Eric Marcell Nettleton was born on June 20, 1984, in Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas. He was the son of James Francis Nettleton and Sandy Nettleton. He was married to Ashley Nettleton. He attended All Saints Catholic School, Hamilton Middle School, and graduated from Wichita West High School in 2003. He enlisted in the army in the same year. He served with the 1st Battalion, 505th Infantry (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, from 2004 to 2006 as an 11B10 Infantryman, holding the rank of Specialist, and later with B Company, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment at Fort Riley, Kansas, from 2008 to 2009 as an 11B20, attaining the rank of Sergeant. Over his career, he completed three tours in the Middle East, including two deployments to Afghanistan (2004–2005 and 2010–2011) and one deployment to Iraq (2008–2009), with service that included assignments with the 82nd Airborne Division, the 1st Infantry Division, and honor guard duties at West Point.

SSgt Nettleton was serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, stationed in Vilseck, Germany. He was killed in action on January 5, 2011, at Forward Operating Base Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, after sustaining wounds when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device while he was conducting a foot patrol in Dehjawz-e Hasanzay, Afghanistan. He is now buried in the Ascension Cemetery, Bel Aire, Sedgwick County, Kansas, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, memorial.2dcavalryassociation.com, thefallen.militarytimes.com