Posch, William Ryan
Male
Verified Master Sergeant William Ryan Posch, 36, was a U.S. Air Force Reserve combat controller assigned to the 308th Rescue Squadron. He was killed in action on March 15, 2018, near Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.
Their Story
Master Sergeant William Ryan Posch was a combat controller from Atlantic Beach, Florida. He served with the 308th Rescue Squadron, an Air Force Reserve unit based at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, specializing in personnel recovery and combat search and rescue.
Posch died on March 15, 2018, from wounds sustained during an indirect fire attack on the Iraqi-Syrian border near Al Asad Air Base in Anbar province, Iraq. According to U.S. Central Command, the attack involved enemy artillery fire. He was reportedly supporting a partnered special operations mission with Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service forces at the time.
His death occurred during Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led military intervention launched in August 2014 to combat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. The mission involved coalition air strikes and ground support for Iraqi and Syrian partner forces.
The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed his death in a press release. He was posthumously promoted from Technical Sergeant to Master Sergeant. His awards included the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.
Posch was remembered by his unit as a dedicated combat controller. His role involved embedding with partner forces to direct close air support and coordinate air operations in complex combat environments.
Explore Further
William Posch was killed during Operation Inherent Resolve (ongoing since 2014). See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Villotcarrasco, Yeshabel, Spears, Jordan Lee, Walker, Jonathan Doyle, Neal, Sean Patrick.
