COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — One of two soldiers killed during combat operations in Afghanistan on Tuesday was stationed out of Fort Carson, according to the Department of Defense.
Master Sgt. Micheal B. Riley, 32, and Sgt. James G. Johnston, 24, died from wounds sustained in a small arms fire while supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
Riley was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colorado. He was born in Germany on Dec. 6, 1986 and joined the U.S. Army in March 2006.
Johnston, of Trumansburg, New York, was assigned to the 79th Ordnance Battalion (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), 71st Ordnance Group, Fort Hood, Texas.
10th Special Forces Group commander Col. Lawrence Ferguson told KRDO that he remembers Riley as a seasoned soldier.
"Mike was an experienced Special Forces noncommissioned officer and the veteran of five previous deployments to Afghanistan. We will honor his service and sacrifice as we remain steadfast in our commitment to our mission," Col. Ferguson said.
The incident is under investigation.
The deaths occurred the day U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the Afghan capital of Kabul, where he said Washington was hopeful of a peace deal before Sept. 1. At a news conference Wednesday in New Delhi, Pompeo said he was aware of the two deaths. He offered his condolences.
"I'm praying for them, for their families, and for all the soldiers that were around them," Pompeo said. "I think this drives home the need for us to be successful, right. The mission set that we've undertaken in Afghanistan is a reconciliation to reduce the level of violence, to reduce the level of risk to Afghans, broadly, and the risk to American service members."
More than 2,400 U.S. service personnel have died in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led coalition invaded in October 2001 to oust the Taliban and hunt down al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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