I Got The News Today (IGTNT) is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos. It is a way for our community to pay respect to those who have died while serving the United States of America.
Staff Sergeant Adam S. Thomas
Adam Samuel Thomas was born on May 6, 1985, in Washington, D.C. The family lived in Elgin, Illinois, when Adam graduated from Larkin High School in 2003. He graduated from St. Olaf College, Minnesota in 2007, with degrees in biology and environmental studies. He then moved to Takoma Park, Maryland and worked as an environmental activist in Washington, D.C.
Adam enlisted in the U.S. Army in April of 2008. Following Basic and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Georgia, he was assigned to 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He quickly attained the rank of Staff Sergeant.
He deployed twice with the 82nd as an Infantryman, a 12-month deployment in 2008-2009 to Iraq, and a 9-month deployment in 2011-2012 to Afghanistan. While at Fort Bragg, he met Mackenzie Megan Hale and they married.
After his Special Forces Qualification Course graduation at Fort Bragg in October of 2015, they moved to Colorado Springs. Adam was assigned as an 18D Medical Sergeant to the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), which is based at Fort Carson, in February. In June, he deployed with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) to Afghanistan as a medic.
Staff Sergeant Thomas was participating in dismounted operations with Afghan forces in the Achin district of Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. The patrol triggered an improvised explosive device and he was killed. The incident is under investigation. Thomas was 31 years old.
According to the Army Times:
“The 10th Special Forces Group wishes to express deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends who have been tragically touched by the loss of Staff Sgt. Adam Thomas,” Col. Isaac Peltier, commander of 10th Special Forces Group, said in a statement. “Staff Sgt. Thomas epitomized what it is to be a professional Green Beret and soldier. His loss from our organization and his memory will not be forgotten.”
Staff Sergeant Adam S. Thomas is survived by his wife Mackenzie, his parents Will and Candace Thomas of Marshall; his sister Maggie and her husband, Steven of Blue Mounds, Wisconsin; his sister Anna and her husband, Seth of Webster, Wisconsin and many others who mourn his loss.
Awards and decorations given to Staff Sergeant Adam S. Thomas include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, and Basic Military Free Fall Parachute Badge.
A celebration of the life of Staff Sergeant Adam Samuel Thomas will be on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at the Shrine of Remembrance in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
May he rest in peace.
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About the IGTNT series:
”I Got the News Today” is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died. US service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized two days or so after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner. Click the #IGTNT tag to see previous diaries in the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is maintained by i dunno, Sandy on Signal, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, Jax Dem, The Fat Lady Sings, Ekaterin, & Joy of Fishes. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but show our community’s respect for those who have died.
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