Joshua Wheeler

Joshua Wheeler
BornNovember 22, 1975
Roland, Oklahoma, United States
DiedOctober 22, 2015 (aged 39)
Kirkuk Province, Iraq
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery[1][2]
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of service1995–2015
RankMaster Sergeant
UnitCompany C, 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment
B Company, 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
Delta Force
Battles / warsWar in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Operation Inherent Resolve †
AwardsSilver Star
Bronze Star (11)
Purple Heart

Joshua Lloyd Wheeler (November 22, 1975 – October 22, 2015) was a United States Army soldier who was killed in Iraq during Operation Inherent Resolve.[3][4] He was a master sergeant assigned to the elite Delta Force, and was the first American service member killed in action as a result of enemy fire while fighting ISIS militants. He was also the first American to be killed in action in Iraq since November 2011.[5][6]

Wheeler was a highly decorated service member, having earned 11 Bronze Star Medals including four with Valor Devices.[7] He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the Purple Heart and the Medal of Patriotism.[7][8][9]

  1. ^ Dan Lamothe (November 18, 2015). "In quiet ceremony, Delta Force soldier killed in Iraq buried at Arlington". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  2. ^ "Wheeler, Joshua Lloyd". ANC Explorer. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  3. ^ U.S. Department of Defense (October 23, 2015). "DoD Identifies Army Casualty". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  4. ^ McGarry, Brendan (October 23, 2015). "Pentagon Identifies First KIA in Fight against Islamic State". Military.com. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  5. ^ Schwartz, Felicia (October 23, 2015). "U.S. Identifies American Killed in Iraq Raid as Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  6. ^ Tan, Michelle (October 23, 2015). "DoD identifies soldier killed in commando raid in Iraq". Army Times. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Miklaszewski, Jim; Kube, Courtney (October 23, 2015). "Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler, U.S. Commando Killed in ISIS Raid, Ran to Gunfight". NBC News. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  8. ^ Siemaszko, Corky (October 23, 2015). "Hero killed in ISIS raid Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler, first U.S. soldier to die in combat against Islamic State". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  9. ^ "U.S. ARMY SILVER STAR RECIPIENTS For Actions Since September 11, 2001". United States Department of Defense. May 1, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2017.