Luce, Ronald George Jr

Ronald George Luce Jr. was a 27-year-old Army captain from Wayne, Pennsylvania. He served with Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), a National Guard unit based in Glen Arm, Maryland. According to military records, his service included deployments to the Philippines and the Horn of Africa prior to his assignment to Afghanistan.

Captain Luce died on August 2, 2009, in Qole Gerdsar, a village in the mountainous Tagab district of Kapisa province, Afghanistan. The Department of Defense stated he was killed by enemy small-arms fire during a combat operation. The area was a known insurgent stronghold at the time.

Luce's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. The mission's stated objectives included dismantling al-Qaeda and removing the Taliban regime from power. By 2009, the conflict was marked by a significant increase in U.S. troop levels and intense counterinsurgency operations in eastern provinces like Kapisa.

Following his death, the Department of Defense officially announced the casualty. He was posthumously promoted from the rank of first lieutenant to captain. A memorial service was held at his unit's headquarters in Maryland.

Captain Luce was remembered by his unit as a dedicated soldier. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart posthumously. His name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the 20th Special Forces Group compound and on Panel 23W, Line 111 of the National Infantry Museum's Global War on Terrorism Memorial Wall.

Captain Luce 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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