Richmond, Colby Lee
Male
Verified Sgt. Colby Lee Richmond, 28, of Providence, North Carolina, served with the 546th Transportation Company, 82nd Sustainment Brigade, U.S. Army. He died on August 26, 2011, in Kariz Sefid, Afghanistan, from hostile action.
Their Story
Sgt. Colby Lee Richmond was a soldier from Providence, North Carolina, assigned to the 546th Transportation Company, part of the 82nd Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Sustainment Brigade, based at Fort Bragg. His unit was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks.
On August 26, 2011, Richmond was killed in Kariz Sefid, a location in Afghanistan's Zabul province. The Department of Defense announced his death the following day, stating he died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. The attack reportedly occurred during a mounted patrol.
Richmond's death was part of a sustained period of intense combat in Afghanistan. 2011 was the deadliest year of the war for U.S. and coalition forces, with hundreds of service members killed by IEDs, which were the leading cause of casualties. His unit, a transportation company, was responsible for moving critical supplies across hazardous routes where such devices were commonly emplaced.
He was 28 years old at the time of his death. According to public records and memorial pages, Richmond was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. His name is inscribed on Panel 9W, Line 111 of the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum, and he is listed on the Afghanistan and Iraq War Memorial at Fort Bragg.
The conflict in which he served, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, formally concluded in December 2014, transitioning to the follow-on mission Operation Freedom's Sentinel. Richmond is survived by family in North Carolina, where he was laid to rest.
Explore Further
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan, concluded in December 2014 after 13 years. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
