Gornewicz, Brett Edward

Brett Edward Gornewicz was a 27-year-old sergeant from Alden, New York. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve with the 444th Engineer Company, 479th Engineer Battalion, based in Oswego, New York. His unit had deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

On November 3, 2012, Sergeant Gornewicz was killed in Pul-e Alam, the capital of Logar Province in eastern Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, his death was the result of a hostile incident. Specific details of the engagement were not publicly released by the military.

Gornewicz died during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. By late 2012, the conflict was in a phase focused on counterinsurgency and training Afghan security forces, with frequent attacks by Taliban and other insurgent groups in provinces like Logar.

His death was reported by several news outlets, including The Buffalo News, which covered the loss of a local soldier. The Army confirmed his death in a press release, and he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.

Sergeant Gornewicz is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the New York State Veterans' Home in Batavia. His name is also inscribed on the Afghanistan and Iraq War Memorial at the New York State Capitol in Albany.

Sgt. Brett Gornewicz 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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