November 4, 2016

BORN: January 15, 1989

HOMETOWN: Kirksville, MO

ENTERED SERVICE: February 2010

UNITS: ODA 5315, A Co. 3rd Bn 5th SFG (A); ODA 5436, C Co. 4th Bn. 5th SFG (A)

MILITARY TRAINING: Special Forces Qualification Course; Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Course; the Special Forces Sniper Course; Advanced Leader Course; Basic Leader Course; and the Basic Airborne Course.

DEPLOYMENTS: Afghanistan, Jordan (2x)

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS: Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal (2nd Award), ), the NATO Service Medal; the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal,  the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (Numeral 2), the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Special Forces Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Parachutist Badge. SFC Lewellen was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster).

SURVIVED BY: Parents Cynthia M. Lewellen and Charles D. Lewellen Jr and his brother and sister

 

On November 4, 2016,  SFC Lewellen and two other Special Forces soldiers were returning to a Jordanian Military base in Jafr, Jordan. Here they staged missions to train and equip foreign fighters opposing Bashar al-Assad regime in nearby Syria. As they entered the security checkpoint into the base, they  came under fire by a Jordanian Guard at the gate. Tragically, all three soldiers died from wounds sustained during the attack.