Hansen, Daniel Louis

Daniel Louis Hansen was a 24-year-old Staff Sergeant from Tracy, California. He served with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 (MWSS-171), part of Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, based out of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan. According to the Marine Corps, he was deployed to Afghanistan as part of a reinforced battalion landing team from the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment.

Hansen died on February 14, 2009, in Farah Province, southwestern Afghanistan. The Department of Defense stated his death was the result of hostile action. A contemporaneous report from the Associated Press, citing military officials, noted he was killed by an improvised explosive device while on a dismounted patrol.

Hansen's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2009, the conflict had entered a period of intensified fighting, with a significant increase in U.S. troop levels and a corresponding rise in Taliban attacks, particularly through the use of IEDs in provinces like Farah.

The Marine Corps announced his death on February 16, 2009. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. His remains were returned to the United States, and he was buried with military honors.

Hansen is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Marine Corps Museum and on online veterans' memorials. In 2010, a memorial motorcycle ride was held in Tracy, California, to honor his memory and raise funds for a scholarship in his name.

Daniel Hansen 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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