Coutu, Kyle Joseph

Kyle Joseph Coutu was a 20-year-old from Providence, Rhode Island. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was assigned as a Private First Class to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, part of Regimental Combat Team 7, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

On February 18, 2010, Coutu was killed during combat operations in the Marjeh district of Afghanistan's Helmand province. The Department of Defense stated his death was the result of hostile action. His unit was engaged in Operation Moshtarak, a major coalition offensive launched days earlier to clear Taliban fighters from the area.

Operation Moshtarak, which began on February 13, 2010, was one of the largest military operations of the war, involving thousands of U.S., British, and Afghan forces. The objective was to seize control of the Taliban stronghold in and around Marjeh, a key agricultural region and a center of insurgent activity. The operation was marked by intense house-to-house fighting and a high density of improvised explosive devices.

Coutu's body was returned to Rhode Island, where he was buried with full military honors. His death was reported by local and national news outlets, including The Providence Journal and the Department of Defense casualty announcements. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

Coutu is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery and on online veterans' memorials. He was one of 2356 American service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Coutu 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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