Ross, Kenneth Grant
Male
Verified U.S. Army Sergeant Kenneth Grant Ross, 24, of Peoria, Arizona, was a helicopter repairer assigned to Company B, 7th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, based in Giebelstadt, Germany. He died in a hostile incident in Deh Chopan, Afghanistan,
Their Story
Kenneth Grant Ross was a 24-year-old sergeant from Peoria, Arizona, serving as a helicopter repairer with the U.S. Army's Company B, 7th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment. His unit, Task Force Griffin, was based in Giebelstadt, Germany, and had deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. According to military records, Ross had also served on deployments to the Philippines and the Horn of Africa.
On September 25, 2005, Ross was in Deh Chopan district, Zabul province, southern Afghanistan. The area was a known stronghold for insurgent forces. That day, his unit was involved in a mission as part of ongoing counter-insurgency operations.
Official records state Ross died from hostile action. A military press release from the time reported that two U.S. soldiers were killed when their convoy was struck by an improvised explosive device and then hit by small-arms fire near Deh Chopan. Ross was one of the soldiers killed in this engagement.
His death occurred during a period of intensified fighting in Afghanistan, four years after the initial invasion. The conflict, Operation Enduring Freedom, would continue for another nine years. Ross was survived by his family in Arizona.
Sergeant Ross's name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Peoria Sports Complex in his hometown. He is one of over 2,400 U.S. service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Explore Further
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.
