Thompson, Matthew Vail
Male
Verified Staff Sergeant Matthew Vail Thompson, 28, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, was a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier. He was killed in action on August 23, 2016, in Chianjir Village, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Matthew Vail Thompson was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.
On August 23, 2016, Thompson was part of a U.S. and Afghan special operations mission in Chianjir Village, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. According to U.S. military statements, his unit came under direct small-arms fire from Taliban fighters during the operation. He was killed in the ensuing engagement.
Thompson's death occurred during Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S. military mission that succeeded the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat role in Afghanistan. The mission, which began in January 2015, focused on counterterrorism and training Afghan forces as part of the broader, decades-long war in Afghanistan.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced his death the following day. He was posthumously promoted from Sergeant First Class to Staff Sergeant. His body was returned to the United States, and he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Thompson was remembered by his unit as a dedicated Green Beret. He was one of 105 American service members killed in Operation Freedom's Sentinel in 2016, a year marked by intense fighting in Helmand Province.
Explore Further
Staff Sergeant Matthew Thompson was killed during Operation Freedom's Sentinel (ongoing since January 2015). See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Golden, Jonathan Joseph, Gonzalez, Jose Juan, Sanchez, Maria Victoria, Dawson, John Michael.
