Meadows, Joshua Stewart

Joshua Stewart Meadows was a 30-year-old Marine Corps captain from Elgin, Texas. He served with Alpha Company, 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), based out of Camp Pendleton, California. According to military records, his service included deployments to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.

On September 5, 2009, Captain Meadows was killed during combat operations in the village of Koshan, located in the volatile Farah province of western Afghanistan. The Department of Defense stated he died from wounds sustained while supporting combat operations. He was reportedly part of a Marine Special Operations team engaged with enemy forces.

His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2009, the conflict was in a period of intense fighting, with a surge of U.S. forces deployed to counter a resilient Taliban insurgency, particularly in southern and western provinces like Farah.

Captain Meadows was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal with combat 'V' device for valor. His death was reported by several major news outlets, including the Associated Press, which noted he was the first MARSOC Marine to be killed in Afghanistan that year. He was survived by his wife and other family members.

Meadows is memorialized on the MARSOC Memorial at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and his name appears on the Afghanistan War memorial at the Marine Corps Museum. In 2010, a memorial motorcycle ride was held in Texas in his honor.

Captain Meadows 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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