The Pentagon has disclosed that SFC Christopher A. Celiz,32,of Summerville,South Carolina,was killed by enemy small arms fire on 12 July 2018 in Paktia Province,Afghanistan while conducting combat operations along with Afghan Special Operations Forces.An Afghan SOF member was also killed in the firefight.The operation involved assisting a medevac landing zone in Zurmat district and was in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.The incident is under investigation.
Paktia Province has been the site of several al-Qaida training camps and borders Nangahar Province,the ISIL-Khorasan stronghold.*
SFC Celiz was a mortar platoon sergeant with Company D,1st Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment out of Hunter Army Airfield,Georgia.He was on his fifth deployment and had previously served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.Among SFC Celiz's decorations were the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 3 stars;Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 stars;5 Army Achievement Medals;and 3 Army Commendation Medals.He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal;Bronze Star Medal;and Meritorious Service Medal.
Battalion commander LTCOL Sean McGee said:
SFC Celiz led from the front and always put himself in the decisive point on the battlefield.*
This is the second US combat death in Afghanistan this year,and indeed the second within the last seven days,having been preceded by the loss of US Army CPL Joeseph Maciel last Saturday.
There will reportedly be a government review of the US military's current posture in Afghanistan in the near future.
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