Snyder, Devin Arielle
Female
Verified U.S. Army Sergeant Devin Arielle Snyder, 20, of Cohocton, New York, was killed in action on June 4, 2011, in Afghanistan's Alingar District. She served with the 164th Military Police Company, 793rd Military Police Battalion.
Their Story
Devin Arielle Snyder was a 20-year-old sergeant from the small town of Cohocton, New York. She enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating from Wayland-Cohocton Central School in 2009, where she was a standout athlete in track and cross-country. Her unit was the 164th Military Police Company, 793rd Military Police Battalion, based out of Fort Richardson, Alaska.
In Afghanistan, Sergeant Snyder's unit was part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission, operating under Operation Enduring Freedom. The mission in Laghman province's Alingar District, where she was stationed, involved training Afghan police forces and conducting security patrols in a region known for insurgent activity.
On June 4, 2011, her vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on patrol. The attack killed Snyder and two other soldiers from her unit, Specialist Robert L. Voakes Jr. and Private First Class Brian J. Backus. A fourth soldier was wounded. The Taliban reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
Sergeant Snyder was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Her death was reported by multiple news outlets and noted in official Department of Defense casualty releases. She is remembered locally for her determination and is memorialized on a veterans' monument in her hometown.
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.
