Forester, Mark Andrew

Mark Andrew Forester was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on May 15, 1981. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2007 and trained as a combat controller, a special operations airman qualified to direct close air support and other aircraft in combat zones. He was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, based at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina.

On September 29, 2010, Forester was part of a joint U.S. and Afghan force conducting a clearing operation in the village of Jangalak, Uruzgan province, Afghanistan. According to military reports, the unit came under intense small-arms fire from insurgent forces. During the engagement, Forester was fatally wounded while attempting to aid a fellow team member who had been shot.

Forester's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. The operation's stated objectives included dismantling al-Qaeda and removing the Taliban regime from power.

Following his death, Forester was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest award for valor in combat. The citation detailed his actions during the firefight, stating he deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire to draw it away from his wounded teammate and to direct suppressive fire from aircraft overhead.

In his hometown of Tuscaloosa, a stretch of Alabama Highway 69 was renamed the 'Senior Airman Mark Forester Highway' in his memory. His story has been shared in military publications and by veterans' groups, often highlighting the specific actions cited in his Silver Star award.

Senior Airman Mark Forester 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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