Green Beret Killed in Helmand

An American Green Beret killed in Afghanistan’s dangerous Helmand Province was named as Special Forces Staff Sgt. Matthew V. Thompson, said the Pentagon on Wednesday.Thompson, who was assigned to 3^rd battalion, 1^st Special Forces Group, was killed when his patrol triggered an improvised explosive device on Tuesday. The blast killed Thompson and wounded six Afghans and one other American.The U.S. troops, who were partnered with Afghan National Army soldiers as mentors, were conducting a mounted patrol near the province’s capital of Lashkar Gah when their unit came under attack.Staff Sgt. Thompson was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star with valor device and Combat Infantry Badge.“He was an exceptional Green Beret, a cherished teammate, and devoted husband,” said Lt. Col. Kevin M. Trujillo, commander of the U.S. Special Operations task force in Afghanistan.In January, U.S. Army Special Forces Staff Sgt. Matthew McClintock was also killed in Helmand Province. He was shot during a firefight west of Lashkar Gah, near the city of Marjah.

Green Beret Detachment, Others Stationed in Violent Helmand

Helmand province has seen heavy fighting recently as Taliban forces fight to control the poppy-rich area. The Taliban controls well over 50 percent of the province and is putting pressure on Afghan security forces in the capital.On Monday, the NATO-led coalition announced that 100 U.S. troops would be permanently moved to Lashkar Gah to advice Afghan forces.Matthew Thompson was not part of this 100-man detachment, said a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan.United States and British troops took hundreds of casualties during years of fighting in Helmand Province. The area is known for the lush farmland on either side of the Helmand River.The battle to retake the city of Marjah in 2010 became a turning point in the fight against the Taliban, but in recent months the city has fallen largely under Taliban control.Also in Helmand province is Sangin district, where U.S. Marines from 3^rd battalion 5^th Marine regiment took the most casualties of any Marine unit in Iraq or Afghanistan, with 25 killed and 184 wounded.