Estrada, Kyler Lavon
Male
Verified Petty Officer Third Class Kyler Lavon Estrada, 21, of Queen Creek, Arizona, was a U.S. Navy sailor killed in action in Djibouti, Djibouti, on February 14, 2012.
Their Story
Kyler Lavon Estrada was a 21-year-old Petty Officer Third Class from Queen Creek, Arizona. He served on active duty in the U.S. Navy as part of Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303 Detachment 1, a component of the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 74.
Estrada died on February 14, 2012, in Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa that hosts a major U.S. military base, Camp Lemonnier. According to the Department of Defense, he was killed during a live-fire training exercise. The Navy stated he was fatally wounded by small arms fire while conducting combat training with his unit.
His death occurred under the umbrella of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), the U.S.-led military campaign that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. While OEF is most associated with Afghanistan, its mandate included counter-terrorism operations across multiple theaters, including the Horn of Africa. Djibouti served as a critical logistics and staging hub for these missions.
The Navy announced his death the following day. His body was returned to the United States, and a memorial service was held in his hometown of Queen Creek, Arizona. The Navy posthumously awarded Estrada the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Estrada is remembered on memorial walls in Arizona and by veterans' organizations. His name is listed on the Operation Enduring Freedom casualty roster maintained by the Department of Defense.
Explore Further
Petty Officer Third Class Kyler Estrada 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.
