Since 2001, 2356 U.S. troops have lost their lives while serving in Afghanistan, and since 2003, 4489 U.S. troops have lost their lives while serving in Iraq.
The IGTNT (I Got The News Today) series is a reminder that nearly every day, somebody gets the heartbreaking news that a friend, former classmate, or beloved family member will not be coming home from war.
Tonight we remember a soldier killed in Afghanistan:
Staff Sgt. Matthew R. Ammerman, 29, of Noblesville, Indiana
Please take a moment below to remember him,
and all those who have died in these wars.
The Department of Defense confirmed the death of a Special Forces soldier in Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. Matthew R. Ammerman, 29, of Noblesville, Indiana
Staff Sgt. Matthew R. Ammerman died December 3, in Zabul Province of wounds suffered from small arms fire while conducting a clearing operation. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
An Army Ranger from Noblesville, Indiana is being mourned in his hometown, in Florida where he was based, and overseas in Afghanistan after he was killed during a combat mission.
A married twenty-nine year old, Matthew Ammerman graduated from high school in 2003 in Indiana. He joined the Army a year later and his training led to the U.S. Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia.
While in the Army, Matthew served in many roles. He was based in Alaska as an anti-armor specialist, and deployed twice with the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Battalion (Airborne); once each to Iraq and Afghanistan. His tour in Iraq in 2006 lasted for 14 months. In 2009, he deployed to Afghanistan for 12 months, were he served as an assistant gunner, fire team leader and squad leader.
In May 2011, Staff Sgt. Ammerman moved assignments to 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment based at Fort Stewart, Goergia, and served as a senior sniper and squad leader with the battalion. In 2012 he volunteered for Special Forces. He graduated in 2013 as a Special Forces Communications Sergeant and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He departed on his final deployment with the unit in the fall of 2014.
Gov. Mike Pence issued a statement commending Staff Sgt. Ammerman's service, according to a story in the IndyStar.
"Today, Indiana mourns fallen Staff Sergeant Matthew R. Ammerman, who lost his life this week defending the freedoms of this great nation. He is a true Hoosier hero in every sense of the word, and his courageous service and sacrifice will be remembered always. The first lady and I extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends and hold them in prayer during this difficult time."
Staff Sgt. Ammerman many awards and decorations include receiving the Special Forces Tab, the Ranger Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Driver and Mechanic Badge.
"Staff Sgt. Matthew Ammerman was an exceptional soldier in all regards," said the Commander of the 7th SFG (A)'s 3rd Battalion, Lt. Col. Tommy Stoner. "He showed himself to be a standout shortly after arrival in the unit, and his efforts have made an impact on his unit and our mission.
"We, as a nation, are fortunate to have men like Matt. He not only represented what we should all aspire to be, but he lived it. His loss is a great blow, and he will be missed and mourned by this unit. Our focus will be supporting his family in any way possible and ensuring that they are taken care of during this difficult process."
Among those Staff Sgt. Ammerman leaves behind are his wife, Emily, a brother, Anthony Ammerman, and his mother, Susan Ammerman.
Staff Sgt. Matthew Ammerman is missed. May he Rest in Peace.
Thanks to Timroff for our faithfully lighted candle IGTNT logo;
Other Photos by CalNM and linked Sources
Helping our troops: If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com. Fisher House provides housing for families of injured troops and veterans who are recovering in hospitals, and Guardian angels for soldiers pets assists the animal companions of our deployed military.
When our veterans come back home, they can find support at Welcome Back Veterans. Our recently returned veterans need jobs, and Veterans Green Jobs is now hiring for positions and filling training sessions. VGJ corps retrains veterans as leaders in forest and resource conservation, green construction, and energy efficient upgrades of homes in rural areas. Encourage a Veteran, and see if you can help out.
About the IGTNT series: I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect, and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died at war. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories. The US Department of Defense news releases are found at defense gov/releases. Icasualties lists the names of those killed, and shows the number of wounded. Published AP photos of the returning war fatalities are found on the Dover AFB page. Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries in the series which was begun by i dunno, and with diaries written by monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, Sandy on Signal, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Ms Wings, maggiejean, JaxDem, theFatLadySings, Ekaterin, Joy of Fishes, and me, CalNM. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for our fallen brothers and sisters.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.