Brookfield Green Beret killed in Afghanistan

Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Thompson, a Green Beret who was an alumnus of both Brookfield Central High School and Marquette University, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan Tuesday.

Thompson, 28, died in the southern province of Helmand, where Taliban forces have been gaining ground against Afghan government security forces, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

He was assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. This was his first deployment to Afghanistan, but he had previously deployed to Iraq.

Thompson's family lives in Brookfield, where he graduated from Brookfield Central High School in 2006 and was a member of the band and football team.

He studied in the College of Arts and Sciences at Marquette and worked as a resident assistant in O'Donnell Hall during his time there, according to the school. Thompson went on to complete his undergraduate degree at Concordia University in Irvine, Calif.

“He just always had an adventurous spirit, a can-do attitude and a smile on his face,” said Duane Tweeten, a family friend of Thompson’s and his family through Brookfield Lutheran Church. “He was always ready to throw himself into activities full-heartedly.”

Each year the two families would join a group from the congregation on a retreat in central Wisconsin. Thompson was always the first to jump into games and activities, Tweeten said.

Thompson enlisted in the Army in March 2011 as a special forces candidate and became a special forces medical sergeant. He received many awards and decorations during his time in service, including the Purple Heart.

“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,” Lt. Col. Kevin M. Trujillo, commander of Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan, said in a news release.

About 100 U.S. troops were sent to Helmand province on Monday to train Afghan forces that were struggling to control the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah.

Thompson’s death shows how dangerous Afghanistan remains, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement.

“I was deeply saddened to learn one of our service members was killed today and another wounded while engaged in our mission to train, advise and assist Afghan forces,” Carter said. “We will continue to work closely with the government of Afghanistan and our NATO partners to bolster the capabilities of the (Afghan military) so they can provide the people of Afghanistan the peace they deserve.”

Thompson was the first combat casualty in Afghanistan since January, the military said.

Another U.S. service member and six Afghan troops also were wounded during Tuesday’s attack, which remains under investigation, according to the military command in Afghanistan.

Brookfield Lutheran Church members helped create a Go Fund Me page to assist Thompson’s parents, Mark and Lynda, and his sisters, Karen and Robyn, who were traveling to Delaware to receive Thompson’s body Thursday afternoon. Funeral services will be at Fort Lewis in Washington, where Thompson and his wife, Rachel, had been living.

“Their hearts are broken, they’re aching," Rev. Robert Mrosko said of the Thompson family. “When the family found out it was Matt, their son, who died, our congregation has been in constant motion reaching out, caring for and providing support for the family.”