Fuchigami, Kirk Takeshi Jr

Kirk Takeshi Fuchigami Jr. was a 25-year-old Chief Warrant Officer 2 from Keaau, Hawaii. He served as a pilot with Company B, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, Combat Aviation Brigade, based at Fort Hood, Texas. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

On November 20, 2019, Fuchigami was piloting an AH-64E Apache attack helicopter on a combat mission in Charkh District, Logar Province. The aircraft crashed, killing both Fuchigami and his co-pilot, Chief Warrant Officer 2 David C. Knadle. The U.S. Department of Defense stated the incident was under investigation and was not the result of enemy fire.

Fuchigami's death occurred during Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S.-led NATO mission that succeeded the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in 2015. By late 2019, U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan had been reduced to under 5,000, though combat operations against Taliban and other insurgent forces continued.

Following his death, Fuchigami was posthumously promoted from Chief Warrant Officer 2 to Chief Warrant Officer 3. His awards included the Bronze Star Medal and the Air Medal with Valor device. A memorial service was held at Fort Hood, and he was remembered by his unit for his professionalism and dedication.

Fuchigami's name is recorded on the Defense Casualty Analysis System and on memorials honoring those who died in the post-2014 phase of the Afghanistan War. His death was reported as one of the final U.S. combat fatalities in Afghanistan before the 2020 Doha Agreement and the subsequent withdrawal in 2021.

Kirk Fuchigami was killed during Operation Freedom's Sentinel (ongoing since 2015). See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Sanchez, Maria Victoria, Dawson, John Michael, Ruiz, Pablo Allende Iii, Mckenna, Peter Andrew Jr.

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