Ruiz, Clinton Keith

Sergeant Clinton Keith Ruiz died on October 25, 2012, in Tarin Kowt, the capital of Afghanistan's Uruzgan province. He was 22 years old. The Department of Defense announced his death as a result of hostile action, though the specific incident was not detailed in initial releases. He was serving as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001.

Ruiz was a Psychological Operations specialist, a role central to his unit's mission. He served with Company A, 9th Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne), part of the 8th Military Information Support Group (Airborne) from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. These units, now often referred to as Military Information Support Operations (MISO), are tasked with influencing foreign audiences.

A native of Murrieta, California, Ruiz joined the Army after graduating from Vista Murrieta High School. Friends and family remembered him as a dedicated soldier with a strong sense of duty. His death was reported by local news outlets in Southern California, which noted the impact on his hometown community.

His death occurred during the final years of the International Security Assistance Force's mission, a period marked by sustained insurgent violence even as U.S. forces began drawing down. Sergeant Ruiz was one of 2,356 American service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom, which concluded in December 2014.

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.

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