U.S. soldier injured during humanitarian mission in Gaza passes away

Sergeant Quandarius Davon Stanley, 23, died on October 31 from injuries sustained during a U.S. humanitarian mission in Gaza last spring. The U.S. military confirmed his passing, noting that he had been critically injured in a non-combat incident at a temporary maritime dock.

According to Captain Shkeila Milford-Glover, a spokeswoman for the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Stanley was receiving treatment at a long-term medical facility following his injuries from the humanitarian aid mission in May 2024. He had recently been placed on early medical retirement due to the severity of his condition, which prevented him from continuing his military service.

The floating dock mission, a key initiative of the Biden administration to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, operated for just 20 days and successfully delivered 19 million pounds of aid. However, a recent Government Accountability Office report indicated that the military ships involved in the mission faced challenges due to poor maintenance and low operational readiness, attributed to aging vessels and shortages of spare parts.

Colonel John "Eddie" Gray, commander of the 7th Brigade, honored Sergeant Stanley as "a respected and essential frontline leader," especially during the humanitarian mission in Gaza. Assigned to the 7th Expeditionary Transport Brigade based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, Stanley was one of three U.S. service members injured during the mission, while the other two returned to duty shortly after with minor injuries.