Randolph, Tony Michael

Tony Michael Randolph was born and raised in Henryetta, Oklahoma. He enlisted in the United States Navy and served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician with EOD Mobile Unit Eight (EODMU-8), a unit specializing in the identification and disarmament of improvised explosive devices and other hazardous ordnance.

On July 6, 2009, Randolph was killed in Zabul Province, southern Afghanistan. According to the Department of Defense, his death was the result of hostile action. A contemporaneous report from the Associated Press, citing military officials, stated he was killed by an improvised explosive device while on a dismounted patrol.

By 2009, Operation Enduring Freedom was in its eighth year. The Taliban insurgency had regrouped and intensified its campaign, particularly in southern and eastern provinces like Zabul. The use of IEDs against coalition and Afghan forces had become the leading cause of casualties, with attacks increasing sharply from previous years.

The Navy posthumously advanced Randolph to the rank of Petty Officer Second Class. He was survived by his parents and siblings. His body was returned to Oklahoma, where he was buried with military honors in his hometown of Henryetta.

Petty Officer Second Class Randolph is memorialized on the Navy EOD Memorial at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Museum of the Forgotten Warriors in California. His name is also inscribed on the Henryetta Veterans Memorial.

Petty Officer Second Class Randolph 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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