Estelle, Raymond Gray Ii
Male
Verified Major Raymond Gray Estelle II, 40, of New Haven, Connecticut, was a U.S. Air Force officer assigned to Air Combat Command. He died in a hostile incident in Kabul, Afghanistan, on April 27, 2011.
Their Story
Major Raymond Gray Estelle II was a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force. He was assigned to Air Combat Command, based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, and had served on deployments to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.
On April 27, 2011, Estelle was killed in Kabul, Afghanistan. According to U.S. military records, the cause of death was a hostile act. The specific details of the incident, including whether it involved direct combat, an indirect fire attack, or an insider threat, were not widely detailed in public reporting at the time.
Estelle's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2011, the conflict was in its tenth year, marked by a surge of U.S. forces and intensified combat operations, particularly in the country's east and south. Kabul, the capital, was a major hub for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
The Air Force officially announced his death, listing him as a casualty from a hostile action. He was posthumously promoted from the rank of Captain to Major. Public memorials or statements from his family were not widely published in national news archives.
Major Estelle is listed on the Air Force Casualty website and other military memorials. His service is recorded as part of the more than 1,800 U.S. military personnel who died in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Explore Further
Major Estelle 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.
