Pentagon identifies Green Beret killed in Afghanistan

The Pentagon on Monday identified a soldier who had been killed in combat as Sgt. 1st Class Michael Goble. 

Goble, 33, was from Washington Township, N.J. He died Monday as a result of injuries sustained while his unit was engaged in combat the day before in Kunduz province, Afghanistan. 

The incident is under investigation, the Pentagon said.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the roadside bombing in northern Kunduz that killed Goble, according to The Associated Press. 

Goble was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

Goble is the 20th fatality in Afghanistan this year, in what has been the deadliest year for U.S. troops in the country since 2014. 

Goble entered the U.S. Army as a Special Forces candidate in July 2004 and became a Green Beret in February 2007, according to ABC News.

He had been deployed to Afghanistan twice before and had multiple overseas deployments to countries in Central and South America as well as South Korea, ABC News reports. 

“Sgt. 1st Class Goble was more than just a member of the 7th Special Forces Group, he was a brother to us, and a beloved family member to the Northwest Florida community,” Col. John Sannes, the group’s commander, told ABC.

“We will honor our brother’s sacrifice and provide the best possible care to his family. We ask that you keep his family and teammates in your thoughts and prayers.”