SSG Travis Tompkins Memorial Highway

The Memorial Highway is a 2-mile stretch of 2-lane blacktop roadway along Oklahoma State Highway 65, in the south-central part of the State. The north-south rural highway transits flat and gently rolling pasture and farm land, dotted with an occasional house or farm with outlying buildings. The Highway is named in honor of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Travis Martin “Tiny” Tompkins of Lawton, Oklahoma, who enlisted in the Army in January, 2000, and was killed on March 16, 2011, at age 31, while serving overseas and participating in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Sergeant Tompkins, a Military Policeman, was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (BCT) “Patriot Brigade,” 10th Mountain “Mountaineer” Division, based out of Fort Polk, at Leesville, Louisiana. His military police platoon was attached to 5th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th BCT, 10th Mountain Division at the time of his death. His unit was attacked by enemy forces with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG), while operating in Pol-e Alam, the capital city in Logar Province, in eastern Afghanistan. He was killed when the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle he was in, was struck by 2 RPG rounds, which exploded on the hood of the vehicle in front of his seat. He was promoted posthumously to the rank of Staff Sergeant. His awards and decorations include: The Combat Action Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal (3 Awards), National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and NATO Medal. The 4th BCT was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for its meritorious conduct during the period November 10, 2010-October 15, 2011. He was also awarded the Driver and Mechanic Badge, and the Sharpshooter Qualification Badge for marksmanship. The Memorial Highway was designated, and became effective on November 1, 2015. (Note: The Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle was specifically designed to withstand blasts from improvised explosive devices (IED), and afford advanced protection from ballistic small arms fire during ambushes. The development of the vehicle was prompted by American deaths during the Iraq War. The MRAP features a “V” shaped hull designed to deflect blasts from mines and IEDs, from below. The armored vehicle weighs between 14-18 tons, is 9-feet high, and costs between $500,000-$1,000,000.)