Ricketts, William Seth
Male
Verified Staff Sergeant William Seth Ricketts, 27, of Corinth, Mississippi, served with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He died in a hostile incident on February 27
Their Story
William Seth Ricketts was a 27-year-old staff sergeant from Corinth, Mississippi. He was a member of the U.S. Army's Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, part of the 4th Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His unit was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
In early 2010, U.S. and allied forces were engaged in operations in the remote district of Bala Murghab in Afghanistan's Badghis Province. The area was a known transit point for insurgent fighters. The mission there involved securing the region and disrupting enemy supply lines.
On February 27, 2010, Staff Sergeant Ricketts was killed during a hostile engagement in Bala Murghab. The Department of Defense announced his death the following day. No further specific details regarding the circumstances of the engagement were publicly released.
Ricketts's death occurred during a period of increased U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, often referred to as the 'surge,' which aimed to reverse Taliban momentum. His unit, the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, sustained multiple casualties in Afghanistan during that deployment.
He is remembered on memorial walls and by veterans' organizations. His name is inscribed on Panel 10W, Line 15 of the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia.
Explore Further
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led combat mission in Afghanistan, concluded in December 2014. 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.
