UPDATE: Remains of First US Service Member Killed In Afghanistan in 2017 Returns Home

(Dover) The remains of SSG Mark R. De Alencar arrived home at 6:45 PM on Monday, after he was killed in action by small arms fire in Nangarhar Province Afghanistan on April 8^th, 2017.  SSG De Alencar was a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant assigned to 1^st Battalion, 7^th Special Forces Group (Airborne).  The 37-year old Edgewood, Maryland resident came from a military family and was born in an American hospital in Germany while his father was stationed there with the United States Army.  His family eventually moved to Texas, before taking up residence in Maryland. De Alencar graduated from Joppatowne High School in 1998 and later joined the United States Army in 2009 as in Infantryman.  Fairly new to the Special Forces Regiment, SSG De Alencar graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course as an 18B in September of 2016.  He leaves behind his wife of fifteen years, Natasha, and their five children. 

According to the Department of Defense, SSG De Alencar died of injuries sustained when his ODA came under small arms fire while conducting combat operations against insurgents affiliated with the Islamic State. The majority of American forces in Afghanistan are conducting advise and assist missions with Afghan security forces as part of Operation Resolute Support.  However, Special Operations Forces are also conducting combat operations against terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda and ISIS as part of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. SSG De Alencar was the first American to be killed in action in Afghanistan in 2017.  American and Afghan Special Forces units have been fighting terrorists in a portion of Nangarhar Province that is controlled by ISIS affiliated organizations.  

Chris Erickson is an OpsLens Contributor and former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier. He spent over 10 years in the Army and performed multiple combat deployments, as well as various global training missions throughout the world.  He is still active in the veteran community and currently works in the communications industry. Follow him @EricksonPrime on Twitter.