Mcnabb, Shawn Henry

Shawn Henry McNabb was a 24-year-old from Terrell, Texas, who served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He was assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), based at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia. The 160th SOAR, known as the "Night Stalkers," provides helicopter aviation support for special operations forces.

On October 26, 2009, McNabb was killed when his MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in the mountainous Darreh-ye Bum region of Wardak province, Afghanistan. The U.S. Department of Defense stated the crash was the result of a hostile incident. According to subsequent reports, the helicopter was on a night mission when it went down, killing all seven U.S. service members and four civilian contractors on board.

McNabb's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In late 2009, U.S. and NATO forces were engaged in intense counterinsurgency operations, particularly in eastern provinces like Wardak, which saw frequent clashes with Taliban and other insurgent groups.

The crash that killed McNabb was one of the deadliest for U.S. forces in Afghanistan that year. The Department of Defense officially notified his family of his death on October 27, 2009. His body was returned to the United States for burial.

Staff Sgt. McNabb's name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia. He is also memorialized on the 160th SOAR Memorial Wall at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, which honors fallen members of the regiment.

Staff Sgt. McNabb 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: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.

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