Spaulding, Riley Sheridan
Male
Verified U.S. Army Specialist Riley Sheridan Spaulding, 21, of Sheridan, Texas, was killed in action on May 4, 2011, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Company C, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, based in Vilseck, Germany.
Their Story
Riley Sheridan Spaulding was a 21-year-old soldier from Sheridan, Texas. He served as a Specialist in the U.S. Army, assigned to Company C, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, a unit permanently stationed in Vilseck, Germany. His unit deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Spaulding died on May 4, 2011, in Kandahar province, a volatile southern region that was a focal point for coalition operations. The U.S. Department of Defense announced his death the following day, stating he was killed in action. No further operational details of the incident were released in the initial announcement.
His death occurred during a period of intense fighting following a U.S. troop surge, which had peaked in 2010. By 2011, coalition forces were engaged in a difficult campaign to secure key population centers, including Kandahar, from Taliban influence.
Spc. Spaulding was one of 418 American service members killed in Afghanistan in 2011, according to Defense Department casualty records. It was the deadliest year for U.S. forces in the decade-long conflict.
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led combat mission in Afghanistan, formally concluded in December 2014. Spaulding's death is documented among the more than 2,300 American military fatalities that occurred during that phase of the war.
Explore Further
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led combat mission in Afghanistan in which Spc. Spaulding served, 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.
