Mickler, Donald Ray Jr

Donald Ray Mickler Jr. was a 29-year-old sergeant from Trotwood, Ohio. He served with the Army's HHT, 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, which was based in Vilseck, Germany. His military service included deployments to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.

On March 19, 2011, Sergeant Mickler was killed in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan. The Department of Defense announced he died of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was on a mounted patrol at the time.

His death occurred during the latter years of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2011, the conflict was characterized by intense counterinsurgency operations, particularly in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar, where IED attacks were a leading cause of casualties for coalition forces.

The Army posthumously awarded Mickler the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Meritorious Service Medal. His remains were returned to Ohio, where he was buried in Dayton National Cemetery. Local news reported on his funeral and the community's mourning.

Sergeant Mickler is remembered on memorial walls and by his unit. His name is inscribed on the 2nd Cavalry Regiment's memorial at Rose Barracks in Vilseck and is included in the Afghanistan War casualty databases maintained by several research institutions.

Sgt. Mickler 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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