Jensen, Dennis Gregory

Dennis Gregory Jensen was a Specialist in the U.S. Army, assigned to the 211th Engineer Company, 153rd Engineer Battalion, 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, based in Madison, South Dakota. The 21-year-old from Vermillion, South Dakota, had also reportedly served on deployments to the Philippines and the Horn of Africa prior to his assignment in Afghanistan.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Jensen died on August 16, 2011, at Camp Leatherneck, a major coalition base in Helmand Province. The official release stated he was killed in action, though specific details of the incident were not publicly disclosed in initial reports. Camp Leatherneck served as a hub for U.S. Marine Corps and NATO operations in southern Afghanistan.

Jensen's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In 2011, the war was at its peak in terms of U.S. troop levels, with intense counterinsurgency operations focused in provinces like Helmand, where Camp Leatherneck was located.

The Department of Defense announced Jensen's death on August 18, 2011. His body was returned to South Dakota, where he was buried with military honors at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. Local news outlets reported on memorial services held in his hometown.

Jensen is memorialized on the South Dakota Vietnam and Global War on Terrorism Memorial in Pierre and on online veterans' memorial pages. His unit, the 211th Engineer Company, is a South Dakota Army National Guard unit.

Dennis Gregory Jensen 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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