Coleman, Mark Wayne
Male
Verified U.S. Army Master Sergeant Mark Wayne Coleman, 40, of Centerville, Washington, was killed in a hostile incident in Kuhak village, Afghanistan, on May 2, 2010.
Their Story
Mark Wayne Coleman was a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army, assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. According to the Department of Defense, he was 40 years old and from Centerville, Washington. His unit specialized in unconventional warfare and foreign internal defense, and Coleman had reportedly deployed to multiple theaters, including Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.
On May 2, 2010, Coleman was killed in Kuhak village, located in the Zabul province of southern Afghanistan. The Department of Defense stated his death was the result of a hostile incident. According to contemporaneous reporting by the Associated Press, the incident involved an improvised explosive device detonating near his vehicle.
Coleman'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's primary objectives, as defined by the U.S. government at the time, were to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban regime from power. By 2010, the war was in a prolonged counterinsurgency phase, with significant fighting in Afghanistan's southern and eastern provinces.
Following his death, Coleman was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal. His funeral was held in his home state of Washington. The Army Times reported that he was remembered by his commander as a dedicated and professional soldier who was committed to his team.
Master Sergeant Coleman is listed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and is memorialized on online veterans' registries. He was one of 2356 American service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Explore Further
Master Sergeant Mark Wayne Coleman 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.
