Smith, Bradley Randall
Male
Verified Senior Airman Bradley Randall Smith, 24, of Troy, Illinois, served with the U.S. Air Force's 10th Air Support Operations Squadron. He was killed in hostile action on January 3, 2010, at Operating Location Wilson, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Senior Airman Bradley Randall Smith was a 24-year-old airman from Troy, Illinois, assigned to the 10th Air Support Operations Squadron out of Fort Riley, Kansas. His unit was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks.
In early January 2010, Smith was stationed at Operating Location Wilson, a forward base in the volatile Zhari District of Kandahar Province. The area was a known Taliban stronghold and the focus of intense counterinsurgency operations during the troop surge ordered by President Barack Obama.
On January 3, 2010, the base came under hostile fire. According to U.S. military reports, Smith was killed during the attack. He was one of eight U.S. service members reported killed in Afghanistan in the first week of that year.
Smith's death occurred during a pivotal period of the war. The 2010 surge increased U.S. troop levels to approximately 100,000, aiming to secure population centers and train Afghan forces. Casualties peaked during this period, with 2010 becoming the deadliest year for U.S. forces in the conflict.
He was survived by his wife and an infant daughter. Smith was posthumously promoted from the rank of Senior Airman to Staff Sergeant. His name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum and on Panel 17W, Line 105 of the Afghanistan Veterans Memorial Wall in Springfield, Illinois.
Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan formally concluded in December 2014, transitioning to the follow-on mission Operation Freedom's Sentinel. Smith was one of 2,356 American service members who died during the Operation Enduring Freedom phase of the war.
Explore Further
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan, concluded in December 2014 after over 13 years. 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.
