Reza, Matthew Gregory

Lance Corporal Matthew Gregory Reza was a 27-year-old Marine from Austin, Texas. He served with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 31 (MALS-31), Marine Aircraft Group 31, which was part of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Afghanistan under the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. His home station was Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina.

Reza died on May 31, 2009, in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan. According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, he was killed while supporting combat operations. The specific incident was not detailed in public releases, but his death was recorded as a hostile event in Kandahar, a major center of insurgent activity at the time.

Reza's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In the spring of 2009, U.S. forces were engaged in intense counterinsurgency efforts, particularly in southern provinces like Kandahar and Helmand, where Taliban forces remained entrenched.

Following his death, Reza's body was returned to the United States. Public records show he was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. His name is listed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the University of Texas at Austin, which honors alumni and students who died in the conflict.

Lance Corporal Reza is remembered on the online 'Faces of the Fallen' memorial maintained by *The Washington Post* and in the U.S. military's official casualty databases. His service is documented by the Marine Corps and memorialized by veterans' groups.

Lance Corporal Reza 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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