Military identifies American soldier killed in Afghanistan

The U.S. Army soldier who was killed Tuesday in Afghanistan has been identified by the U.S. Department of Defense.

His is the second American combat death in the country this year.

Lt. Col. Kevin M. Trujillo, commander of Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan, called Thompson “an exceptional Green Beret”.

Thompson’s was the second USA combat death in Afghanistan this year, as a resurgent Taliban mounts offensives in southern Helmand province and elsewhere in Afghanistan. Another U.S. service member and six Afghan soldiers sustained wounds during the operation.

Thompson was assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, according to the press release.

A USA service member was killed Tuesday by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, NATO coalition authorities said.

A 28-year-old soldier killed this week in Afghanistan was from Irvine, authorities said today.

Thompson was an Iraq war veteran on his first deployment to Afghanistan. He had previously deployed to Iraq.

Gen. Joseph L. Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, expressed gratitude for Thompson’s “selfless and honorable service” and extended condolences to his family.

A US official said that Thompson was not one of the 100 USA troops recently sent to Lashkar Gah to train, advise and assist local Afghan police as they face a major summer offensive by the Taliban.

“While recent efforts have forestalled militant advances, current troop levels do not sufficiently threaten militant operations to bring them to the negotiating table or prevent additional extremist groups from reconstituting in Afghanistan”.