Hairston, Samuel Carlos
Male
Verified U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Samuel Carlos Hairston, 35, of Houston, Texas, was killed in a hostile incident at Forward Operating Base Ghazni, Afghanistan, on August 12, 2014.
Their Story
Sergeant First Class Samuel Carlos Hairston was a 35-year-old soldier from Houston, Texas. He served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The unit is part of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Hairston died on August 12, 2014, at Forward Operating Base Ghazni in Afghanistan's Ghazni Province. According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, his death was the result of a hostile enemy attack. He was one of two U.S. soldiers killed at the base that day.
His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2014, international forces were in a support role for Afghan national troops, but insurgent attacks on coalition bases remained frequent.
The Pentagon officially announced Hairston's death two days later. He was posthumously promoted from Staff Sergeant to Sergeant First Class. His remains were returned to the United States for burial.
Hairston is remembered on memorial pages for the 82nd Airborne Division and the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. His name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at Fort Bragg.
Explore Further
SFC Hairston 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.
