US servicemen killed in Afghanistan bomb attack identified

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Pentagon identifies 3 US soldiers killed in Afghanistan

The three men were killed by a roadside bomb while serving in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon on Wednesday released the names of three servicemen killed a day earlier in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan.

Army Capt. Andrew Patrick Ross, age 29, of Lexington, Virginia; Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Michael Emond, age 39, of Brush Prairie, Washington; and Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan J. Elchin, age 25, of Hookstown, Pennsylvania died of injuries sustained in the attack in Afghanistan's central Ghazni Province, southwest of the capital, Kabul.

Tuesday's attack was the deadliest against U.S. forces in Afghanistan this year. Three other service members were wounded in the explosion along with an American contractor.

In all, 12 Americans have been killed in combat in Afghanistan this year, matching the total killed in 2017.

Ross and Emond were assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Army Special Operations Command spokesman Loren Bymer said that Ross was on his second overseas tour, while Emond was on his seventh. Both men were posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Ross is survived by his wife and parents, while Emond is survived by his wife and three children.

Elchin was assigned to the 26th Special Tactics Squadron, based at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico. He had arrived in Afghanistan this past August. His commendations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal with Valor and the Air Force Commendation Medal.

"Dylan had an unusual drive to succeed and contribute to the team. He displayed maturity and stoicism beyond his years, and was always level-headed, no matter the situation,” said squad commander Lt. Col. Gregory Walsh, in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dylan's family, fiancé, and friends. He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten."

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.