DOD Identifies Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
They died of wounds suffered Oct. 25 when their unit was attacked by small arms fire in Khas Uruzgan, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan.
Killed were:
Staff Sgt. Kashif M. Memon, 31, of Houston, Texas. He was assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.
Sgt. Clinton K. Ruiz, 22, of Murrieta, Calif. He was assigned to the 9th Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne), 8th Military Information Support Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-432-6005 (duty hours) or 910-494-1589 (after hours).
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Sgt. Clinton Keith Ruiz, 22, of Poway, Calif., died Oct. 25 of
wounds received during combat operations in support of Operation
Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan.
Ruiz was a graduate of Murrieta Valley High School of Murrieta
Valley, Calif., in 2008. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 2009
as a Psychological Operations Specialist.
He was assigned to Alpha Company, 9th Military Information
Support Battalion (Airborne), 4th Military Information Support
Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C., in February 2012. Sgt Ruiz deployed to
Afghanistan in September 2012.
Ruiz was previously assigned to the 4th Military Information Support Group (Airborne), in 2010
and the 5th Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne), of Fort Bragg, N.C., in 2011.
He completed Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., August 2009 and the Basic Airborne
School at Ft. Benning, Ga., October 2009.
Ruiz attended the Psychological Operations Advanced Individual Training and Korean Language
School at Ft. Bragg, N.C., graduating in August 2010.
His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Afghan
Campaign Medal (Campaign Star), Global War on Terrorism Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army
Service Ribbon, and the Parachutist Badge.
Ruiz is survived by his spouse Kira Ortega and son Caleb.
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Staff Sergeant Kashif M. Memon, 31, of St. Paul. Minn. and Houston, Texas, died Oct. 25 of wounds received during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan.
Memon was assigned to Alpha Company, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion, 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C., and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This was his first combat deployment to Afghanistan as a Civil Affairs Soldier. His previous two combat deployments were as an Army infantryman from Fort Hood to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and as a Marine Corps infantry squad leader from Marine Corps Base Hawaii to Operation Enduring Freedom.
Memon enlisted in the Marine Corps in Houston, Texas in 2001 and was stationed at Marine Corps
Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, while deploying to Okinawa, Japan; Pohang, South Korea; Thailand;
Singapore; and Afghanistan. In Oct. 2007, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and was
stationed at Fort Hood, Tex. and Fort Bragg, N.C.
In 2010, Memon volunteered for and completed Civil Affairs training at Fort Bragg and was
assigned in 2011 to Alpha Company, 96th CA Battalion as a CA Team Civil Affairs Engineer.
Staff Sergeant Memon’s awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement
Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Citation,
Navy Unit Citation, three Good Conduct Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign
Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal,
Global War on Terror Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon with '2'
Device, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
with Two Stars and Army Parachutist Badge. SSG Memon was also a recipient of the Order of the
Spur. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and the Combat Action
Badge.
Memon is survived by his spouse, two sons and expecting a third child.