Senft, David Paul

David Paul Senft was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army, assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. His unit, part of the 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign that began in October 2001.

On November 15, 2010, Senft was in Kandahar province, a major center of insurgent activity in southern Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, he was killed in action that day. The official casualty report listed his death as non-combat related, pending investigation.

A subsequent investigation by the Army, reported by news outlets, concluded that Senft died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The inquiry found he was alone in a guard tower at Combat Outpost Hutal at the time of the incident. His death was one of several investigated that year concerning non-combat fatalities in theater.

Staff Sergeant Senft was 27 years old. He had previously deployed to the Philippines and the Horn of Africa during his military service. His name is recorded on the Defense Casualty Analysis System and on memorials honoring those who died during Operation Enduring Freedom.

His death occurred during a period of intense conflict in Kandahar, as international forces conducted major operations. The circumstances of his passing reflect the complex pressures of the war, which concluded for the U.S. in December 2014.

Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S. military intervention 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.

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