Keating, Charles Humphrey Iv
Charles Humphrey Keating IV, a 31-year-old U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer from San Diego, California, was killed in a firefight with ISIS fighters near Tall Usquf, Iraq, on May 3, 2016.
Their Story
Charles Humphrey Keating IV was a Chief Petty Officer serving with the U.S. Navy's SEAL Team One. He was a native of San Diego, California, and was 31 years old at the time of his deployment to Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.
On May 3, 2016, Keating was part of a quick reaction force dispatched to assist a group of U.S. military advisors who had come under attack by ISIS fighters near the town of Tall Usquf, roughly 20 miles north of Mosul. The advisors were embedded with Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Keating was killed by direct small arms fire during the ensuing battle, which involved U.S. airstrikes and lasted several hours.
His death occurred during Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led military intervention launched in August 2014 to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The mission involved airstrikes and the deployment of special operations forces to advise and assist local ground forces, primarily in Iraq and Syria.
In the immediate aftermath, the Pentagon confirmed Keating's death and stated that the firefight represented a significant engagement, with an estimated 58 ISIS fighters killed. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action. His funeral was held in Coronado, California.
Keating was the third American service member killed in combat in Iraq since the U.S. resumed a combat role there in 2014. He is memorialized by the U.S. Navy and his name is inscribed on the Navy SEAL Memorial at the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.
Explore Further
Charles Keating IV was killed during Operation Inherent Resolve (ongoing since 2014). See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Villotcarrasco, Yeshabel, Spears, Jordan Lee, Walker, Jonathan Doyle, Neal, Sean Patrick.