Pentagon Identifies Two American Service Members Killed during an Operation in Afghanistan

On Friday, two soldiers were killed in Kunduz Province of Afghanistan. They died from the wounds they sustained while engaged in combat.

Now the Pentagon has been able to identify the two men.

Specialist Joseph Collette, 29, of Lancaster, Ohio and Sergeant 1st Class Will Lindsay, 33, of Cortez, Colorado, are the military men who lost their lives last week. Collette was assigned to the 242nd Ordnance Battalion, 71st Explosive Ordnance Group also in Fort Carson, Colorado.

While Lindsay was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) from Fort Carson. According to two US defense officials, the two US service members were killed during a US-Afghan partnered military operation.

The officials added that it appeared that the two men were killed during a fight with the Taliban. Some Afghan troops also lost their lives during the incident.

Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Loren Bymer revealed that Lindsay had enlisted in the Army in 2004. He was also awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart Medals, among other awards.

The fallen soldier had been deployed to a handful of tours in Iraq, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. Colonel Lawrence Ferguson, the commander of the 10th Special Forces group, said in a statement that his fellow soldiers were "deeply saddened" by his loss.

He added:

"Will was one of the best in our formation, with more than a decade of service in the Regiment at all levels of noncommissioned officer leadership. We will focus now on supporting his Family and honoring his legacy and sacrifice.”

Colonel David K. Green, Collette’s group commander said:

“The 71st Ordnance Group is deeply saddened by the loss of Spc. Joseph P. Collette. We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to his family and friends.”

The current lives lost mark the third and fourth US military deaths in Afghanistan this year. The incident occurred just as the Trump administration sought to negotiate with the Taliban to help bring the conflict to an end.

In a separate incident, Army Captain Antoine Lewis, 39, was one of the eight Americans killed when an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed earlier this month. Lewis was on the flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Nairobi, Kenya, when Flight 302 crashed.

A total of one hundred and fifty-seven people were killed. Lewis had been stationed in Ottawa, Canada, and he was on a vacation to Africa.