Rabjohn, Thomas Duane
Male
Verified U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Thomas Duane Rabjohn, 39, of Avondale, Arizona, was killed in a hostile incident in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, on October 3, 2009.
Their Story
Thomas Duane Rabjohn was a 39-year-old Staff Sergeant from Avondale, Arizona. He served with the Arizona Army National Guard's 363rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Detachment, based in Coolidge.
According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, Rabjohn died on October 3, 2009, in Wardak Province, Afghanistan. He was reportedly responding to an improvised explosive device (IED) when a second device detonated. The incident occurred while he was conducting a dismounted patrol.
Rabjohn's death came during a period of Operation Enduring Freedom marked by a significant increase in IED attacks. By 2009, the Taliban had regrouped, and the use of roadside bombs had become the leading cause of coalition casualties. U.S. forces, particularly EOD units, were under intense pressure to locate and neutralize these threats.
The Pentagon formally announced his death on October 5, 2009. He was posthumously promoted from Sergeant to Staff Sergeant. His unit, the 363rd EOD, was part of a larger effort to train Afghan security forces in counter-IED techniques.
Staff Sergeant Rabjohn's name is inscribed on the National EOD Memorial at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, which honors technicians killed in the line of duty. He is also listed on the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum wall in Phoenix.
Explore Further
Staff Sergeant Rabjohn 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: Santos, Dave Michael Maliksi, Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif.
