Lemm, Joseph Gerard

Also known as: TSGT, 105TH SECURITY FORCES SQUADRON, STEWART ANGB, NY (ACC)

Combatant

Male Verified

DiedDecember 21, 2015

Age45 years old

Location of DeathBAJAWRI VILLAGE, AFGHANISTAN

Cause of DeathKilled by a suicide bomber's explosive device while on patrol.

Conflict Operation Freedom's Sentinel

Technical Sergeant Joseph Gerard Lemm, 45, of the New York Air National Guard's 105th Security Forces Squadron, was killed in a suicide bombing in Bajawri Village, Afghanistan, on December 21, 2015.

Their Story

Joseph Gerard Lemm was a 45-year-old Technical Sergeant from the Bronx, New York. He served with the New York Air National Guard's 105th Security Forces Squadron, based at Stewart Air National Guard Base. Prior to his Air National Guard service, he was a 15-year veteran of the New York Police Department, serving in the 44th Precinct.

On December 21, 2015, Lemm was on a patrol with U.S. and Afghan forces near Bagram Airfield in the village of Bajawri, Parwan Province. A suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated an explosive device near the patrol. The attack killed six U.S. service members, including Lemm, and wounded two others. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Lemm was killed during Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S.-led NATO mission that succeeded the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan on January 1, 2015. The mission's stated objectives were to train, advise, and assist Afghan security forces and conduct counterterrorism operations. The attack occurred in a province considered relatively secure, highlighting the persistent threat from insurgent groups.

New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton stated Lemm was 'the epitome of an American hero.' New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered flags to be flown at half-staff. Lemm's funeral was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan, with thousands of police officers and service members in attendance.

Lemm was posthumously promoted to the rank of Technical Sergeant. He was survived by his wife and two children. A street in his Bronx neighborhood was co-named 'Technical Sergeant Joseph G. Lemm Way' in his memory. He is listed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., for his police service.