Melton, Joshua Allen

Joshua Allen Melton was a 26-year-old from Carlyle, Illinois, who served as a Staff Sergeant in the Illinois Army National Guard. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, part of the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team based in Marion, Illinois.

On June 19, 2009, Melton died in Kandahar City, Afghanistan. The Department of Defense stated his death was the result of hostile action. According to contemporaneous reporting, his unit was engaged in combat operations in the volatile Kandahar region at the time of his death.

Melton's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. The operation focused on counterinsurgency against Taliban and al-Qaeda forces, with Kandahar province being a major area of conflict.

Following his death, his body was returned to the United States. A funeral service was held in his hometown of Carlyle, where he was remembered by family, friends, and fellow soldiers. The Illinois National Guard publicly confirmed his death and expressed condolences to his family.

Staff Sgt. Melton is memorialized on the Illinois Fallen Heroes website and at the National Guard Memorial in Springfield, Illinois. His name is also inscribed on the Global War on Terrorism memorial at the Veterans Memorial Park in his home county.

Staff Sgt. Joshua Melton 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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