Garbs, Ryan Clark
Male
Verified U.S. Army Specialist Ryan Clark Garbs, 20, of Edwardsville, Illinois, was killed in action on February 18, 2007, in Qalat, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Ryan Clark Garbs was a 20-year-old soldier from Edwardsville, Illinois. He served as a Specialist with Company B, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, an elite infantry unit based at Fort Benning, Georgia, and part of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
On February 18, 2007, Garbs was killed during combat operations in Qalat, the capital of Zabul province in southern Afghanistan. According to military reports, he was killed by enemy small-arms fire. The operation was part of a broader mission in the region to disrupt insurgent networks.
Garbs died during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. By 2007, the conflict had entered a phase of intense counterinsurgency operations, particularly in the country's southern and eastern provinces where Taliban forces remained active.
His death was reported by the Department of Defense. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Specialist. A memorial service was held at Fort Benning, and he was buried with full military honors.
Garbs is memorialized on the Global War on Terrorism Memorial in his hometown of Edwardsville, Illinois. His name is also inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia.
Explore Further
Ryan Clark Garbs 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: Santos, Dave Michael Maliksi, Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif.
