Stockton soldier Sgt. John W. Perry died Nov. 12 from serious injuries caused by an alleged suicide bomber in Bagram, Afghanistan.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the 30-year old soldier was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade and 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas.
Perry entered the U.S. army in Jan. 31, 2008 as a Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment maintenance support specialist.
He was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade on Aug. 21, 2014 according to the U.S Department of Defense.
Perry deployed in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel from September 2016 to November 2016.
Secretary Ash Carter released a statement on the U.S. Department of Defense about the Bagram Air Explosion.
“I am deeply saddened to learn that an explosion early this morning at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan has resulted in U.S casualties. An apparent suicide bomber has taken the lives of two U.S. service members and two U.S. contractors working on the base,” he said. “Force protection is always a top priority for us in Afghanistan, and we will investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can make to improve it. We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future.”
According to the U.S. Embassy of Kabul, Afghanistan, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the insurgent group, said the attack had been planned for four months, according to the Iranian news outlet Al Jazeera.
The Taliban regularly fires rockets at Bagram from outside its perimeter.
He also told the Embassy a suicide bomber has targeted “a sports ground where more than 100 military officers, important people and soldiers were busy exercising.
Perry and his family are all from the North Stockton neighborhood, according to Redcord.net.
His family and friends mourn over his death and remembers him as a devoted husband, father, and true friend.
“He was as dedicated to being there for his friends and his family when he was out of uniform as he was to defending country while he was in uniform. Words can hardly say how much he will be missed,” said his friend John Wood said to Stockton Fox 40 reporters.
Perry has received awards such as the Purple Heart Medal, Bronze Star, and three Army Commendations.