Sergeant First Class Keith C. Martel (1978-2017)
SFC Martel served his country for a total of 23 years serving five combat tours, four in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. He enlisted in the Army in March of 1996 where he attended basic training, Airborne and Ranger school. He served with the 3rd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment before being selected to attend Special Forces Qualification. Upon completion of the Special Forces Q course, he received orders to 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces group in Fort Carson, Colorado. He served as the Senior Medical Sergeant and Instructor in the 10th Group in support of Operation New Dawn in his 5th tour. Last assignment he was personally selected in 2014 to serve as the S3X Special Activities Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge for 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces (Airborne) where he contributed immeasurably to the command’s success at tactical, operational and strategic levels.
THE PERSON
Keith Craig always the first for family and friend followed by his love for his furry family. In difficult challenging times his coined go to phrase was “…it’s like herding cats”. One of his favorite activities in Germany was singing karaoke with his tremendous voice and love of music as a key part of his life. He was also a fan of the Minions in the Despicable Me movies.
AWARDS
SFC Martel’s military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Combat Medical Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, and the Parachutist Badge.
Sponsored by: Keith & Kelley Martel
SFC Martel is also shown here with his father CSM Keith F. Martel taken in an operating base in Balad, Iraq where they jointly served in 2004-5