Cowdrey, Robert Brian

Robert Brian Cowdrey was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army. He was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. According to his unit's history, his service included deployments to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.

On October 13, 2011, Cowdrey was killed in Kunar Province, a mountainous and volatile region in eastern Afghanistan. The Department of Defense stated his death was the result of hostile enemy action. He was 39 years old at the time of his death.

Cowdrey died during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By late 2011, the conflict was in its tenth year, with U.S. and allied forces engaged in counterinsurgency operations and training Afghan national security forces. Kunar Province was a frequent site of insurgent activity and combat.

Following his death, Cowdrey was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. His remains were returned to the United States, and he was buried with military honors.

Staff Sergeant Cowdrey is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Ohio Statehouse and on online veterans' memorials. He is survived by his wife and children.

Staff Sergeant Cowdrey 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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