A U.S. soldier was killed during operations in Logar Province in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday afternoon.
A news release from Defense Department officials said Sgt. 1st Class Stephen B. Cribben, 33, of Simi Valley, Calif., died as a result of injuries sustained during combat operations. Cribben was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group based in Fort Carson, Colo.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the family of our fallen brother,” Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, said in a statement released Saturday. “Despite this tragic event, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the Afghan people and to support them in our mutual fight against terrorism.”
A week ago, on Oct. 27, Chief Warrant Officer Jacob M. Sims died in a helicopter accident in Logar Province. The 36-year-old was assigned to 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, a unit known as the “Night Stalkers,” at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.
Few details about the crash have been released. The U.S. military said six other U.S. crew members were injured in the incident and sent for medical treatment. Salim Saleh, the provincial governor’s spokesman, told Stars and Stripes the helicopter was transporting troops for a night raid in the volatile Kharwar district when it hit a tree, forcing an emergency landing. Saleh also said one Afghan servicemember was wounded.
“We can confirm the crash was not the result of enemy action,” NATO’s Resolute Support mission said in a statement about the helicopter crash.