DoD Identifies Soldier Killed by Vehicle Rollover in Syria
On May 27, the Army announced that SPC Etienne J. Murphy of Snellville, Ga., died Friday from injuries sustained in a "vehicle rollover-related incident" in Al-Hasakah, Syria. He was 22.
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Murphy was an infantryman assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Georgia's Hunter Army Airfield. According to an Army news release, he was on his first deployment since joining the military out of South Gwinnett High School in Snellville.
Murphy completed infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga., before heading to Fort Drum, N.Y., where he was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
A native of Boston, Murphy volunteered to serve with the 75th Ranger Regiment in October 2015 and attended the Basic Airborne Course and Ranger Assessment and Selection Program 1.
After graduating from these courses, Murphy served as an anti-tank gunner. He was posthumously awarded the Army Commendation Medal.
In 2012, Murphy was one of nearly a dozen South Gwinnett JROTC students featured in a 9/11 anniversary story in the Snellville Patch, who recalled their school being on lock-down during the tragedy.
The cadets manned a booth that day, where they sought to educate fellow students about the events of 9/11 and the meaning of Patriot Day.
