On 16 January 2008, United States Army Private First Class Dave Sharrett II was killed during a battle with insurgents near Balad, Iraq during the Iraq War. Subsequent investigation determined Sharrett was shot a single time by his commanding officer, then-Lieutenant Timothy Hanson.
David H. Sharrett II
David H. Sharrett II was born in Woodstock, Virginia in June 1980, to David Sharrett Sr., a local schoolteacher, and Kimberly Drummond. David Sharrett II's parents divorced early in his life, and he grew up around Oakton, Virginia, where he attended Oakton Elementary School, then Cooper Intermediate School and Oakton High School. In high school, he played defensive end on the school's football team before graduating high school in 1999. After graduation, Sharrett considered college but instead opted to work several odd jobs, telling his family he was not ready to continue his education. He worked as a bartender and a doorman in several local restaurants and bars until around 2005. During this time, he met Heather Shell, whom he would later marry. He also attended some classes at Northern Virginia Community College, where he studied history and literature.
Sharrett had considered joining the US military several times, twice beginning the process and backing out. However, Sharrett eventually enlisted in September 2006, hoping to serve a three-year Army tour and then return home to complete a degree and become a history teacher. He married Shell in January 2007, after returning from basic combat training, and the couple moved to Fort Campbell, Kentucky where Sharrett was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. His awards included the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and an Expert Marksman Badge with the M4 Carbine. He had volunteered for air assault school and airborne school as well.
Sharret's unit was deployed to northern Iraq in September 2007 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Initially the unit was based near the border with Iran to interdict weapons smuggling across the border. Later it was based at Forward Operating Base Paliwoda near Balad. Sharrett and his father stayed in regular contact throughout the deployment. In the days leading up to his death, Sharrett had indicated displeasure with the post, reportedly telling his father during a conversation, "We're doing too much stupid stuff. I want out of the infantry."
Incident
On 16 January 2008, Sharrett was part of an 8-man patrol participating in Operation Hood Harvest near the village of Bichigan, north of Baghdad. The allied coalition had discovered that the insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq was using the region to equip suicide bombers. Sharrett's seven-man squad, led by Staff Sergeant Chris McGraw, was joined by First Lieutenant Timothy Hanson, the company executive officer, who was to direct communications with the squad's air support. Designated "Team 6," this team was to patrol in two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters for any insurgents active past the local curfew.
Shortly before 05:00 local time, overhead observers spotted six men running single file through a palm grove outside of town. The six men, apparently unarmed, sprinted across a field before taking cover in an oval-shaped thicket of branches and vines, as observed by nearby helicopters and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. At 05:07, Team 6 disembarked from its helicopters, equipped with night vision devices, as there was no ambient light and conditions were reportedly pitch black. They were also equipped with infrared flashing lights visible only though night vision, which serve as Identification friend or foe { IFF} tags. However, neither McGraw nor Hanson ordered the team to turn on the IFF tags, and five of the eight did not do so. In the meantime, the six insurgents apparently armed themselves with AK-47s and grenades which had been concealed in a cache in the thicket, lying down and keeping still. At 05:15, Team 6 approached the brush and surrounded it, with four men on each side, and called into the brush for the insurgents to come out.