A so-called "green on blue" attack,which is an attack by an enemy posing as an ally,killed US Army CPL Joseph Maciel,20,of South Gate,California on 7 July 2018 in Tarin Kowt district of Uruzgan Province.Uruzgan borders Kandahar Province to the south.The incident is under investigation.Two other US Soldiers were wounded and are in stable condition.*
CPL Maciel was a member of 1st Battalion,28th Infantry Regiment,3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Benning,Georgia.He was serving with the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade,one of the new units set up to help implement the President's South Asia Strategy in Afghanistan.CPL Maciel received the Purple Heart Medal,Bronze Star Medal and Army Achievement Medal,along with the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.*
The unit was returning the US Army to the practice of having US infantry troops training and advising the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces,rather than just Special Operations Forces doing that task.The SFAB had received special training at Fort Benning in establishing rapport with the ANDSF and in foreign languages.
CPL Maciel was engaged in providing force protection for the unit's trainers and advisors.The SFAB numbers about 800 trainers and advisors and 300 support troops across Afghanistan.*
A Taliban spokesman said the attacker acted alone;but the Taliban "appreciated" his deed.It was the third US combat death this year in Afghanistan,and the first US green on blue fatality since June 2017.1st Battalion commander LTCOL David Connor said that CPL Maciel was:
an excellent Soldier beloved by his teammates and dedicated to our mission.He will be greatly missed by the entire Black Lion family.
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