Osborne, Jerod Heath
Male
Verified U.S. Army Specialist Jerod Heath Osborne, 20, of Royse City, Texas, was killed in action on July 5, 2010, in Yakatut, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Jerod Heath Osborne was a 20-year-old soldier from Royse City, Texas. He served as a Specialist with Troop A, 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, part of the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Osborne had previously deployed to the Philippines and the Horn of Africa before his assignment to Afghanistan.
On July 5, 2010, Specialist Osborne was killed in Yakatut, a village in the volatile Zhari District of Kandahar province. According to U.S. military reports, he died from wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. The attack occurred during a period of intense operations in the region.
Osborne's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. The Zhari District was a known Taliban stronghold and a focal point for coalition clearing operations in 2010, part of a larger troop surge aimed at stabilizing southern Afghanistan.
Following his death, the Department of Defense officially announced his casualty. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and other service medals. His body was returned to Texas for burial.
Specialist Osborne is memorialized on the 82nd Airborne Division's memorial at Fort Bragg and on online veterans' memorials. His name is inscribed on Panel 9W, Line 128 of the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum.
Explore Further
Jerod Heath Osborne 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.
