One day after military leaders at Fort Bragg confirmed two soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division were killed while on duty in Afghanistan, the difficult process begins to let next of kin know.
The military announced the names of the two soldiers killed Tuesday evening. LTC Michael Burns, spokesperson for the 82nd Airborne Division, said the military isn't saying much more about the incident. We have confirmed the paratroopers were part of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team within the division.
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The 82nd Airborne has about 3,000 paratroopers on the ground in Afghanistan. We've learned the soldiers were killed by an Afghan soldier they were training. That soldier was wounded and taken into custody.
The war on terror in the Middle East has taken its toll on families in the Fayetteville and Fort Bragg area for the past 18 years. Joann Yost lost her husband, MSgt Anthony Yost, to an explosion in Iraq in 2005. Paula Garcia said she'll never forget the day the Marines came to her door to tell her that her son, PFC Sean Knisley, died. Both are Gold Star family members
"It was hard to process," Garcia said. "It was hard to accept. I didn't believe it until actually they opened the casket when he arrived.
"You know, not that you want it to be anyone else, but you just keep praying it's not yours."
Yost's husband was killed by a suicide bomber. She said the death of a service member forever changes the lives of an entire family.
"These guys are going on multiple deployments," Yost said. "They're leaving their families for birthdays, anniversaries, birth."
Colonel Art Sellers is the commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat team. He posted on his unit's website "The expertise of every staff member of this brigade and in the 82nd Airborne Division will be utilized to ensure the Families of the fallen are taken care of."
The families have been notified, the unit is rallying behind them. And everyone here at Fort Bragg is asking this community and others to keep those families in their prayers.