Gilbert, William Joseph

William Joseph Gilbert was a 24-year-old soldier from Hacienda Heights, California. He served with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, part of the 1st Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Bliss, Texas. According to military records, his service included deployments to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.

On May 14, 2013, Specialist Gilbert was killed in Zharay district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. The U.S. Department of Defense stated his death was the result of a hostile incident, reportedly involving small arms fire during a patrol or security operation. He was one of two American soldiers killed in Afghanistan that day.

Gilbert's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2013, the conflict was in a phase where international forces were conducting counterinsurgency operations and training Afghan security forces, with a focus on volatile southern provinces like Kandahar.

His body was returned to the United States. The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, to which his unit belonged, publicly acknowledged his death and extended condolences to his family and fellow soldiers.

Gilbert is memorialized on the Afghanistan War casualty lists maintained by the Department of Defense and on several online veterans' memorial sites. His name is included among the more than 2,300 American service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom.

William Joseph Gilbert 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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