Potter, Tony Joe Jr

Tony Joe Potter Jr. was a 20-year-old from Okmulgee, Oklahoma. He served as a Private First Class in the U.S. Army, assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, a unit of the Oklahoma Army National Guard based in Tulsa.

On September 9, 2011, Potter was killed by enemy small-arms fire while on patrol in the Zormat District of Paktia Province, Afghanistan. The Department of Defense announced his death the following day. He was one of two U.S. service members killed in separate incidents in eastern Afghanistan that day.

Potter's 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 U.S. and allied forces engaged in counterinsurgency operations, particularly in the volatile eastern provinces bordering Pakistan.

According to news reports, Potter's body was returned to Oklahoma, where he was buried with military honors. The Oklahoma National Guard stated flags were flown at half-staff in his memory.

Potter was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and other military decorations. His name is inscribed on the Oklahoma Veterans Memorial.

PFC Potter 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.

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