Craig, Brian Thomas

Staff Sergeant Brian Thomas Craig was a 27-year-old soldier from Houston, Texas. He served with the U.S. Army's 710th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment, based in San Diego, California. Prior to his deployment to Afghanistan, he had also served on missions in the Philippines and the Horn of Africa.

Craig died on April 15, 2002, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, his death was the result of a hostile action. He was one of several U.S. service members killed in the Kandahar region during that period, as American and allied forces worked to secure the area following the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001.

Craig's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began on October 7, 2001. In April 2002, operations were focused on rooting out remaining Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, particularly in the south and east of the country. Kandahar, the former Taliban stronghold, remained a center of instability and frequent combat.

Following his death, Craig was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals. His body was returned to the United States, and he was buried with military honors. News reports from the time noted his service was recognized in his hometown of Houston.

Craig is memorialized on the Afghanistan War casualty lists maintained by the U.S. government and on several online veterans' memorial sites. His unit, the 710th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment, continues its mission of rendering safe unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices.

Brian Thomas Craig 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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