Pedersen-keel, Andrew Michael
Male
Verified Captain Andrew Michael Pedersen-Keel, 28, of Florida, was a U.S. Army Special Forces officer. He was killed in a small-arms fire attack on March 11, 2013, in Jalrez, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Andrew Michael Pedersen-Keel was a captain in the United States Army, assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was a standout member of the ski team and commissioned as an infantry officer in 2006. He later earned the coveted Green Beret of the Special Forces.
On March 11, 2013, Captain Pedersen-Keel was conducting a dismounted patrol with Afghan National Army soldiers in the Jalrez District of Wardak province, west of Kabul. According to U.S. military reports, the patrol came under small-arms fire from an individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform. The attack, described as an insider or 'green-on-blue' incident, killed Pedersen-Keel and an Afghan soldier. A second U.S. soldier, Staff Sergeant Rex L. Schad, was also killed in the engagement.
His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. The Jalrez Valley was a known insurgent transit route and an area of persistent conflict. The incident took place as international forces were increasingly focused on training and advising Afghan security forces before a planned withdrawal.
The Pentagon officially announced the deaths on March 12, 2013. Pedersen-Keel was posthumously promoted to the rank of major. His awards and decorations included the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Meritorious Service Medal. He was survived by his parents and siblings.
Major Pedersen-Keel is memorialized at West Point and on the Special Forces Memorial Wall at Fort Bragg. In 2014, a ski race at the U.S. Military Academy was dedicated in his honor, reflecting his passion for the sport and his alma mater.
Explore Further
Major Andrew Pedersen-Keel 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.
