Barreto Ortiz, Elis Angel
Male
Verified U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Elis Angel Barreto Ortiz, 34, of Morovis, Puerto Rico, died in Kabul, Afghanistan, on September 5, 2019, during Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
Their Story
Sergeant First Class Elis Angel Barreto Ortiz was a 34-year-old soldier from Morovis, Puerto Rico. He served with Company H, 82nd Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Barreto Ortiz was deployed to Afghanistan as part of the U.S. mission there.
On September 5, 2019, Barreto Ortiz was killed in a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack in Kabul. The explosion occurred in a heavily populated area near the Green Village, a fortified compound housing international organizations and contractors. The blast reportedly killed 12 people, including Barreto Ortiz and another U.S. service member, Sergeant First Class Javier Jaguar Gutierrez.
Barreto Ortiz's death occurred during Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S. military mission that succeeded Operation Enduring Freedom in 2015. By 2019, the U.S. was engaged in a peace negotiation process with the Taliban while simultaneously conducting counter-terrorism operations and advising Afghan forces. Attacks on international forces in Kabul remained a persistent threat.
Following the attack, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed the deaths of the two soldiers. Barreto Ortiz was posthumously promoted from Staff Sergeant to Sergeant First Class. His body was returned to the United States, and he was buried at the Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayam?n.
Barreto Ortiz was remembered by his unit for his leadership and technical skills as a wheeled vehicle mechanic. His name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum. He is survived by his wife and children.
Explore Further
Barreto Ortiz, Elis Angel was killed during Operation Freedom's Sentinel (ongoing since January 2015). The conflict is ongoing. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Golden, Jonathan Joseph, Sanchez, Maria Victoria, Dawson, John Michael, Ruiz, Pablo Allende Iii.
