WASHINGTON – Army Staff Sgt. Matthew V. Thompson was helping Afghan special forces clear a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan when he was killed, a spokesman for the NATO-led mission said Thursday.
Thompson, a 28-year-old Green Beret, died Tuesday from injuries he sustained when the Afghan unit that he was advising hit an improvised explosive device.
The unit, which was operating in Helmand province near its capital of Lashkar Gah, was “clearing some areas so it could be followed along by conventional forces,” when the incident occurred, said Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, spokesman for Resolute Support.
A second U.S. soldier and six Afghan soldiers were also injured by the IED. The U.S. soldier injured is stable and remains in Afghanistan, Cleveland said.
Thompson was one of about 700 U.S. personnel in Helmand who are there to help the Afghan army and police forces repel new advances by the Taliban to take key cities in the region, Cleveland said.
Thompson was part of Company A, 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., the Army said Wednesday in the announcement of his death. He and the U.S. special forces with which he was deployed were operating out of Camp Shorab Afghanistan, based alongside the Afghan Army’s 215th Corps.
Thompson was killed providing “tactical level” advising and assisting, Cleveland said.
In June, President Barack Obama expanded authorities to allow U.S. forces to move closer to the front lines as they assist Afghan forces who are fighting a resurgent Taliban.
The expanded authorities also extended to U.S. airpower, and U.S. warplanes have conducted 80 airstrikes in Helmand since June, Cleveland said.
Cleveland said missions that take U.S. special forces outside the wire to assist Afghan special forces only make up about 10 percent of all Afghan special forces operations. However, he said that percentage still means U.S. forces, who are assisting the NATO “train advise and assist” mission, are frequently off base.
“On average, we probably have somebody out every night or every other night,” Cleveland said.
He said when they are assisting the Afghan forces on a mission, the U.S. or NATO forces will stop at “the last safe location.”
“The Afghans go conduct the operation and then they come back,” Cleveland said.
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