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The Pentagon on Sunday released the name of the soldier killed in an apparent insider attack in Afghanistan.
Cpl. Joseph Maciel, 20, died Saturday in Tarin Kowt district in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province. Two other soldiers were wounded in the attack, which is under investigation.
Maciel, of South Gate, California, was an infantryman assigned to 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, at Fort Benning, Georgia.
The soldiers from Task Force 1-28 Infantry are deployed in support of the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade, a specialized unit of Army advisers who are deployed to train, advise and assist Afghan forces.
The soldiers are supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
Maciel served in the Army for two years, and Fort Benning was his first assignment, according to information released by the 3rd Infantry Division.
He had been deployed to Afghanistan since February. He is survived by his parents.
Maciel’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Army Achievement Medal and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
“Cpl. Maciel was an excellent soldier beloved by his teammates and dedicated to our mission,” said Lt. Col. David Conner, Maciel’s battalion commander, in a statement. “He will be greatly missed by the entire Black Lion family. Our prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”
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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