Matthew V. Thompson was a Staff sergeant in the Special Forces (United States Army) also known as the Green Berets. He was originally from Irvine, California. ^[0]

Matthew was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces group.

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Matthew first enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2011 and reported as a medical sergeant to 1st Special Forces Group in 2014. He was on his first stint to Afghanistan when he was killed and had previously deployed to Iraq in support of the U.S.-led war against the Islamic State there. ^[0]

On August 23, 2016 Staff Sergeant Matthew Thompson was killed by a roadside Improvised explosive device (IED), set up by the Taliban in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. At the time of his death he was on foot patrol clearing IEDs. Another American soldier and six Afghani soldiers were wounded in the attack. ^[1]

U.S. Army troops were accompanying their Afghan counterparts near the province’s capital of Lashkar Gah when their unit came under attack. ^[1]

After his death Staff Sergeant Matthew Thompson was awarded the Purple Heart, a Bronze Star Medal with a V for valor in combat and the Combat Infantryman Badge. ^[0]

“He was an exceptional Green Beret, a cherished teammate, and devoted husband.

His service in Afghanistan and Iraq speak to his level of dedication, courage, and commitment to something greater than himself,” said Lt. Col. Kevin M. Trujillo, the commander of the U.S.

Special Operations task force in Afghanistan. ^[0]