Omar Dacosta

Sergeant Omar Dacosta, age 22, lost his life on Friday, May 24th, 2024.

 Dacosta was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He joined Civil Air Patrol on his 12th birthday, which was the beginning of an impressive and honorable career in the military. From JROTC to Norwich University; the negative 10-degree mountains of Vermont to the 130-degree Syrian desert; mountain infantryman in the National Guard to special operations in the US Army; Dacosta fully dedicated himself to serving his country and constantly strove to accomplish great things.

SGT Dacosta enlisted into the United States Army on September 19th, 2018 as an 11B infantryman. He completed OSUT (one station unit training) at Fort Moore, GA. His military education includes Psychological Operations Assessment and Selection, Basic Leader Course, Air Assault School, and Army Mountain Warfare School. His military decorations and awards include the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Air Assault Badge, Military Mountaineering Badge, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Army Good Conduct Medal.

 Dacosta also participated in and won multiple competitions; at the age of 19 when he was deployed with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (mountain) as a Specialist, he participated in the TF Spartan Best Warrior Competition and was awarded 1st place as the Top Junior Enlisted Soldier. Dacosta went on to compete in and win the 2021 ARCENT Best Warrior Competition in Kuwait, in the Enlisted Soldier category, and was named 2021 Soldier of the Year. He then competed in the 2021 FORSCOM Best Warrior Competition at Fort Riley KS, and placed first in that competition as well.

He was most recently assigned to Fort Johnson, LA and was preparing to transfer to Fort Bragg, NC for special operations select training.

SGT Dacosta leaves behind his dedicated wife, Lisa Kharchenko; loving mother, Cherice Simpson Dacosta; grandfather, Frederic Simpson; and siblings Blue Moon, Hannah Dacosta, Ilyas Dacosta, and Adam Dacosta. His pets, Lucian and Bear, will also miss him dearly.

Funeral services to celebrate his life and honor him will be held Saturday, June 8^th, at Robinson Funeral Home on Powdersville Road in Easley, South Carolina. Visitation will be from 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM, followed by a chapel service at 12 p.m., at the Robinson Funeral Home in Easley, SC. Burial with full military honors will follow in the Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Visit RobinsonFuneralHomes.com or Robinson Funeral Home & Crematory – Powdersville Road, Easley.