Krause, Suresh Niranjan Aba

Suresh Niranjan Aba Krause was a 29-year-old Chief Warrant Officer 2 from Cathedral City, California. He served as a pilot with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, part of the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade based at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. His military service included deployments to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.

On August 16, 2012, Krause was piloting a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on a mission in Shah Wali Kot District, Kandahar Province, southern Afghanistan. The aircraft was reportedly struck by enemy fire and crashed. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Krause and another soldier, Sergeant Richard A. Essex, were killed in the incident. Two other crew members were injured.

The incident occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In 2012, the conflict was characterized by intense counterinsurgency operations, particularly in southern provinces like Kandahar, where coalition forces faced sustained attacks from Taliban and other insurgent groups.

The deaths of Krause and Essex were announced by the Department of Defense. Krause's body was returned to the United States. Public records and memorial pages indicate he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Krause is remembered on the Afghanistan War Memorial and by veterans' organizations. His name is inscribed on Panel 30W, Line 100 of the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum. He was one of 2,356 American service members killed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.

CW2 Krause 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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