Two members of the US Army Special Forces (Green Berets) died in a firefight in Sherzad District of Nangarhar Province in Eastern Afghanistan on 8 February 2020,the US Army said.The battle began when a person in an Afghan uniform opened fire on US and Afghan forces with a machine gun.Six other US troops were injured;while the Afghan Defence Ministry said one Afghan National Army Soldier was also killed and three others wounded in the battle.It isn't known whether the assailant,who was killed,was a member of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces or an infiltrator;the investigation continues.*
Those killed in action were SFC Javier J. Gutierrez,28,of San Antonio,Texas and SFC Antonio Rodriguez,28,of Las Cruces,New Mexico.The loss of the Green Berets brings the total combat deaths of US service members in Afghanistan in 2020 up to four.No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.It started as a key-leader engagement was dispersing.*
Both US troops were members of 3rd Battalion,7th Special Forces Group (Airborne),out of Eglin Air Force Base,Florida.They were posthumously promoted from Staff Sergeant and awarded the Purple Heart Medal.
SFC Gutierrez had previously served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster and the Army Achievement Medal.SFC Rodriguez had earned his Ranger tab and served with 3rd Battalion,75th Ranger Regiment before re-classifying as a Cryptologic Linguist (Spanish) with the Special Forces.He had completed a total of ten deployments to Afghanistan,eight of them with the Ranger Regiment and two as a Green Beret.His awards included the Bronze Star Medal;Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster and the Army Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster.*
Let them be confounded and confused that are adversaries to my soul;let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
But I will hope continually,and will yet praise thee more and more.
-Psalm 71:13-14
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