The Defense Department on Friday identified the U.S. soldier who was killed in Afghanistan this week.
Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Andrew Celiz, 32, from Summerville, South Carolina, died July 12 in Afghanistan from wounds sustained as a result of enemy small arms fire while conducting operations in support of a medical evacuation landing zone in Zurmat district, Paktiya province.
Celiz was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.
The soldier killed in action yesterday in Afghanistan has been IDed as: SFC Christopher Andrew Celiz, 32, of the Savannah-based 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.
Rest in peace, Ranger. RLTW
— Corey Dickstein (@CDicksteinDC) July 13, 2018
An Afghan security force member was also killed and several others injured during the operation. The incident is under investigation.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo just this week made a surprise visit to Kabul to visit troops and officials there to get an update on the status of Trump’s new approach in the Middle East.
Celliz was the second American soldier killed in six days. On July 7, a U.S. service member was killed and two others injured during an “insider attack” in southern Afghanistan.
Task & Purpose reported that this was Celiz’s fifth deployment with the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, and his seventh deployment since joining the U.S. Armed Forces.
The Pentagon on Friday identified the American service member killed in Afghanistan on July 12 as Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Andrew Celiz from Summerville, South Carolina.
He was on his fifth deployment https://t.co/MhMSZxl74W pic.twitter.com/QG8G0i2H2S
— Task & Purpose (@TaskandPurpose) July 13, 2018
The 75th Ranger Regiment posted about Celiz to Facebook.
