Seija, Ricardo

Staff Sergeant Ricardo Seija was serving in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign that began in October 2001. In July 2012, he was operating in Wardak province, an area south of Kabul where insurgent activity remained persistent. The province's capital, Maidan Shahr, was a known focal point for clashes between coalition forces and Taliban fighters.

Seija was a member of the 978th Military Police Company, a unit tasked with training Afghan police and conducting security operations. His death occurred during a period of intensified fighting in the region, as insurgents sought to challenge Afghan government control ahead of the planned transition of security responsibilities.

According to the Department of Defense, Seija died on July 8, 2012, from wounds sustained in a hostile incident. The official release stated only that he died in Maidan Shahr, providing no further detail on the specific circumstances of the engagement. He was 31 years old.

His death was recorded during the final years of Operation Enduring Freedom, which formally concluded its combat mission in December 2014. The conflict in Wardak province continued to claim the lives of Afghan security forces and civilians, as well as international troops, throughout this period.

Seija was from Tampa, Florida. His unit was part of the 93rd Military Police Battalion, 89th MP Brigade, headquartered at Fort Bliss, Texas. The brigade had units deployed across Afghanistan in support of police advisory and security missions.

Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan, began in 2001 and 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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