Tanner, Phillip Cecil
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Verified Sgt. 1st Class Phillip Cecil Tanner, 43, of Sheridan, Wyoming, was a U.S. Army soldier with the 541st Transportation Company. He was killed in action at Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, on October 26, 2010.
Their Story
Sgt. 1st Class Phillip Cecil Tanner was a 43-year-old soldier from Sheridan, Wyoming. He served with the 541st Transportation Company, 106th Transportation Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The unit was deployed to support Operation New Dawn, the final phase of U.S. military operations in Iraq.
On October 26, 2010, Tanner died at Camp Arifjan, a logistics hub within the larger Ali Al Salem Air Base complex in Kuwait. According to the Department of Defense, he was killed in a non-combat incident. An investigation by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command later determined his death was a homicide, reportedly resulting from an altercation with another soldier.
Operation New Dawn began in September 2010, marking the official end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq and a transition to an advisory and assistance mission. The conflict, which started with the 2003 invasion, formally concluded with the withdrawal of U.S. forces in December 2011. During New Dawn, the focus shifted to logistics and support, with units like Tanner's managing the complex drawdown of personnel and equipment.
Following his death, the Army charged another soldier, Spc. Neftaly Platero, with murder and other offenses in connection with the incident. Platero was later convicted at a court-martial and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The case highlighted the stresses and dangers present even in support zones removed from front-line combat.
Tanner was posthumously promoted from sergeant first class to master sergeant. He is remembered on memorials for soldiers killed during Operation New Dawn. His death is documented as one of the final fatalities of the U.S. military's nearly nine-year involvement in Iraq.
Explore Further
Sgt. 1st Class Phillip Tanner was killed during Operation New Dawn (2010?2011). The conflict concluded in December 2011. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Jenkins, Phillip Chad, Mcclamrock, James Fleet, Hansen, James Arthur, Burner, John Franklin Iii.
