Their Story
Remembering Rusty H. Christian.
SSG Rusty Hunter Christian of Greeneville, Tennessee served in the U.S. Army and later as a Special Forces Engineer Sergeant with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne). He enlisted in 2004, served first as an infantryman with 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Lewis, and graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in August 2009.
On January 28, 2010, during his second deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, SSG Christian was killed by an improvised explosive device during a patrol in Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan. He was 24. Steel Hearts carries his name with gratitude for his service, sacrifice, and the Special Forces community that continues to remember him.