Santiago, Anibal Jr
Male
Verified Sergeant Anibal Jr Santiago, 37, of Belvidere, Illinois, served with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment (Airborne). He died in Bagram, Afghanistan, on July 18, 2010.
Their Story
Sergeant Anibal Jr Santiago was a member of the U.S. Army's elite 75th Ranger Regiment, an airborne infantry unit specializing in direct action raids. He was assigned to the regiment's 3rd Battalion, based at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
In July 2010, Santiago was operating in the vicinity of Bagram Airfield, the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan. The area, in Parwan province, remained a contested zone despite the massive coalition presence. The Taliban and other insurgent groups frequently targeted patrols and convoys near the base perimeter.
On July 18, 2010, Sergeant Santiago was killed by hostile fire. The Department of Defense announced his death the following day. His unit, the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, was actively conducting counter-terrorism operations across Afghanistan at the time.
Santiago's death occurred during the U.S. military's surge in Afghanistan, a period marked by intensified combat operations aimed at dismantling insurgent networks. His loss was recorded as the war entered its ninth year.
He was 37 years old. Sergeant Santiago is remembered as a soldier from Belvidere, Illinois, who served with one of the Army's most distinguished special operations units. His death is documented among the more than 1,800 U.S. service members who died in Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011, the conflict's most lethal period.
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.
