P. O. 2 Lee completed SEAL Qualification training, class 251 in May of 2005. He was assigned to SEAL Team 3. Lee deployed to Iraq with Charlie Platoon, Task Unit Bruiser in May 2006 until he was killed in action in Ramadi on August 2, 2006. He was the first Navy SEAL killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom. A fellow ST3 member, Ryan “Biggies” Job, was critically injured by a sniper and Lee single-handedly provided cover fire while other team members prepared Job for evacuation. The team re-engaged the enemy force after the evacuation of Job. Lee was mortally wounded when he exposed himself a third time to draw fire from enemy forces away from his teammates. For his action on the battlefield, Lee was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart.