Pentagon Identifies Three Americans Killed In Syria Blast

(Stars and Stripes) By CHAD GARLAND January 18 2019 The Pentagon has identified three of the four Americans killed in a blast in the Syrian city of Manbij this week including the first female U.S. servicemember killed in action in the campaign against the Islamic State group since the U.S.-led coalition began in late 2014. The blast outside a restaurant on Wednesday left a soldier a sailor a Pentagon civilian and a contractor dead. The Department of Defense identified the government personnel as Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan R. Farmer 37 of Boynton Beach Fla.; Navy Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent 35 of New York; and civilian Scott A. Wirtz of St. Louis Mo. Farmer was assigned to 3rd Battalion 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) based at Fort Campbell Ky. Kent a linguist was assigned to Cryptologic Warfare Activity 66 based at Fort George G. Meade Md. Wirtz was assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency as an operations support specialist. The servicemembers were at the restaurant near a crowded market for a meeting with local leaders U.S. Central Command said after the attack. Members of the Manbij Military Council which has controlled the city since it was liberated from ISIS in 2016 were also reportedly killed in the blast. Three Americans were wounded in the blast.