Palmer, Benjamin James
Male
Verified Lt. Col. Benjamin James Palmer, 43, of Modesto, California, was a U.S. Marine killed in a hostile incident at Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan, on May 12, 2011.
Their Story
Benjamin James Palmer was a 43-year-old lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps. A native of Modesto, California, he was assigned to Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2 (MWHS-2), part of the II Marine Expeditionary Force Forward, based out of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. According to Marine Corps records, his service included deployments to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.
On May 12, 2011, Palmer died at Camp Dwyer, a forward operating base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The Marine Corps listed the cause of death as 'hostile.' Official casualty reports from the Department of Defense and subsequent news coverage confirmed he was killed by an Afghan soldier in what was described as an insider attack, also known as a 'green-on-blue' incident.
Palmer'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. By 2011, the conflict was in its tenth year, with U.S. and NATO forces engaged in counterinsurgency operations and training missions for Afghan security forces. Insider attacks emerged as a significant tactical threat during this period.
The killing was reported by several U.S. news outlets, including the Associated Press and Military Times, which detailed the circumstances of the attack. The incident was part of a Pentagon investigation into the rising number of such attacks against coalition personnel. Palmer's death was formally announced by the Department of Defense on May 13, 2011.
Lt. Col. Palmer is memorialized on the Afghanistan War casualty lists maintained by the Pentagon and on several online veterans' memorial sites. His name is included on the roster of service members killed in insider attacks during the war, a subject of subsequent military studies and reports.
Explore Further
Lt. Col. Benjamin Palmer 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.
