Waits, Andrew Kenyon
Male
Verified U.S. Army Specialist Andrew Kenyon Waits, 23, of Waterford, Michigan, was killed in a hostile incident in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 13, 2006.
Their Story
Andrew Kenyon Waits was a 23-year-old U.S. Army specialist from Waterford, Michigan. He was assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
On April 13, 2006, Specialist Waits was killed in Baghdad. According to the Department of Defense, he died from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.
Waits died during a period of intense sectarian violence in Iraq. The February 2006 bombing of the al-Askari Mosque in Samarra had accelerated insurgent attacks and widespread fighting. U.S. forces, engaged in counterinsurgency and stabilization missions, faced daily threats from IEDs, which were the leading cause of American casualties that year.
Following his death, Waits was posthumously promoted to the rank of specialist. He was survived by his parents and siblings. His body was returned to Michigan, where he was buried with military honors.
He is remembered on memorials at Fort Campbell and in his hometown. His name is inscribed on Panel 7E, Line 90 of the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, which honors those killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Explore Further
Andrew Waits was killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003–2010). The conflict concluded in August 2010. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Kennedy, Brian Matthew, Beaupre, Ryan Anthony, Gutierrez, Jose, Waters-bey, Kendall Damon.
