Sipple, Andrew Holland

Andrew Holland Sipple was born in 1991 and grew up in Cary, North Carolina. He joined the U.S. Army and was assigned as a cavalry scout to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, part of the 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas. His unit deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In January 2014, Specialist Sipple was operating in Kandahar province, a region in southern Afghanistan that remained a focal point of insurgent activity. The 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment was engaged in security and stability operations there as part of the broader international mission.

On January 17, 2014, Sipple was killed by enemy small-arms fire during a dismounted patrol, according to a Department of Defense news release. Another soldier, Specialist Drew M. Scobie, 25, was killed in the same incident.

The deaths of Sipple and Scobie were reported by multiple news outlets at the time, noting they were the first U.S. combat fatalities in Afghanistan that year. Their battalion commander stated the soldiers were conducting a partnered operation with Afghan forces when they came under fire.

Specialist Sipple was 22 years old. He was posthumously promoted from Private First Class to Specialist. His awards included the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Army Commendation Medal.

Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led combat mission in Afghanistan, concluded in December 2014. Sipple was one of 2,356 American service members who died during that operation, according to the Department of Defense.

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.

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