Bomb Attack in Afghanistan Kills Silver Spring Resident

In Afghanistan, Silver Spring resident Lt. Col. David E. Cabrera, 41, was killed in action by a makeshift bomb along with three fellow service members in late October, according to a Washington Post report.

When he left for Afghanistan on September 30, he was the director of social work at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) in Bethesda and did not have to go, his wife August Cabrera said.

But he believed that troops needed mental-health services in the field and so he volunteered his time, she added.

Cabrera joined the Army’s Medical Service Corps 15 years ago.

During his tenure, he was assigned to serve at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, served overseas and in the United States.

Navy Capt. Mark Stephens, the chair of the Department of Family Medicine remembers Cabrera as a kind-hearted and brave man.

"Lt. Col. Cabrera was a soldier's soldier. He was professionally happiest when in the field with his troops. His sense of service, love of God, family and country are an inspiration to us all," Stephens said.