Near, Robert James
Male
Verified U.S. Army Private First Class Robert James Near, 21, of Nampa, Idaho, was killed in action on January 7, 2011, in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Robert James Near was a 21-year-old soldier from Nampa, Idaho. He served as a Private First Class with Company C, 86th Signal Battalion, 11th Signal Brigade, based out of Fort Huachuca, Arizona. His unit specialized in providing communications support for military operations.
Near died on January 7, 2011, in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, he was killed by an improvised explosive device while on a mounted patrol. The incident was part of the intense counterinsurgency operations focused on the Taliban's traditional heartland in the south.
His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2011, the conflict was in its tenth year, with a surge of U.S. forces deployed to secure population centers like Kandahar. The use of IEDs by insurgent forces was a leading cause of coalition casualties during this period.
Near's body was returned to Idaho. A funeral service was held at the Karcher Church of the Nazarene in Nampa. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and other commendations.
He is memorialized on the Idaho Fallen Soldier Memorial and the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Veterans Memorial Park in Boise. His name is also inscribed on Panel W-17 of the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum in Georgia.
Explore Further
Pfc. Robert Near 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.
