An outpouring of sympathy and support for Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Goble, a 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Green Beret who died Monday as a result of combat action in Afghanistan, emerged in the hours following Monday evening’s confirmation of his death by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Goble, 33, a member of the 7th Group’s 1st Battalion, was injured “while his unit was engaged in combat operations … in Kunduz Province, Afghanistan,” according to the DoD news release.
A GoFundMe campaign started for Goble’s young daughter, Zoey and “his beautiful partner” Jennifer Albuquerque, whose Facebook page identifies her as a local hair stylist, noted that Goble “loved this country endlessly, and paid the ultimate sacrifice for it, fighting for our freedom. “
The GoFundMe organizer also called Goble “a true American hero” and a “passionate and patriotic” soldier, The GoFundMe campaign is online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/xx4qw-a-true-american-hero.
The 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) announced Goble’s passing on their Facebook page, providing extensive details regarding his military career.
A native of Washington Township, New Jersey, Goble was a 2004 graduate of Westwood Regional High School in Washington Township’s nearby sister city of Westwood.
Goble entered the Army in 2004 as a Special Forces candidate, and earned his Green Beret in 2007.
In addition to deployments to Afghanistan, Goble’s military career included service in Argentina, Guatemala and Colombia, all part of the 7th Group’s primary area of responsibility. In 2018, he was deployed to the Republic of Korea. His work with the 7th Group included serving at various times as a weapons sergeant, a sniper instructor and a senior intelligence sergeant.
As of Wednesday morning, it was not clear when Goble’s remains would be arriving at Delaware’s Dover Air Force Base for the solemn “dignified transfer” ceremony that returns remains to families of fallen troops.
Also according to Lt. Col. Loren Bymer, spokesman for U.S. Army Special Operations Command, there was no word as of Wednesday morning regarding any funeral or memorial services for Goble.
News of Goble’s death hit particularly hard in Westwood, where Mayor John Birkner remembered the departed soldier Wednesday as “the best of the best.”
Goble’s brother lives in Westwood, and his mother lives in nearby Upper Saddle River, Birkner said.
Goble was “truly an American hero,” Birkner said, and the city of Westwood is prepared to provide whatever might be needed in the coming days.
“We come together,” Birkner said, “and will be there for the family.”
___
© 2019 The Walton Sun
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
