Garcia, Michael Jonathan
Male
Verified Staff Sergeant Michael Jonathan Garcia, 27, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was killed in a hostile incident at Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, on July 4, 2011.
Their Story
Michael Jonathan Garcia was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army from Bossier City, Louisiana. He served with the 705th Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), 63rd Ordnance Battalion, 52nd Ordnance Group, based at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
According to U.S. Department of Defense records, Garcia died on July 4, 2011, at Forward Operating Base Shank in Logar Province, Afghanistan. The official casualty report lists the cause as hostile action. FOB Shank, a major coalition base in eastern Afghanistan, was a frequent target of insurgent rocket and mortar attacks.
Garcia's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military intervention in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2011, the conflict was in its tenth year, marked by a surge of U.S. forces aimed at countering a resilient Taliban insurgency. Explosive Ordnance Disposal units like Garcia's were critical for identifying and disarming improvised explosive devices, a leading cause of coalition casualties.
His death was reported by several military news outlets and the Department of Defense. He was one of at least 1,500 U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2012, the deadliest period of the war for American forces.
Staff Sergeant Garcia is memorialized on the Army EOD Memorial at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, which honors technicians killed in the line of duty. His name is also inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum in Georgia.
Explore Further
Staff Sergeant Garcia 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.
