Who Was the 2,000th US Military Fatality in Afghanistan?
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Metcalfe Family/WHAM/ABC News(WASHINGTON) — A U.S. Army soldier from upstate New York is the 2,000th American military fatality from the war in Afghanistan.
On Thursday, the Pentagon released the casualty report for Army Sergeant First Class Daniel Metcalfe, 29, from Liverpool, N.Y., who was killed Saturday.
Metcalfe was serving with the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team based in Vicenza, Italy. The casualty report said Metcalfe died in Afghanistan’s Sayyid Abad district when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire. The Sayiid Abad district is located in Wardak Province.
According to a NATO statement, “The incident occurred while an ISAF unit was manning a temporary check point in an area near an Afghan National Army unit. According to ISAF and ANA reporting, after a short conversation took place between ANA and ISAF personnel firing occurred which resulted in the fatal wounding of an ISAF soldier and the death of his civilian colleague. In an ensuing exchange of fire three ANA personnel are reported to have died. ”
The details about who actually fired on whom in the incident remain under investigation.
Metcalfe’s father, Tom Metcalfe, spoke with ABC affiliate WHAM in Rochester, N.Y., on Monday. Driving to Dover Air Force Base to meet his son’s remains, Metcalfe said, “He was proud to serve his country.” He added, “I hated to lose him, knew that was always a possibility, but he was a good man.”
Metcalfe said his son was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan and had joined the Army when he was 18.
A memorial service for Sergeant Metcalfe was being held Thursday in Macedon, N.Y.
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