The Human Cost Of War: Remembering The Fallen Green Berets In Afghanistan

The War in Afghanistan, which lasted from October 2001 to August 2021, resulted in the deaths of 2,459 United States military personnel. Of these, 1,922 were due to hostile action, with a further 20,769 wounded in action. In addition, 18 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operatives also lost their lives. The Green Berets, a special operations force, have been at the forefront of the conflict, with 10 killed in action in 2019 alone. The highly trained soldiers often find themselves in harm's way, with half of the 20 American service members killed by hostile fire in Afghanistan in 2019 belonging to this elite group. The death toll among Green Berets underscores the heavy toll that two decades of fighting terrorism have taken on US special operators.

Sgt. 1st Class Michael James Goble was killed by an explosion in 2019

Sgt. 1st Class Michael James Goble, a 33-year-old Green Beret, was killed by an explosion in Afghanistan on December 22, 2019. Goble was a senior intelligence sergeant assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, which is based out of Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. This was his third deployment to Afghanistan, in addition to deployments to Argentina, Guatemala, Colombia, and South Korea.

Goble and his unit were seizing a Taliban weapons cache in the Kunduz province when the explosion occurred. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, with a spokesman saying that American and Afghan forces were targeted with improvised explosive devices during a raid.

Goble was born on January 13, 1986, and raised in Westwood, New Jersey. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 7, 2004, as a Special Forces candidate. After completing basic training and the Airborne School, he graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in February 2007.

Over the course of his career, Goble attended various Army schools and received numerous awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with Valor device, the Valorous Unit Award, the Special Forces Tab, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Basic Airborne, and Military Free Fall Jumpmaster badges.

Goble's death was the 20th recorded by the Pentagon of an American service member killed in Afghanistan in 2019. It added to what was already the deadliest year for U.S. troops in the country since the drawdown in 2015.

Master Sgt. Luis F. Deleon-Figueroa and Master Sgt. Jose J. Gonzalez were killed in 2019

Master Sgt. Luis F. Deleon-Figueroa and Master Sgt. Jose J. Gonzalez were killed in Afghanistan on 21 August 2019. Both men were Green Berets and members of the 7th Special Forces Group, based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. They died as a result of small-arms fire in Faryab Province, Afghanistan.

Deleon-Figueroa, 31, was from Chicopee, Massachusetts, and had served in the US Army for 13 years. He had deployed six times during his career, first as an infantryman to Iraq in 2008, and then to Afghanistan in 2010. As a Green Beret, he deployed to South America in 2015 and 2018, and to Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019. He had previously served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantry soldier. Deleon-Figueroa was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, among other honours.

Gonzalez, 35, was a native of La Puente, California. He had served in the military for 17 years, first as a Marine and then in the Army as an infantryman and later a Special Forces engineer. He joined the 7th Special Forces Group in 2014 and had deployed seven times. Gonzalez's family initially requested that no information or photographs be released, but later approved the release of some details. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart (his second), the Bronze Star Medal, and two additional Bronze Star Medals, one with a combat "V" device for valor.

The deaths of Deleon-Figueroa and Gonzalez marked the 13th and 14th combat fatalities among American troops in Afghanistan in 2019, making it the deadliest year for US service members there since 2014. The incident also occurred as the United States and the Taliban were engaged in peace negotiations.

10 Green Berets were killed in Afghanistan in 2019

In 2019, 10 Green Berets were killed in Afghanistan. This accounted for half of the 20 American service members killed by hostile fire in the country that year.

On August 21, 2019, Master Sgt. Luis F. Deleon-Figueroa, 31, and Master Sgt. Jose J. Gonzalez, 35, were killed during combat operations in Faryab Province in northern Afghanistan. Both were Green Berets assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Deleon-Figueroa was on his sixth overseas deployment, while Gonzalez had served 17 years in the military.

On September 16, 2019, Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy W. Griffin, 41, was killed in action by small arms fire while engaged in combat operations in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. He was on his fourth combat deployment and had previously served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On December 24, 2019, Sgt. 1st Class Michael James Goble was killed by an explosion in Afghanistan. He was a Green Beret on his third tour in the country and left behind a partner and a young daughter.

The deaths of these Green Berets brought the number of U.S. troops killed in action in Afghanistan in 2019 to 14, according to Defense Department figures. This was the highest number of casualties in the country since 2014.

660 special operators have been killed in the war on terror

The War on Terror, officially known as the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), was initiated by the United States in response to the September 11 attacks. The primary targets of this military campaign were Islamist militant groups such as Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and their allies.

The war has resulted in a heavy toll on US special operators, who have been at the forefront of the struggle against terrorism. In the two decades since the war began, 660 special operators have been killed and 2,738 wounded. While these numbers are small compared to the casualties of past wars, they have had a significant impact on the special operations forces due to their close-knit community.

The nature of the war on terror, with its emphasis on unconventional warfare and counterterrorism operations, has played to the strengths of special operators. They have been instrumental in training local partners, conducting raids, and leading anti-Taliban and anti-Al Qaeda efforts.

The war on terror has also taken a toll on Green Berets, who often operate in harm's way and are frequently in direct combat with the enemy. In 2019, for example, Sgt. 1st Class Michael James Goble, a Green Beret on his third tour in Afghanistan, was killed by an explosion. That same year, two Green Berets, Master Sgt. Luis F. Deleon-Figueroa and Master Sgt. Jose J. Gonzalez, were killed during combat operations in Afghanistan's Faryab Province.

The death toll among special operators and Green Berets underscores the high cost of the war on terror in terms of human lives. The physical and mental strain of repeated deployments has also led to broken marriages and missed family milestones for those serving in these elite forces.

The war on terror has resulted in significant casualties and demanded immense sacrifices from those on the front lines, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of those who served and their families.

1,922 US military deaths in the War in Afghanistan were caused by hostile action

The War in Afghanistan, which lasted from October 2001 to August 2021, resulted in 2,459 United States military deaths. Of these, 1,922 were caused by hostile action.

The war took a heavy toll on US special operators, who were often at the forefront of the conflict. They were involved in direct combat, training local partners, and conducting raids. The nature of their roles meant that they were exposed to significant dangers, with many losing their lives or sustaining injuries.

The US military's Green Berets, an elite special operations force, played a crucial role in the War in Afghanistan. They were often deployed to dangerous regions, operating outside fortified bases and engaging directly with the enemy. This put them at heightened risk of hostile action.

During the war, Green Berets were involved in various operations, including leading anti-Taliban fighters and training Afghan counterparts. Their presence was particularly notable in the northern regions of Afghanistan, where they conducted combat operations.

The hazardous nature of their work is evident in the tragic deaths of several Green Berets throughout the conflict. For example, in 2019, Sgt. 1st Class Michael James Goble, a Green Beret on his third tour, was killed by an explosion while inspecting a Taliban weapons cache in Kunduz province. This incident marked the 20th US service member killed by hostile fire in Afghanistan that year, with half of them being Green Berets.

In another incident in August 2019, two Green Berets, Master Sgt. Luis F. Deleon-Figueroa and Master Sgt. Jose J. Gonzalez, were killed during combat operations in Faryab Province. These casualties brought the number of US troops killed in action that year to 14, making it the deadliest year for US forces since the mission was scaled down in 2015.

The high number of hostile deaths among Green Berets underscores the dangerous and challenging nature of their work in the War in Afghanistan. Their sacrifices, alongside those of other US military personnel, reflect the human cost of this protracted conflict.

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