Montenegro, Jose Luis Jr
Male
Verified Jose Luis Montenegro Jr., 31, was a Chief Warrant Officer 2 from Houston, Texas, serving with the U.S. Army. He died on September 5, 2012, in Pul-e Alam, Afghanistan, from hostile action.
Their Story
Jose Luis Montenegro Jr. was a 31-year-old Chief Warrant Officer 2 from Houston, Texas. He served with Troop F, 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
On September 5, 2012, Montenegro was killed in Pul-e Alam, the capital of Logar province in eastern Afghanistan. According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, his OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter was shot down by enemy small arms fire. The incident also killed the aircraft's pilot, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan S. Gibson, 32, of Aurora, Oregon.
Montenegro's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2012, the conflict was in a phase focused on counterinsurgency and training Afghan security forces, with Logar province being a contested area south of Kabul.
The deaths of Montenegro and Gibson were reported by major news outlets, including The Washington Post, which listed them among the war's casualties. The 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade confirmed the loss and the soldiers' assignments.
Montenegro is memorialized on the Afghanistan War casualty lists maintained by the Pentagon and by independent projects documenting the war's fallen. His unit, the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, is an aerial reconnaissance unit whose history includes service in Vietnam and subsequent conflicts.
Explore Further
Jose Luis Montenegro Jr. 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.
