Sonka, David Michael
Male
Verified Corporal David Michael Sonka, 23, of Parker, Colorado, was a U.S. Marine serving with the 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion. He died on May 4, 2013, in Farah Province, Afghanistan.
Their Story
David Michael Sonka was a 23-year-old Marine corporal from Parker, Colorado. He served with the Intelligence Battalion, Marine Special Operations Support Group, part of the 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. His service reportedly included deployments to Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa.
In the spring of 2013, Sonka was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was operating in Farah Province, a region in western Afghanistan where insurgent activity was persistent. The province was a focal point for U.S. and Afghan forces in the latter years of the conflict.
On May 4, 2013, Sonka was killed during a hostile incident. According to U.S. Department of Defense records, the event was an insider attack. An individual in an Afghan National Army uniform turned his weapon on U.S. and Afghan personnel, killing Sonka and two other American service members.
The attack also resulted in the death of a military working dog, which Sonka handled. The incident was one of several so-called 'green-on-blue' attacks that year, which eroded trust between coalition and Afghan forces. Sonka's death was recorded in the Defense Casualty Analysis System on the day it occurred.
His death came as the U.S. mission in Afghanistan was shifting toward a training and advisory role ahead of the planned conclusion of combat operations. Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led combat mission, formally concluded in December 2014.
Corporal Sonka was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant. He is remembered by his unit and community as a dedicated Marine whose service spanned multiple theaters in the global effort against militant networks.
Explore Further
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led combat mission 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.
