Ross, Jacob Allen

Lance Corporal Jacob Allen Ross was a 19-year-old Marine from Gillette, Wyoming. He served with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, part of Regimental Combat Team 7, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan Forward. His unit was based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and was deployed to Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

Helmand province was a major center of insurgent activity and a focal point for U.S. and allied forces during the war. In early 2010, operations there involved clearing areas of Taliban influence and securing population centers, a mission that involved frequent patrols and engagements.

On March 24, 2010, Lance Corporal Ross was killed during a hostile incident in Helmand province. The Department of Defense announcement did not specify the exact circumstances, but hostile action in the region at that time often involved improvised explosive devices, small-arms fire, or rocket attacks.

His death was recorded among the more than 1,000 U.S. service members who died in Afghanistan in 2010, the deadliest year of the conflict for American forces. The Marine Corps' 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines sustained multiple casualties during its 2009-2010 deployment to the Helmand River Valley.

Ross was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. He is memorialized on casualty lists and by veterans' organizations that document service members killed in Operation Enduring Freedom.

The war in Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom, formally concluded for U.S. combat forces in December 2014. Ross's death occurred during its most intense period, as U.S. troop levels peaked in an effort to stabilize the country.

Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led combat mission in Afghanistan, 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.

← Return to the full memorial | Add a memorial record