Deleon-figueroa, Luis Felipe

Also known as: MSG, COMPANY B, 1ST BATTALION, 7TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUP (AIRBORNE), EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, FL

Combatant

Male Verified

DiedAugust 21, 2019

Age31 years old

Location of DeathQARA GHOYLI VILLAGE, AFGHANISTAN

Cause of DeathKilled by enemy small arms fire during a firefight.

Conflict Operation Freedom's Sentinel

U.S. Army Master Sergeant Luis Felipe Deleon-Figueroa, 31, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, was killed in action in Qara Ghoqli Village, Afghanistan, on August 21, 2019.

Their Story

Master Sergeant Luis Felipe Deleon-Figueroa was a senior non-commissioned officer assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He was a native of Chicopee, Massachusetts, and had served in the Army for over 13 years, earning numerous awards including the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.

On August 21, 2019, Deleon-Figueroa was engaged in combat operations in Qara Ghoqli Village, located in Afghanistan's Faryab Province. According to a U.S. Department of Defense release, he was killed by small arms fire during a firefight with enemy forces. Another soldier, Master Sergeant Jose J. Gonzalez, was killed in the same incident.

The operation was part of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S. mission in Afghanistan that began in January 2015. It succeeded Operation Enduring Freedom and focused on training, advising, and assisting Afghan forces while conducting counterterrorism missions. The year 2019 was marked by intensified negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban, even as combat continued.

Following his death, Deleon-Figueroa's body was returned to the United States. The U.S. Army Special Operations Command published a news release honoring his service. His awards and decorations were listed, and statements from commanding officers described him as a dedicated soldier.

Deleon-Figueroa was posthumously promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant. He is memorialized on the Afghanistan War casualty lists and by veterans' organizations. His name is included on the Special Operations Memorial Wall at U.S. Army Special Operations Command headquarters at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.