Paul, Robert Joseph
Male
Verified U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert Joseph Paul, 43, of The Dalles, Oregon, died on September 8, 2006, in Kabul, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained in a hostile incident.
Their Story
Robert Joseph Paul was a 43-year-old Staff Sergeant from The Dalles, Oregon. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve, assigned to the 405th Civil Affairs Battalion, a unit based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Civil Affairs soldiers specialize in building relationships between military forces and local civilian populations.
On September 8, 2006, Paul was killed in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, he died from wounds sustained when his patrol came under small arms fire during a combat operation. He was one of two U.S. soldiers killed in separate hostile incidents in Afghanistan that day.
Paul's death occurred during a period of escalating violence in Operation Enduring Freedom. By 2006, Taliban insurgents had regrouped and intensified attacks, including ambushes and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), leading to a significant increase in U.S. and coalition casualties compared to earlier years of the conflict.
His death was recorded in the Defense Casualty Analysis System. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart, according to standard military practice for soldiers killed in action.
Staff Sergeant Paul is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at The Dalles Veterans Memorial Park in his hometown. His name is also inscribed on Panel 21R, Line 63 of the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, which honors those who died in the subsequent wars.
Explore Further
Staff Sergeant Robert Joseph Paul 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.
