Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Leggett was killed in combat Wednesday in Afghanistan, the Defense Department reported.

Leggett, 39, of Ruskin, Florida, died from "injuries received when he was engaged by the enemy" in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to the DoD announcement.

He was an assistant operations sergeant assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The loss of Leggett is tragic, his battalion commander, Lt. Col. Gabriel Barton, said in a statement.

"Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Leggett was an exceptional noncommissioned officer and a valued member of our team," Barton said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time. We will never forget him."

Leggett enlisted in the Army in May 1995. He arrived at Fort Bragg in August 2012. He served three combat tours of duty, according to information released by the corps.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one campaign star, the Iraq Campaign Medal with three campaign stars, the Combat Action Badge and Basic Parachutist Badge.

He is survived by his parents, Thea Marie Kurtz and Thomas Leggett.

Michelle Tan is the editor of Army Times and Air Force Times. She has covered the military for Military Times since 2005, and has embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Haiti, Gabon and the Horn of Africa.

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