Lilley, Arthur Leroy

Master Sergeant Arthur Leroy Lilley was a senior non-commissioned officer assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 7th Special Forces Group, which specializes in unconventional warfare and foreign internal defense, deployed Lilley on missions to the Philippines and the Horn of Africa before his assignment to Afghanistan.

On June 15, 2007, Lilley was killed in Shkin, a remote district in Afghanistan's Paktika province near the border with Pakistan. The area was a known insurgent transit point. According to U.S. military reports, his death resulted from hostile fire during combat operations.

Lilley's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2007, the conflict had entered a phase of intense counterinsurgency, with frequent engagements along the eastern border. Shkin was considered one of the most dangerous postings for coalition forces.

The Department of Defense announced his death on June 17, 2007. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. His remains were returned to the United States for burial.

Master Sergeant Lilley is memorialized on the Special Operations Memorial Wall at Fort Bragg and is listed on the Afghanistan War casualty rolls. His unit, the 7th Special Forces Group, continued its mission in Afghanistan for several more years.

Master Sergeant Lilley 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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