The Navy SEAL killed earlier this month in a firefight with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria militants will be posthumously promoted to chief petty officer, the service announced Wednesday.
Petty Officer First Class Charles H. Keating IV, 31, was killed during an hours-long gun battle with ISIS forces in Northern Iraq.
“The Navy approved an exception to policy request for Keating’s posthumous advancement and is effective the day of his death,” read the statement from the service.
“Keating was eligible for the fiscal year 2017 active duty Chief Petty Officer Selection Board, which will convene next month.”
According to a report in Navy Times, Keating had passed his chief’s exam and was awaiting a screening board.
Keating was part of a quick reaction force that was called in to help extract a U.S. military advise-and-assist team working with Kurdish Peshmerga forces that came under fire on May 3 by a group of more than 120 ISIS fighters near the town of Tel Askuf about 17 miles north of the Iraqi town of Mosul.
American and Peshmerga forces fought the ISIS militants for two hours before Keating was killed by direct fire from the force that broke through Peshmerga lines.
Keating joined the Navy in 2007 and graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in 2008 and served two deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and one tour in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was on his third deployment to Iraq when he was killed.
His decorations included: the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V”, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Medal and Rifle and Pistol Expert ribbons, according to the service.
Keating’s death follows the March death of Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, of Temecula, Calif., assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, who was killed in a fire support base near Mosul in an ISIS rocket attack.
The following is the full May 11, 2016 statement from the Navy on Charles Keating IV’s promotion.
WASHINGTON (NNS) — On May 11 the Navy announced that a SEAL killed in action last week will be posthumously advanced to chief petty officer.
Petty Officer First Class Charles H. Keating IV, 31, of San Diego, died May 3 in Tall Usquf, Iraq, from injuries sustained during an attack on his team while they were responding to a local forces request for support.
The Navy approved an exception to policy request for Keating’s posthumous advancement and is effective the day of his death.
Keating was eligible for the fiscal year 2017 active duty Chief Petty Officer Selection Board, which will convene next month.
