakistan.

Checo's body was returned to the United States. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. A memorial service was held at Fort Bragg, and he is buried in Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

Sergeant Checo is remembered on memorials at Fort Bragg and within the 82nd Airborne Division. His name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War memorial at the Bronx County Courthouse, honoring residents of the borough who died in the conflict.

Sergeant Steven Checo 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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