Laningham, Ira Benjamin Iv
Male
Verified U.S. Army Private First Class Ira Benjamin Laningham IV, 22, of Zapata, Texas, died on January 7, 2011, in the Charkh District of Afghanistan's Logar province.
Their Story
Ira Benjamin Laningham IV was a 22-year-old soldier from Zapata, Texas, a small city near the U.S.-Mexico border. He served as a Private First Class with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, part of the 4th Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Before his deployment to Afghanistan, his unit had conducted training and security missions in locations including the Philippines and the Horn of Africa.
On January 7, 2011, Laningham was killed during a combat operation in the Charkh District of Logar province, a volatile area southeast of Kabul. According to the Department of Defense, his death was the result of hostile enemy action. Initial reports from the International Security Assistance Force indicated the incident involved an improvised explosive device, though official casualty reports often consolidate such details under the broader 'hostile' designation.
Laningham's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the 9/11 attacks. By early 2011, the conflict was in its tenth year, with a surge of U.S. forces focused on counterinsurgency operations in provinces like Logar, which served as a gateway and insurgent transit route between Kabul and Pakistan.
His death was announced by the Department of Defense on January 10, 2011. He was survived by his parents and other family members in Texas. Fellow soldiers and community members remembered him in local media reports following the notification.
Pfc. Laningham was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and other service medals. His name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Veterans Memorial Park in Zapata, Texas, where he is remembered alongside others from his community who died in service.
Explore Further
Pfc. Laningham 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.
