Navy SEALs commander commits suicide in Afghanistan

Published: 24 December, 2012, 22:49

An US Navy Seal commander in charge of an elite squad tasked with training Afghan police has died of an apparent suicide in Uruzgan Province.

Cmdr. Job W. Price, 42, died Saturday of a gunshot wound to the head. The cause of death is still under investigation, but military officials speaking on condition of anonymity tell the press that Price is believed to have taken his own life.

A native of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Price’s LinkedIn profile suggests he joined the Department of Defense in 1989, making his tenure with the Pentagon one of over 23 years.

"The Naval Special Warfare family is deeply saddened by the loss of our teammate," Capt. Robert Smith, Commander of Naval Special Warfare Group Two, said in a statement over the weekend. "We extend our condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family, friends, and NSW community during this time of grieving."

An official commenting to the Associated Press claims that Cmdr. Price has most recently been in charge of a group that contained upwards of 30 troops, and did not believe he showed any signs of depression, “other than the stresses of deployment,” reports the AP.

In June, the Pentagon admitted that more US soldiers were losing their lives to suicide than to enemy forces, with the rate of suicide clocking in at around one-per-day.

Price was a commander with SEAL Team 4, a group of specialists based in Virginia Beach, Virginia but who have been on assignment in Uruzgan, Afghanistan in order to train local law enforcement officials against Taliban insurgents.

FULL STORY: http://rt.com/usa/news/navy-commander-suicide-us-758/