“I’m sad that I’m losing track of all the people I know who have been killed in action. I’m sad and angry,” said a former U.S. Army EOD soldier. “I’m sad that he’s gone and angry that I can’t switch places with him.”
Two Americans, a special operations soldier and an explosive ordnance disposal specialist on his first overseas deployment, were killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan on Friday amid volatile U.S.-Taliban peace talks and an alienated Afghan government.
U.S. Army special forces teams, known as Operational Detachment Alphas, set out on a joint mission with soldiers from the Afghan National Army Commando Corps, the special forces arm of the regular army. Intelligence suggested Taliban fighters were not supposed to be in the area when the gun battle broke out, and because the special forces soldiers were in a residential area, no air support was provided, said the sources.
Abdul Wodood Payman, an Afghan lawmaker from Kunduz, told The Associated Press on Friday that there was heavy fighting in the Kunduz neighborhood of Taluka, where jet fighters roared overhead, and bombings could be heard. Newsweek was not able to determine if that fighting was a part of the special forces operation or a separate mission.
In the aftermath on Saturday, dozens of Afghan protestors took to the streets in northern Kunduz, expressing their outrage over the joint military operation while carrying the remains of their loved ones, according to The Associated Press, who reported that photos from the protest appeared to show the bodies of twelve people, including five or six small children.
"The 10th SFG Family is deeply saddened at the loss of Sgt. 1st Class Will Lindsay," said U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Ferguson, 10th SFG commander."Will was one of the best in our formation, with more than a decade of service in the Regiment at all levels of noncommissioned officer leadership. We will focus now on supporting his Family and honoring his legacy and sacrifice."
“I never heard him complain once in the two years he served under me,” Collette said. “Joey went through a lot while he was my soldier, but he never let that bring him down. He always found a way to rise to the occasion. His death is a huge blow to the EOD community and the U.S. Army.” In January, U.S. Army Ranger Sergeant Cameron Meddock, 26, of Spearman, Texa s, died in Landstuhl, Germany, from gunshot wounds received on Jan. 13 during a reconnaissance mission under cover of darkness in the northwest province of Badghis.
Earlier this month, two Green Berets from Hufnagel battalion, Staff Sergeant Justin, a special forces medical sergeant, and Staff Sergeant Zach, a special forces weapons sergeant were wounded after an improvised explosive device detonated during in operation. The last names of the two soldiers are being withheld from publication by Newsweek given the sensitive nature of their profession.
The news of additional U.S. Army special forces soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group being wounded in other combat operations in Afghanistan are published here for the first time and provided a glimpse into an elite community that historically is understaffed and overworked since regular deployments to the region began back in 2001.
“The battalion has been absolutely battered,” the U.S. Army source said. “Even the battalion they replaced from 7th Special Forces Group did amazing work, but they suffered. Those guys got hammered...brutal deployment.” “So the mission this time is to stack bodies, so the Taliban has no choice but to negotiate and to give us the best terms.”
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