Remains Of Fallen Washington Twp. Soldier Return To U.S.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ - The remains of a special forces soldier from Bergen County killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan returned to the United States.

On Wednesday morning, a U.S. Army carry team moved a transfer case containing Sgt. 1st Class Michael James Goble, 33, during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware.

Goble, a Washington Township resident, died Monday, just three weeks before he was supposed to finish his final tour of duty in Afghanistan.

See More: Soldier From Washington Township Killed In Afghanistan

Several officials were present at Wednesday's transfer, including national security adviser Robert O’Brien and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

While funeral arrangements for the 2004 Westwood Regional High School graduate have yet been made public, his aunt, Jill Onorato told NorthJersey.com Goble's preference was to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

The Associated Press reported that Goble’s unit was engaged in combat operations in Kunduz Province, when he suffered fatal injuries and that the Taliban claimed they were behind the roadside bombing. Lt. Col. Loren Bymer, spokesman for U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said the incident is under investigation.

Goble joined the Army in July 2004 and graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course as a Green Beret in 2007. He was first deployed to Afghanistan in March 2007 and was later deployed to Argentina, Guatemala, Colombia and South Korea, according to the U.S. Army.

He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airbone), which is based out of Elgin Air Force Base in Florida. Goble's military career includes the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $110,000 for his family, which the fundraiser's organizer said "is a true testament of the kind of man we all knew Mike to be. All money will go to Goble's girlfriend, Jennifer Albuquerque, and 6-year-old daughter, Zoey, organizers said.

According to the Associated Press, 20 American armed service members have been killed in combat and three non-combat deaths in 2019 in Afghanistan. More than 2,400 Americans have died during the nearly 18-year conflict, the report said.