Whiting, Justin Ryan
Male
Verified U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Justin Ryan Whiting, 27, of Hancock, New York, died on January 19, 2008, in Mosul, Iraq.
Their Story
Justin Ryan Whiting was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army, assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was 27 years old and from the small town of Hancock, New York.
According to the Department of Defense, Whiting died on January 19, 2008, in Mosul, Iraq, from wounds sustained during a hostile incident. The military did not release specific details of the engagement, but it occurred in a period of intense combat operations in the northern city.
His death came during Operation Iraqi Freedom, a conflict that began with the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. By early 2008, the U.S. military was implementing a troop surge strategy, which had reduced violence in some areas, but insurgent activity remained high in northern provinces like Nineveh, where Mosul is located.
The Department of Defense announced his death in a press release. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal for his service.
Staff Sergeant Whiting is remembered on memorial walls at Fort Campbell and within the Special Forces community. His name is inscribed on Panel 37E, Line 28 of the Iraq War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia.
Explore Further
Staff Sergeant Whiting 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.
