Kenefick, Aaron Michael
Male
Verified Gunnery Sergeant Aaron Michael Kenefick, a 30-year-old U.S. Marine from Roswell, Georgia, was killed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on September 8, 2009.
Their Story
Aaron Michael Kenefick was a 30-year-old Gunnery Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, originally from Roswell, Georgia. He was assigned to the 3rd Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, based in Okinawa, Japan, and had served on deployments to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.
On September 8, 2009, Kenefick was part of a U.S. military operation in the Ganjgal Valley of Kunar Province, Afghanistan. According to U.S. military reports, the unit was ambushed by insurgents. Kenefick was one of four U.S. service members killed in the engagement, which also resulted in the deaths of several Afghan National Army soldiers and an Afghan interpreter.
His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. The operation focused on counterinsurgency against Taliban and al-Qaeda forces, with eastern provinces like Kunar being frequent sites of intense combat due to the rugged terrain and proximity to the Pakistan border.
In the aftermath, the U.S. Department of Defense officially announced the casualties. Kenefick's name was entered into the Defense Casualty Analysis System on the day of his death. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
Kenefick is remembered by his unit and community. His name is inscribed on the Georgia Fallen Heroes Memorial in Roswell and is listed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
Explore Further
Gunnery Sergeant Kenefick 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.
