Samek, Jesse Monroe
Male
Verified Airman First Class Jesse Monroe Samek, 21, of Rogers, Arkansas, served with the 66th Rescue Squadron, U.S. Air Force. He was killed in action on October 21, 2004, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Jesse Monroe Samek was born on November 21, 1982, and grew up in Rogers, Arkansas. He enlisted in the United States Air Force and was assigned to the 66th Rescue Squadron, based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The squadron's mission involved combat search and rescue operations.
In 2004, Samek deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. By that stage of the conflict, the initial overthrow of the Taliban government had given way to a protracted counterinsurgency campaign. Coalition forces operated from forward bases like Kandahar Airfield.
On October 21, 2004, Airman First Class Samek was killed in action at Kandahar Airfield. According to the Department of Defense, the incident involved enemy action, though specific details of the engagement were not widely detailed in public reports. His death was recorded in the Defense Casualty Analysis System on that date.
Samek was 21 years old at the time of his death. His service and sacrifice are recorded on memorials including the Afghanistan War Memorial at the University of Arkansas. Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, the conflict in which he served, formally concluded in December 2014.
Explore Further
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan, began in October 2001 and 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.
