Gallegos, Justin Timothy
Male
Verified U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Justin Timothy Gallegos, 27, of Tucson, Arizona, was killed in action on October 3, 2009, during a major enemy assault on Combat Outpost Keating in Kamdesh, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Justin Timothy Gallegos was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army, assigned to Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson, Colorado. He was 27 years old and from Tucson, Arizona. According to military records, his service included deployments to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.
Gallegos died on October 3, 2009, during the Battle of Kamdesh, a coordinated assault by an estimated 300 Taliban fighters on the remote Combat Outpost (COP) Keating in Nuristan Province. The outpost, situated in a valley surrounded by high ground, was overrun in the early morning attack. Eight U.S. soldiers were killed and more than two dozen wounded in the day-long firefight before air support and a relief force could repel the attackers.
The battle occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2009, the conflict was marked by a resurgent Taliban and intense fighting in remote outposts like COP Keating, which was scheduled for closure at the time of the attack due to its vulnerable position.
In the aftermath, Gallegos was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor for his actions during the battle. His death, along with the seven others killed at COP Keating, prompted a formal military investigation into the decisions that led to establishing and maintaining the isolated outpost.
Staff Sergeant Gallegos is memorialized on the 4th Infantry Division memorial at Fort Carson and is listed on the Afghanistan War casualty roster. The Battle of Kamdesh was later the subject of congressional hearings and detailed accounts in books and documentaries examining the war in Afghanistan.
Explore Further
Staff Sergeant Gallegos 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.
