Lehmiller, Michael Robert

Michael Robert Lehmiller was a 23-year-old soldier from Anderson, South Carolina. He served as a Specialist with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, part of Combined Joint Task Force-76 based at Camp Ederle, Italy. His unit was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

On August 21, 2005, Lehmiller was killed in Baylough, a district in Afghanistan's Zabul province. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while on patrol. He was the only soldier killed in the blast.

Lehmiller's death occurred during a period of renewed Taliban insurgency. By mid-2005, insurgent tactics increasingly relied on IEDs, which became a leading cause of casualties for coalition forces. The 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry was engaged in counter-insurgency operations in the volatile southeastern region of the country.

The Department of Defense announced his death on August 22, 2005. He was posthumously promoted to Specialist. His remains were returned to the United States, and he was buried with military honors.

Lehmiller is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Anderson County Courthouse in South Carolina. His name is also inscribed on the Global War on Terrorism Memorial at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Michael Lehmiller 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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