Goeke, Christopher Shultz
Male
Verified First Lieutenant Christopher Shultz Goeke, 23, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, was a U.S. Army officer serving with the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He died on July 13, 2010, in Kandahar City, Afghanistan.
Their Story
First Lieutenant Christopher Shultz Goeke was a 23-year-old officer from Apple Valley, Minnesota. He was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Goeke died on July 13, 2010, in Kandahar City, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained in a hostile incident. The military did not release specific details of the engagement, but his death was part of a major coalition offensive, Operation Hamkari, underway in Kandahar province at the time.
Goeke's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In mid-2010, U.S. and allied forces were engaged in a significant troop surge, with intense combat focused on Taliban strongholds in the southern provinces, particularly around Kandahar.
Following his death, the Department of Defense formally announced his loss. He was posthumously promoted from Second Lieutenant to First Lieutenant. His body was returned to Minnesota, where he was buried with military honors at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
He is remembered on memorials for the 82nd Airborne Division and the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. In 2011, a memorial scholarship was reportedly established in his name at his former high school in Apple Valley.
Explore Further
First Lieutenant Goeke 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.
